Criteria for Tasting Room Reviews

I've been commenting on tasting rooms for over 4 years now and thought I should provide a little background on how I come to talk about a particular winery or tasting room.

First, I only comment on tasting rooms or wineries that I have personally visited.  Half of the wineries in Napa and Sonoma are not open to the public.  Of those that welcome visitors either by advance appointment or by dropping in,  I have visited about 125 of Sonoma's 270 wineries and tasting rooms and 145 of Napa's 335 wineries and tasting rooms.  The vast majority of those I have yet to get to require an appointment to visit.

Second, I operate under the assumption that the wine is good at nearly all of the tasting rooms in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties.  Not every winery has wine that is going to be to your or my taste but the wines are generally good.  There are many people far more qualified than me who review wines.  Besides visiting wine country to taste wine is more about the experience than the quality of the wine.

Third, I generally only post positive reviews.  I want to give my readers information on wineries and tasting rooms to seek out.  Most tasting rooms are neither good nor bad; they're much like every other tasting room.  However some tasting rooms are special and are worth visiting.  Many factors contribute to a positive review including friendly tasting room staff, unique architecture, good value, an opportunity to meet the owner and/or winemaker, pretty scenery, an unusual tasting experience, and/or an interesting tour.  On the rare occasion when I say something negative about a winery or tasting room, it's because I think the visitor is not getting a quality experience.

Fourth, I do not get compensated for my reviews.  Many guests on my tours ask if the wineries give me anything to thank me for bringing visitors to their tasting rooms.  At the end of the year, a couple wineries may give me a bottle or two, but that's it.  I've never received anything for a positive review other than an e-mail thanking me.

I hope this background is helpful.  Let me know what you think.

Sit Down, Relax, and Enjoy Some Wine

When you drop in to taste at a winery, you usually stand up at the counter.  Wineries do this to help with turnover and for space considerations.  It's rare to find a winery, that doesn't require an an appointment, where you can sit down and relax with your wine.  But there are some!

In Napa, the three French-owned sparkling wine producers all have tables where you can sit with your wine.  My favorite is Domaine Carneros, which has servers who take your order and then bring your wines, cheese, and/or caviar to you. The view of the rolling vineyards from Domaine Carneros' terrace is beautiful.  Mumm Napa Valley is also very nice.  It too has servers and a lovely view from the patio.  However, Mumm does not offer any food.  Domaine Chandon is my least favorite of the three While it has tables in its tasting room and offers some food, it does not have servers.  When you want to get your next glass of wine, you must get up and return to the tasting bar.  Plus the view from the patio is not as nice as the views at Domaine Carneros or Mumm Napa Valley.

Frog's Leap in Rutherford offers a tasting of four wines, accompanied by some cheese, nuts, and dried fruit on the terrace overlooking its organic gardens and vineyards.  This is one of the more pleasant spots to sit and taste wine.

Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville has a large table in the To Kalon Room, where you can sit while you taste Mondavi's reserve wines.  On a cold day, it's nice to taste your wine by the fireplace.

In the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, Lynmar Winery has tables in the tasting room, on the patio, and next to the garden.  You order at the counter, but the friendly staff will bring your Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Syrah to your table.

There may be other wineries where you can sit down while you enjoy your wine, but either I am forgetting them or have not yet visited the tasting rooms.  If you know of any, please comment below.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour that includes some of these wineries, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com

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Trouble in Napa

Today's "New York Times"  has an excellent article on how the economy is adversely affecting wineries in the Napa Valley.  To summarize, sales of high-end wines, which are Napa's specialty, fell 30% in 2009.  Now, there is a need for the wineries to look at their marketing, including employing social networking, and their pricing.

The full story can be found by clicking here. 

If you would like to take a private Napa Valley tour, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com. 

Best Eating Small Town in the United States

Yountville, in the Napa Valley, must be the best easting small town in the United States.  With just over 3,000 residents, Yountville is home to one restaurant that has received three stars from the Michelin guide and three that have received one star.  To receive one star is an honor.  Three stars is as good as it gets in fine dining.  The three-star restaurant is Thomas Keller's French Laundry.  Keller also owns Bouchon, which has received one star.  The other one-star restaurants are Redd and Etoile at Domaine Chandon, the only winery in the Napa Valley to have a restaurant.

Also in town are Bistro Jeanty for fine French cuisine Bardessono for California food, and Bottega for Italian cuisine.  More casual places include Pacific Blue, Hurley's, and Cantinetta Piero.  Just north of Yountville are Mustard's Grill and Brix.  The former serves excellent American food and the latter is known for its California cuisine.

If this isn't enough, you can get excellent pastries at Bouchon Bakery, paninis at.Napa Style, and coffee at the Coffee Caboose.

Lastly, Yountville has a bunch of tasting rooms within a short walk of each other.  They include Hill Family, Hope and Grace, Girard, Jessup, and Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley.

Having all of this food and wine at hand, makes Yountville the perfect place to base your Napa Valley vacation.  Staying in Yountville means you can have an excellent dinner and not worry about drinking too much wine as you can just walk back to your hotel, inn, or bed and breakfast.

Gold Medals and 95 Points

Guests on my tours frequently ask me, "What's the best winery?" Sometimes, they'll ask, "What's the best wine?"  The answers are that there is no best winery or best wine.  Everyone has different interests and tastes in wine.  I've tasted some extremely well rated -- and very expensive -- Cabernet Sauvignons and not enjoyed them.  I am just not a Cab guy.  There are many good wines that I do enjoy, and life is too short to drink wine one doesn't like.

So what's this mean for the wine magazine ratings and all of the gold medals you see boasted about in the tasting rooms.  These ratings and medals can serve as a guide, but the bottom line is that the only palate that matters is yours.  Plus some ratings and medals are more significant than others.  One winemaker allegedly said that if a winemaker can't win a gold medal, he/she shouldn't be in the business.  After all, a gold medal from the Podunk Mall Wine Expo doesn't carry much weight in the wine world.  Some of the medals that are more prestigious are from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the Orange and Los Angeles County Fairs, the California State Fair, and the Sonoma Harvest Fair (for Sonoma County wines).  However, keep in mind that medals at wine competitions are not awarded like they are at the Olympics.  More than one wine can win a gold, silver, or bronze medal.  Judges award medals to wines that meet certain quality levels.  A double gold -- where all of the tasters think the wine is gold medal worthy -- is something to crow about.  A best of class award (best wine of a particular type and/or at at particular price point) is even better.  And winning the sweepstakes (best red, white, pink, sparkling, or dessert wine) is better yet.

Winemakers love and hate the influence of the wine magazines and critics.  Many folks criticize the 100 point scale, saying that it's impossible to discern a difference between a 94 and 95 point wine.  Nevertheless, good reviews in Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast and by Robert Parker are likely to spark sales.

So when you head out to wine country, decide whether you want to seek out the wines have been well reviewed or awarded or want to find some unexpected surprises.  You might find the latter more rewarding.  If you want some help picking wineries to visit on a private winetasting tour, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com. 

