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Catch Napa Valley Harvest 2017

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harvest cabernet

On York Lane in St. Helena, harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon

Get ready to catch the Napa Valley Harvest 2017

The Napa Valley harvest 2017 is underway, and now is the time for every wine country buff to plan to watch all the activities that take place during the harvest. The Napa Valley is one of the best spots for viewing the “crush” because of the number of vineyards and wineries in such a concentrated area. If you spend a few days in the Napa Valley from mid-September through October, you are likely to see all the harvest activities: the grape picking, the sorting, the crushing and fermentation. It is the Napa Valley at its best for the tourist. Start making your plans now to watch the most exciting show in the world of wine.

The Napa Valley harvest 2017 has already started as of late July with Mumm Napa picking Pinot Noir grapes for its sparkling wine. White wine grapes are next to be harvested. The last grapes are usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, either in late September or in October. The weather plays a big part. Cool weather delays the harvest, hot weather the opposite.

Napa Valley Harvest 2017 Travel Tips

We have some tips for getting the most out of harvest in the Napa Valley. One of the most educational activities you can do is to take a tour. Check the Napa Valley Vintners Website to search for wineries that have complete winery tours.

If you want to watch the actual harvesting of the grapes, you’ll need to get up just before sunrise. Picking of the grapes is done early before the heat of the day. Drive the Valley and look for signs of the harvest. Look for several cars parked on the side of the road, half-ton bins ready to be filled, or small harvest baskets at the ready, as well as tractor trucks. More than likely harvest will be taking place in deep in the vineyards. Bring your camera or smartphone and walk into the vineyards; when you spot the workers, ask the foreman if it is okay to take pictures.

During the day, stop in at any tasting room and ask about the crush activities. The staff usually knows what harvest activities are taking place at their winery and what is in store for the following couple of days. Our strategy is to stop at a winery, initially bypass the tasting room and walk to the where the crush facilities are located to see what activities are taking place. No one really seems to care that you are there as long as you stand back far enough not to get in the way. Everyone is working so intensely that you will hardly be noticed.

This is a favorite time for tourists, so plan ahead. If you want to spend any length of time, be sure to book your accommodations early. But often, just going up for the day will be fun enough. Enjoy and don’t forget to pack that camera.

Check our Napa Valley Wine Country Planning Guide for complete details on where to stay, dine, and other fun activities.

First Time to Napa Valley: Must Do Activities

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Travel tips Napa Valley

First time to Napa: Travel tips Napa Valley

First Time to Napa Valley: Must Do Activities

We often get emails from first-time travelers to the Napa Valley asking advice for where to go or what “must activities” to include in their trip. Here is our list of what we think first-time visitors to the Napa Valley should consider doing. These activities don’t just apply to the first timer, anytime you visit the Napa Valley, these ideas should be considered.

Take a winery tour - Hendry Barrel Room

First time to Napa Valley: Take a winery tour – Hendry Barrel Room

 

Take a Winery Tour
Take a tour that covers the entire process of winemaking from the vineyard to the finished product. Here are two that are among the best winery tours in the Valley. You will need to call ahead to make an appointment. At Hendry Wines, owner and winemaker extraordinaire, George Hendry, will take you on a two-hour tour and tasting. We think this is the best tour of any in the Napa Valley. Another great tour is at Frog’s Leap Winery. This one will last about an hour. Don’t forget to show your appreciation by buying at least a few bottles of wine. When you open one of these wines at home, it will bring back memories of your trip and the wine will taste that much better. Wine always tastes better when there is a story behind it.

vineyard picnci

First time to Napa Valley: The vineyard picnic

 

Picnic in the Vineyards
This is one of our favorite activities, so much so that the weather has to be pretty bad to prevent us from picnicking. Either prepare a deli lunch or buy one at one of the many great delis in the Valley. Here are four wineries where you can sit and view vineyards: Clos du Val, Robert Sinskey, August Briggs, and Folie a Deux. See the Trip Planner for the exact location.

Beringer Brothers

First time to Napa Valley: Visit one Napa Valley’s orginal wineries

 

Visit One of Napa Valley’s Older Wineries
Before 1970 there were fewer than 30 wineries to visit. Today, there are over 300. Take a step back in time and visit Beringer, Charles Krug, Inglenook, or Schramsberg (appointment).

