Napa and Sonoma Wine Country
California
No trip to northern California is complete without a trip to Sonoma and Napa wine country. Wine drinking is not a requirements but certainly adds to the pleasure. The wineries are unique and enchanting and many have an interesting story to tell. If only visiting for a day, it would be tough to decide which area to visit. Both are large in geographic areas and are quite different. To me the difference was in the clientele and experience. Napa is the more upscale, almost snobby, elite area where Sonoma is more down to earth and welcoming to the casual tourist. Due to geographic location and size, Sonoma is able to grow a larger variety of grapes so you will find a more diverse selection of wine in white and red. Napa tends to specialize more in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. The more well-known wineries will be found in Napa while many small family run wineries can be found down beautiful country roads in Sonoma. Whichever you choose, you will have a wonderful time.
The drive from San Francisco, through the tall Redwoods, is magical. We took a detour over to Muir Woods to be fully immersed in the Redwoods. What a beautiful drive. If we had more time, I would have liked to drive further north into the Redwoods National Park. Having now experienced Southern California, I would be happy to come back and explore more of the Northern area.
Muir Woods, California
We were lucky to have 2 days to spend in wine country but it was really tough choosing the 3 or 4 wineries to visit in each region. Since this was our first visit, I definitely had some preferences and wanted to check out the world famous wineries such as Mondavi and Beringer but was also hoping to be surprised by little known small boutique wineries.
Our first stop was one of the smaller wineries, Meadowcroft Winery which is located at CornerStone, a collection of small stores and a restaurant. It was the second week in July and temperatures were in the mid 30sC (95F) so we were relieved to get inside and learn more about their wines. The vineyard itself is actually located in Napa and they are influenced by European wine methods. We didn’t linger long as I was anxious to get to a winery with vineyards on site. This led us across the road to Gloria Ferrer winery, a winery that was not on my short list but is very well known and can be found on the shelves at Canadian LCBOs. With a Spanish beginning, they use grapes from vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma, grown at various elevations and have spent years perfecting their wines. Ferrer was one of the first wineries in California to implement the Code of Sustainable Wine-growing practices. We enjoyed the scenery while I savoured the sparkling wine.
Gloria Ferrer Winery
From Gloria Ferrer, we headed north making a stop in the pretty historic town of Sonoma that was originally owned by Mexico. You can see a very Spanish influence throughout the town but it still pays homage to the wine region and we were delighted to find the Sonoma Cheese Factory where we stopped for a light lunch which of course included cheese and wine.
Sonoma
Before heading to our hotel in Santa Rosa, we made a stop at St Francis winery, another certified sustainable family owned winery. St. Francis is known for their food and wine pairings and have their own vegetable and herb gardens on site. I enjoyed an educational wine tasting before we took a glass of wine out to the patio to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
St. Francis Winery
Wine and heat are not a great combination and I was ready for a quick dinner and bed. We stayed at Doubletree Sonoma just south of Santa Rosa. A nice hotel in the middle of nowhere and few restaurants around. Had we been inclined, we could have driven the hour into Yountville in Napa county and eaten at the famous, 3 Michelin Star, French Laundry restaurant. If you are a foodie, you probably want to reserve well ahead and visit but a little too pricey for our budget. We found a small, local pizzeria that was fast and simple after which, I practically fell into bed.
After a good nights sleep, we were ready to check out Napa. Here I would find the wineries on my short list, namely Robert Mondavi and Beringer. It was another scorching summer day with brilliant blue, cloudless skies, the type that makes me very happy.
First stop, Mondavi, a winery almost as old as me and just a little more beautiful. Robert Mondavi did so much for California wine while also maintaining a strong presence in France with his partnership with Baron Philippe de Rothschild and their joint venture, Opus One. It really is all I expected and more, from the vineyards in the parking lot and the majestic entrance with the fountain and famous Mondavi sculpture to the cool and welcoming tasting room. Since I love being outside especially in summer, I had to take my tasting flight, which included Mondavi’s famous signature wine, Fume Blanc, his version of Sauvignon Blanc, out to the patio. I could have stayed for hours but I had other wineries to visit so after purchasing some bottles, off we went to the next stop.
Robert Mondavi
Just along the road, past Cakebread Cellars, lies Caymus Winery. We pulled up and were asked to valet our car, however, we insisted we could park ourselves in the empty visitors lot 10 feet away. The entrance is beautiful with it’s canopy of trees and cozy patios on both sides of the pathway leading to an ivy covered building, outside which, is an entrance kiosk. It was here that we learnt the entrance fee was $50 per person but all the patios were full and only the standing bar was left, for the same $50. After asking if they were serious and being looked down at, I took one look at my husband and we mutually agreed that this place was not for us. It was probably one of the prettiest places but at too steep a price and just not very welcoming.
Deciding to just keep driving along the same road, we practically drove right into Rutherford Ranch winery where we experienced our best winery experience. Sometimes things are just meant to be and I actually thank Caymus for treating us the way they did so we had the opportunity to find Rutherford Ranch. From the moment we walked through the doors of this family run winery, we felt welcomed and appreciated. We spent the next 90 minutes sitting on their shaded patio enjoying a wine and chocolate tasting and spending some time with the friendly staff. I mentioned our experience at Caymus and apparently I am not alone in my reaction.
As I enjoyed my wine, my husband walked about and found a cork tree. I have never thought about where cork comes from but I am now enlightened as I now know it comes from the cork tree. Harvesting the cork is actually healthy for the tree. A great experience and educational too.
Rutherford Ranch Winery
Last stop on the list was Beringer where history and beauty blend into an amazing destination. The winery was started by German brothers, Jacob and Frederick Beringer in 1875. In 1967, Beringer winery became a state historic landmark. The winery has gone through many changes but it is incredible that Jacob’s great, great grandson, Mark Beringer, is now the chief wine maker.
There are several buildings on the grounds. The Rhine House is now the main wine tasting room but was originally built for Jacob Beringer after moving the original building, Hudson House, so he could place his house in that location. The Old Winery was built in 1876, up on.a hill so they could use gravity for their winemaking. Grapes were pressed on the third floor and gravity sent this down to the second floor for fermentation. This was a common method for Germany but new to America. Also on site are the Chinese built caves used for storing the wine. Around the property are many beautiful shaded sitting areas and after another fabulous wine tasting, we took a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon out to one of the benches to enjoy the last of the afternoon and the end of Sonoma and Napa.
Beringer
Our time in Sonoma and Napa was way too short and I would love to go back and spend a week there to visit the smaller, little known wineries. In general, I found the tasting prices to be a little high and were rarely waived for buying one or two bottles of wine. I actually appreciate the Niagara and Virginia regions a little more now. The quality of the wine is excellent and the tastings much cheaper and sometimes free. Regardless of the price, if you are a wine or scenery lover, I absolutely recommend taking a trip to Sonoma and Napa, California.
For more wine stories, read my Virginia and Niagara posts here:
