NAPA AND SONOMA
Napa and Sonoma are famous for all their wineries. It is also a very scenic, spacious, and beautiful places to visit. Of course, we went there for the wineries!
Before seeing the sights in Napa or Sonoma County, visit the Napa Valley Welcome Center and Sonoma Valley Visitor’s Bureau. Better yet, call weeks before your visit and ask for information and tips. The guides at both were very friendly and had a wealth of information about the area and the wineries. Armed with their information, we visited some wonderful wineries.
You can tour wineries by yourself or be part of a tour group. We used a tour guide one day and visited on our own the next. Each have their own perks.
Napa Wine Tour
If you go in a group tour you will get to meet a lot of new people, and you can drink and not worry about driving. (Glasses up!) The Napa wine tour we went on also supplied a lunch, which was a must for us. The tour guide was definitely worth it and filled with information on the wineries and the towns that we never would have gotten. We also realized how far apart some of these wineries are from each other. Plus, the tour was just plain entertaining and a little louder with laughter as the tour progressed. Hhhhmmmmmmm 
. With the group tours you may get special winery tours that you would not get if you go by yourself. On our group tour we learned how winemakers use a refractometer to measure the sugar content in the grape, which helps them determine when to pick the grapes. And yes, at one winery we got to use one! We also learned how vineyards will harvest their crops immediately once they determine that the grapes have reached the optimal level. On the negative side you don’t get to choose all the wineries that you may want to go to. The tour guide takes the majority preferences (which you submit before) and caters to those tastes. If you can go with the flow and try new things, it will be totally worth it. If you want to go on Wine Tour Bus plan ahead and make reservations!
Napa Wine Tastings On Your Own
Going by yourself you will be driving a lot. Bring your GPS or smartphone for directions. Also, check ahead of time for those wineries that require reservations, especially for the cave tours. When making reservations remember to take into account how long it will take you to go from one winery to the next, and how long you plan on staying at a winery. Stock your car with snacks/lunch and water. You are on your own so be creative and try things and places you normally wouldn’t have. Use the facilities when you get the chance-even if you don’t really need to. Remember you are there drinking, and the distance to the next winery may be farther than your bladder can hold!
Napa Wine Caves
On our own, we booked a couple of tours of Napa wine caves, where we got to see the barrels of wine stacked in cellars and actual caves. It gets a bit chilly so plan accordingly. Jackets/sweaters ladies!
Downtown Napa
The town of Napa is very upscale but does offer something for everyone. One night we enjoyed a meal along the river that runs through the town. It was beautiful and romantic. The food and wine were excellent.
Another night we ate at a sports bar where we watched tv while eating outside (We didn’t make any reservations-ugh-and that was all that was available). The food was good, but not what we were wanting while being in Napa. We like to try new places when we are traveling. Also, there are many shops that unfortunately we did not have time to go through.
Whether taking a tour or going by yourself make sure you have food to help soak up the alcohol or you could find yourself “calling it a night” earlier than you expected. Water is a must, so you stay hydrated. Make dinner reservations!! Go to a small unique restaurant or a mom and pop. We went to this little Italian restaurant in Sonoma, and it was absolutely wonderful. The waiters and staff were polite, the ambiance was fantastic (it was early fall, so we were able to eat outside), and the food to die for. Reservations were required. You can make them online or call depending on the restaurant.
In both Napa and Sonoma the atmosphere and ambiance of the wineries were spectacular. Of course, we liked some more than others, but that is to be expected. We are young to drinking wine and have a lot to learn and taste. Our pallets are in the “early stages” right now and we are trying to soak up all the information we can. Currently Brandie prefers more of the fruity sweet wines and Dan more in the middle- not quite sweet and not too dry. I’m sure as our travels continue, we will change what we like over and over again.
There are so many wineries that we did not get to see. I don’t know when we will be back, but one day we will!
Wine Clubs- Join or Not?
We wanted to join every wine club possible! They can be pricey and a big commitment. My suggestion is to go to all the wineries you have time for and get information on their wine clubs. Go back to your hotel or wait until you get home and look through them all. Discuss the wines and what you really liked, then make the decision. We did not. We impulse joined. And let’s just say- we joined too many and spent way too much. We eventually had to cancel some.
We did buy several bottles of wine at several wineries even the ones that we joined their wine clubs. We brought some bottles back in boxes to take on the plane (Do not do this unless you have a few bottles that fit in your suitcase). This was a major pain in the butt! If possible have them ship it. It is worth the time and expense. We had some shipped and wished we had shipped them all!
What to Remember
Food, snacks, water, use the facilities when you can, try new places, and PLAN AHEAD WITH RESERVATIONS but more importantly RELAX and ENJOY!
JELLY BELLY
FACTORY
TOUR
We stayed in Fairfield. It was a nice town, but more importantly, we got to visit the Jelly Belly Factory, where we learned how they make those yummy jelly beans. Take the tour!
A word to the wise, you will have to wear a Jelly Belly hat during the Jelly Belly Factory tour, so be ready to bring your inner child. After the tour, we stocked up on jelly beans and other tasty treats.