Monday, June 16, 2008

Insider Secrets--Sonoma County

Thought I'd share with you another of my favorite sites--the Local Secrets section on Insider's Sonoma County. I try a new "local secret" every month or so. Here's one post they definitely got right: best winery hike is at Bartholomew Winery in Sonoma. On a clear day you can actually see the golden gate bridge, a real treat. Obviously, going during the harvest season makes the walk even more pleasant, as you can see the grapes growing on the vines. There's also a museum, which I can't comment on because I haven't been there.

Plenty of space here for a picnic, although I wouldn't come out of your way for the wines, which are average. Overall, I think the scenery is quite good and worth a look for those who want that vineyard-hiking experience. There are some pictures from a fellow blogger, here.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

It's Farmer's Market Season!

Although primarily a grape-growing region, Napa and Sonoma counties are known for growing delicious produce of all types. Olives and olive oil are becoming a major draw of late (here's one in Marin County to visit). But organic produce of all types is available for general consumption. If you're just visiting, you'll probably only experience the freshness in the many excellent local restaurants. But for local's like myself, the many farmer's markets each week provide all the fresh veggies we need!

Probably the biggest of the summer season is in downtown Santa Rosa (4th Street between B and D), on Wednesdays. See more information. This year (2008) is actually the 20th anniversary of the market, so there will likely be some additional festivities.

The other major farmer's market in the area is in the town of Napa. It runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so it would be ideal browsing for a weekend trip. Even if you don't have cooking facilities while you're visiting, I promise you'll find the best nectarine or peach you've ever had...and you can finish it while you walk!

Community Supported Agriculture is another interesting produce-related topic...but I'll leave that for another post. Many farms also give tours and tastings as well, in the wine country spirit. Thanks for reading!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Hiking the classic wine country landscape

Too many people visit Napa and Sonoma valleys without really experiencing its beauty. To do that properly, climb into the hills on one of many available hiking trails to get a sweeping panorama of the region. Hiking can be easily "paired" with wine tasting if you set off on your hike early in the morning. The mornings are cooler and less busy, and leave you the afternoon to taste to your heart's content.

If there's one hike that typifies the classic wine country landscape, it's Jack London State Historic Park. Right around the corner from Glen Ellen on Highway 12, the trails and scenery here do not disappoint. You can see the location on a map here. There are quite a few trails available, and Bay Area Hiker has a 10.3mi recommended loop (feel free to browse this site for other local hikes--this is one of my most frequently visited sites). For a shorter hike, try the 1mi loop to the ruins of Wolf House and London's grave, and there are loops of intermediate length you can try as well. In the late summer and early fall, I recommend doing this hike nice and early in the morning. Stop in Glen Ellen or Sonoma for a quick lunch and then use the rest of your day for tastings.

What are the most scenic drives in California wine country?

Highway 29 is definitely the most legendary road, and the one most frequently traveled by visitors. It has excellent access to many famous wineries, and for much of the route, parallels the Wine Train route. The road can certainly get congested on weekends, and slows considerably when passing through Napa and St. Helena. Most people only take 29 up to Calistoga, although it continues up to exceedingly beautiful Clear Lake.

I think there are several other stunning routes in wine country. Here are some recommendations to help you beat the traffic. Note: with $5 gas well on the way, you may want to pick up a hybrid!

Silverado Trail. This road runs parallel to Hwy 29, so it's a better option if you're traveling the route between Napa and St. Helena. There's less traffic here, and the views are just as sweeping. There are also a couple of major wineries along this road, including Clos du Val, Stags Leap, Mumm (sparkling) and Clos Pegase (a perennial favorite). I've found that driving just under the speed limit on Cruise Control gives the perfect balance between covering ground and taking in the scenery. Silverado Trail does skip Yountville, however, so you'll need to take a left at Yountville Cross Rd. in time to make your reservation at French Laundry.

Dry Creek Rd. Take a look at the map below. Starting from historic and bustling Healdsburg, this road winds north through the beautiful Dry Creek Valley. The wineries here, famous for their Zinfandel, are as picturesque as any other. This route is a bit of the beaten path, and you're more likely to meet locals in the tasting rooms. You can take Dry Creek Rd. north out of Healdsburg, then make a right on Canyon Rd., go under the highway, and take another beautiful drive, Highway 128 to Calistoga. There are plenty of great wineries along the way.


