Excuse the ignorance of my question, but here it is.
My GF and I are trying to figure out a trip to take in March of this year. We both are into the idea of going to west coast wine country.
Here’s the rub, she and I would not have the first clue on how to plan a trip out west. Where should we go (Napa, Sonoma, someplace else?), stay (is there a central location to maximize visits?), do we have to drive a lot, does March suck for a trip out there, can it still be fun and affordable?
All input is welcomed. We were looking at up to a week.
This is a broad question. If you have no idea, then I would consider going to Napa for a few days. The wineries are packed together and you can drive up the St. Helena highway and back down the Silverado trail. I would try to find a couple of wineries you are really interested in and then ask others for wineries close by. You might also decide want varietals you are interested in. cabernet? pinot? a bit of everything?
You can also search the main Wine Forum for more info.
Based on the info given I’d suggest Napa. Which is actually right next door to Sonoma. Get out a map and you’ll see the town of Napa at the south end and Calistoga at the north end of Napa Valley. With a week personally I’d plan a break in the middle doing something else. Several days in a row of wine tasting can be a bit of a burn out. SF is nearby. You could start with Napa/Sonoma then drive south to Paso Robles/Santa Barbara area. Etc.
I would say skip California and go up to Oregon or Washingotn. I stayed in the Shilo Inn the very first trip up there. $63/night and I was able to hit about 4-6 wineries/day with good planning and spending a day in each of the AVA’s I wanted to visit. Last of all…spit. Even though you want the trip to be fun, if you’re driving yourself you want to do your best to get to each winery safely and comfortably. It will also save you from buying more later in the day…and allow you to purchase based solely on quality…everything seems to taste a little better by the end of the day if you’re not spitting.