Special Events in Wine Country

Nary a week goes by without individual wineries or groups of wineries having special events to entice folks to visit.  It's hard to keep track of all of the festivals, special tastings, and food pairings being offered.  Some of the more fun events are offered by the associations that represent wineries in particular regions.

The Wine Road Northern Sonoma County represents the wineries in the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys of Sonoma County.  Its website has a good listing of events in this part of wine country.  The Wine Road offers three major events each year, Winter Wineland (1/16 & 17), Barrel Tasting (3/6, 7, 13, & 14), and A Wine and Food Affair (11/6 & 7).  In addition, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley offers Passport to Dry Creek Valley on April 24 and 25.  Russian River Valley Winegrowers has its annual Grape to Glass on August 20 - 22.  Finally, the Alexander Valley Winegrowers has an annual Taste of the Alexander Valley, usually during the first weekend in June.  (2010 dates have yet to be announced.)

The Anderson Valley Winegrowers has two annual events.  The first is the International Alsace Varietals Festival on February 20 and 21.  Later in the year, they celebrate Pinot Noir at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival from May 14 to 16.

The Lodi Wine and Visitor Center sponsors a Wine and Chocolate Weekend on February 13 and 14 and celebrates Zinfandel at the ZinFest from May 14 to 16.

The 20th annual Savor Sonoma Valley is being held on March 20 and 21 by the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance.  The Alliance also sponsors Passport to Sonoma Valley on May 15 and 16, 2010.

Hospitality de Los Carneros offers two events each year:  April in Carneros on April 17 and 18 and Holidays in Carneros on November 20 and 21.

The wineries along the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley have their own association, the Silverado Trail Wineries Association, which sponsors an annual Silver Pass Weekend.  The 2010 date has yet to be announced.

This is just a small sample of wine-related events in Northern California.  Monterey wineries sponsor events, as do those in Paso Robles and the Sierra Foothills.  It's tough to keep track of all the fun things to do in wine country.  The best resource I have found is Local Wine Events.  Visit the website for listings of wine events throughout the country.  You can also subscribe to the free, weekly newsletter of events in the regions of your choice.

If you would like to have a private tour of wine country during one of these events, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Winetasting on Spring Mountain

Last month, I wrote about Charbay's Still on the Hill, an interesting winery on Spring Mountain. Since the wineries on Spring Mountain are about 15 minutes outside of St. Helena, you might want to make Spring Mountain your sole destination for your day of winetasting.

In addition to Charbay, give Terra Valentine a try. Here you can do a sit-down tasting that pairs current releases of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and/or Viognier with artisan cheeses. You'll also get to see the winery's production facilities as well as the building's unique architecture, and learn about its unusual history. Plan on spending between 75 and 90 minutes at the winery. The experience costs $30/person, which is waived when you buy some wine.

Also nearby is Schweiger Vineyards, a small, family-run producer of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux-style blend, and Port. On a clear day, which I didn't have on my visit, you'll have a great view of the Valley. You can do an hour-long tour and tasting for $10/person. Since there's no food on Spring Mountain, bring some with you and have a picnic at Schweiger.

Robert Keenan Winery is also a small producer near the top of the hill. The friendly tasting room staff will walk you through their Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Merlot, and/or Cabernet Sauvignon. The last three are the winery's main focus. The current facility sits on the site of the Conradi Winery, which made wine from the late 19th century until the onset of Prohibition.  Robert Keenan is also a good spot for a picnic. There's no charge for tasting.

Lastly, lower down the hill is Spring Mountain Vineyard, a historic property that was featured in the old television show, "Falcon Crest." The winery offers three different tasting options. While I have yet to visit the winery, I am including it in this post on the recommendation of others and because of the property's rich history.

All of these wineries require an appointment to visit. To see a full listing of wineries on Spring Mountain, visit www.springmountaindistrict.com. If you would like to take a private tour of Spring Mountain, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Winetasting on New Year's Day

If you wake up on New Year's Day still wanting some wine, you can visit wine country to do a little tasting.  Most wineries are closed on New Year's Day but enough are open that you can still do a day of tasting.  Before heading up you might want to contact a few of your favorites to see if they are open.  Otherwise, just head down Route 29 or the Silverado Trail in Napa or Route 12 in the Sonoma Valley and see what's open.  I know that Nicholson Ranch in Sonoma Valley, Domaine Carneros in the Napa side of Carneros, and Elizabeth Spencer, V. Sattui, and Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley are open.  However, I'm sure there are more.

You won't be able to take a wine country tour on New Year's Day with Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel as we are closed for the day.  However, we are open for tours on January 2.  For more information or to book a tour, please phone (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail Rick@BlueHeronTours.com. 

The Still on the Hill

If you are visiting the Napa Valley and want a different winetasting experience, visit Charbay on Spring Mountain. Charbay is best known for its distilled spirits but also makes wine. When you visit, you'll learn about the distilling process; however, California law prohibits Charbay from letting you taste spirits. You will be able to taste their wine, some of which are unlike any other wines you will find in the Valley. When I visited yesterday, I tasted their Green Tea and Pomegranate Aperitifs, both of which were delicious. I also tasted Charbay's Pomegranate Dessert Wine. When I tasted this wine by itself, I found it a bit cloying. However, once ice was added, it was delicious. I also tried it mixed with egg nog, which was like drinking cheesecake.

Charbay is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For a $20 fee, you'll get an education taste a sample of still wines, ports, dessert wines, and aperitifs. The drive from St. Helena to Charbay up Spring Mt. road is curvy. Allow yourself 15 minutes to get to the winery. Better yet, take a private Napa Valley tour with Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel and we can make Charbay one of our stops. For more information, phone (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Kosher Wineries in the Napa Valley

Recently I took some folks on tour who wanted to visit kosher wineries in the Napa Valley. It turns out that there are just two: Hagafen Cellars and Covenant Wines. The two offer contrasting winetasting experiences and have different winemaking philosophies.

Hagafen has a tasting room on the Silverado Trail that is open to the public for drop-in tasting. With an advance appointment, you can take a nice tour of the winery at 11:00 a.m. You'll learn about the winemaking process as well as some of the unique challenges in making kosher wine. Hagafen produces an array of white and red wines and even a little bubbly, many of which you can taste during your visit.

Covenant is a very small producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, and tastings are by appointment only. Since the wine is made in the facilities of a larger winery, your tasting is likely to occur in winemaker Jeff Morgan's home. Jeff and/or his wife, Jodie, will spend about an hour with you teaching you how to get the most out of winetasting and walking you through Covenant's current releases of Covenant and Red C. Jeff may also surprise you with one or two other wines. Even if you are not seeking kosher wine, you'll enjoy your time with Jeff and Jodie.