Casa Nuestra

First time to Napa Valley: Casa Nuestra – a very cozy family winery

Visit a Small Family-Run Winery
There is nothing like meeting the owner and winemaker of a small winery. They are always very passionate about their work and their wines. Here are a few small family-run wineries: Tres Sabores , Casa Nuestra, Smith-Madrone, and Elyse. It is always fun to visit a large corporate-owned winery immediately afterward to get a real appreciation of the small family-run winery. See our list of corporate wineries.

Greystone CIA Center

Greystone CIA Center

Visit the Culinary Institute of America
The CIA is housed in the Christian Brothers Winery stone building constructed in 1888. Drop by and visit the store, check out the displays of old winemaking equipment and barrels. If you have time consider lunch at the Wine Spectator Restaurant. The view is very beautiful.

about wine country getaways

Joe and Janelle in St. Helena, September 2015. St Clement winery on the hill.

 

Bring Your Camera — Take Photos
What’s a trip to the Napa Valley without photos? Take your digital camera or Smart Phone and take many shots of every place you go on the trip.

Hire a Driver
Rumor has it that various police agencies are beginning to increase patrols on wine tasting room exits. If you hire a driver, have your plan ready and hand it to the driver. There are several independent limo drivers who do a great job.


Check the Winery Finder/Trip Planner for sorting through wineries and mapping your trip.

Where to stay in the Napa Valley

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Napa Valley Lodging, best lodging in the Napa Valley

Napa Valley Lodge in Yountville

What a dilemma it is to find the proper lodging for anyone traveling to the Napa Valley for a first-time vacation. The rates in 2017 are as high as they have ever been. More travelers than ever are spending time in the Napa Valley, so it is tougher to find lodging. For weekends, you must book for a two-night minimum.

Sure, you can check Trip Advisor and the like for some recommendations, but you cannot always rely on those for sound advice. We have been traveling to the Napa Valley for 50 years. I think we have stayed in just about every style of lodging from the town of Napa to the north end of the Valley in Calistoga. We have stayed in budget lodging, excellent lodging, B&B’s, and we have even rented vacation homes. Take a look at our list of recommended Napa Valley lodging for each Napa Valley town, and you’re sure to find something that fits your needs. If we have something listed, we have either stayed there or taken a quick inspection of the place.

Lodging tips for the Napa Valley

 

  • We always like to stay within walking distance of fine restaurants and shopping. We like to enjoy our wine with dinner, so we either walk or take a cab. We don’t drink and drive. The centers of the towns of Napa, Yountville, and Calistoga are giving the traveler many choices for lodging within a short distance of many restaurants.
  • Sometimes it is more fun to make your lunch the main meal of the day. If you do that, then you can pack some appetizers for your room for an evening wine hour. Many of the hotels and B&B’s have a wine hour and serve appetizers. Some, like the Stevenson Inn in Calistoga, have tables and chairs set up outdoors for guests to use. Always check the lodging website for package deals. These deals include spas, golf, complimentary tasting room coupons, and many other perks.
  • Traveling during the week is always less expensive.
  • We don’t spend much time in our hotel rooms, so for that reason, we are not interested in all the elaborate amenities at the very top-of-the-line and expensive hotels. We just want something convenient, clean and comfortable. The money we save, we spend on wine and restaurant dining.
  • We prefer not to have a breakfast package included. We like exploring nearby coffee shops and breakfast spots. This is where all the locals hang out, and we would rather feast with the locals than having breakfast at our hotel.
  • What are your travel tips?

Important Resource pages:

Alston Park – Hiking in the Napa Valley

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Easy hiking Alston Park in Napa

Easy hiking – Alston Park in Napa

Alston Park – Hiking in the Napa Valley

On our last visit to the Napa Valley, we discovered a great hiking spot in the Napa Valley. The area is Alston Park. It is a park that the locals have been hiking for years. If you feel like you have had too much of the good life of the Napa Valley and a little exercise is in order, Alston Park is an excellent choice.

Within less than a mile of hiking, there are great views of the Napa Valley. The trails lead into beautiful meadows and woodland forests. There are side attractions of amazing homes and beautiful vineyards. If you are a trail runner, this is a fantastic place to do a morning run.

