Forget about spending the day after Thanksgiving at your local shopping mall. Give yourself and your family a chance to unwind by taking in the sights and sounds of the Carneros wine country. From San Francisco, Oakland, the Peninsula or anywhere else in the Bay Area, it is an easy day trip to the Carneros region and there are many wonderful wineries to visit and things to do
Here are some great ideas to make your Black Friday Carneros trip a success:
Pack a lunch
Get some hard French rolls and make some delicious sandwiches with your left-over turkey. As long there is no rain or wind, a picnic among the vines is wonderful. For picnic spots in Carneros we like Larson Family Winery, Cline, or Robledo Winery.
Bring the kids
The kids are not in school so bring them along. The Larson Family Winery boasts that it is the most kid-friendly winery . Bring plenty of games and other activities to keep them happy.
Play some Bocce
Here again the Larson Family Winery has a Bocce court and it is a very easy game to play. Check out these simple rules for a competitive game of Bocce.
Shop the tasting room
If you must shop, look for the tasting rooms with plenty of wine-related merchandise to sell. Check out Jacuzzi Winery for olive oil and Viansa for lots of merchandise.
Taste some bubbly
In the Carneros wine region there are two wineries that produce wonderful sparkling wine. Both offer a variety of tastings and tours. The settings at both Gloria Ferrer and Domaine Carneros are spectacular.
Take the backroads
There are several backroads in Carneros where you’ll find beautiful vineyard views of Fall colors. Take Ramel Road off Highway 121. It is a right turn and this road ends up at Duhig Road, which also meets up at Los Amigos Road. These backroads offer some of the best scenery of any wine country region in the world.
To find all these wineries and backroads, visit our Winery Finder and Trip Planner. Print your map and set out for a very enjoyable day of wine country activities.
