What are the must visit places?

Do they require reservations?

Thanks. Me and the new bride will be there in early Oct.

Just got back on Monday.

Some recommendations from this trip and past trips:

Napa:
Grgich Hills
Cakebread
Peju
Plumpjack
Hess
Kelham - great family owned winery
Far Niente - can't recommend this enough....but it is pricey
Domaine Chandon
Domaine Carneros
Sterling
Rutherford Hill

Sonoma:
Ravenswood
Gundlach Bundchu
Buena Vista (for the building)

Restaurants:

Farm @ the Carneros Inn
Bouchon

Hotels:

Meadow Wood
Carneros Inn


These days, many of the wineries require resevations...and most charge for tastings. The Far Niente tour and tasting was the best I've ever been to...very pricey ($50/ea) but well worth it.

Are reservations required for the tastings or the tours?

How many visits should we plan per day? To be honest I don't know if 3 is reasonable or 8.

We are not wanting quantity so much as relaxing and quality.

Cakebread requires reservations, at least they did this spring.

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Napa proper. It was nice, right on 29, about 5-6 miles from the first vineyards.

We really liked Turnbull - right next to Cakebread (we found it when we learned about the reservations).

Also, Mondavi is incredible - the setting is nice, the wine's a little cliche, but the vineyard is worth seeing.

We found St. Supery to have some really nice folks - they pour tall (very important).

If you buy a bottle or case anywhere, ask if they're partnered with anyone or if they have any recommendations - that can earn you a free tasting coupon...

Have a good time - and seriously consider a limo

in Napa, I'm a big fan of Oakville and the Silverado Trail.

Cakebread is great as a first stop. They require reservations for an indepth tasting. They even provide recipes for foods that go well with the wines they pour.

Opus is worth a visit once but at $25 for a small taste, I would rather just buy a bottle at a store and drink it at home.

Silver Oak has always been a favorite. Groth too, but you need a reservation. Rudd is very good but expensive. Caymus is good, as well as ZD. Rombauer is further on up, but very good too.

I thought Mondavi was good for a tour but is way too crowded.

All of these are larger wineries with good reputations and you cant go wrong. Plus, being off the main road, you avoid traffic. There are tons of smaller vineyards to check out as well. Just pull in if one catches your eye and see if they'll pour for you.

Here is a good map:
http://www.napavalley.com/visitorsinfo/Napa_Valley_Winery_Map.pdf

For Sonoma, a good first time visit would be the wineries just north of Sonoma on 12. Chateau St. Jean, Ledson, Landmark, St Francis, Arrowood...they are all good.

For some smaller wineries, head north on 101 to Alexander Valley. i like Jordan, White Oak, and Lancaster (Roth wines are made their too).

Here is that map:
http://www.sonoma.com/visitorsinfo/Sonoma_County_Winery_Map.pdf

Almost forgot: Gloria Ferrer for champagne in Carneros. Schug (good pinot) and Cline are right next door.

We went to Domaine Chandon & V. Sattui. I'm not a big champagne guy so Domaine Chandon wasn't too good for me. I loved V. Sattui. I was a little tipsy by the time we got there so I may not be the best judge, but I would go again.

V. Sattui has a sort of picnic area that sells food and a little store with meats and cheeses to make sandwiches. We had lunch there and it was a good experience.

Great info.

i would not recommend V Sattui. not only is it way too crowded (tour buses and long lines), but the wine is subpar and they have had several issues with health inspectors over the last 2 years in regards to their deli. I wont say much more abuot that but it wasnt pretty. That place is the Disney Land of wine country.

there are plenty of wineries with good picnic grounds - Rutherford Hill and Silver Oak for starters. Go to Oakville grocery and load up, then stop at the winery were you will picnic and buy a nice bottle and have them open it for you. Then eat and drink in their picnic spot.