Alston Park is a Napa City Park. There are trail guides posted at the entrances but no hard copy to take with you. To get to the park, take a left at Trower Road from Highway 29 in Napa. Drive to the end of Trower to Dry Creek Road. There are two entrances on Dry Creek Road, about a mile apart. The south entrance is an area where dogs can run free. Take the north entrance where dogs must be on a leash. There are a few benches and tables scattered throughout the park and packing in a lunch is a very good idea on a beautiful day.  Rules often change so always check the Napa Parks Website for the latest hiking information.

After your hike, head to one of the many great wine trails in the Napa Valley. Taste wine and enjoy the beauty of the Napa Valley. Here are our favorite wine trails and wineries to visit.

Additional information on the town of Napa

Happy hikers at Alston Park

Happy hikers at Alston Park

The Tasting Room Only Winery – What Do You Miss?

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Yountville cornerston

Cornerstone tasting room – great Cabs

Storefront Tasting Room or a Real Winery

I’m totally amazed at the number of tasting-room-only wineries that have set up shop in the Napa Valley. I’m not talking about a wine bar, but a tasting room where visitors can come in and taste small amounts of wine just as you would at a real winery. In the business areas of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga there are numerous storefront tasting rooms. Most represent one winery, but a handful will serve wines from several wineries.

For the visitor the advantage to visit tasting rooms in town is convenience. The visitor can walk and visit several tasting rooms within a relatively short distance and not have to drive. Why not walk out of your hotel or B&B and spend the day leisurely strolling along without worrying about who will be the designated driver or about paying all that cash to hire a limo.

If you decide to visit tasting rooms in Napa Valley town centers, what do you miss? Well, first and foremost, the incredible beauty of the Napa Valley. Driving from Napa to Calistoga at any time of the year is not to be missed. The hills and vineyards are special and give peace of mind and tranquility. The majority of visitors that come to the Napa Valley want to get the sense and feel of a real winery. We love to walk or picnic in the vineyards. We want the chance to smell fermenting wine, catch a peak of a bottling line, or walk through a room full of oak barrels, or even get the opportunity to taste a barrel sample or meet the winemaker. Don’t miss out on all this, as an old friend of mine used to say, “Be there or be square.” The working winery in the Napa Valley is the place to be.

Resources for the wine country traveler

100 Year Old Wineries Near Healdsburg

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100 year old wineries healdsburg

Korbel on the Russian River near Guerneville, California.

Sonoma County is one of the founding regions of American wine. In the 1800s, there were many vineyards and several wineries. Today, these four 100-year-old wineries represent the magnificent and historical past of California viticulture. The four wineries are a short driving distance from the town of Healdsburg. Plot your stay and trip and visit one or more of these Sonoma 100-year-old wineries.

Four 100-year-old wineries near Healdsburg

Korbel Champagne Cellars

There is a special place in our hearts for Korbel. At the ripe old age of 21, we visited our very first winery, Korbel Cellars. That first visit got us hooked and started our journey of visiting wineries and vineyards around the world. What an impact! Korbel was founded in 1882 by Francis, Anton, and Joseph Korbel. The Heck Family, the current owners, bought the winery in 1954. It is a big-production, sparkling wine house producing over a million cases per year with distribution worldwide. Korbel has an excellent 50-minute tour followed by a tasting. The Korbel tour takes you through the step-by-step process of making sparkling wine in the French tradition. You will also want to check out the fantastic rose garden and the luxurious tasting room. There is also a good deli restaurant, where you can eat while enjoying one of the most beautiful settings along the Russian River.

Tasting Room Hours 10:00 – 4:30 Monday through Sunday. Champagne Cellar Tour Hours 11 – 3:00 Monday through Sunday. Garden Tour Hours 1:00 and 3:00 Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.Garden Tours offered mid-April to mid-October. (707) 824-7000, E-mail: info@korbel.com, Korbel

Simi in 1966

Simi Winery

Simi is another winery that we visited early on. I could not resist posting this photo taken in 1966. That is my son held by my mother while Janelle and I were inside the tasting room having loads of fun. Grandmothers always come to the rescue. In the photo, you can see that the tasting room was a mega-gallon redwood wine storage tank. We would walk down a few steps to the tasting bar where Isabelle Simi, in her 80’s was handling the wine tasting tasks. Isabelle was the daughter of Giuseppe Simi, who founded the winery along with his brother Pietro Simi in 1876. Isabelle ran the winery from Prohibition until she sold it in 1970 at the age of 84. For those of you old enough to remember Hollywood actress, comedian, and glamor queen, Mae West, Simi had a photo in the tasting room of Mae West with a sexy quote modified slightly: “Come up and Simi sometime.” That’s how fun the tasting room was to visit in those days. Simi Winery offers daily tours (11 am and 2 pm). The Simi tour leads you into the historic stone winery and gives a very informative look at winemaking. Simi owns prime acreage in the Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley and can produce a lovely array of wines. Simi’s Pizza Café is open, but check the Simi Website to get the latest hours of operation. Today the winery is owned by Constellation Brands.

