A trip that we began planning over a year ago is now just a few short days away. The research is over, the reservations have been made, dinners arranged and winery appointments scheduled. I have always believed that much of the enjoyment of travel was in the planning and this was certainly no exception. I have had a blast during every phase of the research process. With hundreds of great wineries in Napa and Sonoma to choose from it is no easy process to come up with the very few we will have time to visit during our week. I’ve tried to concentrate not just on places with great wine, but more importantly, places with great people.
We arrive in San Francisco on Saturday morning and after a full day tour of the city we will be dining at Rue Lepic on Nob Hill. On Sunday morning we will make our way to Sonoma, stopping for breakfast in Tiburon and checking into the Renaissance Lodge at Sonoma, our home for the week. After freshening up we plan on driving to Santa Rosa for the final day of the annual Sonoma County Harvest Fair, and after a healthy sampling of the wines competing for medals at the fair it will be time for dinner at Cole’s Chop House in Napa. Next Saturday, after making our way back to San Francisco, we will tour Alcatraz and enjoy dinner at Izzy’s Steaks and Chops before four of us head for the airport and our flight back home. Gerry and JoAnn will remain in the city by the bay for another 3 days.
Monday thru Friday will be our days for wine visits. It’s an exciting time of the year in Wine Country as the harvest is taking place in many of the areas we will visit. Here is what our week may look like. Not all of these are booked or will take place, but it’s a nice outline of what the week may look like. Thanks,Gerry, for putting this together:
Monday, October 04, 2010 8:45 AM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
40 miles ~60 mins to 10:00 AM EMH Wines, 25 Rosedale Rd, Calistoga
Travel 02 miles ~05 mins to 12:00 PM Vincent Arroyo, 2361 Greenwood,Calistoga
111 miles 04 miles ~10 mins to 2:00 PM Chateau Montelena, 1429 Tubbs Ln, Calistoga
167 mins 07 miles ~12 mins to 3:30 PM Larkmead, 1100 Larkmead Lane, Calistoga
36 miles ~48 mins to 5:30 PM Ar Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
Wineries 7:00 PM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
Visited 22 miles ~32 mins to 8:00 PM Dinner at Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington St,
4 Yountville
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Tuesday, October 05, 2010 10:00 AM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
28 miles ~40 mins to 11:00 AM Alpha-Omega,1155 Mee Lans, Rutherford
Travel 22 miles ~31 mins to 12:30 PM Chalk Hill, 10300 Chalk Hill, Healdsburg
127 miles 17 miles ~25 mins to 1:30 PM Mayo Family Tasting Room, 9200 Sonoma
202 mins Hwy, Kenwood-7 course wine/food pairing
16 miles ~25 mins to 3:00 PM Swanson, 1271 Manley Lane, St Helena
Wineries 21 miles ~35 mins to 4:00 PM Ravenswood, 18701 Gehricke Rd, Sonoma
Visited 03 miles ~06 mins to 5:00 PM Ar Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
5 6:00 PM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
20 miles ~40 mins to 7:00 PM Dinner at Bottega, 6525 Washington St, Yountville
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Wednesday, October 06, 2010 9:00 AM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
24 miles ~36 mins to 10:00 AM Kapcsandy Winery, 1001 State Lane, Napa
Travel 07 miles ~12 mins to 12:00 PM Robert Baiale, 4038 Big Ranch Rd, Napa
57 miles 08 miles ~15 mins to 1:30 PM Truchard Vineyards, 3234 Old Sonoma Rd,
93 mins Napa
07 miles ~13 mins to 3:00 PM Del Dotto Cave Tour, 1055 Atlas Peak Rd, Wineries Napa
Visited 11 miles ~17 mins to 5:30 PM Ar Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
4 7:30 PM Dinner at Sonoma Renaissance Resort
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Thursday, October 07, 2010 9:00 AM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
42 miles ~65 mins to 10:15 AM Bodega Bay
Travel 11 miles ~15 mins to 12:30 PM Jenner
171 miles 16 miles ~30 mins to 2:30 PM Armstrong St Prk, 17000 Armstrong
260 mins Woods Road, Guerneville
19 miles ~36 mins to 4:30 PM Thumbprint, 36 North St, Healdsburg
Wineries 40 miles ~60 mins to 6:30 PM Ar Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
Visited 8:00 PM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
1 43 miles ~54 mins to 9:00 PM Dinner at Cyrus, 29 North St, Healdsburg
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Friday, October 08, 2010 8:00 AM Lv Sonoma Renaissance, 1325 Broadway
29 miles ~39 mins to 9:30 AM Whitehall Lane, 1563 St Helena Hwy S,
Travel St Helena
63 miles 08 miles ~15 mins to 11:30 AM Paraduxx, 7257 Silverado Trail, Napa
93 mins 02 miles ~03 mins to 1:30 PM Silverado Vineyards, 6121 Silverado
Trail, Napa
Wineries 01 miles ~02 mins to 3:30 PM Hartwell, 5795 Silverado Trail, Napa
Visited 23 miles ~34 mins to 6:00 PM Dinner in Sonoma
I will certainly be busy writing restaurant and winery reviews in the days and weeks following this trip and I am looking forward to that challenge. My wife, Kathy, and myself are fortunate to be making this trip with four of our absolutely favorite people, Joe and Carol B. and Gerry and JoAnn B. The weather looks good with warm days and cool nights and we are psyched for a fabulous trip!