We started the day at the North end of the valley, visiting Sterling, which I highly recommend. They have a tram that takes you up to their winery at the top of the foothills, and provides an incredible view!
They also have a video presentation at various locations throughout the self-guided tour that gives a lot of information about wine-making in general. This tour was my favorite, and at $15 for 5 tastings, it really is the best bang for your buck, with the view as a great bonus!
- We then drove 5 minutes over to the recently-opened, 100,000 square-foot, $37 million "Castle". This winery was built to add the Tuscany feel to Napa, which I think it does quite successfully.
- Napa is a wonderful place, well-worth a visit.
- There are so many vineyards and tours to be done that there is no way to see it all. It has to be done over a week-long vacation or several day trips, for those of us who live close enough.
- The North end of the valley is much more quaint and picturesque than the Southern end, which seems to be more flat and "business"-faced.
- I'm not a fan of red wine (which gets its color from the skin that is left in the barrel, as opposed to the white, which gets it simply from the juice of the grape). I most enjoyed the sweet, dessert wines (which get their sweetness, in part, by leaving the grapes on the vine longer).
- Bring some crackers, chips, or something to snack on in the car between tours (especially if you only sample the wine without cheese or appetizers - the cheap way). This will help you keep your wits about you and help you finish the day strong!
- I now have a greater understanding of the grapes, the process, and all the variables that add to the process of making a great wine. It was a very enjoyable, educational, and aesthetic experience. Two thumbs up!
At this point we definitely needed some food so we stopped by a great restaurant that had a "Barbecue Today" sign out front.
We then drove down to Robert Mondavi Wineries, the namesake of the "father and founder of the American Fine Wine Industry." Compared to the others, this was predominantly a vineyard, consisting of over 500 acres. Yes, there was the tasting, but the vineyards were the main attraction.
We rounded out the day with a stop at Domaine Chandon, a champagne vineyard. We got there with only about 45 minutes before they closed to host a wedding, so sorry for no pictures. However, this was more of a chic club/salon environment and the ambiance was more appealing than the view, for the most part.
A few take-aways from my day: