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Quick Trips to the Napa Valley and Carneros Wine Country

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Carneros wine country getaway

Carneros vineyards

Perhaps you are on a business trip in San Francisco or Oakland. Your schedule gives you an afternoon off and you want to visit the Napa Valley or Carneros wine country. You want something that will make your trip useful and memorable. We have a few quick wine country getaway suggestions that will do just that.

Carneros West – In Sonoma County

First of all, we are going to take you to some very fun and cool wineries, not very touristy or commercial. Head across the Golden Gate Bridge and travel to the Carneros Highway. We are suggesting three small wineries: Schug, Robledo, and Larson Family. At the Schug tasting room we like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, as well as the great little house where the tasting room is located. Robledo is the first Mexican-owned winery in Sonoma County. They make some terrific wines using grapes from their vineyards in Napa and Lake County. Their tasting room is loaded with family memorabilia commemorating the family’s founding of the winery. Larson Family Winery is perhaps best known for its family friendliness. You can bring the kids without having to worry that they will be disturbing others; they are welcome at Larson. You can also play a game of Bocce at Larson while you sip some cool Larson Gewürztraminer wine. From the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge these three wineries are about a 45-minute drive without traffic. Schug and Larson are open daily 10 to 5pm, and Robledo by appointment. Always check the winery’s website for more information and consult our Carneros Wine Country Map for driving details. Want a quick bite to eat? Here is a list of some of the best restaurants in Carneros.

Robledo tasting room

Robledo tasting room

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Girls’ Wine Country Getaway to the Napa Valley

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The kids are back in school and it is time for a well-deserved break in the action of household duties. The best possible getaway in September is a two-night stay in the Napa Valley wine country. We have done this several times and it works wonders on the psyche. Here are some sure-fire ideas for getting this trip off on the right foot and making sure that fun times prevail throughout the stay.

Bouchon bakery in yountville

A morning cup and pastry at Bouchon Bakery

First of all, someone in the group must take the lead in organizing the entire trip. Give the group a name like “Sixth Annual Rejuvenation Wine Country Getaway.” Once the dates are firmed up, make sure you book your Napa lodging and Napa restaurants as soon as possible. September is harvest season and it’s a very popular time of the year in wine country.

Yountville, St. Helena, Calistoga, and Napa all have many choices of wonderful places to stay and dine. A smart idea is to stay in a hotel where you can walk to a choice of restaurants. Why drive or take a cab and when you can take an easy stroll to a restaurant? See our list of best Napa Valley Restaurants.

Bottega restaurant in Yountville

Bottega restaurant in Yountville

Many B&B’s have a wine reception with appetizers. If that is not the case for your lodging, bring your own wine and goodies for a fun hour before you head out to dinner. Besides some visits to wineries, what other activities will you schedule: golf, spa, massage, mud bath, or boutique shopping?

Plan one day for visiting a set of wineries. Make sure you have a designated driver or hire a limo or van service. One person in the group should take the lead in deciding which wineries to visit. Limo companies can do the planning for you but you will have more fun if you choose which wineries to visit and where to picnic. We have all the planning ideas you need for visiting Napa Valley wineries. You or your driver will need to make reservations for winery tastings if your group is 6 or more. Another consideration is to see if you can arrange for a private tour at one of the wineries. See if you can get an introduction from your local wine shop. A private tour might include a visit with the owner or winemaker, a vineyard walk, a barrel tasting, and a tasting of past vintages of wine.

Napa valley wineries

Silver Oak Winery

Once your trip is planned, make sure everyone gets the itinerary and agrees with all the activities. Then sit back, relax and enjoy the wonders of the Napa Valley wine country.

Napa Valley bashing at the Wine Bloggers Conference

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The Napa Valley is recognized as one of the top wine regions in the world. When you are top dog, expect to take some shots from your rivals. Napa Valley wineries had their share of good-natured bashing from Oregon wineries at the 5th Annual Wine Bloggers Conference held in Portland, Oregon, this past weekend.

