Tasting rooms in town save driving but you miss the experience
Napa, Yountville, Healdsburg, Sutter Creek, Murphys, you name it, they all have tasting rooms where you can walk outside your hotel or B&B and never get into a car to taste a plethora of wines. The one thing these tasting rooms lack is wine country. You came to see vineyards, wine barrels, fermenting tanks, and bottling lines. Go to a working winery and take in the sounds and smells of the wine country.

The Designated Driver
The Highway Patrol is increasing their patrols everywhere in wine country. Small towns have the local sheriff on the prowl. DUI related costs can add up to $10,000. Hire a limo, take Platypus, or have a driver that will not drink a drop.

Put the wine club on hold
Just about every winery has a wine club and joining one is always a temptation, especially when you have imbided just a tad too much. Take the brochure home with you and think about it. Wine clubs are a big source of income for the wineries. You pay top dollar for the wine even though you may get a so-called 10 to 20 percent discount. Wineries sell their wine at the top retail price, plus you always have shipping costs.

Big crowds at popular tasting rooms – avoid them
On weekends all the popular wineries are going to be crowded, often layers deep with people anxious to taste. Hit the tasting rooms before noon and you will likely find them sparse. Get off the beaten path for the afternoon and there will be fewer crowds to contend with. The best way to avoid the big crowds is to travel to wine country during the week.

Make your reservations for lodging and restaurants well in advance
This is especially true for the popular holidays, the summer season, and harvest time. Book as early as possible, you can always cancel at most lodging establishments a few days before without a penalty fee.

Experience a mix of wineries
There are many types and styles of wineries ranging from the small, single family-owned wineries to huge multi-owned wineries like Constellation, Jackson Wines, Treasure Wine Estates, and Gallo. Get a feel for both. Some have elaborate tasting rooms filled with merchandise, while the very small winery might have a tasting bar set up in their barrel room. You can search for different styles of wineries on the Winery Finder.

Pace yourself
Enjoy the wine country lifestyle. We recommend visiting three wineries max in one day. Mesh in a picnic lunch at a winery and relax for an hour or more and take in the beauty of wine country.

Avoid driving to restaurants
Find lodging within walking distance of good restaurants or check with the hotel for taxi service. This way all can enjoy, without worries, the wonderful wine produced in the wine country you are visiting.

Direct your Limo driver
If you hire a Limo driver, be sure to hand the driver your itinerary. In many cases Limo drivers will try and steer you to their favorite wineries. Many wineries require reservations for Limo groups, so make sure they know your group is coming.
It’s a good idea to bring plastic spit cups with you to remind that you don’t have to drink the whole amount poured into your glass.

Plan you trip with Wine Country Getaways
Use our handy Trip Planner to find and map wineries. Consult our lodging, restaurant, picnic and deli pages to find our top recommendations.

The most notable change is the redo of Lawson Station Hotel by husband-wife team Gary Breen and Anna Beuselinck. They have reopened the hotel, which was closed shortly after it opened in 2007. The hotel, including its restaurant, has been given a facelift and the new digs are called Piazza del Campovida. Full operation is set to go any day now.

Gary and Ann also purchased the Fetzer Valley Oaks Center that has been closed to the public for at least five years. The new name is Campovida, and the grounds and tasting room are first class as are the Rhone wines produced here. Gary and Anna are hoping Campovida will not only attract a huge following of wine lovers but are also optimistic that it will become a popular venue for weddings and conference events. There is a set of cottages on the property that can accommodate folks for events and that is a big plus for the area. Campovida is located east of the town, about one and a quarter miles on Highway 175. Tasting room is open daily 11 to 5 pm. This is the perfect spot for a picnic lunch.

The Bocce courts at Campovida

In all there are 16 wineries located in the area, with six wineries having tasting rooms in Hopland. Hopland is also home to one of the better wine bars and wine shops we have visited. It is called Sip Mendocino. Here you can taste and purchase just about any wine produced in all of Mendocino County.

The biggest hurdle facing wine tourism in the Hopland area is the lack of lodging and gourmet dining. The once proud Hopland Inn, built in 1890, is in a state of disarray. Since 2000 we think the Inn has had at least four owners. The best years began in 2007 when a young chef and some investors purchased the Inn. The San Francisco Chronicle ran a very positive story on the Hopland Inn and its bar, bistro, and restaurant. The article attracted many visitors to the Hopland Inn, but after a falling out among the partners, the Hopland Inn closed. Since then another group or two have purchased the Inn and it seems to have gone steadily downhill. The best thing that could happen to Hopland is a complete remake of the Hopland Inn. If that were to happen, Hopland would have the potential to become a chic and exciting wine destination town.

