tips appreciated ....Headed to Nappa

billt01 · April 24

So my wife is becoming quite the wine-o and we are taking a week to travel California visiting and plan on purchasing a few cases..

I like drinking it with dinner, but I just prefer a good bourbon better..

we will be focusing on the Russian River Valley, but could use any suggestions or must do's while we are there..

Shes strictly a red consumer, not a white wine girl..

Malbec's, Pino's, Cab's, Shriaz...

lousubcap · April 24

paging @YukonRon. Paging @Yno.

YukonRon · April 24

What do you want to spend?

YukonRon · April 24

Our daughter’s engagement party was held in Napa, I have a few suggestions if you so desire.

Moderately priced but excellent quality, is Sequoia Grove. The further north and higher elevations, the price increases but the quality is unrivaled in the USA.

the best Pinot Noir in the country comes from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. You might find decent Pinot Noir, in Napa, and pay Napa pricing but go to a wine shop and buy the Oregon wines there, unless you are up for a beautiful drive north. (we did it, the gray whales were worth the trip)

Most vineyards have good quality. But I typically head towards Rutherford. Check out Diane Hall’s vineyard, Quintessa, Provenance, Cimarossa, Frogs Leap, O’Shaunghessy, Wente, Franciscan, Castil de Amor, Buena Vista, and I will add others.

Do you have plans on where to stay? Meals?

Let me know. I will get back to you on this thread with more suggestions, these are just a very few off the top of my head.

billt01 · April 24

YukonRon said:

What do you want to spend?

wife and I really don't have a set amount, but we are likely not going to be back anytime soon...so I am booking The French Laundry when it allows...

I have searched your previous suggestions to other members, and they all look to be in play..just a lot to digest and many options...

Mustards
Ferrari-Carano
Provenance
Jordan
Long Medow Ranch

billt01 · April 24

billt01 said:

YukonRon said:

What do you want to spend?

wife and I really don't have a set amount, but we are likely not going to be back anytime soon...so I am booking The French Laundry when it allows...

I have searched your previous suggestions to other members, and they all look to be in play..just a lot to digest and many options...

Mustards
Ferrari-Carano
Provenance
Jordan
Long Medow Ranch

staying at a Marriott Property while there as it costs $0 dollars and we will have a car rental

JohnInCarolina · April 24

Had this recently at a dinner. It was pretty good and I think it’s from Napa.

billt01 · April 24

JohnInCarolina said:

Had this recently at a dinner. It was pretty good and I think it’s from Napa.

Latin for "No one gets out of here alive"

lkapigian · April 24

Skip Napa and go to Paso Robles , hit the Central Coast Wineries

Napa is boujee and overpriced

YukonRon · April 24

lkapigian said:

Skip Napa and go to Paso Robles , hit the Central Coast Wineries

Napa is boujee and overpriced

Actually Lodi, is producing some great Zins and other heavy Reds.

BeanHead · April 24

I know you are looking for wines, but some really nice olive oils come out of that area. Ask a couple of the vintners you visit if they have a favorite and add that as part of your experience if they do. If they do not there is a grocery about an hour south of there that sells local olive blends and some really good bread and charcuterie. Napa Olive Oil Manufacturing Co.

lkapigian · April 24

If you wind up somehow in the Central Valley or Central Coast let me know

Buckwoody Egger · April 24

there’s no reason to leave Georgia!!!

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/grape-lady

then load up at costco

Seymour_Smoke · April 25

My sister from eastern WA. is a wino and would say "Walla Walla is for wine, Napa is for auto parts".
Regards, Mike

Botch · April 25

lkapigian said:

Skip Napa and go to Paso Robles , hit the Central Coast Wineries

Napa is boujee and overpriced

If you do make it to the Central Coast Wineries, I found a wonderful wine shop in Monterey, and got a couple bottles of a wine using a grape called "Carignan":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carignan
I thought I had saved the bottle, but couldn't find it (don't know the winery(s) name), but it was delicious. The server asked if I wanted to have some shipped home, I told her I couldn't because I live in UT (the church-state owns/regulates all distribution) and she said they can now ship to UT, big shock to me, so I bought a case to be shipped (this was the best red I've ever had).
I did some research when I got home, found out the shipping laws were changed for the upcoming 2002 Winter Olympics, and I got the case delivered! I really liked this stuff and ordered another case in April '02. Denied! The Olympics were over, the world visitors went home, so the church-state immediately reimposed their draconian laws. I'll say no more so I don't step on any toes.

But, when you visit and if you happen to see any Carignan wines, give them a try; I'd be anxious to hear what you think about them.

