At the Crossroad of Two Great Wine Regions – Which One to Take?

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Joe Becerra

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crossroads of napa valley and sonoma which is better
crossroads of napa valley and sonoma which is better
In the Alexander Valley, we can head to Calistoga or Healdsburg

At the Crossroad of Two Great Wine Regions – Napa Valley Vs. Sonoma

We love this backroad intersection in wine country. It is in the Alexander Valley AVA on Highway 116.  It reminds us of how lucky we are to live close to the area where we have two of the greatest wine regions in the world, the Napa Valley and Sonoma.  Which road should we take? If we head to Calistoga, we will travel through the beautiful AVA of Knights Valley along Highway 116. The drive leads to the Northern end of the Napa Valley. From there we can go south to the town of Napa along either the Silverado Trail or Highway 29. Both roads parallel the Napa Valley floor.

If we head towards the town of Healdsburg, we travel through small backroads of the Chalkhill AVA. Healdsburg is the gateway to the West Sonoma area. It includes the wine regions of Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley and more.

Either choice is excellent. Napa Valley is smaller and denser.  West Sonoma is large and more diverse. Napa Valley is famous for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.  West Sonoma is famous for Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Because this Sonoma Area is vast, the climate changes are significant from one AVA to the next. Happy Travels!

Additional travel resources for the Napa Valley and West Sonoma

 

  • Joe Becerra

    Joe Becerra has been traveling to wine country and enjoying wine since 1965. He is a retired educator, and now have the time the opportunity to share his wine travel experiences through this Website.