Ones I have been to and enjoyed:
Far Niente
Nickel & Nickel
Hartwell
Groth
Pine Ridge
Caymus
Mumm
Frank's Family
Rubicon
Mondavi
Cakebread
Domaine Chandon

Others I have heard good things about but haven't been to:
Frog's Leap
Robert Sinsky
Jarvis
Del Dotto

Plan on 4-6 wineries.

You could probably do 6 if you only tasted but 5 is probably the max if you are going to do tours as well. Try to plan out your day so that you're not driving back and forth between North and South and Hwy 29 and the Silverado Trail. You could do one day of just Hwy 29 and one day of just Silverado Trail wineries to make it easier.

Really enjoyed Mustard's Grill for dinner. I have heard that French Laundry is great but it's about $200 a person so you definitely don't want to be a little drunk after your tastings.

Here are good ones we enjoyed:

Frogs Leap
Mumm
Flora Springs
Peju
Franks
Venge
Spottswood


Also, you can try Vintners Collective. Cool place and open after the everything closes.

Did not like The Farm.

For the picnic-ing part, would it be worth it to bring picnic stuff along with us? A blanket, picnic 'kit' and stuff?

I would hate to waste room packing that sort of stuff and then never use it.

if you hit up silver oak, (my family's favorite) go across the street to Sullivan. It's a little mom and pop type vineyard with some amazing wines. Mr. Sullivan and his handlebar mustache will be there to welcome you to his home. They are friendly and have some great wine. Their cab/merlot mix is amazing!

For those of you in Sonoma, have you been to the Viansa Winery and Marketplace? Looking into their wedding information, but wanted to talk to someone who has been there. Also, any other wedding location recommendations are appreciated.

For an amazing meal I highly recommend going to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). It was probaly one of the best meals I've ever had.

you do not need to pack picnic stuff.

Viansa is a very nice spot, nice grounds and a great view of the lower Sonoma valley...it's close to the Bay....(I think you might be able to see the bay from the winery.) Nice place.

I would also like to suggest Rutherford Grill for lunch and Brix or Mustard's for dinner.

quote:

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you do not need to pack picnic stuff.

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Maroon - why is that? Do the delis have everything you need? plenty of tables and stuff?

you can buy the supplies at the delis, and the two places we went had tables (Rutherford Hill and Diamond Oaks)

before, we bought evrything we needed at the oakville grocer and went to a city park and had a picnic. it was perfect.

I have posted this several times in this forum, so I apoligize to those who have read it several times. These are just my recommendations:

A few tips.

1.) Here is a tip on getting tastings of expensive wine for free. On your last tasting ask about their wine club. They will give you a spiel but don’t give in. Most of the people doing the pouring work on commission so they will pour you more wine for free so they have a chance to talk to you about the wine club. Many times they will pour some of the expensive reserve type stuff to try to convince you to join the club.
2.) You used to be able to carry wine back with you on the plane but now you have to check it as luggage. A case of wine is just under 50 lbs so you probably won’t incur any additional charges if this is your only checked bag (if you are Elite then you can check two bags.) Most of the wineries will sell you a card board box with molded Styrofoam that has a spot for 12 bottles of wine (we got ours from Cakebread for $8.) This keeps them from hitting each other and safe from impacts. Your hotel will probably have packing tape. This is the cheapest way to get wine back. Fed Ex or UPS will want about $70 to ship it back.
3.) I don’t know if anyone in the group uses a Visa Signature card but there are wineries across Sonoma who that free tastings or discounts to Visa Signature card holders. It is worth looking in to if any of you have one. http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/credit/signature_food_access_details.jsp?eventId=13354.
4.) On at least one day I would plan lunch before you head to the wineries. Stop by a grocery store and pack picnic supplies. When you find a winery has a nice setting or tables just stop and have lunch. At least one person in the group needs to carry a corkscrew at all times. You never know when you might need it.
5.) Champagne places work well for the first stop of the day. You may not be in the mood for merlot at 10:00 AM but champagne works nicely.
6.) If any one in the group owns a car GPS I would bring it. Some of the wineries can be hard to find, especially after a few glasses of wine.
7.) You can split a tasting. Some places have a tasting fee and they are more than happy to let you split a tasting with a family member. They won’t quite double the pour but they do tend to pour a little more than just one taste.