Oregon wineries needle Napa Valley

Willamette Valley winemaker


What we heard along the way

“In Willamette Valley the weather cools rapidly from afternoon winds from the Van Duzer Corridor. Night time temperatures drop dramatically. In the Napa Valley it is hot all the time.”

“The Napa Valley Pinot Noirs from Carneros are too big.”

“Here in the Willamette Valley the winemakers and owners share their knowledge and help one another. In the Napa Valley, it is all corporate.”

“One thing that differentiates the Willamette Valley from the Napa Valley is that each year the growing season in the Willamette is very different. The climate varies significantly year to year. Napa does not have that fluctuation so their wines are always the same.”

“Here in the Willamette Valley you are likely to find a winemaker or family member working the tasting room. That is something you won’t find in the Napa Valley.”

What Oregon wineries should be saying to Napa Valley

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The Napa Valley Connection to the Barrios of Peru Our Hands for Hope

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Our Hands for Hope

What do Peruvian women have in common with Hess Winery, Robert Mondavi, the Spa at Bardesonno, and the chic West End Napa Store? The women’s woven clothing pieces are sold at these locations. It is a win for both, with the Pervian women making a living and the stores featuring a one-of-a kind product. How did this partnership occur?

We recently had a very interesting and informative meeting with Terisa Brooks-Huddleston, the founder of “Our Hands for Hope,” an organization which works directly with abandoned or widowed women from the Andes mountains, who are intent on finding a way to support themselves and their children. These women are motivated, talented and well trained, but previously were only able to sell their handmade outerwear and blankets to visiting tourists.


“Our Hands for Hope” was created out of a partnership with Project New Hope International and Creation Peru. These organizations have helped build medical centers and schools in the area, as these women and their children receive no government assistance. “Our Hands for Hope” purchases the soft alpaca yarn and sends suggested patterns to the women, who are known affectionately as “Peruvian Mothers.” The women knit the products and set their own prices. The products are then sent to Terisa and she locates retail shops which will sell them.

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Inside Yountville

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The main wine towns of the Napa Valley are Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Inside Yountville is the first of a series of short videos designed to give the tourist a quick view of the major attractions of these localities: where to stay, dine, shop, and enjoy other very fun wine country activities. In this video, you will quickly see why tourists love Yountville.

Inside Yountville

Follow these links to view our recommendations for lodging, restaurants, wineries, and other attractions in the Napa Valley.

Yountville is very popular on weekends and during the week in the Summer and Fall months. Be sure to plan ahead to book your lodging and reserve a restaurant table.

Don’t miss:

A tour and tasting at Domaine Chandon
A pastry and coffee at Bouchon Bakery
A walk or jog along the vineyard-lined Yount Mill Road
A visit to Michael Chiarello’s Napa Style boutique shop at V Marketplace
An early morning walk to watch the launch of colorful balloons taking off
A quiet stroll through the Veterans’ Cemetery

Domain Chandon tasting and tour

Domain Chandon Tasting Room

Napa Valley Picnic Wineries – More bad behavior

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One of our favorite things to do in wine country is to enjoy a picnic lunch at a winery. In the Napa Valley there are far too few wineries that have picnic areas when compared to Sonoma, Paso Robles, and other California wine regions. Napa County ordinances have been tough on the newer wineries, not allowing them to offer this wonderful experience to the wine traveler. Sadly, on our trip to the Napa Valley this past week, we discovered that one of our favorite wine picnic areas had been fenced off and the winery was now charging a $35 table fee to use the picnic area. Hard to believe but true!