Legume · April 25

So much good advice, looks like it's mostly go somewhere else 😂

billt01 · April 25

lkapigian said:

Skip Napa and go to Paso Robles , hit the Central Coast Wineries

Napa is boujee and overpriced

its says 4 hours from Napa, but with California...which could mean 3 and a half hours or 2 days of travel time...is there a scenic route to get us to Paso Robles other than the 101?

lkapigian · April 25

billt01 said:

lkapigian said:

Skip Napa and go to Paso Robles , hit the Central Coast Wineries

Napa is boujee and overpriced

its says 4 hours from Napa, but with California...which could mean 3 and a half hours or 2 days of travel time...is there a scenic route to get us to Paso Robles other than the 101?

Pacific Coast Highway 1 … a few brief places puts you in the 101 but it’s coastal the entire way

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/dg/41ewkoaqqkgp.jpeg

Legume · April 25

Check Big Sur, I think parts of 1 are still closed.

Buckwoody Egger · April 25

long time ago i had a work trip to san francisco with the front and back weekends for personal use. one was yosemite via groveland and the other was down south to pebble beach and the 17 mile drive. it was all great and you have a million options. didn’t do napa.

jokes aside i don’t think disparaging napa is 100% best advice either. they probably have some wineries that are setup for the beginner casual wine drinker for example. that would set you up to sort out hitting the other areas where tour buses don’t go.

have a great trip

Buckwoody Egger · May 3

saw a deal at costco and was reminded of this thread and the lodi reference.

https://michaeldavidwinery.com/

this winery is sold nationwide very accessible. costco, total wine, target, etc. at my price points wines are “buy to drink” rather than “buy to hold and age”

they are probably most known for freakshow cabernet? fun label helps. there are several varietals with freakshow. i really like their earthquake zinfandel around $20. my favorite wine of theirs is the petite petit. it’s usually $15-$18 and $14 at costco. it’s a wide bottom bottle which is a little suboptimal in some racks. they are changing to a slimmer bottle with a screw top. around atlanta costco (and maybe elsewhere? check the app) is selling out of the old bottle on hand by pricing it at $10.

Foghorn · May 3

If you like enjoying wine while you enjoy world class sculptures, visit Donum in Carneros.
https://www.thedonumestate.com/

If you want to have some good Sonoma Pinot at a good price point and see the best croquet grounds you will ever see, visit Sonoma Cutrer.
https://www.sonomacutrer.com/

The grounds at Ferrari-Carano are spectacular.
https://www.ferrari-carano.com/

We recently went to Paul Hobbs as VIP guests of a member and got to taste some $300 and $500 cabs. It was a great experience with the chef cooking us hot pizzas from their wood-fired oven as we tasted the wine. I'm not sure if that's available for non-members, but it was a great experience if you can do it.

55Kevy · May 4

If you do head to the Central Coast, come further south (50 min) than Paso and check out the Santa Ynez Valley.

danhoo · May 5

billt01 said:

we will be focusing on the Russian River Valley, but could use any suggestions or must do's while we are there..

billt01 said:

staying at a Marriott Property while there as it costs $0 dollars and we will have a car rental

Which Marriott Property are you staying at?

You mention Russian River Valley, which is west of Napa in Sonoma county.

Sonoma county is huge so mapping out the wineries in advance will save you a ton of travel time. Knowing the hours, some open earlier, some close earlier, if they are small are they open mondays etc is worth the homework.

below is a map showing the regions. Sonoma county has a number of appellations and each has their own micro-climate and the wine growers use these areas to their advantage for different varietel's.

I like Russian River Pinot Noir and Dry Creek Zinfandel, but there are many great wines in Sonoma county adjacent to Napa County.

here is an interactive map https://www.sonoma.com/businesses/?category=Wineries

Image: https://s3.amazonaws.com/winecountry-media/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/02/18063038/Sonoma-County-Map-high3.jpg

danhoo · May 5

A similar Map of Napa Valley. Napa is smaller area but seems to have more wineries packed in the northern areas.

I'm sort of local. Its about a two hour drive to Yountville a good starting point for Napa valley wine tasting and 2.5 hours to Windsor in Sonoma county which is a good starting point for Russian River or Dry Creek tasting.

edit: I should be more transparent. I prefer Sonoma county for wine tasting over Napa county and have stopped visiting Napa to taste wine. 20 to 30 years ago I would visit both a couple of times a year. Both Sonoma and Napa county has some excellent wines and wineries ( and some that is meh), but the experience in Napa is too crowded and not as enjoyable as the experience in Sonoma.

I'll post a couple of specific spots I think are worthy of a visit in a bit.

Napa Valley Wineries Tasting Rooms Map 2023

Napa Valley Wineries Tasting Rooms Map 2023

danhoo · May 5

I enjoy starting a day of wine tasting at Domain Carneros.

