As a gift to myself for finishing grad school I am going to ake a 4-day trip to California wine country to do some tastings. Now, what I am wondering is what area I should attend to first: Napa? Sonoma? Mendocino?
Obviously some regions are going to require mulitple visits so I am also wondering which vineyards to hit first as I see that most of the high-end ones do not do tastings.
Thanks in advance.
We were all raised being told that Jesus loved the little children. Yes, but he never had to dine with one.. he chose the lepers instead.
Posts: 187 | Location: Denver | Registered: Feb 21, 2007
Here are a list of a few fun events coming up. You may want to check out the websites and then plan accordinly. These events are a great way to try a lot of wineries for one low fee and have a great time. If time is of the essence hit one of the events and then spend a day in Napa and a day in Healdsburg. May 19, Tiburon Wine festival www.tiburonwinefestival.com June 9th CigarBQ www.cigarbq.com
Posts: 287 | Location: Healdsburg, Ca | Registered: Oct 17, 2006
For a special occasion visit to Napa I strongly recommend Eclectic Tours. My wife and I did a private tour with David (owner/operator) that was truly memorable. We were picked up at 9:00 AM and by 9:30 we were with Bob Egelhoff barrel tasting his 2003 release and giving our opinions on vineyard lot combinations for 2004. Day ended with a private tasting at Vintners Collective in Downtown Napa.
David's prices are reasonable and he will manage your tour to meet your tastes and expectations re price, etc. He will get you access to wineries that the general public will not see in a visit to Napa.
Enjoy your trip.
bigcabguy
Posts: 193 | Location: Newport Beach, CA | Registered: Apr 03, 2007
Stay away from Napa on the weekends (and personally any other day) Sonoma area - Healdsburg, Guerneville Santa Barbera area - stay off the "Sideways" trail - phone up the wineries at the Lompoc compound for a sampling - Fiddlesticks?, etc. Arroyo Grande area - especially Talley And consider Livermore Valley and Amador if you like the "in your face" reds
Hi DRLSUBARU If you decide to ignore Amici and come to Napa anyway, then I too endorse BigCabGuy's suggestions of Eclectic Tours and Vintner's Collective. If you are coming this month check out the calendar in our newsletter for events suggestions. Congratulations on your graduation!
James Forbes, Director of “Bearshead Napa Valley” A comprehensive DVD guide to the History and Terroir of this beautiful place and its wines. www.bearshead.com
Posts: 119 | Location: Napa Valley | Registered: Feb 20, 2007
I would just like to mention that the Tiburon Wine Festival has sold out in advance 2 years in a row so you would need to purchase advance tickets via the website: www.tiburonwinefestival.com
Posts: 1 | Location: Tiburon, California | Registered: May 06, 2007
I just did the same thing...finished up Grad School (evening MBA program) and gave me and my wife a week in Northern California.
My recommendation is to go during the week and start in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma. That should be good for two days. Second two days, visit the Silverado Trail in Napa County. Go to Vincent Arroyo and Frank Family for sure.
