patt8011

I haven't seen this explicitly addressed on Fodors, but on another travel site a local expert posted a "warning" to hire tour companies for tasting instead of driving oneself. We are 3 days in Sonoma and 3 in Napa this September. We've rented a car. We certainly cant afford- nor would I want to- spend ALL our time with tour operators. We are older responsible wine lovers, not looking for a wine country "party", but looking to experience the wineries. We dont drive drunk at home & wouldnt do so on vacation, Ive read extensive tips on pacing, sharing, limits, spitting, eating etc...That being said, we know the DUI limits are rightfully very low. Are the police hiding in the bushes out there? Is there reason to be paranoid? What do the locals do?

dmlove

Sorry if this sounds sarcastic, but pretty much, the locals don't go wine tasting.

FainaAgain

The locals wait till the tasting comes to them.

Several times throught the year, the local wineries arrange some kind of wine tasting or festivals, or chocolate-wine pairing, or... no need to risk a DUI stop if living in/near San Francisco.

Police hiding in the bushes? We solved this problem, too! We have our own BushMan

Otis_B_Driftwood

Surprisingly, there are very few problems with visitors imbiding too much at the wineries.

You should not have any problems if you are conservative in your approach. All the wineries provide spit buckets so you can taste and dispose of what you don't want to finish. Please use them.

Drink plenty of water and don't taste on an empty stomach. Bring some french bread or crackers and cheese with you. You will also enjoy the wines more that way.

At lunch or dinner, enjoy moderation in drinking wines. Avoid pre-dinner drinks and stay away from the grappa.

If you have any misgivings about driving, cabs are readily available.
Enjoy your visit. September is a great time to see the vineyards.

wyoming_gal

My daughter and I were in NAPA in mid-April. We used Platypus Tours for a day-long, lunch included, tour. They go to small wineries - ones that you wouldn't even know were there. We went to 5 different wineries, and tasted at each one. It was great fun - and we didn't have to drive. After tasting at 5 wineries, in hot weather, you really don't want to drive. I would highly recommend them. We also toured Frogs Leap on our own, but you do need to call ahead and make an appointment or hook on with another group. They have a really nice tour of their place, tasting included.

patt8011

Thanks for the input and words of wisdom too. On the wine country forums I have seen many posts written by self-described locals offering tasting reccommendations. I guess some "do" and some dont. I will check Playpus tours also, as Ive seen several good mentions- Thanks all.

hills27

If you have a big enough group, it's not that expensive to hire a driver for the day. We split a small bus between six of us (from 8 am to midnight...included the drive back to SF after dinner) and it cost us less than $100 each.

But when it was just two of us, we took turns. Day 1, I drove and tasted less. Day 2, we switched and I tasted a hell of a lot more.

razzledazzle

WHAT ????
I'm local-I go wine tasting, so do many of the other locals I know ('cause sometimes I taste with them, LOL!)

There is a significant CA Hwy Patrol presence here, And do trust me they are
here-yet, I wouldn't be paranoid if you aren't planning on getting drunk- you sound much like us-we aren't going for the party-we're going to experience the wineries, the scenery and taste a bit of wine. Somewhere along the way is
a fabulous lunch or dinner as well.
That's what this local does.

September is a fine month to be here-
come out and enjoy !

R5

LLindaC

See if Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan will drive for you! I hear they are sober.

LOL....we've always driven. I love the flexibility. I checked out Platypus tours and was shocked by how much it costs. You can easily research on your own and find many small, intimate wineries with excellent products. We almost never taste whites, unless they insist. We almost always share a tasting. I'm never embarrassed to pour it out. They always seem surprised when I buy a bottle of something I've discarded! Eat a big breakfast with plenty of protein. Schedule a leisurely lunch. Take advantage of walking to tasting rooms and dinner if you want to party. Healdsburg is a great town to do that! Have a blast. We go every year and always discover new places and tastes.

TrvlMaven

Here's another local that goes wine tasting! In fact, I don't have my wine club shipments sent, I arrange to pick them up JUST so I can taste. That said, mind above comments about CA HWY patrol. Pack some food, cheese, crackers, bread, fruit, etc. If you go beyond Sonoma to Kenwood, a nice cafe is Cafe Citti next to the VBJ tasting room. Never had a bad meal yet--eat on the patio or take it to go. Enjoy your visit.

J_Correa

Yep - locals do go tasting. Well, perhaps not the SF locals but the rest of the bay area locals go up there.