Napa & Sonoma Valley | A Wine Country Escape

Napa and Sonoma Valley are among one of the top Wine Country destinations in the world. From splendid vineyards rolling over the hills of California to an upscale farm to table restaurants to incredible wineries, a trip to Napa and Sonoma Valley is among one of an ultimate USA Travel bucket lists. I was planning to visit a Wine Country for years and finally made it at the beginning of this Summer on my trip to San Francisco. Whether you drink wine or not, a trip to Napa and Sonoma Valley is an experience in itself. 

If you aren’t convinced yet, keep scrolling and take a virtual tour of my entire experience!

How to reach Napa & Sonoma Valley?

Sonoma Valley is around 40 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Napa Valley is 25 miles from Sonoma Valley. So, it takes around 2 hours depending upon the traffic. 

The best way to visit Napa and Sonoma Valley is through a road trip. You can rent a car from San Francisco. However, if you plan to return the same day, book any Wine Country tour online. It is safe and you don’t have to worry about driving back. 

Wine Country Scenic Ride

The scenic ride of Wine Country with a view of vineyards and rolling golden hills of California is an ultimate treat to your eyes. Whether you’re a driver or a rider, you’ll get plenty of time to admire nature in its full swing! 

Which wineries to visit in Sonoma Valley?  

Sonoma Valley is a mecca for an oenophile and it is home to over 425 wineries. Thus, it is one of California’s largest producers of wine. Most of the Sonoma Valley wineries are independently run and gives the visitors behind-the-scenes of the wine-making process, meet with wine producers and tastes some phenomenal local wines. Some of the top produce wines of the area are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot noir. Though the popular wines of the area are Merlot and Zinfandel.

Some wineries that you can visit in Sonoma Valley are Walt Wines, 
Cline Cellars, Landmark Vineyards, Buena Vista Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, 
Roche Winery, DeLoach Vineyards and Larson Family Winery to name a few.

Some of the wineries that I visited in Sonoma Valley are as follows:

1) Cline Cellars

Address: 24737 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA 95476

Cline Cellars is one of the top family-owned and operated wineries in Sonoma. Its wine tour package provides an incredible value for money. Whether you love crisp white wines or deep red wines, Cline Cellars wine tasting experience gives you an opportunity to taste some of their rich cabernets, crisp Chardonnay, tasteful pinots and dark Merlot.

Cline Cellars offer various tour packages. The tour starts with a half an hour of wine-tasting where you can taste their handcrafted signature wines. From lessons on holding the wine glasses correctly for different wines to knowledge on their sustainable farming to the process of wine-making, you’ll be loaded with plenty of information. 

After wine tasting, guests are free to explore the vineyard or you can also book a private vineyard tour in an advance. You can also purchase a Cline wine and have a picnic surrounded by more than 5000 varieties of rose bushes, a beautiful pond and breathtaking landscape.  

Don’t forget to click plenty of pictures and visit their Gift Stop where you can find some amazing souvenirs for any wine lover in your life! 

2) Roche Winery

Address: 122 W Spain Street, Sonoma, CA 95476 

Roche Winery is also a family-owned winery. It was one of my favorite wine tasting experiences in Sonoma. Our tour started with the tasting of their signature collection of whites, reds and dessert wines.

Later, we were given a tour of their entire production facility. We were also served to sample their latest vintage right from the barrels. Our host shared some of the interesting information related to the wine-making process. The staff was knowledgable, friendly and extremely welcoming throughout our visit.

I also bought their special dessert wine for home. It was one of the best desserts wine I had so far! 

Do spend some time at Roche Winery after Wine Tasting and enjoy the serene landscape of vineyards with mountains in the background!

Visit Sonoma Plaza for some delicious Food 

Sonoma Plaza is a beautiful place with late back vibes. The plaza is surrounded by many historic buildings such as the Presido of Sonoma, Mission San Francisco Solano, The Blue Wing Inn to name a few. It is home to some cute boutiques, cafes, restaurants and shops. The Sonoma Plaza is a National Historic Landmark and hosts many community festivals throughout the year.

I went to this Indian restaurant ‘Delhi Darbar‘ and the food was incredibly delicious and mouth-watering. Let the below pictures speak for itself!

Next, to the restaurant, there’s the beautiful mural on ‘Blessings of Sonoma Valley – Valley of the Moon’. Do stop to click some pictures!

Strolling around Sonoma Plaza was fun.  Also, if you don’t want to visit wineries, there’re a few places at Sonoma plaza where you can go for wine and food pairings. Visit ‘Sight Sonoma‘ — a bubbly bar that feels like New Year’s Eve every day. Apart from serving local sparkling wines, they also serve champagnes and bubblies from around the world.  

Which wineries to visit in Napa Valley?

From splendid countryside scenery to picture-perfect vineyards to winery tours, Napa Valley is one of the most popular destinations among wine lovers. It is home to over 400 wineries with tasting rooms. Some of the top produce red wines of Napa Valley are Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet blends. Merlot is the second most produce followed by Pinot Noir. Napa Valleys top white wines produce are Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Some of the wineries that you can visit in Napa Valley for wine tasting are
Castello di Amorosa, Artesa Vineyards, Luna Vineyards, Opus One, V. Sattui,
Darioush Winery, Madonna Estate Winery and Spottswoode to name a few.

I visited Madonna Estate Winery located in the Carneros region of Napa famous for fertile lands and cool climate. 

Madonna Estate Winery

Address: 5400 Old Sonoma Rd, Napa, CA 94559

Madonna Estate Winery is a family-owned winery of Bartolucci Family. Our tour started with a welcome drink by the owners. Then, we went inside the distillery area where we got a tour about traditional and modern wine-making techniques.

Last but not least, we had a wine tasting where we sampled some Chardonnays, Pinot Noir and Merlots. They also had a small souvenir shop where you can buy some gifts. I got this Napa Valley Coaster.

I had a wonderful time visiting a few wineries of Napa and Sonoma Valley and an incredible wine tasting experience! Whether you’re a wine lover or not, I’d highly recommend you to visit California Wine Country once for a relaxing getaway.

Places to stay in Wine Country

Thanks to one of my friends, I was invited to stay at her place but in case you want to stay for overnight or couple of days, there are some hotels and resorts around the Napa and Sonoma Valley that you can book for your Wine Country escape in all the budget range.

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3731302″]

 

Please note that if you book any hotel/resort through our Affiliate link, Ana’s World will earn a little commission that will help in running this blog.

Tips to visit Napa & Sonoma valley & do wine country tours

• Best time to visit Napa and Sonoma Valley is August through October and March through May. 
• Spring/Summer – Wear sundress with comfortable shoes and always carry a light denim jacket as temperature varies throughout the day.
• Fall/Winter – Sweater, leather pants, boots, scarf. Remember, layering is the key.
• Wear flat/wedges/sneakers or comfortable shoes because a lot of wineries have standing tastings and you need to also walk in vineyards for capturing some beautiful shots.
• Choose a fancy dress if you’re planning to visit upscale restaurants or bars in the evening.
• Carry your camera, chargers, sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, power banks.
• Do carry your ID if you don’t look 18+ years old.
• Also, don’t use heavy fragrance as that can muddle with your sense of smell and you won’t be able to smell your wine during wine tasting.

Do share your experiences if you’ve visited Napa and Sonoma Valley for a Wine Country Tour? If not, would you like to visit someday?

Till then, Happy Wandering!
Ana

---

Did you like this post? Then, don’t forget to pin it?