Hagafen is a much larger producer than Covenant and some of its wine is served in restaurants and at public functions, e.g. at the White House. One of the things that makes wine Kosher is that it is not handled by people who do not observe the Jewish Sabbath when the juice or wine is transferred from one container to another. Therefore, if a non-observant person were to pour kosher wine into your glass at a restaurant or function, the wine would immediately become non-kosher. An exception to this requirement is that boiled wine can be handled by persons who do not observe the Sabbath. Therefore, Hagafen puts its wine through a flash pasteurization process so the wine can be poured by those who are non-observant and the wine will remain kosher.

Covenant is much smaller and sells most of its wine directly to consumers. Therefore, it follows all of the kosher rules but does not boil (flash pasteurize) its wine. This is because most of Covenant's wine is served by the people who purchase the wine to themselves, friends, and family. Therefore, if the purchaser observes the Sabbath, the wine will remain kosher when he/she pours it into the glass.

One side note, I am far from an expert on kosher laws. Therefore, please accept my apologies if my descriptions in the previous two paragraphs are not 100% accurate.

If you would like to take a private Napa Valley tour that includes visits to Hagafen Cellars and/or Covenant Wines, please feel free to contact Blue Heron Custom Tours at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Best Napa Valley Restaurants - 2009/2010

The new "Zagat 2010 Bay Area Restaurants" and "The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Restaurants 2010" were recently released. Here's an update on the critics' favorite restaurants in the Napa Valley.

The only restaurant Michelin awarded three stars was The French Laundry in Yountville. Michelin awarded two stars to four Bay Area restaurants with The Restaurant at Meadowood being the only Napa recipient. Thirty-four restaurants received one star. The Napa recipients are Etoile at Domaine Chandon, Bouchon, and Redd in Yountville; La Toque and Ubuntu in Napa city, Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, Terra in St. Helena and Solbar in the Solage resort in Calistoga.

Only 2 of the 25 most popular Bay Area restaurants according to Zagat are in the Napa Valley: The French Laundry and Bouchon. Other Napa Valley restaurants on the list are Auberge du Soleil, Bistro Jeanty (Yountville), Ad Hoc (Yountville), Mustard's Grill(Yountville), Redd (Yountville), and Hog Island Oyster (Napa city).

The top rated restaurants for food in the Napa Valley according to Zagat are The French Laundry (29 points), Terra (27), Redd (27), Etoile (26), and La Toque (26)

"The San Francisco Chronicle's" top rating is four stars, which were awarded to one Napa Valley restaurant: The French Laundry. The following Napa Valley restaurants received 3.5 stars: Bistro Don Giovanni (Napa city), Redd, The Restaurant at Meadowood, and Terra. Twelve restaurants are the recipients of three stars.

My favorite lunch spot in the Napa Valley remains Auberge du Soleil. The combination of food, service, and view can't be beat. I've taken many happy guests to this restaurant. If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a meal at one of these great restaurants, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Wine Clubs

When visiting wineries, many of my guests are invited to join the winery's wine club. Few tasters have heard of such clubs prior to their first time winetasting. Most winery's have wine clubs as they provide the winery with a steady source of customers. Small wineries, in particular, are dependent on successful wine clubs in order to stay in business.

The clubs vary slightly but usually do not require a fee to join. Most clubs send their members one case (12 bottles) of wine per year. Some wineries ship two bottles six times per year, others three bottles four times per year, still others four bottle three times a year, and many send six bottles twice a year. Some clubs let you pick the wines you want; others send you a mix of wines selected by the winery. Most wineries include wines in their club shipments that are not available to the general public. Most clubs give you a discount on the wine. The savings on the wine may cover the cost of shipping. If you join the club, most wineries will give you an immediate discount on purchases while you are visiting the winery and will waive your tasting fees. In return you agree to receive a minimum of one or two shipments. After receiving the minimum, you can usually cancel at any time. Most clubs offer discounts on all wine purchases. Many wine clubs have special parties and events for members.

I am a member of three wine clubs and think they are good deal in certain circumstances. The first issue to consider is whether you like the winemaker's style and the variety of wines produced by the winery. If the winery produces six different types of wine and you only like the Cab, the wine club is probably not for you.

Another issue is whether your drinking will keep up with the wine you receive. Be careful about joining too many clubs. If you end up with too much wine that cannot be stored properly, you could end up with a lot of spoiled wine.

Be sure you have your wine sent to an address where someone 21 or over will be physically present to sign for the wine. FedEx and UPS will not just leave the wine on your porch or give you a note to sign. The shippers are required to hand the wine to someone who is of legal age. The best bet is to ship the wine to your business, provided you trust your receptionist not to drink the wine.

I think receiving six bottles twice a year is far better than receiving two bottles six time per year. The fewer shipments, the more you save on shipping. Also, make sure the club does not ship during your hot weather months. You don't want your wine cooking in the shipper's truck as it travels through Arizona in the summer. Most wineries do not ship to club members in the summer but a few do. If you are scheduled to receive a shipment when it's still hot, ask the winery to hold the wine until cooler weather arrives. Most are glad to do so.

A few wineries push their clubs pretty hard. Most use a soft sell. Some don't mention their club unless asked. When you visit a winery, you are under no obligation to join the club or to buy any wine. Only join the club if you will enjoy getting the regular shipments of wine. If you do join the club, have fun. It's fun to get good wine that you won't find in your local wine shop.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

2009 Harvest is Underway

We're now approaching the end of the 2nd week of harvesting in Sonoma and Napa Counties. The first winery to harvest appears to have been Gloria Ferrer, which picked some grapes in the Sonoma Valley on August 10.

The principal grapes being picked now are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for sparkling wine, a little Pinot Noir for still wine, and Sauvignon Blanc. Harvest seems to be running about a week behind last year. While weather is unpredictable, harvest is likely to run through the end of October. Usually Cabernet is the last grape to be picked.

Harvest is a fun time to visit wine country as good smells abound, sweet grapes can be sampled, and the wineries are abuzz with activity. As a result, September and October see many tourists in wine country especially on Saturdays -- the busiest day of the week. If you must winetaste on a Saturday, visit wineries that require advance appointments as they tend to be less crowded.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour and avoid some of the crowds, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

More Than Wine In Napa's Wine Country

The August edition of Blue Heron's quarterly newsletter, "Rick's Tips," covers fun things to do in the Napa Valley in addition to tasting wine. You can see the newsletter by clicking here. If you'd like to subscribe to "Rick's Tips," just send an e-mail to Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

If you'd like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes some of the sights discussed in "Rick's Tips," contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or by clicking here.

Zinfandel in the Napa Valley

Sonoma County, Lodi, and the Sierra Foothills are better known for Zinfandel (red, not pink) than is the Napa Valley. Some wineries do offer Zinfandel in the tasting rooms, e.g. Grgich Hills and Rombauer. However, few wineries in Napa specialize in Zinfandel.