Tasting room open daily 10 to 5:00, (800) 746-4880. E-Mail: info@simiwinery.com, Simi Winery

Foppiano Vineyards

operated by the Foppiano Family. With the sale last year of the Seghesio Family Winery, that makes the Foppiano Winery the oldest family-owned winery in the Russian River wine region. The family owns 140 acres of prime vineyard property in the Russian River Valley. The best part is that the family owns the land outright. That is one reason why their wines are excellent bargains and value wines. Their signature wine, a Petite Sirah, sells for $25 a bottle, an excellent price for this superb wine. Another great feature at Foppiano is their self-guided vineyard tour dedicated to the late Margot Patterson Doss. You may remember that Margot wrote a column in the San Francisco Chronicle encouraging people of all ages to walk and explore the San Francisco Bay Area. Pick up a brochure at the tasting room and take the walking tour that is probably a mile at the most.

Open daily, 11 to 5:00 Phone: (707) 433-7272 Email: info@foppiano.com, Foppiano

Seghesio Family Winery

Seghesio Winery began in 1895, growing grapes and producing bulk wines. Edoardo Seghesio founded the winery and was said to be the first one to bring in and successfully grow the Sangiovese grape. It was not until 1983 that they began to bottle premium wines under their label. Today the winery is most famous for its Zinfandel wines and, in particular, the Sonoma Zinfandel that has won numerous awards and is in many wine shops for under $20. In 2011 the Seghesio Family shocked the wine world by selling the winery to the Crimson Wine Group. The tasting room contains a lot of memorabilia and is a fun place to visit and taste wine. Seghesio also has a Bocce Ball court, should you feel the urge to have some friendly competition while sipping wine.

The tasting room is open daily 10 to 5, Seghesio

Healdsburg 100-year-old-wineries map

Additional information on this wine country

four 100 year old wineries in Sonoma
Cabernet at Foppiano

Why we like Calistoga Wine Country

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Happy diners at All Seasons Bistro in Calistoga

Happy diners at All Seasons Bistro in Calistoga

Why we like Calistoga Wine Country

Visitors to the Napa Valley often wonder what town in the Valley they should choose as a base while planning a wine vacation. “What town is the most fun?” we are often asked. Fun meaning good places to lodge, many choices for dining, boutique shopping, and of course wineries and tasting rooms to visit. The four major towns from south to north are Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. Janelle and I have stayed in each town many times over our years of adventures in the Napa Valley. Each town has something unique and delightful to offer. But if we had to make a choice as to which one was our favorite town, we would have to go with Calistoga.

I don’t think Calistoga has changed much since I was a young boy. My parents would vacation in Clear Lake and we would always stop in Calistoga for a snack on the way to our Lake County camping spot. On our first trip together Janelle and I stayed at Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort, which today looks exactly the same as it did some 40 years ago. A trip down Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga is a trip down Napa Valley’s memory lane.

Calistoga has always been, and we hope will always be, a laid-back town. The pace in Calistoga is less hectic and the shops and eateries a little more down-to-earth. It is definitely a quaint environment. We visit each December for Pauper’s Night at the Calistoga Inn. The natives come in droves and sing and party to Christmas cheer. It is an experience you won’t get in any other town in the Napa Valley. This year Pauper’s Night is Thursday, December 15, 2016.

There are several great dining spots ranging from the Michelin-rated Solbar on Silverado Trail in Calistoga to the fun and very casual Hydro Grill. We love to hit Brannan’s for a cocktail or a glass of wine. They have the most beautiful bar we’ve seen in the Napa Valley. Afterward, we stroll across the street for a quiet and relaxing dinner at All Season’s Bistro. We were pleasantly surprised on a recent visit to find out that Calistoga has added a nightly shuttle service for after-dinner rides back to your local hotel. Call
707-963-4229 for hours of operation. What a fantastic idea for wine country travelers!

