Wine country here we come!

[sadistick]

Thanks for the great replies -

I do not have FL rez's - However, from what I understand they are to be had 2 months in advance, and it is not yet that close...

I still am not sure if it is worth $200+ for the two of us over say a Meadowood, Terra, or Cyrus for example.

I am still considering TFL though...I would go for it, its more convincing the wifey...

Sam - appreciate the winery rec's - - I have heard good things about Shafer - I have also read about Karl Lawrence (not sure where they are) and Anthill Farms - - any thoughts on those?

What do the tastings at these places run by the way? As well - is it true it is cheaper to buy wines from stores rather than direct from the wineries?

Cheers.

[samgiovese]

Have not heard of Karl Lawrence or Anthill Farms, sorry...no help there.

If you click on the links I provided, the websites tell all about scheduling tastings and the prices charged. Obviously, you'll pay more than just popping in a tasting room on Hwy 29.

Another winery that offers personal small tastings and tours is Chappellet. They are located off the Silverado Trail near Rutherford. It's way back in the hills, but the view and experience are awesome. Charge is $25.00/person.

Enjoy!

[AlexNoir]

Thanks for the great replies -

I do not have FL rez's - However, from what I understand they are to be had 2 months in advance, and it is not yet that close...

I still am not sure if it is worth $200+ for the two of us over say a Meadowood, Terra, or Cyrus for example.

I am still considering TFL though...I would go for it, its more convincing the wifey...

Sam - appreciate the winery rec's - - I have heard good things about Shafer - I have also read about Karl Lawrence (not sure where they are) and Anthill Farms - - any thoughts on those?

What do the tastings at these places run by the way?  As well - is it true it is cheaper to buy wines from stores rather than direct from the wineries?

Cheers.

←

There are a ton of great wineries in Napa, but I personally prefer getting away from 29. Buehler is a great winery and John Buehler or his son Page usually pour for you and are great hosts. I also recommend Seavey Winery. Both of these places are family owned and run, make amazing wine and (since the last time I've been there) don't charge for tastings - although it's generally a nice idea to buy a few bottles. There are also a ton of great wineries in Sonoma County - many of which do not charge for tastings. Last time we went to Napa, we only went to Siduri in Santa Rosa.

A lot of times you can find wines at cheaper costs at the retail level than at the winery since the store often buys in bulk at cheaper rates.

[nyokie6]

Hi

I second or third.... picking a winery or two that interests you and paying for the tasting. Also sometimes they will have something special. My husband and I shared a chocolate and wine tasting over Presidents weekend that was way nicer than the regular, and visited another winery for a regular tasting. Don't forget the reservations in advance-I was very busy at work and didn't get around to it and then couldn't get into where we had really planned to go. Luckily I had done the B&B and dinner before it got crazy. We had a wonderful dinner at Ubuntu and went back for lunch and plan to go back next trip but I would not call it "THE DINNER". We have been to Terra a couple of times in the past and like it, but they have just opened a place in SF and I would be careful that their attention is not all there currently. TFL is a destination dinner to me-I would not enjoy it if I was tired out or had too much to drink during the day and I would not care to drive back to SF unless I knew the roads well. I always try to plan it for a light day of travel/wine tasting and to not have to get up to early the next morning and I like to stay fairly close by-there are many lovely and romantic B&B's in the area as well as hotels. Bistro Jeanty was not good the night we went-but it has been a few years and we loved his cooking when he was at Chandon. I havn't been to Cyrus and the rest of our eating was pretty low key this past trip-Ad Hoc, Martini's. I agree with Sam re Shafer being a nice stop-small group by res only. Don't forget to just wander the area a bit-probably one of my favorite areas of Calif.