On Monday, May 17, the Amgen Tour of California will take the cyclists through perhaps what is the most stunning and spectacular portion of the entire eight-day tour. Too bad these world-class professional cyclists will have little chance to enjoy the view of wine country. Up Howell Mountain and the Oakville Grade, cyclists will use every ounce of energy to make their way to the summit of these steep grades. Down these two mountains, the cyclists’ skills will be put to the test as they maneuver not only hairpin turns but also attempt to avoid numerous potholes that seem to be around each corner.

For spectators, the news is much better. There are plenty of places to take in the tour in the Valley. This past week we used our car to scout some of the better locations for viewing the cyclists. Ideally, you want a spot where you can sit higher than the cyclists. The view should be unobstructed as there will be parked cars on both sides of the road. A view of a long stretch of road in both directions is also a plus. If you can’t get to higher ground, try and avoid crowded areas. Each person leans in to catch a glimpse of the riders as they approach and that has the same affect as it does in a stadium when the fan in front stands up at a key play. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week we spent one night in downtown Napa. That is not much time to explore Napa but enough for us to discover some wonderful delights and a few things not so appealing for tourists.

The new Avia Hotel is where we lodged for one night. It is certainly a very beautiful venue but so new that a few kinks need to be ironed out. The price for our room was listed at $900 a night on the door. We received an alert from the Travel Zoo and paid $119 for our room. I can’t imagine anyone paying the full price in this economy. Read the rest of this entry »

Most winery picnic areas are beautiful and serene but if you looking for a fantastic view of the Napa Valley, we have four recommendations.

Diamond Oaks Winery
This is off the beaten path but the word is out and it has become a popular picnic spot among wine groups. The Diamond Oaks Winery is located about a mile up the Oakville Grade. As you approach the Oakville Grocery you can spot the signs for the Oakville Grade. This picnic area also has a Bocce court. The best views are at the very end of the picnic area and often visitors don’t even see this area because it is a little lower than the main picnic area. This area affords a beautiful view of the Napa Valley. Best picnic wines here: The Chardonnay from Carneros with very little oak and the Carneros Pinot Noir.

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In July of 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill calling for a special picnic license for wineries. This picnic law would grant a picnic license allowing wineries to designate a picnic area and sell visitors a full glass of wine or bottles of wine to be consumed on the premise. I was excited about this news because I was hoping that it would increase the number of picnic wineries in the Napa Valley. As it is, the Napa Valley compared to all other wine regions in California has the lowest percentage of wineries with picnic facilities. By my count, I only find 20 Napa wineries conveniently located that have a picnic area. Secondly, I thought the new law would bring about some innovative tasting ideas. Why not be able to order one single glass of one wine, instead of sampling an array of one-ounce portions of wines? Or, purchase two glasses of 3 oz each and do a side-by-side comparison. The law went into effect on January 1 and now, well into the year, I have yet to see any effects of this so-called picnic license. Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Chelini began making wine at Stony Hill Vineyard in 1972 and has never looked back. Mike is one of Napa’s old guard, a member of the G.O.N.A.D.S.,* and a throwback to another time and era in the Napa Valley’s wine history. I visited Mike Chelini with my friend Mike Beltran, who was working retail for a San Francisco wine shop many years ago when he’d first met Mike Chelini. If you want stories about the Napa Valley, then Mike Chelini is the man. I heard at least a dozen good ones as Mike and Mike reminisced about the old days of the Napa Valley.

