kjhc23

For my mother's 60th birthday in January I would like to plan a trip to the wine country. She has ever been and really wants to go. Is January an ok time of year to go? Or should we wait until a better time of year? Any suggestions on places to stay, itineraries, etc are welcomed!! Thanks!

LLindaC

I suppose you are referring to California? My favorite base is Healdsburg in Sonoma Valley. It is a great little town with wonderful shopping, restaurants and lots of tasting rooms right in the square. You are close to beautiful wineries in Dry Creek, Alexander and Russian River Valleys. Napa Valley is doable as a side trip, but honestly it gets so crowded with traffic and has gotten so outrageously high ($10-25 for tastings, etc) it takes major planning to find any charm there. We also love Anderson Valley wineries...what a beautiful drive that is! We like to top that off with a few days in Mendocino...heaven..

kjhc23

Yes California. Is it very crowded all year in Napa?

samschack

We spent a few days in Sonoma this past March and found that many of the wineries there also charge for tastings. We stayed in the town of Sonoma at the Fairmont Mission Inn & Spa and enjoyed it quite a lot.

scdreamer

Be aware that the weather in January is often rainy and can be rather cold.

Of course wine tasting by a roaring fire in a cozy winery is pretty nice ...

MichelleY

kjhc: Yes, it will probably be a bit cold and rainy, but not crowded. Keep in mind that the vines will be dormant but the hills will be green.

I would try to go at a better time. April or May?

my

kleroux

You can certainly visit wineries without tasting at each one. So pick your favorites. If you stay in Healdsburg you will be able to walk around the town, which is charming. Lovely shops, tasting rooms in town too, and great restaurants. The countryside is beautiful. It will be green in January but probably cold with frost in the morning and "warming up" to the 40's low 50's. Personally I'd pick April. Still not that many tourists, and there will be better weather too. I'd forget Napa as a place to stay. Its easy enough to visit if you really feel you have to, but you'll find Sonoma County more charming and beautiful.

humanone

As a resident of Sonoma County, I think that beats Napa, although staying in St. Helena (only) would be #2. You don't say where you live so I'll add some more items. The actual town of Sonoma, especially around the Plaza, has a sense of history. It is where California declared its separateness from Mexico, It has an old Mission to visit as well as a working cheese factory and a Victorian hotel to peek into. Great great restaurants. The Valley of the Moon, otherwise known as Highway 12, leads past many wine tasting places, a bed and breakfast once the house of an African American "voodoo" queen, and the farm and home of Jack London in Glen Ellen (also great restaurants). Healdsburg is great too, but only for the few blocks around the Plaza and drives to the myriad wineries. Most wineries in Sonoma and Napa refund the tasting fee if you buy a bottle of wine, and many have picnic areas. Lots of gourmet food shops to buy picnic foods to drink with their wine. Wherever you decide to stay, immediately pick up all the local give-away wine trails type brochures, and ask your hotel/Bed and Breakfast if they have any free wine tasting coupons. At least you'll get a half dozen of two-for-one. November to March is our rainy season, with temperatures in the mid 50s during the day, down to the mid 30s at night, but with flowers and trees in bloom from February on. July and August can be very foggy, also not so great, September and October are out hottest months, but all the vegetation is brown. (As a former New Yorker, I still can't get used to the reversals of the seasons). April and May are the best bets, but all seasons are OK. Be aware that during "the crush" in the fall, it is hard to get hotel reservations and all areas of wineries are more crowded, but still fun. If you write me with your lodgings budget and type of restaurants (or restaurant price level) I'd be glad to give suggestions.

WannabeinaMontserrat

I'm with most others on here when I'll suggest Sonoma as well. A common theme of our trips is to stay on the Coast (near Jenner) which will allow you great beach/river access, great views & also easy access to Sonoma as well as some lessor known wineries near the Coast. Occidental has a great Farmers Market & you can get spa treatments @ www.osmosis.com. Some of my favorites inclide Ledson, Quivera, Preston, J & Gary Farrell.