An exception is Robert Biale Vineyards. The family moved to Napa in the 1930s and planted Zinfandel grapes. For many years the family was content to sell its grapes but, in 1991, decided to make its first Zinfandel. Four hundred cases were made from the Biale's 60-year-old Zinfandel vines. Today, Biale makes Zinfandel from grapes it grows as well as from grapes purchased from small growers. In addition, the winery makes tasty Petite Sirah, Barbera, Sangiovese, and Syrah.

When you walk into the tasting room, you'll be greeted by a friendly member of the staff who will walk you through a tasting of the available wines. Biale often sells out of its wines so, in the winter months, the number of wines available for tasting may be limited. Tasting is by appointment at Biale. If you're visiting during the middle of the week or during the off season, you should be able to call in the morning for an appointment later in the day. If you're planning on visiting on a weekend during the summer or fall, try to call a few days in advance for an appointment.

If you would like to take a private Napa Valley tour or a private tour that focuses on Zinfandel, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Too Much Wine to Taste in Carneros

The Mondavi family is no longer involved in the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville. However, Robert's son, Michael, is still in the wine business through his company, Folio Wine Partners. The company imports a number of wines and produces wine at its Folio Winemakers Studio in the Napa portion of Carneros

Folio also lets other winemakers use the Studio's facilities to produce their own wines. As a result, the list of wines available for tasting is quite extensive. At Folio you can taste Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and other wines.

When you arrive you'll be greeted by the friendly staff and given two lists of wines available for tasting. Decide which tasting you'd like to do, check off the wines you want to taste, and the staff will begin to walk you through your tasting. Take your wine to the deck overlooking the vineyard and you may never leave.

Folio is open daily from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. If you would like to take a private wine country tour that includes a visit to Folio, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Northern California: An Explorer's Guide

This new guidebook, written by San Francisco resident, Michele Bigley, was just released on June 1. It's a great resource for travel in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and all of Northern California - from Big Sur to the Oregon border.

Here's what Michele had to say about Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel, "A wealth of knowledge, Rick takes folks on customized tours of the Bay Area, Wine Country, Central Coast, Mendocino, and even the Sierra Foothills. You tell him what you want and he'll create the ideal trip. He knows more about wine and food than most."

Many thanks to Michelle for the nice review. If you're planning a trip to San Francisco, you can pick up "Northern California: An Explorer's Guide" at most good bookstores.

If you'd like to take a tour with a guide who "knows more about wine and food than most," please phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Enter the Zip Code for Nome, Alaska

This is the greeting you get when you call Frog's Leap Winery and get their answering service. It's just one example of Frog's Leap's efforts to not take itself too seriously.

Frog's Leap produces an array of excellent reds and whites, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes the winery a great place to visit when you have some folks in your group who prefer whites and others who prefer reds.

Visiting Frog's Leap is a very casual experience, no over-the-top Napa Valley ego here. You'll get a hint of Frog's Leap's style when you see the sign on the driveway that points to the left for "Work" and to the right for "Play." You'll want to head to right and enter what looks like an old farmhouse. The building is actually just a few years old and is built with many recyclable materials. If it's cold outside, you'll want to sit in the main "living room" by the fireplace. If it's warm and sunny, the deck is a nice place to relax for a few minutes.

The tour and tasting at Frog's Leap lasts about 90 minutes and includes a walk through the gardens and winery. You'll sample some of Frog's Leap's current releases along the way and learn about the winery's history and philosophy. There is no charge for the tour and tasting but a prior appointment is required. During the busy summer and fall months, tours can fill up so try to make an appointment well in advance. The winery is open Monday through Saturday.

If you would like to take a private Napa Valley tour that includes a visit to Frog's Leap Winery, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4137 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Bubbly in the Napa Valley

While the Napa Valley is best known for Cabernet, some world-class sparkling wine is produced there. Three of the French Champagne producers have long had outposts in Napa. The first was Domaine Chandon, part of the Moet Chandon empire. This was followed by Mumm Napa, a sister winery to GH Mumm and Perrier Jouet in Champagne and part of the Pernod Ricard group, and Domaine Carneros, which was founded by Champagne Taittinger in 1987.

Of the three, my favorite to visit is Domaine Carneros in the Carneros Region of Napa County. Table service is provided on the terrace in front of the Chateau, a wonderful spot to enjoy bubbly on a sunny day. You can also pair cheese, caviar, and other foods with your wine.

Mumm Napa also offers table service on a sunny terrace overlooking the vineyards. They also have a photography gallery with rotating exhibits and photos by Ansel Adams. Mumm does not offer food pairings, but does have a free tour of the winery. Domaine Chandon tends to get crowded. While you can enjoy your wine at a table, you need to take your glass back to the bar when you are ready to move on to the next wine.

Two wineries best known for Cabernet also offer bubbly. Frank Family in St. Helena is one of the last wineries in Napa not to charge a tasting fee. However, that does not mean the wine is not good. Your visit to Frank Family will start with a tasting of their current release sparkling wines, followed by a tasting of their still wines. Frank Family has one of the friendliest tasting rooms in the Valley. Try to avoid Saturdays as they do get crowded. When Cliff Lede bought S. Anderson to open his eponymous winery, he inherited about 10 years' supply of S. Anderson's bubbly. If you visit Cliff Lede within the next year or two, they should still have some S. Anderson sparkling wine available for tasting.

Schramsberg is one of the premier producers of California sparkling wine. The winery is at the far northern end of the Napa Valley, near Calistoga. Your tasting comes with a tour of the winery that includes a visit to caves built by Chinese laborers in the 19th century. Schramsberg is very popular and tastings, which require advance appointments, tend to fill up early on summer weekends. So plan ahead if you want to see this historic property.

If you'd like to take a private Napa tour that focuses on sparkling wine, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Dining at a Winery

Most visitors to wine country are surprised to learn that it is nearly impossible to dine at a winery. To protect the agricultural nature of Sonoma and Napa Counties, the areas outside of the towns and cities are zoned agricultural. As a result, restaurants are prohibited in the agricultural parts of the counties.

Some wineries do wine and cheese pairings. V.Sattui, in the Napa Valley, has a delicatessen where you can pick up food to take to the winery's picnic area. However, in Napa County, only one winery has a full restaurant.

Domaine Chandon has had a restaurant since its visitor center opened in 1977. Its restaurant was allowed to continue when the zoning restrictions where enacted. Etoile serves upscale California/French cuisine in a refined dining room. On a nice day, enjoy the garden view while lunching on their terrace. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from Thursday - Monday, except in November in December when it is open from Thursday - Sunday and in January when the restaurant is closed.

Only two wineries have restaurant permits in Sonoma County. Francis Ford Coppola bought the old Chateau Souverain winery a few years ago. Along with the winery came a restaurant permit. The winery is now Rosso and Bianco, where Coppola produces his mid-priced wines. When Coppola took over ownership, he started serving very good Italian food in the winery's restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant, still unnamed, is closed for remodeling. Hopefully, when the restaurant reopens, the food still will be good and diners will once again be able to enjoy a meal on the terrace overlooking the vineyards.

