cwojo99

Hello Fodorites!

I am planning a trip BACK to NAPA! Cannot wait! This time we are hiring a sedan and i want to select the vineyards/ wineries to visit. Any feedback on the order and wineries i selected would be much appreciated!

We are staying downtown San Francisco. Here is what we are thinking for our day in May!

We have been before and visited Opus, Mondavi, Cakebread and Sterling. Love all 4... was thinking of trying something different.

1. Louis M Martini starting at the furthest one and working our way back - love the wine, simple wine tasting (arrive around 11)

2. Mumm make reservation for the Oak Terrace - do the tasting that includes the library flight and wine & fruit pairing

3. Opus make a reservation for the tasting... Only place to purchase the Opus Overature!

4. Stags Leap not sure if we need reservations? Love the wine. Website info looks great....would love feedback on this for sure!

Thank you for any help and advice!!! 8-)

cwojo99

....

Bill_H

We really enjoyed Opus (we like those Bordeaux-type blends), had two great glasses of wine there, probably the best on the trip except maybe for a glass of Bond Estates at dinner at Meadowood.

I'd bring a bit of food next time to Opus, maybe something light from the famous Oakville Grocery (or from Bouchon in Yountville, or bring something with you from SF) and sit up on top where they have picnic tables and nibble away while looking at the great scenery, if it's a sunny day.

Tomsd

Some of our favorites include Chateau Montelena up at the Calistoga end - and down by Sonoma - Gundlach Bundschu - and BV/Beaulieu has a nice cellar.

see:

Tomsd

Here are the webpages and close to BV is Grgich Hills - which I seem to remember as cute.

http://www.montelena.com/

http://www.gunbun.com/

http://www.bvwines.com/age_gateway?d...ion=node%2F100

Tomsd

BTW - think your choices are First Cabin - and I think we stopped by Stags Leap - but that was years ago - and late in an active wine tasting day.

Over the years - we made numerous "laps" around the Valley - a number of times on our bicycles.

Tomsd

And here is the webpage for Grgich Hills - who shocked the wine world in '76 by winning a blind tasting (Chards) in Paris.

http://www.grgich.com/

joethekay

It was actually Chateau Montelena that Mike Grgich was winemaster for that scored the highest number of points and was the winner in the white wine category in the "judgement of Paris" blind tasting in 1976
The winner of the red wine was Stag Leap winery in that 1976 tasting for their Cabernet Suvignon

cwojo99

Tomsd - thank you! Bill - we did Opus once too and LOVED it! We bought a few bottles of the Overature - which I think you can only buy at their vineyard.

8-)