1 Strategies for SeeingNapa & Sonoma

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COPYRIG

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SugarloafSugarloafRidgeRidge

State ParkState Park

Hood Mtn.Hood Mtn.Reg. ParkReg. Park

Lake HennesseyLake HennesseyRec. AreaRec. Area

AnnadelAnnadelState ParkState Park

Jack LondonJack LondonState ParkState Park

Bothe-NapaBothe-NapaValley St. ParkValley St. Park

NapaNapa

SantaSantaRosaRosa

Napa

ValleyRailroad

Bale GristmillBale GristmillSt. Hist. ParkSt. Hist. Park

Las PosadasLas PosadasSt. ForestSt. Forest

Silve radoTrail

Yountville

Yountville

Cross

Cross

Oakville

Oakville

Cross

Cross

SilveradoTrail

Dry CreekRd.Mt . Veeder

Rd.

Old

Sonom

a Rd.

S a

ge Canyon Rd.

Calistoga

Rd.

St. Helena Rd.

Trinity

Rd

.

Bennett

Valley

Rd.

BodegaAve.

Sonoma

Mts.

Valley of

Valley of

the Moon

the Moon

BouverieBouverieWildflowerWildflowerPreservePreserve

PetrifiedPetrifiedForestForest

L. IjsanjoL. Ijsanjo

SpringSpringLakeLake

LakeLakeHennesseyHennessey

Rector Res.Rector Res.

BellBellCanyonCanyon

Res.Res.

Moorel

Ck.

Conn

Ck.

NapaRiver

Sono

ma

Ck.

Sa

ntaRosa

Ck

.

Matanzas

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DryCreek

Napp

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NAPANAPACOUNTYCOUNTY

SONOMASONOMACOUNTYCOUNTY

CalistogaCalistoga

St. HelenaSt. Helena

Glen EllenGlen Ellen

YountvilleYountville

SonomaSonoma

AngwinAngwin

RutherfordRutherford

OakvilleOakville

SchelvilleSchelville

Agua CalienteAgua Caliente

EldridgeEldridge

KenwoodKenwood

El VeranoEl Verano

To Vallejo,To Vallejo,San FranciscoSan Francisco

To Healdsburg,To Healdsburg,GeyservilleGeyserville

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SugarloafRidge

State Park

Hood Mtn.Reg. Park

Lake HennesseyRec. Area

AnnadelState Park

Jack LondonState Park

Bothe-NapaValley St. Park

Napa

SantaRosa

Napa

ValleyRailroad

Bale GristmillSt. Hist. Park

Las PosadasSt. Forest

Silve radoTrail

Yountville

Cross

Oakville

Cross

SilveradoTrail

Dry CreekRd.Mt . Veeder

Rd.

Old

Sonom

a Rd.

S a

ge Canyon Rd.

Calistoga

Rd.

St. Helena Rd.

Trinity

Rd

.

Bennett

Valley

Rd.

Sonoma

Mts.

Valley of

the Moon

BouverieWildflowerPreserve

PetrifiedForest

L. Ijsanjo

SpringLake

LakeHennessey

Rector Res.

BellCanyon

Res.

Moorel

Ck.

Conn

Ck.

NapaRiver

Sono

ma

Ck.

Sa

ntaRosa

Ck

.

Matanzas

Ck .

DryCreek

Nap

aR.

NAPACOUNTY

SONOMACOUNTY

Calistoga

St. Helena

Glen Ellen

Yountville

Sonoma

Angwin

Rutherford

Oakville

Schelville

Agua Caliente

Eldridge

Kenwood

El Verano

To Vallejo,San Francisco

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To Healdsburg,Geyserville

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128

12

12

12 12

29

29

121

128

121116

4 Miles0

0 4 Kms

SONOMASONOMA NAPANAPAGuernevilleGuerneville

SONOMASONOMA NAPANAPAGuernevilleGuerneville

SONOMASONOMA NAPANAPASONOMA NAPA

SonomaSonomaSonoma NapaNapaNapa

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Napa & Sonoma

Rule #1: Decide which countyto focus on: Napa, Sonoma,or equal amounts of both.Once you know that, determinewhich parts of each valley seem tobeckon most (perusing this book’s“Charming Towns” chapter, p 71, willhelp). Know that Napa Valley dwarfsSonoma Valley in population, num-ber of wineries, and sheer traffic. It’sthe more commercial region, boast-ing big names (Mondavi, Beringer,

Krug), more spas, and a generallysuperior selection of restaurants andhotels. Sonoma, however, is catch-ing up quickly, although many peo-ple prefer its brand of under-doggedness. It’s lower key, lesssnobby, and more backcountry—kind of like a Napa for insiders.Small, family-owned wineries are itsmainstay; tastings are less expensive(sometimes free), and winemakersthemselves are often in the tasting

Napa and Sonoma will bombard you with much to see and do,and not enough time to do it—it’s easy to get overwhelmed by

all there is to experience, and difficult to decide which of the region’s350-plus wineries seem most worthy and how best to experience it tothe fullest. My best advice is to have an itinerary and a sense of whatkind of vacation you want before you arrive. Use this book to chartyour course and choose the special-interest tours that appeal to you.