In the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, the old Topolos winery had a restaurant. The winery, along with the restaurant, closed a few years ago. The property was sold and is now called Russian River Vineyards. The tasting room is open, but the restaurant has not yet reopened.

Many wineries have permits for private events. If you are coming to wine country with a large group, you can arrange a private meal at many wineries, some of which have spectacular settings.

If you want recommendations for wineries to host your private meal or wish to take a private tour of wine country, please feel free to call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Winetasting During the Holidays

Many tasting rooms operate on different schedules during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's. If you are planning on doing some winetasting in Northern California during the holidays, you might want to call your favorite wineries in advance to make sure their tasting rooms will be open. If that's too much work, here's some general guidance.

Most wineries will open and close at their regular times each day from December 21 through January 3, except on December 24, 25, and 31 and on January 1. A few of the small wineries will close for a few days during this period.

Most wineries will close early on Christmas Eve and a few will be closed entirely. After 2:00 p.m., there are very few tasting rooms open on December 24. Wineries also may decide to close earlier than planned if business is slow.

All tasting rooms are closed on Christmas Day.

Most wineries will close early on New Year's Eve; although some will stay open until their regular closing times. After 2:00 p.m., definitely call prior to visiting a tasting room to see if it is open.

Only a handful of wineries are open on New Year's Day. I know that Nicholson Ranch near Carneros and V. Sattui in Napa are open, but I am sure there are a few more. Phone ahead of your visit to confirm if the tasting room will be open.

If you would like to take a private wine country during the holidays or in 2009, please feel free to phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here. Blue Heron will be closed on both Christmas and New Year's Day.

Wineries with Caves

I frequently get asked to visit wineries that have caves. Most wineries do not have caves as they do not have access to hills in which to drill caves. When wineries do have hills, they often chose to excavate caves so they can store their wine in perfect climatic conditions with minimal expense for power. Fifty-eight degrees is the perfect temperature for storing wine. With a cave, the winery does not need to spend money on heating and air conditioning. In addition, wine should be aged in a humid environment to minimize evaporation. Caves, being naturally humid, save on power for humidification.

Below is a partial list of wineries with caves that can be visited:

Napa Valley

Del Dotto - Compare barrel samples while visiting their cave.
Hall-Rutherford - Taste wine under a chandelier in the shape of a vine's roots.
Jarvis - See beautiful crystals and a restroom with twinkling stars.
Palmaz - Enter a 180 foot tall cave while being guided by a family member.
Rombauer - Tour the cave and enjoy a picnic lunch on their beautiful grounds.
Rutherford Hill - Take a public tour that includes a visit to the winery's cave.
Schramsberg - Visit caves dug by Chinese laborers in the 19th century.

Sonoma Valley

Moon Mountain - Visit one of the few natural caves used for aging wine.
Nicholson Ranch - Walk through their no-frills cave on a private tour.

Dry Creek Valley

Bella - Enjoy beautiful views from the hillside and then taste in the cave.

This list is by no means complete. It includes caves I've personally visited or have been recommended to me. If you would like to take a private wine country tour that includes a tour of one of these winery's caves, please call me at (866) 326-42377 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Wine Country with Kids

Touring wine country is not much fun for children. After all, watching one's parents drink is not a great spectator sport. A great compromise is to devote part of the day to a child-friendly activity and the balance to visiting wine country.

Blue Heron has long offered a tour called Red Trees and Red Wine, which combines a visit to Muir Woods with a tour of the town of Sonoma and the Carneros wine region. During this full-day tour, we start with a visit to Muir Woods, home to the coastal redwoods - the tallest trees in the world. Afterward, we head up to the Carneros wine region for an afternoon of winetasting. The charming town of Sonoma, with its Mexican-era plaza and old mission, is a great place to stop for lunch. A visit to Mission San Francisco de Solano, the last of the 21 missions built in California, can be included.

Another fun day for families is to start with a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory to learn how these delicious candies are made. Then its off to Carneros or the southern Napa Valley for lunch and an afternoon of winetasting. This tour allows every family member to come home with treats they will enjoy.

If you would like to take one of these tours, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Pretty Tasting Room in Rutherford

Last December, I wrote about olive oil tasting at Round Pond's olive mill in Rutherford. This past weekend I had the chance to visit Round Pond's winery, which is located across Rutherford Cross Road from the olive mill.

The tasting room sits on the second floor of the winery; thus, enabling you to gaze out over the vineyards while sampling Round Pond's wine. You can enjoy a sit-down tasting either inside the tasting room or outside on the lovely terrace. For $25/person you will taste four wines paired with small appetizers. Staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about the winery and the Napa Valley. Tastings are offered daily between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and are by appointment only.

If you would like to learn a little more about how wine is made, you can combine a tasting with a tour of the winery, which is offered at 11:00, 1:00 and 3:00 by prior appointment. The tour and tasting costs $35/person.

Round Pond produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, which were available for tasting when I visited, plus small amounts of Petite Verdot and Nebbiolo.

To make an appointment at Round Pond, please call (888) 302-2575 or visit Round Pond's website: www.RoundPond.com. Better yet, let Blue Heron Custom Tours take you on a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a visit to Round Pond. For more information or to book a tour, please phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Go Fish Update

A year ago I wrote about a then new seafood restaurant in the Napa Valley - Go Fish. At that time I found the food to be very good and the service to be problematic. Servers were friendly and courteous, but seemed to disappear for extended periods. Plus each step of the dining process took way too long.

Over the past year, I have lunched at the restaurant about a half a dozen times and can now report that the service problems have been fixed. The past three times, we were quickly greeted by our friendly servers and our meals came without extended delays.

The menu has been tweaked a bit over the past 12 months, but it still features an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi as well as a good number of western cooked meals.

Now I can unequivocally recommend Go Fish as a place to dine on your next visit to the Napa Valley. If you would like to take a private tour of Napa that includes lunch at Go Fish, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Corks or Screwcaps - Part II

In July 2006, I wrote about the ongoing debate over the best closure for bottles of wine. Today most Australian, New Zealand, and Austrian white wines are sealed with screwcaps. In California, corks still predominate but screwcaps are gaining wider acceptance daily.

I just finished reading one of the more comprehensive discussions of this issue: "To Cork or Not to Cork; Tradition, Romance, Science, and the Battle for the Wine Bottle" by George M. Taber. This book is an easy read by the former reporter for "Time" magazine and author of "The Judgment of Paris," another good read.

Taber covers the debate from all angles and delves into the history of wine closures. To the average wine drinker this may sound a bit too geeky; however, I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading about wine and is trying to better understand what all this fuss is about.

Stunning Napa Winery

A couple of months ago a tour guide friend told me he had been to the most beautiful winery he'd ever seen: Palmaz Vineyards. Since he has been leading wine country tours for more years than me, I figured I better seen this winery. Last week I had the chance.