In the meantime, Hopland can be a great one-day destination for wine travelers. Our suggestion is to stay and dine in Geyserville and explore the many wineries there and then take another day to travel 20 minutes to Hopland. Pack your lunch and explore the many fascinating wineries of Hopland.

Benziger Family and Earth Day
Benziger Family Winery will host a winery event and nationwide wine tastings to spotlight sustainable winemaking in commemoration of Earth Day. At the winery, the event is called “Earth Day at the Estate” and will be a wine tasting with Mike Benziger. The event will take place April 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Benziger Family Winery, 1883 London Ranch Road in Glen Ellen. The cost is $40.00 for Wine Club Members and their guests and $60.00 for the general public. Seating is limited. To reserve a spot call 800-989-8890 or email buywine@benziger.com.
Throughout Earth Week (April 22-28), select wine shops and stores nationwide will offer “green flights” of Benziger Family Winery’s award-winning wines at in-store tastings sponsored by the winery’s distributor, Kobrand Corporation. For a complete list of participating locations visit www.benziger.com/earthday. Profits from both events will go to supporting the land and the community of farm workers who tend it.

Malbec World Day
April 17 is Malbec World Day. Why not stop by your local wine shop and purchase a bottle of this fabulous wine? We love the Argentine Malbec wines from the Mendoza region. For less than $20 you can purchase a very delicious and wonderfully-made wine. We will be reviewing Malbec wines next week and will post some recommendations on GoodCheapVino. Stay tuned! For more information on Malbec World Day: The Wines of Argentina.

Thomas Keller has three restaurants on the list all in Yountville.
French Laundry, Bouchon, and Ad Hoc

• Ad Hoc – Yountville
• Bottega – Yountville
• Bistro Don Giovanni – Napa
• Bouchon* – Yountville
• Cyrus* – Healdsburg
• French Laundry – Yountville
• Mateo’s Cocina Latina – Healdsburg
• Oenotri – Napa
• Press – St. Helena
• Redd* – Yountville
• Restaurant at Meadowood* – St. Helena
• Sante* – Sonoma
• Scopa – Healdsburg
• Solbar* – Calistoga
• Terra* – St. Helena
• Willi’s Wine Bar – Santa Rosa

These restaurants were left off the list this year:

• Ubuntu – Napa
• Angele – Napa

These are popular restaurants so be sure to make reservations well in advance of your trip. For the French Laundry, you might need a year in advance for weekend excursions.

We like the following restaurants very much and wonder why they are not on the Top 100 Restaurant List:

• All Seasons Bistro – Calistoga
• Mustard’s- Yountville
• Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen – St. Helena
• Cook – St. Helena
• Grace’s Table – Napa
• Bistro Ralph – Healdsburg
• Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria – Geyserville

* Restaurants that also have Michelin Stars.

Here are a few of the wineries we visited on this last trip that offer some impressive experiences with good wines and hospitality.

Page Mill
Page Mill began on the San Francisco Peninsula in the Los Altos Hills near Page Mill Road. Once the winery outgrew its quarters, the winery moved across the Bay to Livermore. Dane Stark is the owner and winemaker. Dane still buys some grapes from the Los Altos Hills, but for his annual 2500 case production winery the bulk of grapes come from the Livermore area. The tasting room and winemaking cellars opened two years ago in a pretty setting on So. Livermore Avenue. We tasted the entire lineup of wine and were impressed by the quality and reasonable price range. The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is outstanding. It is one of the best we have tried, crisp and refreshing, and full of flavors. It is the perfect picnic wine.

Thomas Coyne Winery
This is a very funky winery out in the middle of Livermore farmlands. The winery and tasting room are in the old Chateau Bellevue Winery that was built in 1881. There is a surprising number of visitors each weekend at Thomas Coyne. The word is out that, although funky and unusual, this little winery is making some delicious wines. Both Rhone and Bordeaux style wines are made here, and each week the winery alternates the sampling of these wines in their tasting room. Thomas Coyne is the winemaker. He and his wife Emilie are the owners, and you are likely to find them both in the tasting room if you visit. There is a nice picnic area where you can enjoy views of the Livermore farmland while having lunch.

Thomas Coyne

Les Chenes Estate Vinyards
Way out on Victoria Lane there is small housing development where you will find Les Chenes winery. Candice and Richard are the owners and Richard is the winemaker. Each Saturday and Sunday they both work the tasting room, happily pouring their wines and engaging in great conversation with their guests. The emphasis is on Rhone Style wines and these wines have received rave reviews. The winery makes about 1200 cases of wine annually and all of it is either sold at the winery or through their wine club.

