OT: Wine Country Recs

[Tygur]

Girlfriend and I spending latter half of week in SF, then headed to Napa for weekend. I’m thinking I’d like to hit Napa and Sonoma both. Recommendations welcome.

Sorry no pics. Can’t seem to make the pics function work on my phone for some reason.

TIA and Go Tigers!

 

[CU1TruTiger4Life]

Try the Reds. Pretty good stuff.


Hope this helps.

 

[clemsonphi683]

Silver Oak was a great winery tour and you can find affordable bottles close to home. Enjoy Napa! You’ll wish you had more than just a few days to spend there. Great food and drink everywhere you go.

 

[Tygur]

Silver Oak was a great winery tour and you can find affordable bottles close to home. Enjoy Napa! You’ll wish you had more than just a few days to spend there. Great food and drink everywhere you go.

Thanks. My girlfriend has gone every year for several years with a female friend of hers. They’ve never been to Sonoma, just Napa. From what in understand, Napa is fancier and more expensive. I have a relative (distant) who runs a vineyard in Sonoma, ergo our desire to check it out.

 

[P. Marlowe]

Wineries:

Joseph Phelps
William Harrison
Artesa (best views)

Those are a few that we hit every time we are there. Hess isn’t the best tour you will go on. It’s worth the stop, though. The guy that did our tour and tasting was awesome. Opened up a $385 bottle of Chardonnay for our tasting and told some great stories about how he got out of the weed business and into the wine business right after Vietnam, “because he was done getting shot at” or some such.

Food:

Tons of options between Napa and Yountville with some great ones in there. Depends on what you want to spend.

 

[asutigerfan]

I really enjoyed Peju and Frank Family when we visited.

 

[Clemson_Cliff]

Go to frogs leap and thank me later. Laid back and great wine.

 

[Watson to Renfrow]

Wife is from the Bay Area. We got married in Alexander valley and the first place I would go is Lambert Bridge if you like good bold reds.

https://lambertbridge.com/

Alexander Valley Vineyards is also a normal stop for us. Alexander school wines are very good. Their Cyrus is really nice.

I second the silver oak recommendation. Michele Schlumberger is good as well.

 

[Every name taken]

Opened up a $385 bottle of Chardonnay .

You have got to be kidding. The only place a Chardonnay is worth that is the Cote d’Or

 

[tiger325]

Larkmeade in Calistoga
Pride mountain
Mayacamas
Storybook
Hall has a cool tasting room
Hunicutt

Eat:
Gotts for lunch
Le Luna (cheap burrito in Rutherford)
Mustards (lunch)

On a side note, wife and I are going back in June, and finally booked French Laundry!

 

[TBGII]

Caymus is great, believe you can just show up w/o a reservation. Shafer has a wonderful tasting if you can get in. Can’t wrong w/ Frank Family, Duckhorn, and BV-try some lesser known wineries like Regusci, Flora Springs or Aplha Omega. Grab lunch at Gott’s Roadside!

 

[Watson to Renfrow]

Caymus is great, believe you can just show up w/o a reservation. Shafer has a wonderful tasting if you can get in. Can’t wrong w/ Frank Family, Duckhorn, and BV-try some lesser known wineries like Regusci, Flora Springs or Aplha Omega. Grab lunch at Gott’s Roadside!

Another vote for caymus

 

[P. Marlowe]

You have got to be kidding. The only place a Chardonnay is worth that is the Cote d’Or

Don't disagree, but per the club price lists, it was $385.

 

[Cleopatrick2001]

I’ve only been once but had the most fun at Hall’s. So much fun that 2 weeks later I had a case of the 2013 Jack’s Masterpiece show up on my front door. I won’t disclose the price but it doubled my costs on the Natty trip. That said, it was worth every penny!

My wife is a big Prisoner fan and I really enjoyed their establishment.

You may want to make reservations for tastings especially at the more popular wineries. Good chance you won’t be able to get in without one.

 

[Every name taken]

Don't disagree, but per the club price lists, it was $385.

Oh, I believe that they may charge that, but I have never tasted a Chardonnay from anywhere else in the world that betters a Premier Cru from Burgundy, much less a Grand Cru,which is a $385 bottle

 

[SEHTiger]

Girlfriend and I spending latter half of week in SF, then headed to Napa for weekend. I’m thinking I’d like to hit Napa and Sonoma both. Recommendations welcome.

Sorry no pics. Can’t seem to make the pics function work on my phone for some reason.

TIA and Go Tigers!

Go to the Wine Country Connection tasting room in Yountville, CA. They represent over 100 wineries, and can help you narrow down your winery search by your specific taste profile.

https://www.winecountryconnection.com/

Daniel Pressey is the President, and a very nice young man with a vast knowledge of wine. We met Daniel at a wine tasting held at a friends house in Hillsborough, CA the night before the Natty. We had some unbelievable Reds that night, including a 100 point 2013 Cabaud Cab that was their no.1 wine last year out of 5,600 wines tasted. I have since bought two cases of wine from WCC (15 bottles each shipment). I’ve purchased the 2012 & 2014 Cabaud since our visit, and both are 96+ perfection!

Do yourself a favor and visit here first, and let them guide you were to go afterwards. You can thank me later.

 

[tigerich]

I saw on the news where parts of Sonoma County are flooded due to the recent heavy rains. The Russian River has crested over its banks. Might want to check that out.

 

[heydave101]

Hire a driver for a day. They often have access to some off normal places. Salvestrin is a small family run vineyard, Cakebread Cellars for Chardonnay, Duckhorn for scenery as well as wines, Chateau Montelena (watch the movie Bottle Shock beforehand if you get the chance), and Storybook Mountain if you like Zins. We did the wine train, wife enjoyed it, me not so much. Take lots of money and enjoy.