We essentially have 1 full day, Saturday April 11th, to explore an area inside the red circle. Preferably a single area so we can get an airbnb/hotel close to everywhere we need to go that day. It's a group of 3 of us traveling to celebrate a birthday and we're continuing the adventure road tripping up the coast to hike in the redwoods. So we'd like this to be our nicer leg of the trip but not break the bank.
We all prefer red wine. Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cab are definitely our go-to's but we're not opposed to trying less popular grapes or blends as well as long as they're not sweet. We like dry-fruity reds. We also did wine tours through Bordeaux and really love French wines.
I'm hoping to find an area where we could make it to 3 or more wineries? We definitely want more vineyard vibe than storefront. Having to make reservations is fine, but if we could keep the wine tastings under ~$50 that would be ideal.
Does the golden goose of beautiful location + good wine + doesn't break the bank exist? We don't have to do the "popular" places. We also wouldn't mind suggestions that are close to each other saying "go here because it's a beautiful castle and then go to this place 15 minutes away because the wine is good" we're up for the adventure!
I've also seen suggestions about the California cheese trail (in the Sonoma area), and color me intrigued! We love cheese and wine pairings, and would also be interested in wineries with good pairing options, or just other places that are just cheese or olive oil that we could add to the journey. (I saw some Napa recommendations that are over $150-200 for the food and wine pairing and that's maybe a little steep for us. But if that's the price everywhere that's just something we'll have to account for)
Any suggestions you have are appreciated!
by Big-Arachnid-4814
4 Comments
(1/2) Hey man- I am in the wine industry and also lived and worked at a vineyard in Sonoma (Sebastopol to be exact) last Summer. I’ve visited the area to taste wine and visit vineyards both as a professional and as a fan.
First, let me give you a quick breakdown of the area. There are 2 major wine AVA’s (American Viticultural Area) just North of San Francisco, both of which named after the county they exist in. Sonoma is the bigger of the two and is closer to/on the coast and is a little more rustic. This is where the Pacific Northwest truly starts, in my opinion. The mountains go all the way to the coast and the closer you get, they are blanketed in evergreens, redwoods and beautiful pine trees. Due to its cooler temps, you will see more Pinot Noir, Syrah and dry, lighter Chardonnay in this area. Those grapes do better in cooler, higher moisture and coastal vineyards.
If you head due east you have the 101 coastal highway which practically acts as a divider between Napa and Sonoma and takes you directly to San Francisco then on to LA and finally San Diego. East of the 101 is another north-south mountain range, then Napa County and the Napa Valley AVA. Generally speaking, Napa is newer than Sonoma from a wine standpoint. It’s much more commercial, and it’s much smaller. It’s less than half the size of Sonoma AVA. The land there is classic California- a flat, open valley that is flanked by mountain ranges to the east and to the west. It’s much warmer, drier and the “flora” is similar to the stereotypical California. They are famous for their bigger and bolder styles of wines, lead primarily by the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. You’ll also see the traditional Bordeaux blend red grapes like Merlot, Cab Franc, etc. For whites, they typically do Sauv Blanc as well as richer and more oaky Chardonnays.
My favorite off-the-beaten path place is Tres Sabores. Also in your red blob is Keller (Petaluma Gap).
Much of Napa is going to be way over $50 these days.
Scherrer was by far our favorite stop if you are into wine
If you like bold reds, Bougetz Cellars is an excellent winery that gives you an intimate tasting experience with liberal pours.