Retzlaff Estate Wineyr
Retzlaff is another funky and fun winery. You would never find anything quite like this at a Napa Valley tasting room. It is the fifth oldest winery in Livermore with a starting date of 1986. The winery is organically certified and is owned by Dr. Robert Taylor, who is also the winemaker. Dr. Taylor was a physicist at the Lawrence Livermore Lab and used his scientific knowledge to make some delicious wines. The staff in the tasting room makes you feel quite at home. The grounds are beautiful and this is definitely a great spot for a picnic lunch.

McGrail Vineyards & Winery
McGrail is a little more upscale than any of the wineries above. The grounds, wine cellar and tasting room are relatively new and quite impressive. More impressive is the recent award by the San Francisco Chronicle of the best overall red wine of their extensive competition. The McGrail 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded Best of Class. If you visit, make sure you try their other wines as well. They are well made and the McGrail Family and winemaker Mark Clarin should be very proud of their outstanding lineup of wines.

McGrail Winemaker Mark Clarin

Our base for our visit to the Sierra Foothills is the town of Sutter Creek. We consider it to be the best little town in the Gold Country of the Sierra Foothills. The town is quaint with many small shops, restaurants and other attractions. We make our home at the Hanford House Inn in Sutter Creek where owners Robert and Athena Gordon are very gracious hosts. On our annual trek to these parts, we always spend one full day exploring the wineries in the Fair Play AVA. It is about a 35-minute drive to Fair Play. The Fair Play AVA located in El Dorado County has the unique geographic feature of having the highest average elevation of any of the AVA’s in California. The average elevation is 2500 feet. Here are three wineries we enjoyed immensely in our visit the past week.

Cedarville Vineyards
Cedarville is always at the top of our list of wineries to visit. Owners Jonathan and Susan are a terrific winemaking team and they put their hearts and souls into making some fantastic wines. The emphasis is on Rhone wines, and in my opinion all their wines deliver high quality at a very reasonable price point. The wines are very balanced and layered, with many delicate characteristics. The winery is open by appointment, so call ahead before visiting. We tasted through the lineup of wines and once again were totally impressed with the overall quality. I must declare that their current release of the 2009 Syrah is the best they have made, and we have tried all their Syrah vintages. The other Rhone wines in their lineup include an organically grown Viognier, a Grenache, and a Petite Sirah. They also make a dazzling Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. All wines are estate grown except for the Petite Sirah. Their Grenache has become somewhat of a cult wine and sells out quickly once released and announced through their mailings.

Jonathan Lachs and Susan Marks - Cedarville Winemakers

Skinner Vineyards
The Skinner tasting room opened a year ago and is bringing in lots of visitors for two important reasons. The view and setting are beautiful and the wines are excellent, recently receiving accolades from the San Francisco Chronicle wine tasting judges and other wine critics. It appears the winery has spared no expense in putting together a state-of-the-art winery and a wonderful tasting room setting for visitors. Bring your lunch and sit below to enjoy the serenity of this location. Even on cold days the area is sheltered and there are heat lamps to warm the soul. We very much enjoyed the Grenache Blanc, the Seven Generations (a blend of five Rhone varietals), and the Syrah Stony Creek Vineyard.

Stunning picnic area at Skinner Vineyards

Pallisandro Winery
The Pallisandro Winery just opened a couple of weeks ago and the unusual aspect of it is the emphasis on Italian varietals, something that is not being done at any other winery in Fair Play. Down in the Amador region we see Barbera and Sangiovese, but not in Fair Play. Owner Shaun Baylock is carrying this step well beyond, experimenting with planting several other Italian varietals in his estate vineyards. This includes the famed Nebbiolo grape that produces the Barolo and Barbaresco wines of the Italian Piedmont region. Shaun estimates it will take perhaps as long as ten years to see the potential of this grape. The other Italian grapes planted are Corvina, Pinot Grigio, Grignolino, and Montepulciano. The winery is a work in progress but the tasting room is open to guests on the weekends and by appointment during the week. Shaun has hired good friend and nearby winemaker Robert Van der Vijver to make his wines. Shaun is there every step of the way to lend a hand and make recommendations. In our tasting we thought all the four Italian varietals were excellent wines. We thought the Sangiovese was the best and very much similar in style to wines we’d tasted in Italy this past fall. Pallisandro produces one non-Italian wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, but we felt it was not characteristic of the Cabs we love. I think sticking to the Italian varietals will be a great niche for this winery. We will have to visit again and watch this 700-case winery progress.

