Napa Valley Here We Come!

Napa was great! I highly recommend it for anyone who has the least bit of interest in wine. You don't have to be a wine pro to have fun and enjoy the tours. My favorites were Coppala, Mumm, and Domain Caneros which is in Soanoma.

Quick Tips:

Cali can be a bit expensive. Plan your rental car ahead, try to use a coupon if possible. The Entertainment book or your airline miles program will help most often. If you can stay somewhere that has a kitchen and buy your groceries at a local market. If you can sipping all day by the time you return to your place you won't have the energy to go back out for food.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are wine tours via buses or limos (very cool). They actually seem to be fairly priced. Especially since you won't have to do the driving in a place you aren't familiar with. Your hotel or time share can give you info to the companies that have the driven tours.

RiverPointe is part of a Timeshare that our friends had. I think they use RCI. We ended up splitting the costs between three couples so it was pretty cheap - for California. From what I understand it can cost about $300 a night otherwise. RiverPointe is a small community of upscale mobile homes/trailers. They look like little quaint cottages done in a variety of colors. You'd never know by looking at them that the interior is beautiful. All new updated one bedroom houses with full size bath, lots of closet space, full kitchen and living room, small dining area with all the supplies for a good time. The decor is modern and clean. Light wood cabinets and floors. Fully stocked with cable TV, DVD player, pull out sofa, in case you have guests and plenty of wine glasses and barware for your purchases during your tours. The grounds are well kept. There is a hot tub, pool and clubhouse with Internet access (BYOL: Bring Your Own Laptop) - its wireless and they offer activities, events and games. There is maid service to help you keep tidy, each little house has a deck with patio chairs and table and there are several community grilling areas if you want to have a steak with your wine. They also have free laundry facilities (BYOS: bring your own soap). RiverPointe really makes it easy to be comfortable and enjoy your stay in Wine Country.

Mumm was yummy, yummy, yummy. I personally like the sparkling wines so this was a stop I saved my tongue for. You can find some of their wines in your local Cost Plus World Market. Cuvee' M is my favorite and it's not very expensive, about $20 a bottle. There DVX also great a little farther down the line at $55 a bottle. Their Santana DVX is special and made with the help of Carlos Santana himself. Some of these can only be ordered directly from Mumm.

Hubby and I had a couple bottles of the Brut Prestige shipped since we would not be able to buy it locally. Great snappy taste full of flavor, no after bite, very nice all around. There gift shop at the vineyard is spectacular. They have some of the coolest gift ideas, wine geared serving wares as well as art pieces, dog collars and kids wear. Lots to look at, you just want to buy it all. Their online gift shop I'm sorry to say has very little in it. I was truly hoping to buy some of the great things once I got home (so I didn't have to carry on the plane) but I was disappointed to see I would have to go back to Mumm to buy all the cools stuff I saw.

Oh Well, I got the wine and that was most important! The winery itself I did not get to tour. They have an art gallery that features artist, the current was Ansel Adams. The Veranda overlooks the Valley which presents a calming comfortable rich view as you taste your bubbly. If you get to Napa go to Mumm. You won't be disappointed.

My only must on this trip was Coppala - also known now as Rubicon. Francis has decided to go upscale and Rubicon Estates is the new name while Coppala will still be made elsewhere. The Winery is beautiful. The grounds have fountains and Pergolas dripping with grapes. Very picturesque and you are allowed to take photographs throughout the whole winery. The tour is lovely with some added Hollywood flare, he has some of his movie awards and memorabilia. The cost is $25 and you get a tasting of 5 wines at the end of your tour. The gift shop is upscale and has wonderful things to buy. Their on-line gift store has a large variety as well if you would rather not carry too much home on the plane. Parking is valet and the staff are very friendly.

If you like Sparkling Wine (Champagne is only really made in France) then you should head over to Domain Carneros in Sonoma. This is a wonderful must see for anyone who wants the feel of being a star. The Château is a beautiful building (house) up on a hill. The scenery is breathtaking and to sit out on the large veranda having a tasting feels very rich. Domain Carneros by Taittinger has some award winning wines. They are known for their Pinot Noir. Here you can order a tasting which includes 3 sparkling wines. They are generous in size and the staff is friendly and well educated. You can always order a glass of whatever tickles your fancy but keep in mind that many of the wineries have limits so you don't go overboard. While you are tasting order one of the cheese platters. We ordered one of each - there were 6 of us and it was a delicious snack to accompany our wine. You can check them out before your trip at www.domaine.com There are maps and information and also an on-line store. There gift shop at the Chateau is small but well appointed. Go and Enjoy!

How do you know where to visit, what's good and what's bad? Who can even tell with all of those vineyards? If you have friends who know wine, ask them. If you stay at RiverPointe they have a breakfast upon arrival that gives you an idea of where to visit. Do a little research on the net (like reading my review) before you head out. There is a book called the Professional Wine Reference by Frank E. Johnson. This book costs $55 at the Rubicon on-line gift shop. You can find it for under $10 on Ebay. This guide, if you can pick it up before your trip, is excellent and highly recommended by people who love wine. It has many regions as well and wines. If you know what type of wine you like, Port, Pinots, Reislings try to find the vineyards that make those. It may enhance your trip to see how what you like is made. Many of the vineyards have a picnic area where you can bring your own food. (There are lots of shops that sell bread and cheeses or go to Dean & Deluca, great foods.) You may be required to buy their wine to use their picnic areas. Diamond Oaks has a nice Chardonnay and if you call ahead the will reserve a table, provide the glasses and even a table cloth for you to lunch on. I hope you have fun, Go Forth, Smell, Swirl and Sip!

Duckhorn sits on a beautiful piece of property and has lovely gardens, fountains and sitting areas. The house is great with its huge porch and furniture to lounge on but apparently this is to make up for what the wine lacks. I didn't taste at this venue but the rest of my group did. I toured the grounds while the sipping was happening but this is the report that I got. It cost $10 or $20 for a tasting. Price varies depending on how many you taste. The pours were small which normally would be bad except for the fact that the wine was nothing to write home about. While it wasn't vile or horrible, it wasn't great either. Like anything else it comes down to taste. Check them out on the web before you go. www.duckhornvineyards.com

Billed as having the best souviner glass - by Riverpointe, I would say that is really all Madonna Winery and Vineyard has to offer. We were travelling with true wine people. Our friend Jonathan (and wife) has grown up with wine and has a collection that is several hundred bottles wide. I have never seen them dump any wine at a tasting but at Madonna they did! The wine smelled like tuna fish, olives and vinegar - Yuck! I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. The tasting I believe was only $5 which also may clue you in to the grade of wine you may be tasting as most tastings run about $15 - $20. Not recommend for the person who knows and appreciates wine unless you are interested in collecting glasses on your trip.