Best breakfast spot is the Café Sarafornia. Why that name, you must dine there to appreciate. Best activity outside of wine tasting and boutique shopping is a stop at the Old Faithful Geyser. What a treat!

We put together this two-minute video to give folks a quick guide to the town of Calistoga and our winery suggestions. We recommend a stay in Calistoga and we’re sure you’ll enjoy it at any time of the year!

Soave Wine Country – Italy’s Hidden Gem

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Last evening a friend invited us over for a glass of wine that she said would be a surprise wine for us. The white wine she served was a Soave wine. When we told our host that we had visited Soave a few years ago she became very excited and wanted to learn more. With that in mind I have reposted this article on our visit to the land of Soave wine.

Soave Wine Country and about Soave wine

The Soave wine area is probably not on many wine traveler’s destinations when they visit Italy. Why go to Soave when there are the beautiful Tuscan hills, the land of Chianti and Brunello wines or the amazing Piemonte region, where Barolo and Barbaresco wines reign. We are very happy that we decided to travel to Soave; it is as spectacular and interesting as any wine country we have visited. The best part is that there are hardly any tourists around. We practically had all of Soave to ourselves.

Castello Scaligero

We were contacted by the Soave Wine Consortium and asked if we could visit following our European Wine Bloggers post conference to Chianti Classico. We left our Brescia hotel and drove for 75 minutes to the east. Soave is just east of Verona in the region of Veneto. The Soave Castle and surrounding hillside vineyards are the central identifying characteristic or landmark in this wonderful wine country. The Soave Consortium put us up in the Hotel Roxie Plaza, a four-star hotel, recently renovated and conveniently located. It is according to all accounts where most tourists stay when visiting Soave. It is located within walking distance of the medieval walls built in the 13th century that form the city center. Inside these walls are many wine bars, gourmet restaurants and the Soave Castle, Castello Scaligero.

Cantina Balestri Valda

If you are a long-time wine drinker, you probably remember the days when Soave wine meant something very cheap in a 1.5 liter bottle, and it was very bad wine. Well, that has all changed in recent times. The Soave wines are excellent both in quality and in price. The main grape in Soave is Garganega. We visited a couple of wineries as well as stopping in to sample wines at several of the wine bars along the city center. These wines are crisp, refreshing, delightful and full of fruity flavors. The best Soave wines come from the steep hillside vineyards. They cost between $10 to $15 and are terrific values .

We took off from the hotel and drove directly to the hills above Soave. The roads are narrow and switchback among the vineyards. It is truly one of the most beautiful areas we have visited in all wine country. On a clear and beautiful day, the views are jaw dropping.

Soave wine country

Soave – the land of white wine – hillside vineyards of the Garganega grape

On the second morning of our stay, we took a 40-minute walk from the Hotel up to the beautiful Soave Castle. The Castle dates back to 1379. The views are once again incredible from the top sections of the castle. After our exhilarating walk it was time to stop at one of the many café’s and have our lunch and of course enjoy a glass of the delightful Soave wine.

Quenching our thirst after hiking to the Soave Castle

Ten Tips For the California Wine Country Traveler

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about wine country getaways

Joe and Janelle in St. Helena , September 2015. St Clement winery on the hill.

We have been traveling the wine country for many years. We travel year round to visit wineries and tasting rooms. Each season and month bring its own rewards in wine country.  We are seasoned wine country tourists and we have some travel tips for you.

Ten Tips For the California Wine Country Traveler

Tasting room fees can quickly add up

Walk into any tasting room these days and more than likely you will be paying a fee to taste wine. In the Napa Valley the average is in the $10 to $20 range, with the high-end wineries charging much more. To save on tasting fees, share a single tasting with your partner or friend. Stop off at the local Chamber of Commerce office and pick up any discount or two-for-one coupons for tasting. If you stay at a local B&B or hotel, they usually offer a few coupons.

Tasting rooms in town save driving but you miss the experience

Napa, Yountville, Healdsburg, Sutter Creek, Murphys, you name it, they all have tasting rooms where you can walk outside your hotel or B&B and never get into a car to taste a plethora of wines. The one thing these tasting rooms lack is wine country. You came to see vineyards, wine barrels, fermenting tanks, and bottling lines. Go to a working winery and take in the sounds and smells of the wine country.

The Designated Driver

The Highway Patrol is increasing their patrols everywhere in wine country. Small towns have the local sheriff on the prowl. DUI related costs can add up to $10,000. Hire a limo, take Platypus, or have a driver that will not drink a drop.