Palmaz sits on a hillside overlooking the southern end of the Silverado Trail, just outside of the city of Napa. The winery is built into the side of Mount George in a five-level cave that is equivalent to the height of an 18-story building. The five levels enable the grapes and wine to move by gravity; thus, making pumps unnecessary. This gentle handling of the wine improves its quality says Palmaz, and other winemakers.

The fermentation dome is the world's largest underground reinforced structure at 54 feet high and 71 feet in diameter. The fermentation tanks sit on a carousel that enables the tanks to rotate into place to catch the grapes as they drop from the crusher-destemmer. Each fermentation tank is connected to a central computer so temperatures can be monitored constantly. These high-tech features are unlike any I had ever seen.

If you visit Palmaz, you will get to tour the winery and taste their current release wines paired with cheese or hors d'oeuvres. Palmaz produces two Cabernet Sauvignons, a dry Riesling, Chardonnay, and a sweet Muscat Canellli. The entire experience lasts about 90 minutes and costs $60/person.

While, Palmaz may not be the most beautiful winery I've ever seen, it certainly is one of the most stunning and certainly the highest tech winery I've visited. If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a visit to Palmaz, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Come for the Architecture, Stay for the Wine

Carl Doumani, founder of Stags' Leap Winery, decided he wanted to own a smaller winery. So in 1996 he founded Quixote Winery after selling Stags' Leap. Like Stags' Leap, Quixote is best known for its Petite Sirah.

However, what brings many visitors to Quixote is not the wine but the unique architecture. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a Viennese painter and sometimes architect, designed Quixote's building. Like all of his works, Hundertwasser included no straight lines in the building's design planted grass on the roof, capped the building with a turret, and utilized an array of colors.

You can learn much more about Fred Hundertwasser and his work by visiting Quixote. The 90-minute tour and tasting includes a presentation on the architecture as well as a tasting of Quixote's current releases. The tour does not include a visit to the production facilities as they are small and of less interest than the exterior architecture.

As for the wine, Quixote produces about 3,000 cases of Petite Sirah, Cabernet, and other varietals. Petite Sirah is not the same as Syrah (or Shiraz as the Aussies call Syrah). Rather, it is a cross between Syrah and Peloursin that was first propagated in the 1880s in the Rhone Valley of France by Francois Durif. In France and other parts of the world, the grape is known as Durif; however, it is seldom vinified in France.

Petite Sirah is a big, often highly tannic wine. Sometimes Petite Sirah is blended with other varietals to add more color and body tot he wine. The only thing petite about petite sirah is the size of the grape.

As you can probably tell, Doumani likes to do things differently. One other difference in his wines is that all the bottles are sealed with screw caps. This isn't the place to debate the merits of cork and twist-off closures, but Doumani believes that screw caps provide the best protection for his wines.

An advance appointment is required to visit Quixote. A tour and tasting costs $25/person. If you would like to include Quixote on a private Napa Valley tour, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) to arrange a visit. You may also e-mail me by clicking here.

Olive Oil Tasting in Rutherford

Not only does the Napa Valley produce excellent wine, but it is also home to high-quality, artisan olive oil. If you want to learn how olive oil is made and taste some excellent oil, I recommend a visit to Round Pond on Rutherford Road. The winery is on the south side of the road, while the olive mill is just north of the road.

Round Pond uses a stone mill and hammer mill to produce fresh olive oil from Italian and Spanish olive trees. When I visited last week olives were being milled, so I got to see some of the processing involved in the making of olive oil.

In addition to a tour of the production facility, a visit includes a tasting of Round Pond's oils and vinegar paired with various foods. The entire experience lasts about 90 minutes.

Tours and tastings are generally offered at 10:30, 12:30, and 3:00 and cost $20/person. Round Pond also offers an Al Fresco Lunch at 12:30 that costs $45/person. Advance appointments are required. Olives are usually harvested between October and January, so this is the best time to visit if you want to see some oil being made.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a visit to Round Pond, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Cozy Tasting Room in St. Helena

I'd driven past Corison Winery in St. Helena many times and never given it much thought. That was a mistake!

Earlier this year, I read a glowing article about winemaker and owner Cathy Corison that piqued my interest. Yesterday, I had a chance to stop by. Corison is not the typical Napa ode to ego. The tasting room is in the front of the winery and consists of an old door laid across a couple of barrels. The tasting fee is a modest $10, which is credited to your wine purchase. But the wine is something else.

Corison produces two Cabernet Sauvignons, which are among Napa's best according to my Cab-loving friends. These are the wines that bring people into the winery. When you visit, you'll get to taste the current releases of both Cabernets and will have the opportunity to purchase older Cabs from Corison's library. I'm not a Cab guy, but I enjoyed Corison's Gewürztraminer and Petite Sirah.

If you want to taste good wine without a lot of fuss and without fighting the crowds, then Corison is for you. Tasting is by appointment, but you can call on the day of your visit to schedule a time to come in. Corison can be reached at (707) 963-0826. The winery and tasting room are located at 987 St. Helena Hwy, at the southern end of St. Helena.

If you would like to take a private Napa tour that includes visits to Corison and other small wineries, please feel free to call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Taking a Winery Tour

If you have never taken a tour of a winery, I recommend doing so when you visit wine country. Most of the tours focus on the winemaking process; although, a few focus on other areas such as biodynamic farming and the history of the winery. Once you have done one tour, you are probably set for life unless you are really into making wine. After all, one can only see so many stainless steel fermentation tanks and oak barrels.

Many wineries do not offer tours. Still more offer tours only by appointment. If you arrive in the Napa or Sonoma Valleys or Carneros without having scheduled a tour, here are a few options for you:

Sonoma Valley:

Benziger offers one of the more unique wine country tours. You can visit their biodynamic vineyards in a tractor-pulled tram and then walk through their production facilities. The schedule varies, but tours are usually offered hourly if not more frequently. The tour lasts about one hour and includes tasting some of their wines.

Sebastiani's Historical Tour covers the history of Sebastiani as well as the winemaking process. Tours are usually offered at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00; however, they may be cancelled due to special events so call before you arrive to make sure the tour is being offered. The tour lasts 40 minutes.

Carneros:

Artesa provides free tours of their production facilities at 11:00 and 2:00. There is no charge for the 45 minute tour.

Napa Valley:

Mondavi offers hourly tours that include tastes of some of their current releases. The tour is advertised as 75 minutes in length but frequently takes longer. During the summer and fall, more frequent tours may be offered. Children are allowed only on the noon tour.

Rutherford Hill's tours include a visit to their caves and tastings of some of their current releases. Tours are offered at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30. During the busy summer and fall seasons, arrive early to make sure you get a ticket.

Mumm Napa has free hourly tours of their production facilities and photography gallery. You can just show up at the winery a few minutes before the start of the tour.