In a sense, things at Stony Hill are about the old days. There is nothing fancy here that smacks of modern innovation in the wine world. In the winemaking room, you won’t find a cutting-edge crush machine or jacketed, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks or rows of brand new barrels. Quite the contrary, everywhere you turn, the winery has that old fashioned look. In fact, Mike Chelini keeps track of all his winemaking data in a notebook. Why use computer when a notebook has worked just fine over the past 36 years? Read the rest of this entry »

The William Hill Estate Winery is by definition a family-owned winery. It is owned and operated by a family, the Gallo Family. But nothing at William Hill presents itself as one of those old and small family-owned wineries run by generations of family members. We are not saying this is bad thing, but when visitors come to the wine country and are looking for a family winery, my guess is that William Hill Estate winery is not what the tourist has in mind. The Gallo Family purchased this winery in 2007 from wine conglomerate, Beam Wine Estates. It looks, feels, and acts like a winery run by a giant corporation. It is the polar opposite of our previously reviewed family-owed winery, Hopper Creek Winery.

The William Hill tasting room is very impressive with beautiful displays of wine bottles, an exquisite tasting area, and a picture window view of their barrel room, containing 3500 sixty-gallon barrels. The grounds are equally impressive, with a spectacular view of the vineyards below. The garden and picnic area are groomed to perfection. The tasting staff is well trained and informed. When we asked about the 140 acres of estate vineyards, our server immediately showed us a poster board displaying a layout of where each varietal is grown on the estate. Read the rest of this entry »

With the gloom of the economy casting a pall on just about everything these days, a trip to the Napa Valley just might be the perfect escape. Harvest is over but fermenting tanks are going strong and there is that delicious smell in the air of wine being made. The vines are turning various shades and Fall is a wonderful time to be in the Napa wine country.

There is some economic relief in sight in the Valley because as the harvest ends, many of Napa Valley’s finest lodging establishments begin their Fall and Winter rate specials. Our guess is that because of the economy there will be more specials and packages as lodging establishments and other businesses try to lure visitors to the area. Now is the time to plan a budget trip to the Napa Valley.

Here are some tips on how to save some cash visiting the Napa Valley.
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A winery asked us to remove their name from our list of best picnic spots in the Napa Valley and Carneros because they no longer are allowing visitors to picnic at their beautiful winery. We asked why and they intimated they had run out of patience with guests abusing the privilege of using their facilities.
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Our June 15th edition of the Wine Spectator arrived in our mailbox with a special wine country section focusing on five different California wine venues including the town of Yountville in the Napa Valley. We happened to have been there last week taking advantage of a $150 a night mid-week special at the Yountville Inn. After reading the Wine Spectator article we thought it would be a good idea to add our “two cents” to Wine Spectators take on Yountville. Read the rest of this entry »

Insiders to the Napa Valley know that cruising along the Silverado Trail is much easier than traveling Highway 29 along the Valley. The Silverado Trail is prettier and the wineries a lot less busy than their counterparts on Highway 29. The only problem is the local drivers who cruise Silverado like it’s the fast lane on the freeway. They seem to bare down on tourists like there is no tomorrow, getting as close as possible. It almost seems like they want us to know that this is their road and to use Highway 29 if you want to Sunday drive. You just have to ignore them and pull over whenever you have the chance.

Driving from Highway 80 you can get to the Siverado Trail through the backdoor by diving through the east side of the city of Napa. Just follow the Google map we have included and you are in business.

Once you are on the Silverado Trail stick to the wineries that line either side of the road all the way to Calistoga. About the only place to stock up on picnic items on the Silverado Trail is the Soda Canyon Store. Fortunately, it is located conveniently near the beginning of the Silverado Trail. We have stopped here a number of times for our picnic lunch.

The place is run by Gina Ergun and Bonnie Mott. It has a homey country atmosphere. There is no smack of Dean & DeLuca here, just a favorite spot for many of the locals who travel about in this area. The store has a terrific Deli section, an expresso bar, and a very good but small selection of Napa Valley wines. At the noon hour on any day of the week the deli is busy.

Some of the nearby wineries with nice picnic areas are Reynolds Family Winery, Robert Sinskey, and the Black Stallion Winery. So get your lunch at the Soda Canyon Store and head to one of these nearby wineries and enjoy a picnic in the vineyards.

Google Map From Carquinez Bridge on Highway 80 to Soda Canyon Store. Click on ” View larger map” to get directions.

View Larger Map