Midge

Ok wine connoisseurs(and everyone else), can you suggest any wine tours or wineries in the Napa or Sonoma Valley? Any other fun activities?

lisa

I don't know of any wine tours, but there are literally dozens of maps of Napa and Sonoma that will show the various wineries and guides that will tell you when each winery is open and whether you need a reservation for a tour or tasting.

If you haven't ever been to Napa/Sonoma, I'd suggest going to at least a couple of wineries that have tours (in addition to tastings). I'd also suggest you take a "still wine" tour and a champagne tour, since they're very different. I really loved the tour at Schramsburg champagne -- I'm pretty sure you need a reservation.

After that, I'd ask friends about wines they particularly like and go to those wineries and leave room for a little serendipity.

This past weekend I was in Sonoma and we visited Roche, Matanzas Creek, Gundlach-Bundschu and another one I can't remember now. We wanted to go to Gloria Ferrer champagne, but it was closed.

As for other activities, there are lots of spas and balloon rides in Napa/Sonoma that you might enjoy.

xxx

Midge:
Lisa had very good suggestions. I also enjoyed Matanzas Creek Winery (check out their lavender soap!) in Sonoma and Silver Oak in Napa. Bookstores have guides for touring, many wineries require reservations. Also, you may want to check with owners of liquor stores or restaurants you frequent that carry nice wine. They can be a good source of info. Have a great trip!

dougd

I would recommend northern Sonoma valley, around Healdsburg. There are lots of very small, beautifully situated wineries up there that are less touristy that some in the more popular areas. One small one that comes to mind is Rabbit Ridge - there are several others on the same stretch of meandering country roads. For a big, European style winery in this same area, try Fetzer. Feels like you are on a large estate in Tuscany.

doris

There are so many really great places. Some nice ones I've been to in Napa Valley - Sterling, Beringer, Domaine Chandon. In Sonoma try Chateau St. Jean and Carmenet. I'm not sure if they have tours, but the wines to taste are excellent. Have fun.

Susan

Midge, you don't need to go on an organized tour of wineries. As others have mentioned, there are many maps and guides available (probably your hotel will provide one in your room) and it is more fun to do at your own pace.

For a primer course though, check out Robert Mondavi winery. They have a few tasting classes and tours available. Check out their website at robertmondavi.com. Enjoy!

tommy

Try these websites for vineyards in Napa

www.sterlingvineyards.com
www.clospegase.com

They are two of my favorites.

Dali

I'm sure you will hear all about the many wineries in Napa/Sonoma - but don't miss Artesa. It is a little out of the way, but worth the effort to get there. Beautiful setting, great tour, and wonderful wine. What more could you ask for?

wino

J. Phelps
Frogs leap
Silver Oak
Opus One
Benzinger
Newton
Domaine Carneros
Hess

shannon

Midge, Goosecross has a wine tasting 101 class offered for free. I believe it is at 11 am on certain days (Saturday...maybe other days?). Mondavi was nice (higher tour fee than the other wineries). Copola has very nice grounds, but I didn't do a tour.
The tour at Mumm was also informative and nice. We sat and had our champagne tasting on their patio overlooking napa.

Robin

I was there last week and we spent most of our time in Sonoma county. However, I second the recommendation to visit Mondavi if you want a good learning experience. The tour requires reservations (although we didn't need them at this time of year), costs $10, and lasts an hour and a half. Frankly I had serious second thoughts when I heard all that! But it is an excellent tour, and you will learn about winemkaing and some history of the area.

The next day we visited Ferrari Carano north of Healdsburg (beautiful grounds, known for chardonnay); Dry Creek (low key experience, very friendly people); BR Cohn (very small winery, but they make fine olive oil as well); and Cline Cellars ( because they specialize in Rhone varietals). None had a formal tour, but all offered free tastings as well as premium wines for a small fee.

BTW, that was plenty of tasting for me for one day. The experiences start to get harder to differentiate after a while. But it's lots of fun!

Elizabeth

Ive been a couple of times. I too felt like I needed to be organized. You can drive and stop.I took the MOndavi tour and really enjoyed it. A great learning experience. see if you can get a lunch tour. I also enjoyed opus one. But stop at the smaller ones too.Don't forget to look into the spa treatments in both Napa and and Sonoma.
Enjoy.

Elizabeth

Ive been a couple of times. I too felt like I needed to be organized. You can drive and stop.I took the MOndavi tour and really enjoyed it. A great learning experience. see if you can get a lunch tour. I also enjoyed opus one. But stop at the smaller ones too.Don't forget to look into the spa treatments in both Napa and and Sonoma.
Enjoy.