Rutherford hill picnic area

To enter one must pay a $35 table fee

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Napa Valley Happenings in May and June

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Is the old Gordon’s Café and Wine Bar in Yountville set to reopen? We hope so! Remember, this was a popular spot among the locals but closed in 2007. Runners, walkers, and cyclists would convene here for their morning cup of java and other goodies. Later in the day, the wine bar, along with other good eats, was the big attraction. It was sold in 2007 to Leslie Rudd of Rudd Winery and Dean & DeLuca fame. It was gutted and the remodel process got started, but then suddenly everything came to a halt. The place remained in that condition until January of this year when new owner Frank Altamura (Altamura Vineyards & Winery) began construction to turn the old Gordon’s place into perhaps a pizzeria? We look forward to the resurrection of this cool hideaway.

Gordon's Cafe and wine bar in Yountville

Gordon's as it looked in 2006

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Napa Valley Travel News Update

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Robert Mondavi Concert Series back for 43rd Year
Mark you calendars and select which of the Robert Mondavi concerts to attend this summer. These are always festive events, especially when you attend with a group of friends. The concert series at Robert Mondavi is one of the highlights of the summer season in the Napa Valley. The concert series brings together wine, food, music and the arts for beautiful evenings in the vineyards. The concerts run on Saturday evenings beginning June 30 and ending on July 21. Ticket prices vary by performance, with proceeds from this year’s series benefitting the Napa Valley Unified School District. Ticket and additional information.

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Wine Adventures in Yountville

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Sometimes you just need a quick getaway to cure the doldrums of the winter months. And that is what we just did with a one-night getaway to Yountville in the Napa Valley. We booked a room at the Napa Valley Lodge for $149 at their special winter rate. The Lodge is very comfortable and within walking distance of the restaurants, tasting rooms, and lots of boutique shops. Although on this day it was grey and damp, it was a delight to drive along the Napa Valley floor and take in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and vineyards.

We arrived just in time for our 12:30 lunch restaurant at Redd Wood, the newest restaurant in town, owned by Richard Reddington of Redd Michelin fame in Yountville. The restaurant is located in the North Block Hotel, formerly the Hotel Piero. Redd Wood is a pizzeria with causal dining in a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. The specialties, of course, are pizzas but there are many other menu items. There were four of us for lunch. Two shared a pizza and a salad and thought they were both just okay, nothing spectacular. Janelle and I shared a pear and wintergreens salad and a sandwich with rosemary foccacia, prosciutto cotto, and crucolo cheese. They were both excellent. The Sommelier was very cool, answering my questions about a few wine choices on his wine list, and recommended a Docellto/Barbera from Piedmonte in Italy that was very tasty, medium bodied, and perfect with our meals. The Wine list is good with a wine selection at $38 and above.

Redd Wood Pizzeria

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ZAP Changes Venue for Grand Tasting – We Have Two Tickets to Give Away

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Get ready for the huge ZAP Grand Tasting on Saturday, January 28, 2012, from 2 pm to 5 pm. This is your chance to taste Zinfandel wines from 400 different wineries and producers. What a bonanza for anyone who likes wine and especially Zinfandel. This is the 21st Annual Grand Tasting and this year the tasting will be at The Concourse in the South of Market area of San Francisco. What happened to Fort Mason and the Herbst Pavilion? In 2012 Fort Mason begins renovations in preparation for the America’s Cup yacht race. The Concourse in the South of Market of San Francisco is classy and modern, and public transportation is much more available. It will be a very exciting location with several nearby restaurants and other attractions.

We have a pair of tickets to give away for the main event, the Grand Tasting, and a pair of tickets to give away for the Epicuria Food & Zin Pairings event on Thursday, January 26 from 6 to 9 pm. We will take submissions on the comment section below. This contest will run through December 31. On January 3 we will announce our winners. First place winner has a choice of either two tickets for the Grand Tasting on Saturday, January 28 ($138 value) or two tickets for the Epicuria Food & Zin Pairings event on Thursday, January 26 ($250 value). Second place winner will receive two tickets to whichever event the first-placed winner doesn’t choose.

How to enter

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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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