# Napa Valley or Sonoma County ?



## Angell Wine (Jan 28, 2007)

My wife and I are coming up on our 10Th wedding anniversary. March 15th to be exact. She wanted to go to San Francisco. With a little persuasion, I talked her into going up into thewine country.
With only 4 days vacation (that includes travel time) do we have time to do both Napa and Sonoma ? 
Would you just hit one area?
Which area would you go to if you had to chose?


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## Waldo (Jan 28, 2007)

I would recommend finding a good seafood restaurant in San Francisco and hole up there for 4 days and try some wines from each region


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## smurfe (Jan 28, 2007)

With only 4 days including travel I would guess you will only have time to travel one area if you want to cover it good. I would go to Napa. Of course, I would have to take at least one of the days and look around San Francisco. Some of the finest restaurants in the world are there. 


I don't know if you watch Top Chef but I thought you had mentioned it beforeand watched last season, there were some fine eating places there, not to mention fine dining in Napa. I am sure Sonoma can compare as well. It is a tough decision thats for sure.


Smurfe


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## tfries (Jan 28, 2007)

Having lived not too far from there for most of my life, I would
recommend first the Russian River/Healdsburg area. The wineries
there are first rate and very friendly and most do not charge for
tasting. Second would be Sonoma and last would be Napa. The
Napa area is too commercial with big tour buses and almost all of them
charge for tasting.


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## smurfe (Jan 28, 2007)

tfries said:


> Having lived not too far from there for most of my life, I would recommend first the Russian River/Healdsburg area. The wineries there are first rate and very friendly and most do not charge for tasting. Second would be Sonoma and last would be Napa. The Napa area is too commercial with big tour buses and almost all of them charge for tasting.




There ya go. That would decide it for me!


Smurfe


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## rgecaprock (Jan 28, 2007)

First of all ....You lucky guys!!!! 


Curtis' job sent him to Napa and Sonoma.... Most of the time spent in Sonoma...It was a great experience for him...justwish I could have gone with him.


Have fun, bring back your experiences for us!!!!! Ramona






You got married on the "Ides of March"?*Edited by: rgecaprock *


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## Angell Wine (Jan 28, 2007)

tfries said:


> Having lived not too far from there for most of my life, I would recommend first the Russian River/Healdsburg area. The wineries there are first rate and very friendly and most do not charge for tasting. Second would be Sonoma and last would be Napa. The Napa area is too commercial with big tour buses and almost all of them charge for tasting.


I was lean towards the russian river area but you always here about Napa Valley. I'm not a tourist kind of guy and hate big crowds. Thanks for the Info.


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## Angell Wine (Jan 28, 2007)

rgecaprock said:


> First of all ....You lucky guys!!!!
> 
> 
> Curtis' job sent him to Napa and Sonoma.... Most of the time spent in Sonoma...It was a great experience for him...justwish I could have gone with him.
> ...




We will take lot's of pictures for all of ya'll. My wife flies alot on Southwest so we have free tickets. "Beware of the Ides of March"; We where going to get hitch in June, had the date pick, the church booked. Then the church called and said they had vacation bible school that week. The next available date was in march 15th or Oct. 29. So we moved the date up. Everybody thought she was pregnant but we proved them wrong. Had our first a year later.


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## rgecaprock (Jan 28, 2007)

How busy can Vacation Bible School be????


Glad you proved them wrong.....they mark those dates!!


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## Angell Wine (Jan 28, 2007)

We really didn't want our wedding pictures taken with Noah's Ark as a back drop. No offense to Noah.


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## geocorn (Jan 28, 2007)

Another great area that is less commercialized is south of Oakland, around Livermore. Wente Brothers is there and a lot of small wineries that do not sell outside California. We had a lot more fun there than in Napa.


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## smurfe (Jan 29, 2007)

I dunno, I would still have to go Napa so I could experience a meal at The French Laundry. It is rated as the best restaurant in The Americas and the 4th Best in theWorld. I am not a "foodie" but I do like to experience a fine dining establishment (2-3 star on Michelin scale or 4-5 star on the Mobile scale)at least a couple times a year. When I travel if there are any famous establishments, I try to visit them. I recommend if you would go there to make a reservation now though. I can't wait to make it back to Dallas as well. I never realized Dallas had the food culture that it has and there are some very high rated restaurants there as well.


Smurfe


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## Coaster (Jan 29, 2007)

"I would recommend first the Russian River/Healdsburg area" 


Seconded. I like to visit Korbel while there too. We used to go up 1 and come home 101 when we lived in the Bay Area. Be prepared for traffic.


We did the Wine Train one time too. http://www.winetrain.com/


We would take visitors here too http://www.nps.gov/muwo/planyourvisit/directions.htm

*Edited by: Coaster *


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## OilnH2O (Jan 29, 2007)

THAT'S what I like to see! The good ol' National Park Service getting some play!