Put the wine club on hold

Just about every winery has a wine club and joining one is always a temptation, especially when you have imbided just a tad too much. Take the brochure home with you and think about it. Wine clubs are a big source of income for the wineries. You pay top dollar for the wine even though you may get a so-called 10 to 20 percent discount. Wineries sell their wine at the top retail price, plus you always have shipping costs.

Big crowds at popular tasting rooms – avoid them

On weekends all the popular wineries are going to be crowded, often layers deep with people anxious to taste. Hit the tasting rooms before noon and you will likely find them sparse. Get off the beaten path for the afternoon and there will be fewer crowds to contend with. The best way to avoid the big crowds is to travel to wine country during the week.

Make your reservations for lodging and restaurants well in advance

This is especially true for the popular holidays, the summer season, and harvest time. Book as early as possible, you can always cancel at most lodging establishments a few days before without a penalty fee.

Experience a mix of wineries

There are many types and styles of wineries ranging from the small, single family-owned wineries to huge multi-owned wineries like Constellation, Jackson Wines, Treasure Wine Estates, and Gallo. Get a feel for both. Some have elaborate tasting rooms filled with merchandise, while the very small winery might have a tasting bar set up in their barrel room. You can search for different styles of wineries on the Winery Finder/Trip Planner.

Pace yourself

Enjoy the wine country lifestyle. We recommend visiting three wineries max in one day. Mesh in a picnic lunch at a winery and relax for an hour or more and take in the beauty of wine country.

Avoid driving to restaurants

Find lodging within walking distance of good restaurants or check with the hotel for taxi service. This way all can enjoy, without worries, the wonderful wine produced in the wine country you are visiting.

Direct your Limo driver

If you hire a Limo driver, be sure to hand the driver your itinerary. In many cases Limo drivers will try and steer you to their favorite wineries. Many wineries require reservations for Limo groups, so make sure they know your group is coming.
It’s a good idea to bring plastic spit cups with you to remind that you don’t have to drink the whole amount poured into your glass.

Plan you trip with Wine Country Getaways

Use our handy Trip Planner to find and map wineries. Consult our lodging, restaurant, picnic and deli pages to find our top recommendations.  Pick one of our wine trails.

Plan Now for Thanksgiving Weekend in the Napa Valley

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napa valley thanksgiving

Trinchero in the Napa Valley – Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving Weekend in the Napa Valley

One of the busiest weekends the entire year in the Napa Valley is Thanksgiving weekend. Family and friends visiting on Thanksgiving are likely to be staying through the weekend. One of the many things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area is to take family and friends to visit the Napa Valley wine country. Because of the popularity of this time of the year, it is best that you begin making your plans now. You want to be sure to book your lodging and make dinner reservations at one of your favorite restaurants.

Another nice option is a well-planned day trip. Head out early in the day and book a good restaurant for lunch. Better yet, if the weather is terrific, prepare a lavish and gourmet picnic lunch. Sitting in the fall- colored vineyards and enjoying lunch with a glass of chilled white wine has to make a lasting impression on your guests. Here is a list of Napa Valley wineries with picnic facilities.

The more planning you put into this trip the more likely your guests will have a memorable experience. You can watch our video on Napa Valley Travel Tips to get a good start. If your guests are wine newbies, a good tour on winemaking is in order. Book a tour at a winery where they have scheduled tours limited to a small number of people. Rubicon or Schramsberg would fit that bill but there are many others.

Try to visit some of the smaller wineries that are open only by appointment and are off the beaten path. If you hit the more popular wineries, you are likely to have a Disneyland experience and have to line up at the tasting room bar and wait your turn to taste. We have a great list of hidden wineries that you can view and select one or two to visit. Be prepared for all types of weather conditions. One day can be balmy and beautiful at 70 degrees and the next day could be cold and wet.

Be safe if you are the driver and use a spit cup when you taste or just bring your water bottle and enjoy the pure beauty of this wonderful wine country. If you stay in Calistoga, Yountville, or Napa you don’t really need a car for dinner. There are many great restaurants within easy walking distance from lodging.

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY REGIONS:

Carneros • Livermore • Lodi • Mendocino • Monterey • Napa Valley • Paso Robles • Santa Barbara County • Santa Cruz Mts. • Sierra Foothills • Russian River • Sonoma Valley

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