LLindaC

I also want to mention that while some wineries have a tasting fee, many waive that with a purchase. I've been in March, April and November and thought November was incredible. There are all the colors in the vineyards and all the flowers are still in bloom. The vines are just budding the first week in April, generally. The growing region around Lodi will start a bit earlier.

elnap29

A Napa Valley resident here.
Our Aussie relatives are often here in January (because that is when they have holiday time), and we always wish they could come at a different time of year. It is extremely cold in January. They always enjoy it here and think it is lovely. No, it is not crowded. I just think another time of year would be more enjoyable because we enjoy our outdoor life so much here.
April through October are good months.
A majority of people on this forum prefer Sonoma; we enjoy both areas.
One advantage of Napa Valley is that the winery region is not as spread out - the Valley is long and narrow (only about a 30 minute drive from the north to the south ends). It can take longer when there is more traffic, but it is truly lovely here, and I always enjoy the drive.
Have fun planning. I'm sure you will have a good time.

Austin

We like Healdsburg and Sonoma best as well.

Wannabe - we drove thru Jenner and thought it lovely. Where do you stay?

Supercilious

You could experience wet and stormy conditions in January. Two years ago, we experienced torrential floods around New Year's Day but this year we enjoyed sunny and mild conditions and spent January 1 at the beach.

The thing is that winter is a good time to visit wineries. The crowds are gone and so is the traffic. The tasting room staffs are not rushed and can spend more time with you.

Both Napa and Sonoma (and Mendocino) are beautiful and you should try to see them all if you have the time.

Reading through the older threads on this board should give you many suggestions on where to stay and what to do. Here's a good place to start.

http://www.fodors.com/world/north-am...-wine-country/

libssmfamily

I suggest September. It's still warm for walking shorts or skirts, but cool enough to enjoy your visit. Stop by a local market and buy a baguette, procuitto, mozzarella and fresh basil to go with your wine tasting. You can snack in the parking lots along the way!

I highly recommend using these links to help in planning your stay. There are so many wineries to choose from... and many past Hwy 29 (Napa, Yountville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga).

http://napavalley.com/visitorsinfo/N...Winery_Map.pdf

If you go out on a limb and continue on Hwy 29 to Hwy 128 (now entering Sonoma County) you will find more and beautiful landscape as well!

http://www.sonoma.com/visitorsinfo/S...Winery_Map.pdf

jagger

Why don't you split your trip and spend part of your time in Napa and the other half in Healdsburg? Certainly both have advantages. We like to do exactly that when we visit. On the Napa side, we like to stay in Calistoga as there is a town there with restaurants, bars, spas and places to taste wine.

As far as what time of year to go, we have enjoyed different times of the year for the different reasons others have mentioned. In December 2005, during a very rainy period(the Russian River was very high, there was flooding and mudslides), we still enjoyed our trip. That part of the country is beautiful any time of year. But you do have to be willing to endure the rain. It is nice also to go when you can enjoy the outdoors and the picnic areas.

WannabeinaMontserrat

We usually rent from Bodega Bay & Beyond @ www.sonomacoast.com. Last trip we had a great house just overlooking where the river deadends & doesn't quite meet the ocean. There were seals running back & forth all the time + we could walk to the beach & the views towards the Ocean or upriver were awesome. If going in Jan., make sure you book a house w/a hot tub.

Andrea930

It will be a wonderful trip! To get an authentic Wine Country experience, we prefer to stay in lovely rental homes near wineries and vineyards! We recently stayed at Cecilia's Vineyard Villa in Healdsburg - a beautiful Tuscan Villa with its own private vineyard. It has all the luxuries we wanted and a gourmet kitchen and new bathrooms. If you want to check it out, go to www.ceciliasvineyardvilla.com. We love the local restaurants in the area-- especially Zin and the Dry Creek Kitchen. Walking to the shops in the plaza and hoing to the farmer's market are relaxing and give you a great local expeerience too. So magical. Enjoy!

Andrea

kleroux

I too think vacation rental homes are the way to go. Having your own apt./house is so much more comfortable than a hotel or B&B. More space, the ability to fix something quick to eat...etc. I suggest people check out www.sonomacountyvacations.com for listings in the Healdsburg area.

howefortunate

I enjoy the Wine Country any time of the year. If you'd like to try a mud bath, January would be the perfect time. There are many great spas to choose from in Calistoga where you can enjoy a mud bath...or mineral bath and a massage. There are lots of great wineries. It really depends on your interests which wineries you should visit. It's very easy to drive yourself from one winery to the other...or you can join an organized trip. You can print your own wine tasting coupons at http://www.cheers2wine.com.