Pallisandro Winery owner Shaun Baylock

Korbel Champagne Cellars
There is a special place in our hearts for Korbel. At the ripe old age of 21, we visited our very first winery, Korbel Cellars. That first visit got us hooked and started our journey of visiting wineries and vineyards around the world. What an impact! Korbel was founded in 1882 by Francis, Anton and Joseph Korbel. The Heck Family, the current owners, bought the winery in 1954. It is a big-production, sparkling wine house producing over a million cases per year with distribution worldwide. Korbel has a wonderful 50-minute tour followed by a tasting. The tour takes you through the step-by-step process of making sparkling wine in the French tradition. You will also want to check out the amazing rose garden and the luxurious tasting room. There is also a good deli restaurant, where you can eat while enjoying one of the most beautiful settings along the Russian River.

Tasting Room Hours 10:00 – 4:30 Monday through Sunday. Champagne Cellar Tour Hours 11 – 3:00 Monday through Sunday. Garden Tour Hours 1:00 and 3:00 Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.Garden Tours offered mid-April to mid-October. (707) 824-7000, E-mail: info@korbel.com, Korbel

Photo courtesy of Korbel

Simi in 1966

Tasting room open daily 10 to 5:00, (800) 746-4880. e-mail: info@simiwinery.com, Simi Winery

Foppiano Vineyards
Foppiano Vineyards was established in 1896 and is still owned and operated by the Foppiano Family. With the sale last of year of the Seghesio Family Winery, that makes the Foppiano Winery the oldest family-owned winery in the Russian River wine region. The family owns 140 acres of prime vineyard property in the Russian River Valley. The best part is that the family owns the land outright. That is one reason why their wines are priced at a value point. Their signature wine, a Petite Sirah, sells for $25 a bottle, a great price for this excellent wine. Another great feature at Foppiano is their self-guided vineyard tour dedicated to the late Margot Patterson Doss. You may remember that Margot wrote a column in the San Francisco Chronicle encouraging people of all ages to walk and explore the San Francisco Bay Area. Pick up a brochure at the tasting room and take the walking tour that is probably a mile at the most.

Open daily, 11 to 5:00 Phone: (707) 433-7272 Email: info@foppiano.com, Foppiano

Seghesio Family Winery
Seghesio winery began in 1895 growing grapes and producing bulk wines. Edoardo Seghesio founded the winery and was said to be the first one to bring in and successfully grow the Sangiovese grape. It was not until 1983 that they began to bottle premium wines under their own label. Today the winery is most famous for its Zinfandel wines, and in particular the Sonoma Zinfandel that has won numerous awards and can be found priced in many wine shops for under $20. In 2011 the Seghesio Family startled the wine world by selling the winery to the Crimson Wine Group. The tasting room contains a lot of memorabilia and is a fun place to visit and taste wine. Seghesio also has a Bocce Ball court, should you feel the urge to have some friendly competition while sipping wine.

The tasting room is open daily 10 to 5, Seghesio

In this first of two blog posts on Sonoma County’s oldest wineries, we focus on four wineries in the Sonoma Valley. Three of the four wineries are located in the town of Sonoma and the fourth just 10 miles away on Highway 12.

Gundlach Bundschu

We begin with Gundlach Bundschu founded in 1857 and today the oldest California winery that has been in continuous operation by the same family. The winery currently has sixth-generation family member Jim Bundschu at the helm. The tasting room is filled with amazing photos and wine bottles from Gundlach’s history. The staff at Gundlach is extremely knowledgeable and very welcoming. The winery certainly has that family feel to it. One added bonus: This is one of the best picnic wineries in all of California. There are three very different and beautiful areas one can choose from to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. The tasting room is open daily 11 to 4:30.

Our favorite wines at Gundlach Bundschu: Tempranillo and the Gerwurztraminer

The Buena Vista Winery began just three months before Gundlach Bundschu and was founded by the Count Agoston Haraszthy. The Count is said to be the first to bring Zinfandel vines to California and begin extensive cultivation of vineyards. Some call him the “The Father of California Wine.” The winery has changed hands several times in the past ten years and the Boisset Family, who also own DeLoach in Sonoma County and Raymond Vineyards in the Napa Valley, purchased Buena Vista in 2011. The original winery building and caves are being retrofitted and will be open for public tours in the late summer of 2012. The winery is located in a secluded area of the town of Sonoma and is another good spot for a picnic lunch. Tasting room open daily, 10 am to 5, Buena Vista Winery

