Fine Wine In California -- Trip Report With Pics (Long)

[buffett]

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I should post a Finger Lakes wines trip report, as it's my home region and we're developing more quickly than people realize in wine quality up here.

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Yes, please.

I'm taking one of those bus group wine tours there in early October (with my girlfriend's family, who live in Canandaigua), and I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I'm about to experience.

(Coincidentally, my girlfriend and I were just in Napa & Sonoma together last month and we had a great time. We'll definitely go to Darioush on our next trip.)

[4_2_it]

Wow. Looks like you had a great time. I know nothing about wine, but enjoyed the TR nonetheless.

[CrazyEyez]

Great report. Thanks.

I've considered doing a wine country vacation with my wife, but we know zero about wine. In your opinion can a worthwhile time be had by noobs? Or would our limited vacation dollar be better spent elsewhere?

[epdaws]

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Great report. Thanks.

I've considered doing a wine country vacation with my wife, but we know zero about wine. In your opinion can a worthwhile time be had by noobs? Or would our limited vacation dollar be better spent elsewhere?

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You can absolutely have a great time. If you like wine, good scenery and good weather, you'll have a blast. Most wineries are very welcoming of "noobs," and they'll be glad to help you out. The best thing you can do is put together a nice itinerary of places you'd like to visit, and that's easy to do. Once you get your schedule set, off you go. It's hard to go wrong.

If you like B&Bs -- which I never experienced until my honeymoon -- there are a great array of those out there that will make the trip that much more fun and memorable. They vary wildly in price; the Grape Leaf Inn in Healdsburg is top of the list.

In short: if you want to go, go! People can help with ideas on where to go, you'll learn a lot, you'll drink a lot, and that's hard to beat.

[Grunch]

Nice TR, although I must say I had scenes from Sideways running through my head as I read it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. I'll pick up a bottle of Darioush. I love good wine but my wife hates wine, so I don't drink much of it anymore.

[epdaws]

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Nice TR, although I must say I had scenes from Sideways running through my head as I read it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

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Nah. If I were as miserable as the protagonist from that flick I'd kill myself. We were a jocular bunch.

[CrazyEyez]

Thanks for the info, ep.

[Hey_Porter]

Nice pics. I was down in Napa for a wedding in July, and was honestly less than impressed. With our few extra days, we had a hard time making a vacation out of it. I'd have rather gone to San Fran. More succinctly, for what it costs to eat and stay in Napa Valley, I'd choose some place else. Interestingly, the best wine I had while there was from Italy, and it was choosen by a guy who owns a winery in Napa. I wll say, though, that the trip turned me on to the goodness that is red wine.

[HDPM]

I like both, but they are different to be sure. I can see how you would like SF and not Napa. I really like napa though. Interestingly after a day of tasting California wine, I have enjoyed an Italian wine at dinner or a beer in the afternoon. Sometimes it is just too much of a good thing. One sommelier said to me on a hot afternoon, "It's beer time." This fits in my philosophy of "both." [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[epdaws]

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I like both, but they are different to be sure. I can see how you would like SF and not Napa. I really like napa though. Interestingly after a day of tasting California wine, I have enjoyed an Italian wine at dinner or a beer in the afternoon. Sometimes it is just too much of a good thing. One sommelier said to me on a hot afternoon, "It's beer time." This fits in my philosophy of "both." [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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Agreed. One of the nice parts of the trip was taking home two cases of wine that we could save and drink months (or even years) from now; we were happy to get home and have a Bass. A three-day trip is perfect for me.