Wine Country - 1 or 2 Locations, and when to go?
Apr 12th, 2003, 08:11 AM
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Wine Country - 1 or 2 Locations, and when to go?
We're flying from the East to see Wine Country for the first time.
We originally thought we'd spend 3 nights in Sonoma Country and 3 nights in Napa Valley - looking at staying in Glenellen at Gaige House and either Vintage Inn or Maison Fleurie in Yountville.
We don't have a sense of how far apart these areas are - do we really need to stay in 2 locations?
What is the best month to go? We were thinking March, April or November. We want to avoid major crowds, but also want to avoid rainy/hot seasons.
We originally thought we'd spend 3 nights in Sonoma Country and 3 nights in Napa Valley - looking at staying in Glenellen at Gaige House and either Vintage Inn or Maison Fleurie in Yountville.
We don't have a sense of how far apart these areas are - do we really need to stay in 2 locations?
What is the best month to go? We were thinking March, April or November. We want to avoid major crowds, but also want to avoid rainy/hot seasons.
Apr 12th, 2003, 09:57 AM
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You do not need to stay in two locations-Sonoma & Napa are very close. I would say go in October--it is harvest time which is always fun and some of the BEST weather in the area (Indian Summer). Also stop at Viansa in Sonoma. Their wine is decent but their Italian Marketplace is fantastic!! Also be sure to stop at Kirkland Ranch for some of the best wine wine up there.
Apr 12th, 2003, 10:59 AM
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We stayed 2 days in Napa and 2 in Sonoma and are glad we did. Stay in St Helana in Napa and Healdsburg in Sonoma. Take the scenic drive from north of Calistoga across to Sonoma,don't miss Chateau Montelana, hit Geyserville and drive south. We went in April during the week and it was quiet, cool and fabulous! Around 68-72 during day, 48 at night.
Apr 12th, 2003, 11:02 AM
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ST HELENA ...geez, I can't type. Too much California wine?? Write me at [email protected] and I'll send you my trip report.
Apr 12th, 2003, 04:08 PM
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April...March and November will probably be cold and there is a good chance of rain(however,it's April and pouring here today!) I think staying in two different areas is a good idea. While you could certainly drive between Napa and Sonoma(maybe 30 minutes) you will have less of an opportunity to immerse yourself in each area than were you to stay in one and then the other. I continue to try to pitch a stop a DiRosa Preserve in Sonoma to folks who are travelling here. You need reservations and the admission is $10/person. You will have a docent led tour (about 2 hours) through an impressive collection (4 galleries) of Bay Area Modern art..in a variety of mediums. The collection is also housed on a beautiful piece of land. IMO..Napa and Sonoma are very different from one another. You might also want to check out the part of Sonoma Valley that is Healdsburg and the Russian River Valley. This a a greater distance from Napa (approx an hour) but very different.(this is the part of Sonoma Linda was talking about and she and I share the opinion that Camellia Inn in Healdsburg is a great place to stay)
Apr 13th, 2003, 07:25 AM
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We've been to the NY wineries in the Finger Lake region; I've visited wineries in France and this summer, we're exploring S Africa's Capetown wine region. Sorry, NY has a lot of promise but cannot compare to California. There is a rich history and tradition there, as well as great wines and fabulous food and non-smoking venues. We had many wineries to ourselves in April; we had personal tours and attention and had the opportunity to meet owners. I'm not a big Napa fan; thought it too crowded with traffic- even the spectacular view from L'Auberge de Soleil where we lunched was spoiled by the din of semis below. Sonoma Valley was gorgeous; people incredibly warm and gracious. I could have easily spent another week there..Dry Creek, Russian River valley, Lake Sonoma are breathtaking.
