California

A Karen Brown Recommended Itinerary

Wandering Through the Wine Country

Recommended Itinerary Length: 3 to 7 days

Highlights:

Napa Valley, Napa, Yountville, Saint Helena, Calistoga, Spas, Old Faithful Geyser, Petrified Forest, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma, Jack London State Park, Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma, Glen Ellen

Wineries: Hess, Jarvis, Trefethen, Domaine Chandon, Goosecross Cellars, Plumpjack, Opus One, Robert Mondavi, Niebaum-Coppola, Beaulieu, Nichelini, Rutherford Hill, V. Sattui, Beringer, Frank Family Vineyards, Schramsberg, Sterling, Clos Pegase, Chateau Montelena, Vincent Arroyo, Landmark, Chateau St. Jean, Kunde, Benzinger, Buena Vista, Gloria Ferrer, Viansa

Summary:

The Napa and Sonoma Valleys, just north of San Francisco, have earned a well-merited reputation for the excellence of their wines. Happily for the tourist, many of the wineries are open to the public for tours and tasting. But it is not only visiting the wineries that makes this area so special—these valleys are also memorable for their beauty. A visit to the wine country makes a pleasant excursion any time of year.