Napa/Sonoma trip- worth splitting the time?
 

Hello! My husband and I are beginning to think about our San Francisco/Wine Country vacation in February. We will be spending 4 days in SF, and then have another 5 days to spend. Right now I'm thinking about splitting that time between Yountville and Healdsburg, in order to get a feel for two different areas. Do you think it's worth moving? Or is there a place that would be better as a base for all 5 days?

We've never been, so I welcome any experiences and opinions you can share! Thank you in advance.

I'd do the 2 areas if you can. You might not really need 5 days in one place.

Thanks Gail! I appreciate the advice.

As I have only read about these places, it's hard to tell what they are like. Will Yountville and Healdsburg be different enough to give us different experiences? Or is there a better combination? We figured that geographically they're far enough that we can focus on exploring different areas while in each.

Thank you!

Five days is a little much for Wine country, tasting, etc. We typically stay on the Coast near Pt. Reyes or Jenner & venture into the Sonoma or
Coastal appellation from there. Just a thought. If you type in Bodega Bay & Beyond (I think) that is who we typically rent from. There is also an interesting spa in the area near Occidental - "Osmosis" which is very nice also.

Healdsburg is a great area. We've been out there twice.

Barrel tasting is the first weekend in March. We went last year and are going back again this year -- great fun!! and Great wine!!! Here's a link to some of the activities in the Sonoma/Russian River Valley area:

http://www.wineroad.com/

The following link has a tab for recommended maps for day trips. It's a great tool for wine tasting in the area.

http://www.visitwineroad.com/

Some of the Original Wine-O's in the area can pipe in concerning Yountville and the surrounding area. I've never been there, but it's where they have their annual T-giving GTG. Seems like another fun place to visit. ((b))

Excellent, thank you all so much! I will definitely check out those suggestions.

SAnParis, your point is well taken about 5 days of tasting! At least one of our days will actually be split with San Francisco, but I am hoping we divide our time between tasting and other activities. We live in New York, so some time away to relax in smaller towns will be lovely! I've been researching these boards for non-tasting suggestions, but am definitely open to hearing any favorites!

Thank you! :)

We usually stay in one place and can easily drive both the Napa and Sonoma valleys. We give each one a day.
Try a spa in Calistoga - we did Lavender Hill and it was wonderful. We went to a wine dinner in Bodega Bay that was good.
There is some interesting shopping in Sonoma.
Try the olive oil tasting in St. Helena.
We did a limo wine tasting tour one time and were the only ones that signed up for it. We had a private limo for the day!
We usually stay some place outside the Napa or Sonoma valleys, as it doesn't cost as much - try the Doubletree in Rohnert Park. Whatever you do, enjoy!

Just spent 3 days in Yountville- it is wonderful. I agree that with 5 days you should be able to do a 'best of' both valleys. Have fun!

i'd split your time between yountville and healdsburg if you don't mind packing up and moving hotels. i'd spend a couple days in yountville and touring napa. and then i'd spend 3 days in healdsburg and touring the alexander, dry creek and russian river valleys.

yountville is a great place to stay because there are so many great restaurants in walking distance so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. but it is not as charming as healdsburg. the two areas are different in topography, with upper sonoma having more rolling hills and wineries more spaced out.

i'd try to hit napa mid-week as traffic on weekends is horrid. though in february, it shouldn't be terribly crowded.

Thank you all for the opinions! Since it sounds like splitting the time is a good idea, we may actually try a luxurylink.com bid for the Napa part of the trip. I think in February we will probably be able to get a good deal.

Has anyone been in the winter? If so, what was it like at the time? Did you still find Napa to be very commercial and crowded, or is the area as a whole a bit quieter?

Thank you! :)

"Osmosis" spa does this couples (optional) mulch/cleansing thing which is both interesting & relaxing. The more you move, the more heat it creates. Their web-site can obviously give you the specifics. I love the Jenner area as the River (nearly) meets the ocean & the scenery is wonderful. A bit of a drive to Sonoma but there are several small, out of the way wineries nearby. www.osmosis.com is the web address.

I have been there in nearly all seasons. I would time my wine tasting to take place during the week, particularly in Napa. We have also become Sonoma advocates. Many places don't charge tasting fees & (to me) the wineries are smaller, more family-run & mmore laid back. Napa can be a little snobby at times. For Sonoma I would suggest spending some time at both St. Francis & Ledson (there are right down the road from each other). Another little known favorite of mine is Quivera.

We will definitely rent a car...would love to splurge for a convertible, but it will probably be too cold :) It would be fun though!

Thanks so much for the link to Explorer Pass. That's a great idea! We were definitely planning to visit a few of the museums and wineries it covers.