Apr 13th, 2003, 01:26 PM
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Have to agree with LLindaC-Sonoma is Eden! Napa,is well,IME very overated and over marketed. You must travel them both and find your own answer. I, too would choose October-and it is raining here today,temp is 56 degrees and is forecasted to do so much of next week! Staying in Calistoga would provide easy access to anything in Napa Valley. And you can relax in a mineral bath w/ a massage after a taxing day of winetasting ! Healdsburg would give you another experience- Sebastopol might have less expensive lodging. For GREAT info on the appellations and wineries of the Russian River/Dry Creek/Alexander Valleys try www.wineroad.com.Love to know what you decide!
Apr 13th, 2003, 01:42 PM
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Although October was not one of the months you listed..I also agree it is just about the most magnificent month here in Northern California. However..and this is a big however..October is also the crush and the crowds will be larger and reservations a bit harder to come by. Should you decide to come to the wine country in October book as early as possible and that includes some of the mosre popular eating places.
Apr 13th, 2003, 01:46 PM
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Sonoma over Napa any day. I'd do 4 days at the vineyards and another 3 on the ocean or in the woods. Maybe the Whale Inn (I'll try to find the actual name of this great place) or Mountain Home Inn in Sausalito. Unless you are a total wino (I am, but I can only take so much immersion in wine, literally and figuratively), 4 days of vineyards and wineries is good.
Apr 13th, 2003, 04:49 PM
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PamSF, I understand that October is the "crush" month, but why the crowds? Do people go there to crush and make their own wine? I would be interested in that.
I could understand late Feb/early March for Barrel Tasting. Just curious.
I could understand late Feb/early March for Barrel Tasting. Just curious.
Apr 13th, 2003, 06:36 PM
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I live in the Bay Area and go up to Napa and Sonoma alot, personally I really like May (of course October is fabulous too!). In May the hills are still green and it's not too busy the trick is whenever you go to try to make it mid week. Also try to make some of the tasting reservations before you arrive...Caymus has a wonderful tasting that takes about an hour and Phelps has a great guided tour.
I do think it's nice to divide your time between Sonoma and Napa so you're not doing too much driving. It's not far between the two but I wouldn't want to be in Sonoma and driving over to Napa several days in a row.
Like several other posters I prefer Sonoma County. I particularly like northern Sonoma around Healdsburg and I'd recommend it strongly. There are some great wineries, Rochoili etc and you can see the redwoods and the coast if you drive out through Guerneville.
Hope this helps!
I do think it's nice to divide your time between Sonoma and Napa so you're not doing too much driving. It's not far between the two but I wouldn't want to be in Sonoma and driving over to Napa several days in a row.
Like several other posters I prefer Sonoma County. I particularly like northern Sonoma around Healdsburg and I'd recommend it strongly. There are some great wineries, Rochoili etc and you can see the redwoods and the coast if you drive out through Guerneville.
Hope this helps!
Apr 13th, 2003, 07:21 PM
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Budman-Hope you don't mind my input about the crush-The only individual crush I know of is the grapestomp at the Harvest Festival in Oct. in Santa Rosa. The Harvest Festival is a where they award medals for the wines of the region-not as "scenic" as each individual winery, but you can taste many,many wines and lots of winners from small wineries.
Check out www.grapestomp.com
Check out www.grapestomp.com
Apr 14th, 2003, 03:13 AM
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Check out Whale Watch Inn. www.whalewatchinn.com in Mendocino County. It is a wonderful adjunct to wine country touring. LMF
Apr 14th, 2003, 07:18 AM
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You are on the right track. Although they are close in proximity it does take some time to drive + if you are tasting, well, you don't want to be too far from home. I'll be out there in October & am staying on the coast & visiting Sonoma. Since you have never been you should do both & form your own opinions. Most on here tend to favor Sonoma though. I'll also vote for a trip to Va. They do have some very good wineries, but they also have some that make swill.
Apr 14th, 2003, 07:21 AM
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I don't think so. If I read your post correctly you have a total of 6 days 2 of which are travel days...which really means you have a total of 4 full days divided between the two. I'd recommend at least that. There are so many different vineyards,tasting rooms,beautiful sights, good restaurants and not to mention simply unwinding to be had.
