Wine country has proved the perfect spot for Raiders training camp.

RYNELL Williams thinks it all a tease, the majestic surroundings of the valley’s wine region, a screen pass to the Mondavi tasting room or a guided tour of the 13th century inspired Tuscan castle while sipping a Cabernet Sauvignon at Castello di Amorosa.

But he’s a Raiders fan for life from East Oakland, so he grins and bears all the hardships of attending training camp in the heart of such exquisiteness.

“It’s hard,” he said. “I’d also like to be at Korbel having champagne.” The brutality of it all. Williams and another thousand or so season-ticket holders ascended on fields adjacent to the Napa Marriott on Saturday to welcome back their beloved silver and black team, which many have set a bar of expectations

for this coming season closer to a Super Bowl berth than it has known in decades.

The fans weren’t all wearing Marshawn Lynch jerseys. It just seemed that way. It’s the 22nd straight year Napa has hosted the Raiders, a streak some have surmised could be broken once the team relocates to Las Vegas in 2020.

Which wouldn’t make sense on, well, any reasonable level.

Whispers became headlines in August of last year when, as part of a meeting with Northern Nevada lawmakers, Raiders officials toured several possible training camp locations in Reno, including UNR and some high schools and sports complexes. Not much has been said of it since. It was likely more political ploy than anything — if you’re pushing a stadium plan that would include $750 million in public funding, suggesting to some members of the legislature who would be casting votes that their part of the state would annually host training camp and any monetary benefits with it would seem an obvious negotiating tactic.

It certainly didn’t play a major role in how funding was ultimately approved via a special session for the stadium in Las Vegas, but likely made those up north feel a whole lot more involved in the process.

Besides, why on earth would the Raiders move camp?

It’s pretty difficult to match near-flawlessness.

Bitter proposition

I’m not sure what sort of training camp pranks and foolishness are annually perpetrated by players in and around a hotel and spa that includes a luxurious resort-style swimming pool and all the expected amenities of comfort. But in terms of weather and convenience and hotel beds over those of dorm rooms, you get the feeling those intimately involved with the process are big fans of Napa.

“This is a tremendous place to hold training camp,” head coach Jack Del Rio said. “Meeting space is good, the fields, we don’t have guys on scooters and carts trying to go all over the place. They’re right here. It’s self-contained. Everything we want out of a training camp is afforded us here. We’re very blessed to be in a great setting like this.”

Raiders president Marc Badain could not be reached for comment regarding the possibility of moving training camp.

But bitterness and anger about eventually losing their team yet again still exists within a majority of fans, and the only thing worse to some Saturday than mentioning a possible move to Reno was the poor, misguided soul who walked through the crowd wearing a Seahawks shirt.

Tom Brady might not have been booed more than she was.

“We definitely wouldn’t be going to Reno for training camp,” said Sacramento resident Kim Levingston, a 14-year season-ticket holder of four seats who has a tattoo of linebacker Khalil Mack’s autograph on her arm. “That would just be another slap in the face to us fans. Anything past the California border, I’m done. Won’t be going to games in Las Vegas, either.

“The Raiders started in 1960, I was born in ’61 and became a fan in ’67. That’s a long time to support a team that is being ripped away from us again. I’ll still come to camp if it’s here, but not if it moves.”

One side of stands was full with those jersey-wearing fanatics cheering every Lynch touch and Derek Carr throw and Amari Cooper catch, a day that also saw more than 100 alumni players attend practice.

Fred Biletnikoff was there. So were fellow Hall of Famers Willie Brown (a team official) and Ted Hendricks and Jim Otto. So were names like Tom Flores and Tom Louderback and Jim Plunkett.

So was a guy named Rynell Williams who, while not a former player, said he would follow the team to Reno should it relocate camp. Maybe. “Reno would be like here, teasing with Tahoe and the mountains and the Truckee River, where I could go rafting,” he said. “(Training camp) should be somewhere far away from wineries and amusement parks. Raiders, don’t go to Reno, because then I have to go to the casino and I’ll lose all my money. Don’t do me dirty. Go somewhere remote.”

It seems Rynell is pushing for camp in Laramie, Wyoming.

As for everyone else, a majority opinion seems to rule: Napa is the only place.

If it’s not perfect, it’s in the vicinity.