Napa Travel Forum

Can someone please give me some advice about our up coming trip to Napa. We will be traveling from SFO to the Napa region this May. I was told by my friend that Sonoma is better end less crowded?? Can some recommend a place to locate ourselves and a few spots/wineries not to miss.

thank you for your help.

Sonoma and Napa are relatively close to each other so it is possible to visit both on the same trip. As far as where to stay, it is true that Sonoma is more quaint than Napa. But I love them both.If you're looking to stay further away from the masses stay in Sonoma. But you're going to see tourists everywhere. Sonoma is more charming than Napa proper but there are plenty of equally charming places to stay near Napa (such as Healdsburg). As for winery recommendations I have plenty! Over the years I have visited many of them. Are you looking for good wine or ambience or a mixture of both. Please know that some of the wineries only do tastings by reservations so it's a good idea to call ahead. Let me know what you're looking for in terms of wine tastings and I'll be able to give you more personal recommendations but for now here are some of my favorites...

Napa
Joseph Phelps (need reservations! EXCELLENT wines AND an amazing view of the Napa Valley)
Cakebread (Great wines)
Schramsburg (Excellent Champagnes and a great cellar tour. Need reservations)
Bella (Napa area - small vineyard specializing in gret Zins)

Sonoma
Mantanzas Creek (Gorgeous winery known for their lavendar fields and good wine)
Ravenswood (Gorgeous Winery and good Zins)

That's a start but I can compile a more comprehensive list of vineyards for you if you would like. Have a great trip!

I prefer Napa over Sonoma. It is less crowed, but there's a reason why. Sonoma just seems too "redneckville" to me vs. Napa has more sophistication...in my opinion. As the other member mentioned, they arn't far from each other, so you could do both, but I'd recommend staying in Napa.

I don't want to disagree with your friend, but if you mean Napa Valley vs Sonoma, then Napa Valley wins, hands down. Napa is but one town in the wine valley known as Napa Valley. I have many tips on Napa and the Valley under Napa in my travel pages. I also have some tips for Sonoma. The Napa Valley starts in Napa and goes up either Hwy 29 on the west side or the Silvarado Trail on the east side of the valley. Both come together at the north end in the town of Calistoga. Although many wineries are located along both roads and in-between, Hwy 29 has most of the towns centers. One of my favorites is St. Helena. Two well known Culinary Centers are in the Napa Valley. CIA on Hwy 29 in Rutherford and COPIA in the town of Napa. Julia's Kitchen (inspired by Julia Child) in COPIA is one of the better gourmet restaurants in the valley. There is the Napa Wine Train ride for something different to do. You could spend days just in Napa Valley to see the major wineries alone. May is a good month, before the summer rush greets the valley. There are many places to stay overnight or for longer stays and it would depend on your budget as well as likes. As for wineries not to miss, look at the VT Napa destination for ideas from fellow VTers. Also look at a map of the Napa region to see the valley and the towns along Hwy 29. Look up each town on VT and check out the tips. Have a safe and fun trip. Leave the driving to a non-drinker or go on a tour.

COPIA is a great place to visit! I have to agree. And I would recommend calling ahead to see if they are offering any cooking classes while you are in town. They're a lot of fun and you get to sample the food and wine pairings, but you will need a reservation for the cooking classes at COPIA.

Sorry to confuse the issue but I completely disagree that Napa is preferrable and certainly that it is less crowded. Just the opposite! For me, Sonoma County is much much nicer. It's less crowded, the wineries are smaller and friendlier (Napa has become very corporate) and it's a lot easier to get off the beaten path. Redneck? No way!

I would pick a place near Healdsburg. There are some really lovely little Bed and Breakfasts, some great upscale hotels, and some less expensive, but not terrible hotels. For B&Bs, check out Calderwood, or the Grape Leaf Inn. I loved the Inn on the Plaza. The Healdsburg Hotel is very upscale and doubles as a spa. There are some wonderful restaurants in town also. For a special meal, don't miss the Madrona Manor.

My favorite small wineries are Rafanelli (make a reservation), Michelle Schlumberger, Davis Bynum, and Hop Kiln. Anderson Valley Winery and Sausal are nice small wineries where you may find yourself chatting with the wine maker. Ferrari Carano is a don't miss for the gardens and the scenery. Coppola has taken over Chateau Souveraign and makes a lovely stop.

www.wineroad.com for an interactive map of all the wineries, restaurants, and hotels.

If you want to break up your wine tasting with some fun exercise, rent bikes and ride out Dry Creek Road or Westside Road. Spend a day canoeing on the Russian River and make a stop at Armstrong Redwoods to see some wonderful old grove trees. Continue to the coast and drive down to Bodega Bay for some great seafood.

Check out my Healdsburg page for more specific tips.

WOW

Lot's of great advice....Thank you all very much. Etoile.. the wineries that you suggested are some of our favorite wines to drink. I will continue the research and check back with all of you I was also told about a "wine tour". this seems like a great idea because of the driving issue!! But I was concerned about the itinerary?? Any suggestions here? Is it just better to do ourselves??

Napa is my favoite because the region is so beautiful. Especially, up in the Healdsburg and Yountsville area. But agreed as some of the others mentioned, Sonoma is close by so do both. I've made a few trips there and always make it a point to go to Napa and Sonoma. J Vineyards in Sonoma is my favorite winery because of the awesome food and wine pairings they have. All my tips for both places are on my Napa page. Napa offers some EXCELLENT restaurants to dine at.

I have been doing my due diligence on the areas that where recommended and I am a bit confused about Healdsburg?? Is it to far north? It seems a bit out of the way from Sonoma or Napa?? What would any of you say is the best location for a three night stay in the region?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you are looking for the not too expensive, then Fairfield is about 12 miles from Napa. Holiday Inn, etc. Look at the VTer's pages on Napa, etc to see the tips on accommodations and then decide.

Healdsburg is totally out of the way, especially if you are looking for the Napa experience. It is twice the drive (or more) for you from San Fran, and way north, like you said. It is quaint and cute, but I would not make that drive just to get more quaint than what Napa or Sonoma can provide, it is too much hassle (for you on a short time frame and not being too familiar with the surrounding areas) and not that much of a difference. I prefer Napa, and it does depend on where you stay and what you choose to do. Try to avoid downtown Napa if you don't want the crowds, and obviously the wineries will be more crowded on the weekends. In Yountville, between Napa and St. Helena (a great great little town, quieter than Napa), there is a fabulous resort-style hotel called the Villagio that would be a chic, sophisticated getaway and is centrally located. As people have said, CIA is amazing, and I love this little italian restaurant called Tuscany in downtown Napa. My favorite winery is Domaine Chandon, because I love champagne and it is absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. Hope you have tons of fun!!

:)

PS: Check out this planning site, www.thetripgeek.com. They are based out of California and Napa is a specialty.