A laidback Napa neighbor

In summer, the Suisun Valley sky has no clouds.

Shadows of hawks swoop over the loops of dusty Solano County roads lined with small wineries, quirky shops and farm stands advertising homemade pies and berries with marker-drawn signs.

Ten minutes from I-80, and less than an hour's drive from San Francisco, rustic Suisun Valley, California's second oldest certified wine-growing region is still quiet and unpretentious.

Thanks in part to events like the two-year-old Uncorked wine party and the Harvest Celebration held each August, visitors increasingly see the 75-square-kilometer region as a destination - Napa's mellow yet worthy neighbor.

Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative has tastings featuring free samples of wines. Provided to China Daily

Larry's Produce: Customers steer wheelbarrows through the crowded interior of this seasonal roadside market, digging into the mountains of produce selling at low prices: Cranberry beans for less than $2 per kilogram, five ears of corn for $1. Outside, families enjoy barbecued chicken and pick zinnias planted in color-coded rows.

4606 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield. 707-864-8068. Larrysproduce.com.

Mankas Steakhouse: Opened in 2012, the Valley's only upscale restaurant boasts white tablecloths and plenty of Suisun Valley wines. Get the "Whole Board" - a $25 charcuterie-and-cheese platter featuring, among other selections, an earthy goat's milk cheese from Redwood Hill Farm in Sonoma County and La Quercia speck.

2522 Mankas Corner Road, Fairfield. 707-425-3207. Mankassteakhouse.net.