2 days and one night with Mrs.Bones75. Then on to meetings in Frisco. Thanks.

I have stayed in the Candlelight Inn. It was nice.

KW- that does look nice. Did you like staying in Napa, as opposed to one of the other smaller towns in the valley?

I'll also be interested in hearing these answers, as wife and I are wanting to take a trip to SF area/Napa Valley sometime this year coming year. Is a certain time of year better than another? Possibly Oct - near grape harvest time?

I prefer going in February or March. It is much less crowded out there at that time. Harvest is usually a busy time and you wont get as much time with the winemakers like you can get at other times. That being said, it is beautiful out there during that time, as the leaves are starting to change colors.

I just went for the first time in Oct.

Personally, I would suggest looking at Sonoma, and then driving over to Napa one day. Sonoma had a much more relaxed feel to it... not as touristy either.

We stayed at the Inn at Sonoma. It was a great value... very nice place, very nice location. You can do wineries during the day and easily walk to lots of restaurants for dinner in the evening so you don't have to worry about driving.

http://www.innatsonoma.com/

In Sonoma I recommend Viansa and Gloria Ferrer. Viansa is a great place to picnic for lunch. You can get everything you need there.

In Napa I recommend Frank Family (great Chardonnay and sparklings) and Chateau Potelle. Potelle is off the beaten path. We didn't care for their wines but the scenery was really nice.



[This message has been edited by ada8356 (edited 12/10/2007 12:37p).]

[This message has been edited by ada8356 (edited 5/13/2010 12:51p).]

Agree with ada, the best place to stay in Napa is Sonoma or at least the Sonoma side. My wife and I have stayed in Glen Ellen serveral years running. Lots of wineries within walking distance. You can drive over the mountain and do the Napa thing, then come back to relax on the other side.

There are several points that have been made that are probably correct.

Sonoma is less commercialized than Napa Valley. However, I went in March and had no problems with crowds. I did hit up some of the lesser known wineries that have great wines and great experiences. It depends what you want. I liked Napa better than some of the other towns along 29. I still got the feel of a B&B but there was more to do in the evenings. The wineries close early so we went to Vintner's Collective after the wineries closed. They have free tastings of great wines from small wine makers. It was fun. I would suggest some wineries on 29 and some on the Silverado Trail.

I would suggest TripAdvisors. They are pretty accurate on reviews so check it out.

Let me know if you want any more information.

Thanks for the advice everyone. It's also nice to find out that March is a good time to go (since that is when our trip is).

Look into the Farm House Inn in Sonoma. The food is outstanding, all the rooms have fireplaces and the breakfast is out of this world. It's located in the middle of the Russian River Valley.