Wine and Food Paring:

Buena Vista

Reservations are required for the wine and food paring but are not required for just the tasting. This is the oldest commercial winery in Sonoma and the tasting building is 150 years old. Good wines and this is a down to earth place. The food paring was just my wife and I. This place is close to the town of Sonoma and wasn’t very busy. There is a chance you guys could be the only ones there. They have two for one tasting coupons on the web you can print out. They also give discounts through Visa Signature.

http://buenavistacarneros.com/history/tasting
18000 Old Winery Rd
Sonoma, CA 95476
1800.926.1266

Cakebread

This is probably our favorite winery. They are down to earth, personable and fun. They are a bit of a victim of their own success because they have gotten much more popular in recent years. You need a reservation for a tasting. We did a wine and food pairing here as well. The food was great. The wine is simple but good. If you go you have to try their Rubyiat. It is a good wine for Texas because it is a light red that goes well with grilled meats. You can’t buy it here in Texas so if you try it and like it bring a bottle or two home. After the food paring I bought their cook book and love it. This was probably our favorite food paring but Jordan was a close second. If you were just going to do one food pairing I would probably make it this one.

http://www.cakebread.com/tours/tours_tastings.cfm
Cakebread Cellars
8300 St.Helena Hwy
Rutherford, CA 94573
Phone: 800.588.0298

Jordan

This place is big and grand and you absolutely must have a reservation. The wines are great and the tour is nice as well. It is a bit out of the way in Healdsburg but I think it is worth the drive. The food paring was good but I think the wine was better than the food. This was a little bit unique in that they had food at various points on the tour and then at the end you sit down in the secret room off the library and have a few more wines. We really liked this place but it is a bit up scale. The estate is pretty amazing.

http://www.jordanwinery.com/about/index.html
1474 Alexander Valley Road
Healdsburg
Tel: 800.654.1213 or 707.431.5250

Wineries:

Schramsberg Champagne

This is an upscale champagne place. The tour and wine cave are pretty cool though. You must have reservation for their tour which is USD 25 p/person. Best sparkling wines which are tasted in their amazing cave.

1400 Schramsberg Road
Calistoga
Tel: 707-942.4558

Seghesio

We both liked this place. It was smaller and down to earth. The person pouring our tasting was nice so that makes a big difference. This is near Healdsburg and Jordan winery so it is a bit out of the way.
http://www.seghesio.com/

La Crema

This tasting room is in down town Healdsburg. The wines are good. The tasting room is nothing fancy but if you do go to Healdsburg this might be worth a stop. The wines are easily found in Houston so if you visit don’t buy any wine there, you can pick it up at Specs.

Unti

This is a very small place. Mr. Unti is an Italian immigrant that decided to open a winery. Pretty good chance he will be there pouring wine. He looks like he stepped out of “The Godfather.” Very down to earth and pretty good wine. Good prices and we ended up buying two bottles. This is near Healdsburg (which can be a bit of a drive.)
http://www.untivineyards.com/

Domaine Carneros

This is also a champagne place. The tour is good. You can sit out on the patio and try three different champagnes and also get a cheese/fruit tray. Pretty nice way to start the day. You have to climb a very long set of steps to get up to the winery and tasting room.
http://www.domaine.com/

Nicholson Ranch

If memory serves right this is across the street from Domaine Carneros. Good wine and nice grounds. This is a down to Earth place. Built by a Greek immigrant named Socrates, they even have a small Greek Chapel on the grounds.
http://www.nicholsonranch.com/

Viansa

This place specializes in Italian wines. I tend to lean towards Italian wines because they are more drinkable and less heavy. This is a great place for a picnic and is very laid back. They are on a hill and have picnic tables you can use. (They have a sister winery across the street which is terrible. It also has an Italian name. I can’t remember the name of this place but the wine was bad and they make olive oil which was terrible as well. If you go just stick to Viansa and stay away from the other Italian place across the street.)
http://www.viansa.com/

Sebastiani
Down to earth and close to the square in Sonoma. Good wines. This is also relatively close to Buena Vista. Good place for a picnic.

