PamSF and all! 2 days in Lodi for Spring Wine festival...tour Lodi wineries. Drive to Mendocino, sampling in the valley along the way. Stay 3 days at Brewery Gulch Inn. Hike the redwoods, bicycle, taste a bit. (this is the liver rest stop) Drive to Healdsburg and visit friends in Geyserville and that region.Stay at Grape Leaf Inn. Drive to Opus one for private tour, head to Sonoma for two days at Sonoma Hotel on the square. Taste at Sonoma/Glen Ellen wineries (we missed those last time) Looking forward to Benzinger's. Last day, drive to Sacremento- do Old Town, etc. stay at Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza (free). Fly home next day. Any restaurant suggestions appreciated. Will check on AA when we return, LOL!

Hi Linda~In the Anderson Valley I can recommend Esterlina,Lazy Creek and Roederer. Call ahead to Esterlina and tell them you'd like to stop for a tasting. They are open to the public but you may be able to sit up on their deck which overlooks the Anderson Valley. Their Pinots are delicious! Lazy Creek is great unflitered pinot. This are some very nice people. Also try their gerwertz(yummy and suprisingly dry). Roederer is sparkiling wines. It's a nice tasting room on the same road. Other possilbe stops include Husch and Handley. Check out the Philo Greenwood Road which will be on your left as you head to the coast. Take it and a short way in on the left is the Schmidt family home. These were the original owners of the French Laundry. They have preserves, chutneys and some jams for sale on the honor system. You can just leave $ in a box. You can turn around and head out to the coast from there. We have not eaten at the General Store in Booneville but I hear it has great sandwiches. You can also check and see if the Booneville Hotel will be open for lunch. (I've got to leave for the office I'll post more to you later!)

OK Linda~office hours and a major grocery shop completed I am ready to begin again. The road out to the coast on which these wineries sit is 128. There is also Navarro and Greenwood Ridge I think. I can swear by Esterlina,Lazy Creek and Roederer(try their L'Hermitage) Really do call ahead for Esterlina as they are up on a hill. If Patty still works there tell her a friend from Steve's(Mr. Esterlina) wine group suggested you taste and you'd love to taste up on the deck over the tasting room. PamSF is indeed Pam.If she can do it, I'm sure she will. In Healdsburg you should get lots of suggestions from the folks at Grape Leaf Inn for wines and dining. I know you are a big fan of Camellia Inn so you know the town. I would absolutely recommend you try Sapphire Hill. It's a tasting room only but you should especially check out their Syrah and their Pinot Noir. Their Old Vine Zin is pretty tasty as well and not as heavily fruit forward as some of the other well know Zins. I also like to taste at Rosenblum in town. Anything from Rockpile Road should be pretty good(Syrah or Zin). Despite the fact they are down in our neck of the woods, we usually always buy some in their tasting room in Healdsburg to bring home. I also really like the feel, the wine and the folks at Sausal on the Alexander Valley Road. We always stop at Seghesio as well because we like them and we have bought some good, reliable wines over the years. See if you might taste the Omaggio. If you can find a tasting room for the following wines do so but otherwise see if you can find them at the wine shop in Healdsburg or at the Grape Leaf: Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, WesMar Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) and Verve 2001 (Russian River Valley) Pinot Noir. YUM! I took a bottle of the WesMar to the Fodor's Wine-o GTG at Christmas in Yountville. It was enjoyed by all. The Merry Edwards is lighter while the WesMar and the Verve are both deep and rich. So much has changed in the Healdsburg area regarding dining. It's actually kind of sad,IMO what has happened there. I'm out of the loop on the happenin' places but always like a meal at Ravenous. It's good food,a comfortable dining room and nothing precious anywhere in its workings. Reservations are essential. We have liked and been underwhelmed by Santi over the years(in Geyserville) but your friends will have some idea as to what's up with it now. I haven't been to Mendocino proper in years. Regarding wines to look for..see if Steele has a tasting room(I also like their Zins). Have a great time..our big wine adventure is in the Fall in France:Chateauneuf-du-pape, Gigondas and that area. If you have any must do's let me know.

whoops..forgot to mention Arrowood in Sonoma. Good stuff-Nice tasting room.

Hi Linda!I second what Pam said!
All excellent ideas! We enjoy Brutaco and they have a taste spot on 128.
I too agree about Healdsburg
I was at the wrong end of the table in Yountville for the WesMar- Kal wouldn't share! :-<
In Sonoma town do try Meritage,Maya, or Girl & the Fig.
In Glen Ellen-try The Glen Ellen Inn.
Sounds like fun! and Welcome!><
R5

Y'all are the BEST! Pam, I haven't been to France in a long time. This trip (March 26-April 4) was originally to Italy, but I kind of chickened out. In June, we visited South Africa's wine region around the Cape Town area. It was unbelievable! We stayed in luxury hotels and ate gourmet foods for about 70% less than US. A 20 dollare bottle of wine there would be well over 100 here. You can't get the great wines of SA here, too expensive shipping, etc. It is a very safe area, very friendly, extremely cheap. The old wine estates were built in the 1800's and still have all their charm. Plus, everyone speaks English, LOL! If you want my trip report, email me at [email protected]
We look forward to this trip to see a few new things and revisit friends, such as Cynthia at Meeker. We've sent a few folks her way.Being off-season we got some GREAT deals- I won two online auctions for rooms, plus we're using points, so we can spend those $$ on WINE! I promise to write a report on return.