Our Favorite Wines at Buena Vista: The Ramel Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Buena Vista Winery

Sebastiani Vineyards is a grand old winery in the town of Sonoma. The Sebastiani Family began operating this winery in 1904. In 2009 the Sebastiani Family stunned the wine industry when it sold the winery to Bill Foley and his Foley Estate Corporation. The winery still has a lot of history of California winemaking to view and experience. The tasting room is lavish and loaded with memorabilia. Tasting room open daily, 10 am to 5

Our Favorite wine at Sebastiani: The Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (Bargain Wine)

Take a lovely drive up Highway 12 to the Kunde Winery. You will see some of wine country’s best views along the Sonoma Valley. The Kunde Family has been operating this winery since 1904 and it is now run by members of the fourth and fifth generations. The winery moved from its original location a few miles away to their present location in the 1970’s. Recently, a wondrous new cave system was built into their mountain vineyards. The winery has a picnic area and also features vineyard walks and dog hikes through their mountain vineyards. The current winery and tasting room were built in the 1970’s. Tasting room open daily, 10:30 am to 4:30, Kunde Winery and Vineyards. The winery also has tours of the vineyards and a hiking tour on the weekends.

Favorite wines at Kunde: The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Magnolia Lane, The 2008 Sonoma Red Dirt Red (Outstanding)

Kunde

Castello Scaligero

We were contacted by the Soave Wine Consortium and asked if we could visit following our European Wine Bloggers post conference to Chianti Classico. We left our Brescia hotel and drove for 75 minutes to the east. Soave is just east of Verona in the region of Veneto. The Soave Castle and surrounding hillside vineyards are the central identifying characteristic or landmark in this wonderful wine country. The Soave Consortium put us up in the Hotel Roxie Plaza, a four-star hotel, recently renovated and conveniently located. It is according to all accounts where most tourists stay when visiting Soave. It is located within walking distance of the medieval walls built in the 13th century that form the city center. Inside these walls are many wine bars, gourmet restaurants and the Soave Castle, Castello Scaligero.

Cantina Balestri Valda

If you are a long-time wine drinker, you probably remember the days when Soave wine meant something very cheap in a 1.5 liter bottle, and it was very bad wine. Well, that has all changed in recent times. The Soave wines are excellent both in quality and in price. The main grape in Soave is Garganega. We visited a couple of wineries as well as stopping in to sample wines at several of the wine bars along the city center. These wines are crisp, refreshing, delightful and full of fruity flavors. The best Soave wines come from the steep hillside vineyards. They cost between $10 to $15 and are terrific values .

We took off from the hotel and drove directly to the hills above Soave. The roads are narrow and switchback among the vineyards. It is truly one of the most beautiful areas we have visited in all wine country. On a clear and beautiful day, the views are jaw dropping.

Hillside vines

Quenching our thirst after hiking to the Soave Castle

Besides the Fall colors another good reason to travel at this time of year, and in midweek, is that you can get a better lodging rate and things are much less crowded everywhere you go.

Liquid Amber on West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg

For dinner, we made a great choice by dining at Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg on the Plaza. It has been there for 19 years and we can easily understand why. They have not missed a beat since our last visit some five years ago. The food is outstanding. While the wine list may be a bit on the high side, you can bring in your own wine and feel very good about the fact that half the $20 corkage fee will go to a charity. It is a nice way to give to a charity without really giving.

Janelle had the special dinner for Tuesday night, Baby Back Ribs. The ribs literally fell off the bones, so juicy and tender. I had the Chanterelle Rigatoni with red garnet yams and black pig bacon. The dish was superb and one I will try duplicating at home.

We very much enjoyed driving in the late afternoon along the very quiet West Dry Creek Road. Near the Lambert Bridge Winery is a beautiful row of liquid amber trees, all changing color but at different rates. With the sun shining on the trees, it is nature at its best. What a lovely sight to behold.

There are many wineries to visit in this area. We stopped in at Montemaggiore, a small family-run winery that makes about 1500 cases of wine per year. They concentrate on Rhone wines, particularly Syrah. Over at Mauritson on the other side of Dry Creek Road, we found some delicious and heavy-duty Rockpile wines. These are wines that come from 800-foot elevation vineyards above Lake Sonoma. These vines are stressed to the hilt with high winds during the summer . The concentration in the berries is what makes these wine so intense.

For more information on this area, visit our Healdsburg section on WineCountryGetaways to find wineries, where to lodge, dine, and enjoy a picnic lunch. We also have a great short video to help you plan a wonderful trip to this stunning area in the Russian River.