What was originally the Chateau Souverain is now the Francis Ford Coppola Winery situated in the heart of the Northern California wine country in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County, some 70 miles north of San Francisco.

When I visited in the fall of 2010, construction was under way for a winery resort where visitors will be able to swim, eat, dance, attend live performances, play bocce ball, tour the winery and enjoy a wine-tasting bar.

The display cases were already completed, so I was able to view the actual Oscars Coppola won for "Patton" (1970), "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Godfather: Part II" (1974).

Other movie memorabilia includes the original Tucker automobile from "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" with Jeff Bridges (1988) and the desk used by Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in "The Godfather." The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won three.

"Apocalypse Now" presented a display problem because the surfboard used in the film portraying American GIs surfing in the midst of the horrors of the Vietnam War was too large for inside the display case and had to be set on top. Other items on view include costumes from "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992) and the neon cocktail glass and bar from the movie musical "One From the Heart" (1982).

During a tour, Coppola's director of winemaking, Corey Beck, pointed to the pool under construction and explained that a pavilion, inspired by the band shell featured in "The Godfather: Part II," would be built just beyond. Seating for the audience at the live performance events would be built lower in the ground so as not to obstruct the view of the people in the swimming area who also wanted to watch what was going on.

Tours ranging from 30 to 60 minutes are available to see the barrel room and the bottling facility, where more than 40 wines are produced. A tasting room for visitors offers a variety of select and reserve wines for small fees.

The main restaurant at the facility, Rustic, Francis' Favorites, seats 86 guests inside a dining room and 84 outside on a terrace with spectacular views of the vineyards of the Alexander Valley. The cuisine is Italian with an occasional international dish added for variety, such as Argentina grilled meats, Marrakesh lamb and Moroccan Bastilla, a chicken pie.

I sampled arugula salad, Neapolitan pizza, a bumbala (bumble bee) pasta, lamb (marinated in pomegranate juice and white onion, then grilled), a bean salad, Martin Scorsese's mother's lemon chicken and a chocolate mousse. Everything was delicious.

Outstanding wines served to accompany the food include a chardonnay called Francis Coppola's "Director's Cut" (Russian River Valley '08) and a cabernet sauvignon labeled "Cinema." I also sampled prosecco brut, the Italian "champagne." Coppola's version is labeled "Sofia" because he bottled it for his daughter's 2009 wedding in Monterey, Calif.

Coppola says his winery is meant to be "a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life — food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life."

The Alexander Valley is known for producing excellent zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sauvignon blanc varieties of grapes. Other wineries in the area include Clos Du Bois, Geyser Peak, Trentadue and Locals.

Visitors can also explore tiny Geyserville and Healdsburg, which feature some excellent restaurants and unique shops, or they can head west to the Pacific Ocean and enjoy Sonoma County's stunning beaches.

WHEN YOU GO

Getting there: Drive north from San Francisco on Highway101 and exit at Independence Lane. The Francis Ford Coppola Winery and the Rustic, Francis' Favorites Restaurant are located at 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, CA 95441: 707-857-1400 or 877-590-3329; www.franciscoppolawinery.com.

Where to stay: There are no overnight accommodations at the winery, but lodging may be found at the Geyserville Inn, Geyserville; Dry Creek Inn Best Western, Healdsburg; Hampton Inn, Windsor; Hilton Sonoma Wine County, Santa Rosa; and Hotel Healdsburg, Healdsburg. I stayed at the Geyserville Inn in a lovely room with two queen beds, a tiny deck and a view of vineyards for $150, including tax: 21714 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, CA 95441; 707-857-4343 or 877-857-4343; www.geyservilleinn.com.

Where to eat: Besides dinner at Rustic, Francis' Favorites, I enjoyed a hot pancake, egg and bacon breakfast at the Hoffman House Restaurant next door to the Geyserville Inn: 21712 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, CA 95441-9541; 707-857-3264.

Patricia Arrigoni is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.