Discover Napa and Sonoma Valleys Tour:
Full Itinerary
We begin by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge into beautiful Marin County. Cruising through pastoral countryside, we arrive at Sonoma's historic plaza, where we find the old mission church and the Mexican barracks that protected it.
We arrive at the historic Benziger Family estate, just outside the village of Glen Ellen, for their tour during which you can ask and get answers to all your questions about wine-making. You ride their tram into vineyards on Sonoma Mountain where you'll appreciate how they grow grapes with strict attention to "biodynamics" (the highest rank of "green" viticulture), and learn about the equipment and aging caves, then taste four wines. (For fans of great zinfandel, we can substitute the grapes to barrel-tasting tour at Sonoma's Ravenswood.)
Following a half-hour drive over a winding mountain road into Napa Valley, we stop for lunch either in quaint St. Helena or in Calistoga, the Old West town famous for mud baths. Lunch can be al fresco from a gourmet deli or (with adequate time) at a great restaurant like Wappo or Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen or the Greystone at the Culinary Institute of America's majestic "castle".
With a simpler lunch we have time to drive to the mountaintop Kuleto Estate, with its incomparable vistas on a property you have to see to believe. (Pat Kuleto is the very successful restaurant designer and proprietor who lives like a Tuscan prince.) Current admission for tour and tasting is $35 per-person. Guests often spend a couple of hours on this extraordinary property, so you end up with less time to visit other wineries.
The number of wineries we visit depends on the pace you choose and their proximity. We can glide along the scenic Silverado Trail to visit a small family-owned winery like Sullivan or Prager Port, or a more famous medium-sized winery like Robert Sinskey, Rombauer, Plumpjack, Artesa...or a winery you've always wanted to know more about: all have comfortable tasting rooms and outstanding wines.
At the end of the afternoon, if you're not overly relaxed, we make one last stop at Domaine Carneros, to taste award-winning champagnes or pinot noirs while enjoying one final panoramic view of the south end of Napa Valley. Or you may prefer Domaine Chandon or Gloria Ferrer.
Returning through the East Bay, we cross the remarkable Bay Bridge into San Francisco's dramatic skyline…in time for a nap or dinner and a show.
 
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