Beringer offers an array of tours. Some tours require advance reservations. For other tours, you just buy a ticket when you arrive at the winery. Most focus on some aspect of the history of Beringer, the oldest continuously operated winery in the Napa Valley.

Other wineries offer quality tours. If you have taken one, post a comment. If you would like to take a private wine country tour that includes a winery tour, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Friendly Tasting Room in Yountville

I have long been taking guests who like big reds to Regusci Winery on the Silverado Trail. Their Zin and Cabernet-based wines will make you happy if you like big, California-style wines.

Recently guests asked me to visit a tasting room in Yountville for Hope and Grace Wines. I had not heard of this winery, nor was it on any of my maps. We soon learned that the tasting room is located in Beard Plaza, next to Bouchon Restaurant, at 6540 Washington Street in Yountville.

Hope and Grace is the label of Hendricks Wines, whose owner, Charles Hendricks, is winemaker at Regusci. On our visit, my guests tasted two Pinot Noirs (Russian River and Santa Lucia Highlands), Malbec, Cabernet, and Chardonnay. Tiffani, the friendly tasting room manager, told us about Hope and Grace and walked us through the wines. Charles happened to drop in during our visit, so my guests learned more about the winery from him.

If you are in Yountville, stop by the friendly Hope and Grace tasting room. You'll taste some good wines and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. Maybe you'll even buy some of the antiques that are for sale. Just don't ask for a winery tour. Hope and Grace produces their wines at facilities leased from other wineries. They do not have a winery of their own.

If you would like to take a private Napa tour that includes a visit to Hope and Grace and lunch at one of Yountville's many great restaurants, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

The Tasting Room Experience

Just because a winery produces good wine does not mean you will have a good time in their tasting room. Schug Carneros Estate Winery has been producing excellent Pinot Noir and other wines since 1980. However, I seldom take guests into the tasting room because of the attitude of one of their regular staffers. He never engages visitors and can be quite off putting.

Yesterday, I was showing Pinot lovers around Carneros and decided to take a chance and visit Schug. What a difference! The three staff were friendly and the one serving my guests was very funny and attentive. This quality customer service coupled with the good wine made for an enjoyable experience for my guests.

I learned that the staff member lacking customer service skills does not work on Sundays and Mondays, so I'll put Schug back on my list of wineries to visit but just on the two days he's not there.

This one person I am criticizing is not the only tasting room staff member who does not have adequate customer service skills. I was recently at Chateau Montelena where a friendly staffer took good care of my guests. However, her colleague left a lot to be desired. I was the only visitor in the tasting room when others walked in the front door. The sole staff member in the room was doing some paperwork and never looked up to great the people after they walked in. If I was in their group, I would have walked out the door after standing around for a few minutes with no one even saying, "Hello," to them.

Wineries need to remember that many visitors have never been to a tasting room. They may be a little intimidated or not know how tastings are conducted. A warm greeting will go a long way to making their visit a pleasant one.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour where you will meet friendly tasting room staff, please call me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here.

The Napa Valley's Big Four - Part IV, V. Sattui Winery

Of the four wineries I've included in my posts on Napa Valley's Big Four, V. Sattui Winery is the one winery whose appeal mystifies me.

The main lure for visitors appears to be that Sattui is the only winery in the Napa Valley with a full deli counter. Since the winery also has a large number of picnic tables outside, it is easy for visitors to get food for a picnic and then eat outside. However, the convenience, in my view, is more than offset by the large crowds at the winery, particularly on weekends. I fail to understand why folks don't prefer to go to one of the excellent grocery stores in the Valley and then take their food to a quieter and prettier picnic area at one of the many other wineries that permit visitors to picnic. (You can see my recommendations for picnicking in the Napa Valley by reading my two posts in September 2006.)

The tasting room is fairly typical for a big winery -- lots of wines and lots of stuff to buy. The wines are ok, but there is nothing so special about them that makes tasting them worth fighting the crowds.

Sattui is the only one of the Big Four that I cannot recommend visiting. If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a picnic lunch without the crowds, please feel free to call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

The Napa Valley's Big Four - Part III, Sterling Vineyards

Sterling Vineyards is located in one of the most stunning buildings in the entire Napa Valley. Located on a knoll overlooking the Valley, visitors access the winery and tasting room by taking an aerial tram. The tram ride, beautiful views, and the building's unique architecture lure hordes of visitors to Sterling. Families flock to Sterling because the tram ride gives young children something fun to do. This means that on a Saturday during the summer or harvest season visitors may wait 15 - 20 minutes to get on the tram.

Once you arrive at the top of the hill, you can take a self-guided tour of the winery, which includes videos that describe the winemaking process, . While the tour is not as informative as many of the guide-lead tours provided at other wineries, you can go at your pace. This works better for groups with children as they may get bored listening to tour guides.

The tasting room contains an array of gift items for sale. The tasting is conducted while you are seated at a table, which is a nice change from the bars found at most wineries.

A visit to Sterling is more about the tram ride and views, than the winetasting. The winery is often packed, which makes for a less than intimate experience. I only recommend Sterling to families with children and to guests who are not all that interested in wine or who have a special interest in architecture.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes Sterling and other beautiful wineries, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

The Napa Valley's Big Four - Part II, Beringer Vineyards

Beringer Vineyards is one of the most historic, and beautiful, wineries in the Napa Valley. Founded in 1876 by Jacob and Frederick Beringer, the winery is the oldest continuously operated winery in Northern California. The winery even managed to stay open during Prohibition by selling wine to the church. (Making wine was legal during the years of 1920 - 1934 if it was used for medicinal or religious purposes.)

Today the old winery still stands along with the historic Rhine and Hudson Houses. A visit to Beringer is a walk back in time. The winery offers a number of tours that focus on Beringer's legacy. Pick a tour that sounds interesting and you are sure to have an enjoyable 30 - 90 minutes.

The winetasting experience is something else. Beringer has two tasting rooms. Their regular tasting room is located in the old winery and the reserve room is in the Rhine House. Both tasting rooms have many knickknacks and gifts for sale. The regular tasting room offers a variety of tastings, including a flight of sweet wines. However, the tasting room is often crowded and the tastings pro forma. You are unlikely to leave the tasting room with any more wine knowledge than when you went in.

The reserve tasting room in the Rhine House is hit and miss, with the latter more likely. The wines are excellent, but the tasting room staff range from friendly to indifferent. I even had a staff member read a magazine in between pouring wine for my guest. It is a real shame that the staff are unable to show the same enthusiasm for showcasing Beringer's better wines that the winemaking staff demonstrates in making them.

I can only recommend a visit to Beringer if you want to take a tour to learn more about the winery's history. Otherwise avoid the crowds and visit one of the many other wineries in the Valley that provide superior winetating experiences.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour where you will visit wineries with friendly, enthusiastic staff, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

The Napa Valley's Big Four - Part I, Robert Mondavi Winery

While I have never seen any visitor numbers that tell how many tourists stop at the various wineries, my eyes tell me that the most frequented wineries in the Napa Valley are Mondavi, Beringer, Sterling, and V. Sattui. This will be the first of four posts with comments on the tasting experience at each winery.

