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Napa Sonoma suggestions requested?
in article , R&M at
wrote on 7/21/04 8:49 PM:
> Going to Napa Sonoma for a week next month for the first time...wanted
> to know what are must do's for newbie...thanks in advance for all your
> help!
>
> R&M in San Diego
"Must do's" have a lot to do with your level of wine experience. If you are
newbies to visiting the area, but experienced with wine, your list will be
different, I would think. If you're new to wine, in general, start with an
area guide: The AAA has a pretty good guide book that's free to members;
otherwise, the best we've found is "Wine Country - California's Napa and
Sonoma Valleys", by John Doerper for Fodor's. The latest edition was written
in 2000, so some of the newer wineries won't be included, but the book is
otherwise very thorough and useful.
Assuming, again, that you're new to wine and wineries..... we've found the
best public tour to be at Robert Mondavi, in Oakville (Napa). I have to say,
though, that the best experiences we've had have been at the smaller
wineries, usually those that are by appointment only. There's something
very magical about meeting, touring and tasting with the people who actually
run the operation on a daily basis - something you don't generally get to do
at the larger wineries.
Our "must do" list would include: Napa - Mondavi, Sinskey, Caymus, Chateau
Montelena, Nickel & Nickel, Phelps, Shafer, Stony Hill, Schramsberg, Jarvis;
Sonoma - Gary Farrell, Davis Bynum, Ravenswood, Gundlach-Bundschu, Rochioli,
Arrowood, Jordan, Acorn, A. Rafanelli. I'm sure I'm leaving out some good
ones, and that other posters will add or subtract....... but this list is a
pretty good start.
Enjoy!
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