A small plate of cheese and grapes with some méthode traditionnelle sparking wine ( they won't dare call it Champagne ) is a fantastic way to begin. Domain Carneros is at the southern end of the valley along Highway 12 which is one of the roads from Napa county to Sonoma County.

It is beautiful location.

https://www.domainecarneros.com/visit/plan-your-tasting-and-tour

Domaine Carneros Napa CA 94559

Plan Your Visit to Domaine Carneros Scenic Wine Tastings Tours

danhoo · May 5

I asked which Marriot. Here is a road map of Napa/Sonoma for the areas of interest. note that there are really only two roads to get from Napa wine areas to Sonoma wine areas. Highway 12 to the south and highway 128 to the north.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xLDYKoyQcFUrfKmZ7

edit: map won't embed.

I'd get out google maps and put a pin where your hotel is and start mapping out drive times.

lousubcap · May 5

@danhoo - the is top shelf wine ambassador effort right there. Very nice.

GrillinSailor · May 5

My first trip we hit the usual suspects , Caymus, Opus One, Silver Oak etc. it was a great trip, But my second trip was much better, relying on Friends we hit tasing room that were spectacular. Reservation were needed. My favorite three were Checkerboard,
Mayacamas On the mountain and Faillia. Those were spectacular and the tasking rooms were special.

Said we were only going to buy two bottle and bring them home in inflatable bottle holder in our luggage. Well, that plus shipped two mixed cases home and joined the Faillia wine club for 16 more bottles a year.

Note , one night we didn’t have reservations for dinner and the hotel recommended Charlie’s in St. Helena. The have a fried Chicken with there own Charlie’s hot sauce. It’s very mild, Smokey and vinegary. Fantastic! I bought a bottle and now I’m trying to recreate it at home.

danhoo · May 5

Some places to visit in the heart of Napa valley. These may or may not be the best wine tasting value as it has been a long time since I've tasted on-site in these locations.

warning: The wine tasting fees can be quite pricey. $$$$$
warning2: It's been 15+ years since I've visited these, and they are the "big attractions". I'm sure there are many smaller and newer places that are also of interesting.

Beaulieu Vineyard: An anchor winery IMO
https://www.bvwines.com/en/visit-experiences.html

Francis Ford Coppola winery is entertaining to walk through, and I recall had some decent wine
https://www.francisfordcoppolawinery.com/visit/

Charles Krug, has a historic location and is worth walking through or possibly taking a tour.
https://www.charleskrug.com/visit

Sterling Vineyards. ride a Gondola to their tasting room and enjoy a great view of the valley.
caveat: Not a fan of their wine, but the location is excellent
https://www.sterlingvineyards.com/

Rutherford Hill winery, on the east side above Silverado Trail.
https://www.rutherfordhill.com/our-story

Robert Mondavi would have been a suggestion, however they are in the midst of a major renovation in progress and their main location appears to be closed during this renovation.

danhoo · May 5

A few Sonoma County wineries I think are worth a visit and a good interactive directory:

https://www.sonoma.com/businesses/?category=Wineries&tags=cloverdale,geyserville,healdsburg,windsor

Ferrari Carano - beautiful grounds. I like their Chardonnay and Fume Blanc. I haven't tasted their Red's in a while.
https://www.ferrari-carano.com/

Seghesio Family Vineyards I love their Zins. They have some "mainstream zins" you can get everywhere but some are harder to come by like Cortina, Home Ranch, Rock Pile. I need to plan a trip to visit again soon.
https://www.seghesio.com/visit/

Russian River area:

note: Wohler Bridge is closed for construction so getting to the West side Rd has to be from Healdsburg ( north ) or south at Hacienda/Forest Hills

Gary Farrell
https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/
note

Rochioli Vineyards !!!! If you can get a bottle or two of Pinot, buy it without tasting it. It is very hard to come by. I consider this a special occasion pinot.
https://www.rochioliwinery.com/

J vineyards Solid Pinot and Bubbly.
https://www.jwine.com/

Simi Winery: right in the heart of Healdsburg.
https://simiwinery.com/pages/about-us

Dry Creek area:

A.Rafanelli - The Zin is fantastic. tasting by appt only, and IIRC they don't need to pour their wine to sell it. It is mostly pre-sold to restaurants and distributors. A couple of times I dropped by without an appt and was able to buy a couple of bottles, and a couple of times they said no.

Other's I've had but not recently enough to recall:
Dry Creek Vineyards,
Quivira

Further west in Guerneville:
Korbell is worth a stop, and IIRC, the tour is pretty good
https://www.korbel.com/the-winery/

tips appreciated ....Headed to Nappa

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