Four wine country road trips to off the beaten path wineries
You have been to the Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Perhaps you have explored Paso Robles and Santa Barbara wine regions. It is time for you to discover something different in the wine country. Maybe it is wineries less formal or snobbish. Perhaps it is a quiet vineyard lined backroad. Could it a more fun winery to visit is a small passionate family-owned winery? If it is the crowds that annoy you, it is time to avoid them and find new wine country experiences. We have them for you.
We have four off the beaten path wine trails that veteran wine country travelers will be sure to find wine tasting different and unique. For each of these wine trails, we will tell you about the wineries and why we like them. We recommend where to stay and dine. The rest is up to you.
Explore These Hidden Wine Trails
Hollister
Who would know that some very old vineyards and wineries are hidden in Hollister? We discovered this wine country on a recent trip to the Pinnacles National Park. Spend time with both nature and wine in Hollister.
Fair Play
Discover the wineries in the Sierra Foothills at 2000 feet. Fair Play has the perfect terroir for Rhone-style wines and Zinfandel, plus others. Connect with small growers and winemakers.
Russian River Valley
In the hidden backroads of the Russian River Valley are four fantastic wineries to visit. Russian River Valley is the perfect region for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These wineries are far from the maddening crowds.
Hopland
Hopland in Mendocino County is only two hours from San Francisco. The Hopland area is far less crowded than Healdsburg to the south. The wineries are top-notch and the majority are practicing sustainable farming. They love wine tourists.