In two weeks my husband and I will be flying into San Francisco, meeting up with another couple and then traveling north to Napa and Sonoma Counties. Our time is extremely limited so I'm trying to pack in as much as possible in two days but it's Day One that's the problem.

I'd love feedback regarding my proposed itinerary:
9:30 am - depart San Francisco and 11:15 am - arrive at Ferrari-Carano for winery tour
12:45 pm - drive to Chateau Souverain for lunch
1:00 pm - Lunch reservations followed by wine tasting and tour
3:00 pm - Drive to Hop Kiln for tour
4:00 pm - Drive to Napa and check into hotel
OR
3:00 pm - Drive to Korbel for tour
4:00 pm - Drive to Napa and check into hotel
6:00 pm - Check into Wine Train (train leaves at 6:30)

Our friends have requested that the Wine Train be part of our trip so that element must remain, otherwise I think I'd have plenty of time.

My list of chosen wineries was based on the insights and experiences of other Fodorites but I'm just not sure how much time we'll need at each. Your expertise is greatly appreciated.

Hi! The wineries I have visited on your list are Ferrari-Carano and Korbel. I think we may have spent about an hour at Ferrari-Carano. I remember wine tasting, looking at the cellar and taking pictures of the grounds. They were so beautiful when we were there. It seems like the tour itself at Korbel was about 45 min to 1 hour. It was a really good tour! Afterwards you can taste the different champagnes. Honestly how long it takes depends on the number of people there, how long you wait for the tour to start and also how long you want to linger. Another rec is for Robert Mondavi Winery- another great tour!

You know, not every winery has a "tour", but they will have tasting. Hop Kiln is small, and I have tasted there (but not toured - not sure they have one). F-C is bigger and has a very busy tasting room. I have been to Korbel in the Russian River Valley, not in Napa. I didn't know there was one in Napa. To be honest, one tour is enough. Taste as often as you want. I like your picks. You may be pushing it.

Lunch at Chateau Souverain is a wondeful choice. We had the prix fixe lunch which included a salad, halibut sandwich and dessert was a trio of mini sorbets (mango, raspberry & chocolate) that was beautifully presented.

Let us know how you like the wine train, I've read mixed reviews about this on other boards. ***kim***

Well, kids, if it were me I would
head over to Napa after lunch/taste/ tour! OK maybe a quicky taste at Hop Kiln, but MAYBE...
You gotta get from western Sonoma County
over to Napa (and beyond) and the traffic on 101/37/12/116/121 (any of these) will be stinky after 3PM.
Go on over to Napa post lunch-do a tasting near your hotel, check in
(or vice versa) and go onto the wine train.
R5

Hop Kiln was really a cute place -- but you won't spend much time there. If the weather is gorgeous, you will find the Sonoma countryside is so beautiful you will want to take your time to enjoy it. I'm not sure where in Napa your hotel is, or how close to the wine train, but based on the day of the week, could the traffic be THAT bad that it would be hard to make it by 6PM?

Yup,it can be that bad. Except for Hwy 101 everything else is a 2-lane road that everyone coming and going to Hwy 101 is traveling on. This is typically our "crush" time and the area has
loads of visitors plus all the commuters who become visitors this time of year.

Up to you, I guess.
R5

If traffic is heavy, don't forget there are two roads that parallel one another in the Napa area. Don't want to give away anybody's "secret route" here.

Don't know why you started a new post when this same question is essentially answered on your previous post. The Ferrari-Carrano tour starts at 10 am so you've missed it according to your schedule. Chateau Souverain doesn't have tours so I don't know why you would plan a tour there. Hop Kiln doesn't have tours. On the previous post everyone says don't do multiple tours anyway - they all start to seem alike after you've toured a couple. Allow time to deal with traffic, also you probably want to show up a bit early for the wine train to check out the shop. Try reading everyone's response - we really do know what we are talking about.

One more thing - the best way to do the wineries in Sonoma is just to drive up the road from one to another and taste what you like - keep an open mind and maybe you will discover something new (a unique winery or a special wine).

Great suggestion, Craig! That's a fun way to try new wines. I enjoyed the Imagery Viognier so much at the girl and the fig, we just HAD to find the winery. Very pretty with lots of cool artwork. It's fun to be spontaneous sometimes and not to over-plan too much. ***kim***

Craig has given you great info. I second most everything he says. Remember - after one "tour" all you need plan are tastings. Decide which ONE winery is best for your specific location. Because of traffic in October, it is probably best to choose one fairly small area each day and concentrate your tastings there.