The real question was about the 4 day stay -- I suggest pick either place, enjoy the wine (they areall so good)and you'll be the one WE ask the next time any of us have 4 days to play in wine country!


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## Angell Wine (Jan 29, 2007)

Livermore ? Have check that out.
As far as food goes, just give me 15lbs of crawfish and I'm good to go. We'll probably goto whatever restaurant my wife says
The wine train looks pretty good might have to do that.
I've been around Lake Tahoe and didn't much care for it. For some reason I like the Ozarks. Jasper, Arkansas is where I would like to live.


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## tfries (Jan 30, 2007)

Good point on Korbel David. They do have a nice tour and a beautiful setting. 



Livermore is closer to San Francisco, but in my opinion, it is not a
pretty as the areas more north. There are not as many wineries in
the Livermore area either.



The French Laundry would be fun. You have to make reservations 2
months in advance, assuming you can get through. It is a tough
place to get a reservation. It is also $240 per person, prix fix
menu. It would definitely be an evening to remember.


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## Angell Wine (Jan 30, 2007)

Peterz, check my math.
$240 x 2 = $480
a good wine kit $ 120
$480 / $120 = 4
4 x 30 bottles = 120
120 nights to celebrate our anniversary.


The thing about this hobby is that everything is related to the cost of the next batch. Thanks for the info tfries.


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## smurfe (Jan 30, 2007)

tfries said:


> Good point on Korbel David. They do have a nice tour and a beautiful setting.
> 
> Livermore is closer to San Francisco, but in my opinion, it is not a pretty as the areas more north. There are not as many wineries in the Livermore area either.
> 
> The French Laundry would be fun. You have to make reservations 2 months in advance, assuming you can get through. It is a tough place to get a reservation. It is also $240 per person, prix fix menu. It would definitely be an evening to remember.




The $240 is a tasting menu price. We normally order one tasting menu, and I believe most do, and share a menu. So in essence, it would be $240 for a couple. Expensive? Very, but quite an experience. But if fine French food isn't your bag, there is no reason to go. With the French influence in our culture in South Louisiana we have quite a few French restaurants around here. I enjoy the foods. I will say though I have got some bad meals in some high rated resturaunts before though. But not that many times.


I will agree with Steve though about the Crawfish. Although, if he can put 15 pounds of them down in a setting, he is a better man than me. I think 5 pounds is the best I have ever done and I thought I was going to explode. I love crawfish and have had them the past 2 weekends. They are still really small but the prices have dropped considerably the past 2-3 weeks. Looks like if they get a little bigger it is going to be a good season!


Smurfe


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## Coaster (Jan 30, 2007)

I never knew how big trees could be until I lived in CA "All of these walks afford views of thousands of old-growth coast redwoods, the tallest living things in the world". This was another amazing trip http://www.nps.gov/seki/. There are somethings I miss about CA but not many.


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## redwineleo (Jan 30, 2007)

Angell Wine: Two suggestions for stops - 1) Viansa - it's in the southern part of the Sonoma region. We've been wine club members since our first visit 10 or 12 years ago when we fell in love with the place. Beautiful view, fantastic wines. 2) Culinary Institute of America, northern part of Napa Valley. The cooks go here to learn various aspects of cooking and the food is great and not out of line pricewise by Napa standards. We always stay in Yountville (which is in Napa Valley) at a Spa and Inn called Villagio. It's pricey, but very Tuscan in theme. Yes a lot of the Napa wineries are more commercialized than Sonoma, but for the most part they're all good. The Wine Train is also a very enjoyable way to see the valley, especially if you take the lunch train. The "crowd" aren't too bad during the weekdays. We've been 5 times an never get tired of it and always find new off-the-beaten-path wineries. Whatever you do, relax and don't try to take in too many wineries, especially without a designated-driver!


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## Francie (Jan 30, 2007)

My husband and I went to the San Fransisco area about 10 years ago (BK--before kids). We stayed at a little town called Bodega Bay (where they filmed the movie "The Birds". We then went up through the Russian River Valley up towards the Redwoods, then down through Healdsburg (my favorite) Sonoma, and Napa. 


Highlights: *Sterling Vineyards* (you take a gondola to the vineyard)--may be a little touristy, but still fun to do. *Dutton Ranch*--some of the best wine I have ever had. Generally known for growing grapes for other wine producers, like Kistler, hard to get their own, very cute little winery. We loved the small out of the way, mom and pop wineries. So many to choose from. *Clos Pegas*--very artsy.


Advice: see if you can get passes ahead of time, when we went, you never had to pay for tastings, now I guess you have to pay, but someone told me of certain passes you can get. Thats all I know about them, perhaps someone else may know.


Have fun,


Francie


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## PeterZ (Jan 30, 2007)

Angell, your math is correct. 

What price a once-in-a-lifetime experience?


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