When Robert Mondavi opened his winery in 1966, it was the first major new winery to open in the Valley since the end of Prohibition in 1934. Mondavi realized that if he was going to ask consumers to pay more for his premium wines he would need to let them taste the difference. So he included a tasting room in the building.

Today Mondavi offers one of the most comprehensive winery tours in the Valley. Advertised at 75 minutes in length, the tours always last 90 minutes and sometimes 2 hours. Guides are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Tours cost $25 per adult and $10 for children. Children age 13 and over are permitted only on the noon tour. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted on any tours.

There are three tasting rooms at Mondavi: a room reserved for wine club members, a public tasting room, and a room for the public to taste reserve wines. The tasting is nothing to write home about in the regular tasting room. However, the reserve tasting is special. Here you can taste many older wines for a reasonable price. If you are a Cabernet fan, you'll especially enjoy the opportunity to taste vertical flights of older wines. The best deal is the flight of four wines for $30. Pours are big enough that two can easily share the tasting. You can enjoy your wine at the large wood table in the tasting room or take your glasses outside to taste in the sunshine. Tasting room staff are well versed in wine, but somewhat reserved. I find that if you start asking questions, they will immediately engage with you. However, they usually do not initiate the conversation.

Robert Mondavi Winery is located on the east side of Highway 29 in Oakville. It is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. You can make advance reservations for tours by calling (888) 766-6328.

If you would like to take a Napa Valley tour that includes a visit to Robert Mondavi Winery, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here. I can arrange for you to tour the winery if you are interested.

Seafood Restaurant in the Napa Valley

Yesterday I finally got a chance to lunch at Go Fish Restaurant in St. Helena. This is chef Cindy Pawlcyn's third restaurant in the Napa Valley. Her first, Mustard's Grill, was among the first quality restaurants in the valley. Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen is a casual restaurant that I wrote about on March 27, 2006.

While the food was good at Go Fish, this is my least favorite of Cindy's three restaurants. We opened with raw oysters, which were delicious. The onion rings were as tasty as those featured at Mustard's Grill. My crabcake sandwich was about as good as it gets on the West Coast. My dining companions enjoyed their fish meals. However, a $21 dish with a lonely piece of swordfish in the middle and no sides is a bit pricey. We didn't taste any of the sushi or sashimi, which looked quite good. However, the prices were higher than I am accustomed to paying in San Francisco.

The service was alright, but we waited a bit to be attended to and it took awhile for my companion's wine to arrive.

While I would not discourage anyone from dining at Go Fish, it will not be among the first restaurants I recommend to Napa Valley visitors.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a nice lunch, please call me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here.

Napa Sparkling Wine

Schramsberg Vineyards is one of the best wineries to visit in the Napa Valley if you enjoy sparkling wine. The winery traces its history back to 1862, when it was founded by Jacob Schram. Robert Louis Stevenson, author of "Treasure Island," "Kidnapped," and "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde," visited Jacob Schram's winery and tasted 18 different wines during the brief time he lived in the Valley in 1880. Over the years, the property had various owners until it was purchased in 1965 by Jamie and Jack Davies. Jack Davies passed away in 1998. Today Jamie Davies is chair and her son, Hugh, is president.

Schramsberg makes a variety of sparkling wines, some of which have been served at the White House. A visit to the winery includes tastes of some of these wines as well as a tour that includes a visit to caves that were dug by Chinese laborers in the 19th century. Tours are generally offered at 10:00, 11:30, 1:00, and 2:30 and last between 75 and 90 minutes and cost $25/person. Schramsberg is a very popular winery to visit and their tours sell out well in advance, especially on weekends and during the harvest season.

If you would like to take a Napa Valley tour that includes a visit to Schramsberg, I would be happy to arrange one for you. Try to provide me with as much advance notice as possible so I can get you a reservation at Schramasberg. You may arrange a private wine country tour by calling me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mailing me by clicking here.

Tasting Sweet Wines

Sometimes I get folks on tours who prefer sweet wines and would like to taste such on their visits. Their preferences range from White Zinfandel to German-style Rieslings and Gewurtztraminers. Tasting sweet wines can be tough in Napa and Sonoma Counties as these wine regions are best known for dry wines.

There are wineries that produce excellent dessert wines such as Van der Heyden, Dolce, Trefethen, and Artesa. Some wineries, including Prager Port Works, Imagery, Frank Family, and Merryvale, produce sweet, fortified wines. However, my guests are usually looking for sweet table wines to sip or to drink with a meal.

To taste such wines, visitors can go to Beringer and Sutter Home. Both wineries have inexpensive, sweet wines to taste including some that are only available in the tasting rooms. These wines are not made with grapes from the Napa Valley and the tasting experiences are nothing to write home about. Beringer, though, is in a beautiful, historic facility. It is the oldest, continually operated winery in the Napa Valley and offers an array of interesting tours that focus on the winery's history.

The Napa and Sonoma Valleys are generally too warm for German varietals such as Riesling and Gewurtztraminer. Trefethen does make a dry Riesling, but this is usually not sweet enough for the folks I am talking about. My favorite place to taste a sweet table wine is St. Supery in Rutherford. While best known of its Sauvignon Blanc, St. Supery makes a quality Muscato that is a well-crafted sweet wine; although, not from Napa grapes. The Muscato is so popular that the winery has a Muscato-only wine club. St. Supery also makes an array of dry wines including Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and both white and red Bordeaux-style blends.

One of the advantages of taking a private, custom wine country tour is that I can help you pick wineries to visit that are likely to have wines you will enjoy. If you would like to make arrangements for a tour in Napa or Sonoma, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

2006 Harvest Report Issued

The California Department of Food and Agriculture released data on last year's grape harvest. As expected, fewer grapes were harvested in 2006 than in the record-breaking year of 2005. Last year, 3.5 million tons of grapes were crushed as compared to 4.3 million tons in 2005. This is generally good news for farmers and wine makers as there remains a glut of wine in the market and aging in wineries' barrels and tanks. There are particularly large supplies of Cabernet and Merlot waiting to be sold.

The 2006 harvest continued to show the impact of the film "Sideways." Merlot production continued to decrease while Pinot Noir increased. Hopefully, the reduced Merlot yield will help alleviate the current surplus. Keep in mind, though, that nearly three times as much Merlot is grown as Pinot Noir. Chardonnay remains the most harvested wine varietal, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, and French Colombard. (If you are not familiar with the last varietal, it is used largely in producing inexpensive white wine.)

Grape prices increased slightly from 2005 levels. Statewide, the average price paid for a ton of red grapes was $634. An average of $503 was paid for a ton of white grapes. However, in the Bay Area's premium wine producing counties of Napa and Sonoma the average price for a ton of wine grapes was $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.

The complete report may be found by clicking here.