05 050217 ch01 - wiley · napa & sonoma 8 remember: a visit to wine country means you can (and...
TRANSCRIPT
1 Strategies for SeeingNapa & Sonoma
05_050217 ch01.qxp 11/20/06 7:25 PM Page 5
COPYRIG
HTED M
ATERIAL
�
SugarloafSugarloafRidgeRidge
State ParkState Park
Hood Mtn.Hood Mtn.Reg. ParkReg. Park
Lake HennesseyLake HennesseyRec. AreaRec. Area
AnnadelAnnadelState ParkState Park
Jack LondonJack LondonState ParkState Park
Bothe-NapaBothe-NapaValley St. ParkValley St. Park
NapaNapa
SantaSantaRosaRosa
Napa
ValleyRailroad
Bale GristmillBale GristmillSt. Hist. ParkSt. Hist. Park
Las PosadasLas PosadasSt. ForestSt. Forest
Silve radoTrail
Yountville
Yountville
Cross
Cross
Oakville
Oakville
Cross
Cross
SilveradoTrail
Dry CreekRd.Mt . Veeder
Rd.
Old
Sonom
a Rd.
S a
ge Canyon Rd.
Calistoga
Rd.
St. Helena Rd.
Trinity
Rd
.
Bennett
Valley
Rd.
BodegaAve.
Sonoma
Mts.
Valley of
Valley of
the Moon
the Moon
BouverieBouverieWildflowerWildflowerPreservePreserve
PetrifiedPetrifiedForestForest
L. IjsanjoL. Ijsanjo
SpringSpringLakeLake
LakeLakeHennesseyHennessey
Rector Res.Rector Res.
BellBellCanyonCanyon
Res.Res.
Moorel
Ck.
Conn
Ck.
NapaRiver
Sono
ma
Ck.
Sa
ntaRosa
Ck
.
Matanzas
Ck .
DryCreek
Napp
aaRR.
NAPANAPACOUNTYCOUNTY
SONOMASONOMACOUNTYCOUNTY
CalistogaCalistoga
St. HelenaSt. Helena
Glen EllenGlen Ellen
YountvilleYountville
SonomaSonoma
AngwinAngwin
RutherfordRutherford
OakvilleOakville
SchelvilleSchelville
Agua CalienteAgua Caliente
EldridgeEldridge
KenwoodKenwood
El VeranoEl Verano
To Vallejo,To Vallejo,San FranciscoSan Francisco
To Healdsburg,To Healdsburg,GeyservilleGeyserville
�
�
�
SugarloafRidge
State Park
Hood Mtn.Reg. Park
Lake HennesseyRec. Area
AnnadelState Park
Jack LondonState Park
Bothe-NapaValley St. Park
Napa
SantaRosa
Napa
ValleyRailroad
Bale GristmillSt. Hist. Park
Las PosadasSt. Forest
Silve radoTrail
Yountville
Cross
Oakville
Cross
SilveradoTrail
Dry CreekRd.Mt . Veeder
Rd.
Old
Sonom
a Rd.
S a
ge Canyon Rd.
Calistoga
Rd.
St. Helena Rd.
Trinity
Rd
.
Bennett
Valley
Rd.
Sonoma
Mts.
Valley of
the Moon
BouverieWildflowerPreserve
PetrifiedForest
L. Ijsanjo
SpringLake
LakeHennessey
Rector Res.
BellCanyon
Res.
Moorel
Ck.
Conn
Ck.
NapaRiver
Sono
ma
Ck.
Sa
ntaRosa
Ck
.
Matanzas
Ck .
DryCreek
Nap
aR.
NAPACOUNTY
SONOMACOUNTY
Calistoga
St. Helena
Glen Ellen
Yountville
Sonoma
Angwin
Rutherford
Oakville
Schelville
Agua Caliente
Eldridge
Kenwood
El Verano
To Vallejo,San Francisco
�
To Healdsburg,Geyserville
�
128
12
12
12 12
29
29
121
128
121116
4 Miles0
0 4 Kms
SONOMASONOMA NAPANAPAGuernevilleGuerneville
SONOMASONOMA NAPANAPAGuernevilleGuerneville
SONOMASONOMA NAPANAPASONOMA NAPA
SonomaSonomaSonoma NapaNapaNapa
Seei
ngN
apa
& S
on
om
a6
Napa & Sonoma
Rule #1: Decide which countyto focus on: Napa, Sonoma,or equal amounts of both.Once you know that, determinewhich parts of each valley seem tobeckon most (perusing this book’s“Charming Towns” chapter, p 71, willhelp). Know that Napa Valley dwarfsSonoma Valley in population, num-ber of wineries, and sheer traffic. It’sthe more commercial region, boast-ing big names (Mondavi, Beringer,
Krug), more spas, and a generallysuperior selection of restaurants andhotels. Sonoma, however, is catch-ing up quickly, although many peo-ple prefer its brand of under-doggedness. It’s lower key, lesssnobby, and more backcountry—kind of like a Napa for insiders.Small, family-owned wineries are itsmainstay; tastings are less expensive(sometimes free), and winemakersthemselves are often in the tasting
Napa and Sonoma will bombard you with much to see and do,and not enough time to do it—it’s easy to get overwhelmed by
all there is to experience, and difficult to decide which of the region’s350-plus wineries seem most worthy and how best to experience it tothe fullest. My best advice is to have an itinerary and a sense of whatkind of vacation you want before you arrive. Use this book to chartyour course and choose the special-interest tours that appeal to you.