Gundlach-Bundshu

German winery pronounced “gun lock bun shoe.” Down to earth and a good place for a picnic. Nice people and good wines. This place is relatively close to Buena Vista and Sebastiani.
http://www.gunbun.com/

Cline Cellars

The wines here were ok. Some people love them, it just depends on taste. The tastings are free though. This is also a good place for a picnic and the people were nice. Relatively close to GunBun, Sebastiani, Viansa and Buena Vista.
http://www.clinecellars.com/

Ledson

The architecture is interesting here because it kind of looks like a castle. They have good zinfandels and this is a pretty laid back place. Nice grounds. Asking about the wine club here is always good for some free wine. If you like something you taste then buy it here because you can’t get it in Texas. We always stop here because it is consistently good.
http://www.ledson.com/

Kaz Winery

This is the smallest winery in Sonoma with a public tasting room. This is 100% family run. Pretty good chance Kaz (or his wife, son, daughter in law etc.) will be the one pouring your wine. These guys are definitely different and are as unpretentious as they come. The wines are hit or miss but the people are fun to talk to. This place is a bit hard to find.
http://www.kazwinery.com/

Sterling Vineyard

This is the winery with the aerial tram. Cost is $20 which includes the tasting, tour and tram ride. The views are pretty good from the tram so this might be worth doing once. I think they have coupons you can print out on the web.

http://www.sterlingvineyards.com/en-row/VisitSterling/



Restaurants:

Dry Creek Kitchen (in Healdsburg)
I think this was probably our favorite. It is located in Hotel Healdsburg. Owned by Charlie Palmer, one of the celebrity chefs. Very classy but laid back atmosphere with an incredible kitchen and at a reasonable price. They have a fixed price seasonal tasting menu but we ended up just ordering off the menu. They have no corkage fee on Sonoma County wines (2 bottle max), so if you find a couple of good bottles during the day, buy them at the winery and bring them for dinner. The sommelier is from Texas. You can get desert in the hotel lobby and enjoy it the big couches in front of the fire place. It isn’t cheap but we felt like we got our money’s worth (especially if you bring your own wine.)
Make reservation -Tel: 707-431.0330
http://www.charliepalmer.com/dry_creek/home.html

Ad Hoc
This is run my Thomas Keller. Thomas Keller runs the French Laundry which is supposed to be the top restaurant in the entire US (and priced accordingly.) Ad Hoc was a lot of fun. They don’t have a menu just a four or five course meal that everyone gets. You sit down and there are no decisions to make. The days menu depends on what is fresh that day and the season. I think it runs about $50 per person pre-alcohol. They tend to use a lot of local ingredients. You can call or go on the web to find out what they are serving that day (they don’t let you know in advance, only the day of.) This is a pretty laid back place. This is a way to eat at a Thomas Keller restaurant without spending $1000.

Café La Haye
This wasn’t bad but we didn’t feel like we got our monies worth. This is just off Sonoma plaza. It is small and has a very small menu. The food was decent, you just didn’t have much to choose from and the price was a bit high.

Bouchon Bakery
Good place for breakfast. Run by Thomas Keller they provide all of the baked goods for French Laundry, Ad Hoc etc.

Places not to go:

Simi – They were trying to sell us the wine club before we even had a sip of wine.
Sequoia Grove – Stuffy and nasty wine
Ravenswood – They have some bold zins but this was too crowded and trendy
The new Italian place across from Viansa (can’t remember the name)
Artesa Winery – Very pretty and artistic but very stuffy and trendy