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room pouring your flight. ChooseNapa if you want an active touringschedule, and Sonoma for a restful,leisurely vacation.

Rule #2: Don’t drink anddrive—and don’t speed,either.Those tiny tastes add up. There areplenty of taxi and limo companiesthat will be more than happy tochauffeur you if you have too much todrink. Otherwise, designate a driver.

Rule #3: Visit wineries earlyin the day, if possible.Most tasting rooms open around10am and, even on the busiest week-ends, remain empty in the morning,leaving staff free to discuss theirproduct. If you come after noon, thetasting room may be packed (espe-cially if it’s high season), and manyothers will be waiting in line just toget a sample, much less the em-ployees’ prolonged attention.

Rule #4: To avoid the massesaltogether, visit during off-season (Nov–May) or midweek.The region’s optimum time, “crush,”the late-Aug–mid-Oct grape har-vest, coincides with peak touristseason. If you can only get here ona high-season weekend, there arestill ways to avoid the cattle drive:Opt for smaller, family-run wineriesover the big boys. Even those alongthe Silverado Trail, which parallelsHighway 29, receive significantlyless traffic; locals use it as theirmain thoroughfare during high sea-son. Another option is to stay inSonoma. Though it, too, suffersfrom congestion, Sonoma gets lesspacked than Napa.

Note that most wineries areclosed on major holidays, and manyhave restricted off-season hours, socall ahead if there’s one you don’twant to miss.

Rule #5: Be conscious of tasting fees.Visitors didn’t used to have to pay forsampling, but when Napa became abooming destination, wineries begancollecting. To their credit, it wasn’t somuch to make a profit as to discour-age visitors who, shall we say, pre-ferred quantity over quality.Nowadays, the Napa norm is tocharge about $2 to $8 per flight(though it’s much higher at certainplaces), which is often refundabletoward a purchase and sometimesincludes a souvenir glass. Sonoma’swineries are less likely to charge fortasting.

Rule #6: Just because you’rebuying wine at the winerydoesn’t mean you’re savingmoney.In fact, you’ll probably end upspending more at a winery than youwould at stores that buy cases inbulk. Exceptions to this strategy arewineries that offer big discounts oncases and those that only sell theirwines in the tasting room (that is,they have no distribution). NNoottee:: Ifyou’re able to ship your winedirectly from the winery, you’ll avoidhaving to pay sales tax.

Rule #7: Don’t let your winecook in the back of your car,or you’ll be unpleasantly sur-prised at its new flavor.Buy a cheap Styrofoam cooler and acouple of ice packs, place them in

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A field of mustard seeds in Napa Valley.

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your car’s trunk, and Voilà!—youown a portable wine cellar.

Wine shipping is an alternative tolugging around all that vino youbought, but it can be quite confus-ing, since it’s limited by regulationsthat vary by state. Complicating thematter, shipping rules also differfrom winery to winery. It’s a goodidea to check the current legal situa-tion as it pertains to your homestate before buying. Ask wineriesand, if necessary, independent ship-ping companies about their wine-transporting policies.

Rule #8: Keep a light attitude.If you don’t yet know everythingabout wine and it seems thateveryone around you does (to an

almost silly degree), don’t fall prey tothe sometimes-snobby attitude ofthose who deem themselves wor-thier than thou simply becausethey’re better versed in what’s essen-tially only a beverage. Wine countryis about relaxing, having fun, learn-ing, and taking in the spectacularscenery—not feeling intimidated. Ifyou encounter a superior attitudepouring your taste, move on.

Rule #9: Make time to veeraway from the wineries toexplore the region’s naturalsplendor.You can hike through a redwood treeforest, kayak the Russian River, strollalong the rocky Pacific coastline in Bodega Bay, and more. See “18Favorite Moments” (p 1) and chapter5, “The Great Outdoors,” for details.

Rule #10: Get to know thewine and the winery. Talk.Listen. Learn.When at a winery, take the time toreally get to know not only the winesbut also the company’s story: its his-tory, its vineyards, and its colorfulemployees. Most staffers are quitewilling to regale you with tales; if youwant more, take a tour. You candrink California wine just about any-where, but only by visiting a tastingroom or touring a winery can yougain true appreciation for thepainstaking and artistic processesthat go into each bottle.

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Remember: A visit to wine country meansyou can (and should) drink champagnebefore noon. This is wine country—kickback and relax.

All roads lead to another fantastic winery.

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