05_050217 ch01.qxp 11/20/06 7:25 PM Page 6
room pouring your flight. ChooseNapa if you want an active touringschedule, and Sonoma for a restful,leisurely vacation.
Rule #2: Don’t drink anddrive—and don’t speed,either.Those tiny tastes add up. There areplenty of taxi and limo companiesthat will be more than happy tochauffeur you if you have too much todrink. Otherwise, designate a driver.
Rule #3: Visit wineries earlyin the day, if possible.Most tasting rooms open around10am and, even on the busiest week-ends, remain empty in the morning,leaving staff free to discuss theirproduct. If you come after noon, thetasting room may be packed (espe-cially if it’s high season), and manyothers will be waiting in line just toget a sample, much less the em-ployees’ prolonged attention.
Rule #4: To avoid the massesaltogether, visit during off-season (Nov–May) or midweek.The region’s optimum time, “crush,”the late-Aug–mid-Oct grape har-vest, coincides with peak touristseason. If you can only get here ona high-season weekend, there arestill ways to avoid the cattle drive:Opt for smaller, family-run wineriesover the big boys. Even those alongthe Silverado Trail, which parallelsHighway 29, receive significantlyless traffic; locals use it as theirmain thoroughfare during high sea-son. Another option is to stay inSonoma. Though it, too, suffersfrom congestion, Sonoma gets lesspacked than Napa.
Note that most wineries areclosed on major holidays, and manyhave restricted off-season hours, socall ahead if there’s one you don’twant to miss.
Rule #5: Be conscious of tasting fees.Visitors didn’t used to have to pay forsampling, but when Napa became abooming destination, wineries begancollecting. To their credit, it wasn’t somuch to make a profit as to discour-age visitors who, shall we say, pre-ferred quantity over quality.Nowadays, the Napa norm is tocharge about $2 to $8 per flight(though it’s much higher at certainplaces), which is often refundabletoward a purchase and sometimesincludes a souvenir glass. Sonoma’swineries are less likely to charge fortasting.
Rule #6: Just because you’rebuying wine at the winerydoesn’t mean you’re savingmoney.In fact, you’ll probably end upspending more at a winery than youwould at stores that buy cases inbulk. Exceptions to this strategy arewineries that offer big discounts oncases and those that only sell theirwines in the tasting room (that is,they have no distribution). NNoottee:: Ifyou’re able to ship your winedirectly from the winery, you’ll avoidhaving to pay sales tax.
Rule #7: Don’t let your winecook in the back of your car,or you’ll be unpleasantly sur-prised at its new flavor.Buy a cheap Styrofoam cooler and acouple of ice packs, place them in
Nap
a & S
on
om
a7
A field of mustard seeds in Napa Valley.
05_050217 ch01.qxp 11/20/06 7:25 PM Page 7
your car’s trunk, and Voilà!—youown a portable wine cellar.
Wine shipping is an alternative tolugging around all that vino youbought, but it can be quite confus-ing, since it’s limited by regulationsthat vary by state. Complicating thematter, shipping rules also differfrom winery to winery. It’s a goodidea to check the current legal situa-tion as it pertains to your homestate before buying. Ask wineriesand, if necessary, independent ship-ping companies about their wine-transporting policies.
Rule #8: Keep a light attitude.If you don’t yet know everythingabout wine and it seems thateveryone around you does (to an
almost silly degree), don’t fall prey tothe sometimes-snobby attitude ofthose who deem themselves wor-thier than thou simply becausethey’re better versed in what’s essen-tially only a beverage. Wine countryis about relaxing, having fun, learn-ing, and taking in the spectacularscenery—not feeling intimidated. Ifyou encounter a superior attitudepouring your taste, move on.
Rule #9: Make time to veeraway from the wineries toexplore the region’s naturalsplendor.You can hike through a redwood treeforest, kayak the Russian River, strollalong the rocky Pacific coastline in Bodega Bay, and more. See “18Favorite Moments” (p 1) and chapter5, “The Great Outdoors,” for details.
Rule #10: Get to know thewine and the winery. Talk.Listen. Learn.When at a winery, take the time toreally get to know not only the winesbut also the company’s story: its his-tory, its vineyards, and its colorfulemployees. Most staffers are quitewilling to regale you with tales; if youwant more, take a tour. You candrink California wine just about any-where, but only by visiting a tastingroom or touring a winery can yougain true appreciation for thepainstaking and artistic processesthat go into each bottle.
Seei
ngN
apa
& S
on
om
a8
Remember: A visit to wine country meansyou can (and should) drink champagnebefore noon. This is wine country—kickback and relax.
All roads lead to another fantastic winery.
05_050217 ch01.qxp 11/20/06 7:25 PM Page 8