View Larger Map


Chalk Hill Road. This is definitely one that most people miss. There are a bunch of wonderful wineries on this windy road--they're all quite small and generally require you to call ahead for an appointment (free tasting with Visa Signature card). This is also an excellent connecting road between Highway 101 and Highway 128. Don't expect it to be a quick trip, though.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Free Tastings with Visa Signature Card


This has got to be one of the best-kept secrets out there--holders of Visa Signature Cards can get free tastings at a whole slew of Sonoma County wineries. Take a look at the details here, including a map of participating wineries. If you have a Visa with some sort of built-in rewards plan, it's likely to be a Visa Signature card. An example is shown at left--the VISA SIGNATURE indicator is right under the card number. For most wineries, it's 2 free tastings with one card. Tastings range from $5 to $15, so this can really save you a bundle of money. There's a pretty good mix of participating wineries as well, from large operations like Chateau St. Jean to tiny family vineyards like Rued who only make a couple thousand cases each year. This is definitely a great way to save money for those on a tight budget--I think I've visited about a dozen.

Note: I do not work for or have any affiliation with Visa. This is just a great secret that I think even most Visa Signature card holders don't know about!

Drinking and Driving

Now let's be honest--people come up to wine country primarily to taste wines. And wine+driving can definitely be a issue. Most wineries will have you sampling approximately 0.5oz of 4-6 different wines. So you'll be drinking about 3oz of wine (about 1 glass) at each winery. Don't let this stop you from tasting, however. It just means that you need to have a more deliberately planned trip that includes some time between winery visits to 'sober up'. Here are some tips to help you make it through a day of wine tasting:
  1. Spend at least 1 hour at each winery. There's no need to rush through the tasting menu just to fit additional stops into your schedule. Take a walk outside the tasting room and enjoy the scenery. Mill Creek Winery, for example, has an idyllic outside seating area that's perfect for relaxing. The more time you take, the less tipsy you'll feel.
  2. Take advantage of the water provided by the tasting room. Don't worry that you look like an amateur if you pour yourself a glass of water--that's what the professionals do to prolong their tasting day
  3. Pour it out! Pretty much every tasting room has a jug to help you dispose of unfinished wine. If you're served a wine not to your liking, you don't need to drink the whole thing. Preserve your alcohol intake for the wines you actually enjoy!
  4. Nothing goes better with wine than cheese and crackers! Pick some up at a local store and layer your tastings with cheese nibblings.

Day trip or Overnighter?

There's no doubt that California's wine country is one of America's most exclusive destinations. I get the feeling that many people struggle with the question of whether to stay overnight in the area or to drive up for the day. Let's take a look at the driving distances from various spots in the Bay Area. These numbers reflect typical times, expect quite a bit longer during rush hour. Notably, for people planning to come up for a weekend, coming in on a Friday afternoon and leaving on a Sunday afternoon is certain to be a longer trip.

FromTo NapaTo SonomaTo Santa Rosa
San Francisco1h1h1h
Oakland/Berkeley50m1h1h
Palo Alto1h301h401h40
San Jose1h351h452h
Sacramento1h101h201h50
SFO
1h10
1h15
1h20

The Charles M. Schultz Sonoma County Airport serves wine country and is located just Northwest of the city of Santa Rosa (pop. 160,000). As of Summer 2008, the only airline that flies there is Horizon Air. You can catch flights from Vegas, LA, Portland and Seattle. This isn't a good option for most people, and I don't know a single person who has ever flown in. But it's an possibility.

Hotel prices? My only recommendation here is Priceline.com. Hotels in the whole region are definitely pricey, and can be in excess of $200/night for the simplest of accommodations. If you'll have a car with you, don't be shy about staying outside of the Napa-Calistoga axis and the town of Sonoma. Instead, you'll likely find cheaper prices in towns like Rohnert Park or Petaluma. And from there, it'll only be a 20 minute drive to the choicest wineries. Of course, if you want the true wine country experience and are willing to shell out a little extra, try The Vintage Inn in Yountville, where you'll also be steps away from triple-michelin-starred French Laundry (if you're on a graduate student income, you'd be more likely to visit the Compadres across the street).

Bottom line? If you're on a restricted budget, make your visit to wine country a day trip...