Ideas for Wine Country
 

I'm going to San Fran Wine Country next week. Any suggestions on which one's to visit, specific tours, etc.? Thanks!!

Here are a few we loved ( Sonoma County).
Ferrari-Carano
Pezzi King
Chateau Soverain
Korbel

Northern Napa county...Clos Pegases

Have Fun,
Brenda

When I was planning my trip to wine country, I found the following guide particularly helpful: Best Places Destinations California Wine Country (Best Places) by Erika Lenkert. Her advice was usually spot on. I got my copy at a Barnes & Noble's travel section.

I'd second the rec's for Ferrari-Carano and Chateau Souverain. The last one is a great place for lunch. We also liked Lambert Bridge. Have fun.

Thanks!

If you go to Chateau S...hop right across the highway and visit Trentadue winery...its very small and lovely-we were married there!

Don't miss out on Hess. Their "Hess Collection" of art is really amazing. And nothing beats a good glass of wine while perusing good art.

It really breaks up the wine, wine, wine routine.

We're going to be in Napa/Sonoma on Sept. 25th, and we decided upong the following self guided "tour" due to recommendations on here, wines we like at home, and on wines that are a little more expensive, so we'd like to taste before we buy here at home for our wine collections. Just thought I would share...

Leave San Francisco very early, drive to Muir for a quick look around. Drive into Sonoma area...either pick up some breakfast or just drive around and look.

Visit Ravenswood (10:30 tour, open 10:00-4:30, $4/tasting)

Drive to St. Helena area...pick up some picnic goodies for our cooler. Not sure where we'll picnic yet...it will depend on where we're at when lunch time hits.

The Vineyards we plan to visit while in Napa Valley area...in order from North to South:

Duckhorn Vineyard (Open 10-4)
Tasting room $10
Hour long semiprivate tasting: at 11, 1 and 3 pm an with food complements $25...by reservation

Frog's Leap Vineyard

Neibaum Coppola (Open 10-5)
Tasting fee $?
Historical Tour or Vineyard Tour: tour followed by tasting of four wines
90 minutes
First fome first serve, only 20/ppl a tour: tours at 10:30, 12:30 & 2:30
$20/person

Cakebread Cellars (Open 10-4)
Two tasting options: $5 or $10 (keep glass)
Cellar Tours: Complimentary by Reservation, 10:30 and 2 pm
Library Classics Tour: $20. Fridays only, 11 am. Tour with sit down tastings of 3 cab and 3 chardonnay.

Domaine Chandon (Open 10-6 M-F, 11-5 weekend)
Complimentary tours M-F, at 11, 1 and 5
Weekend tours at 11 & 5

Stags Leap Wine Cellars (not to be confused with the other Stags Leap Vineyard)
Open: 10-4:30
Portfolio Tasting of four wines: $10
Estate Tastings of premier wine: $30
Tour: by reservation, $10/person, included tasting

Dinner in Napa, drive back to San Francisco.

Hope that helps some!

Outside of wine, Jack London Historic Park is a cool place to spend a few hours.

http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLPark.html

The House of Happy Walls is a quirky museum documenting London and the places he visited around the world.

Nearby are the remains of Wolf House - Jack London's dream home that burned to the ground just weeks after being completed. He never lived long enough to rebuild it and his ashes were placed near the gravesite of two pioneer children.

Very cool if you're interested in California history.

The places that brenda_s recommends are around Healdsburg. Pezzi King had some of the best zinfandel that I have tasted in the area. It's a smaller vinyard.

Go to this web site for info on the area and request a map to show you where all the vineyards are located.

http://www.wineroad.com/maps/

Clos du Bois is also near Chateau Soverain - on the other side of the highway. They charge $5.00 for the tasting, but you get a beautifully engraved wine glass -- I use it everyday. ((b))

Thanks everyone!