I have been thinking about taking a trip to the California wine country. Does anyone have any good places to start in either Napa or Sonoma?

Stephanie actually ran a california wine tour cruse several years ago in more info at sabrams.com here: http://www.sabrams.com/news/TravelWi...r/wineTour.php

-Dru=

Me and my hubby also planning to travel in California, to visit his daughter that lives there. If you find a nice place of California Wine please posted it, I want to see one too if we visit.

I heard that California is affected with forest fire. How is it now?. Is the fire undercontrol to visit there. How about Smoke effect?

California is a HUGE state. Even when there were raging fires in near San Diego, it didn't effect the area where a traveler/tourist would be. Unfortunately, the TV news media and most radio news and newpapers made it sound like San Diego had burned to the ground and that the place was not fit for anything that breathed.

Since the world changes minute to minute, focus in on where you really want to go and check on the local conditions there. Chances are good, with a state as big as California, the area you are interested in visiting is uneffected.

Another way to get up to the minute real information is to choose a good hotel in the region you are interested in visiting, call the hotel and ask for the concierge. No matter what your question or concern, you'll get a good answer. If you are concerned about proximity of fire and good air quality, tell the concierge you will be traveling with someone who has sensitivity to poor air quality and wondered if the area is affected by smoke from California fires you've heard so much about. Without even knowing where you want to go, I'm putting my money on the answer that the fires are no where near wherever you pick! But using that approach will get you an answer from a real person who is right there on site and not info from someone in a newsroom of a newspaper 2500 miles away who is looking for something sensational to sell papers!

Let us know where you decide you're going! Maybe we can make some cool recommendations on what to do/what to see, etc.

Best,
Your personal travel expert,
Stephanie Abrams

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Stephanie Abrams

Along the Napa and Sonoma Rivers are wonderful wineries to visit. At some of them, you can have lunch in a picnic area with trellises over head and grape vines hanging down that are something like you'd find in Tuscany! Tattinger's vineyard looks like a chateau in France, while others look like Italian palatial manor houses. There are tours you can take or drive on your own.

Dru was referring to a wine cruise we took that was lovely. . . a little pricey but very worthwhile when you consider that the three days/two nights included the following:
sail from San Francisco Harbor under the Golden Gate Bridge to the Napa/Sonoma Rivers vineyards. You slept and dined on the ship which was more like a big yacht and when you stopped near vineyards there was a motorcoach waiting for the passengers to take you in air conditioned comfort to the wineries where your VIP tour was waiting for you without having to wait to get in as you might if you went alone. Wine tastings and some lunches at wineries were included. At one winery, we had lunch by candleight for the 55 in our group from the ship in a wine cave. There were so many wine glasses at each place setting there almost wasn't room for the plates and silverware! There was one wine with each course and all around you couldn't help but have a wonderful time!

The company we sailed with was Cruise West. One of the things they do is have a wine expert on board for orientations, explanations, and answering questions so by the time you arrive at the wineries you actually are quite sophisticated in your ability to evaluate what's good from what's not as well as what pairs well with various kinds of foods.

Let me know if you take a cruise, a motorcoach tour or if you wing it as individuals. If you stay in the area, which is quite hilly like in France and Tuscany as opposed to the way it looks in Santa Maria, Santa Inez and Lompoc Valleys where you saw the vineyards in the film, "Sideways," you might want to check out the Marriott Napa Valley. I didn't stay there because we slept on the ship, which was more like a big yacht that held 74 when filled to capacity, but I've interviewed the management f that hotel and looked at what they have to offer and the place looks like a place I'd be happy at!

Hope this helps!
Your travel expert,
Stephanie Abrams

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Radio Show Host
Travel Expert
Stephanie Abrams

Try the Marriott Napa Valley. You can hear an interview that I did on the air with the general manager of that hotel on Travel WITH Stephanie Abrams on September 26, 2004.

That will give you more personal insight into what the place has to offer. It's in a great location to base yourself while you're touring around.

Because you'll be in the river valley, you'll find that even if it's really cool in San Francisco, it's going to be much hotter in the Napa/Sonoma wine region. The grapes love it but you may that having a well located air-conditioned hotel nearby is a special blessing after walking around the wineries and raising your temperature a bit with wine tasting experiences!

You're going to have a great time! It's a wonderful place to slip away from daily challenges and feel like you've immersed yourself in Europe. Some of the wineries have taken a Disney-Epcot approach to making you think you are in France or Italy and it's quite a remarkable experience!

Share your experiences with us! I can't wait to hear about your trip.
Your personal travel expert,
Stephanie Abrams

__________________
Radio Show Host
Travel Expert
Stephanie Abrams

If you love California wine now may be the time to buy some of your favorites. There are some great deals out there from many of the wineries, bottle discounts, case discounts and even free shipping. Check around, guess this is one positive of a bad economy for us wine lovers.

Do you have any suggestions? I.e. label and year?

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