In search of good wine...

We've always found it strange that there are not easier ways to get around wine counties to visit the different wineries.  The obvious disconnect between driving to multiple wineries in a day and then doing multiple tastings at each visit just doesn't seem like the safest of strategies.

To deal with this challenge, we embraced two strategies: first, the election of a DD - which was surprisingly easy given that there were only two names on the rental car agreement and also because the two of us were pretty happy to take a break from the mass number of tastings.  The second was to hire a wine expert to drive us around for a day so we could all partake in the experience and learn a few things along the way.

Both strategies actually worked out considerably well, even though we didn't learn quite as much as hoped from our wine expert, Randall, who was more interested in making jokes and being our friend than actually teaching us anything about wine.  Nonetheless, we learned some interesting info at each of the tastings and found Randall to be a very amusing guide who adjusted the tour en route to meet our changing whims and fed us animal crackers and chocolates along the way to keep us "feeling strong".

The wineries each had different feels.  Some, like Stonestreet, Sebastiani and Domaine Carneros were bigger operations and boasted large and attractive estates with focused and attentive staff. Others, like Preston and Ironhorse had more of a family feel with lush and bushy gardens, family pets and relaxed and friendly wine experts.  Perhaps our favourite winery was Copain, a winery in Healdsburg that quietly boasted delicious varieties of both red and white wines with a quaint estate, picturesque views and an incredible cheese tasting plate!   

There seems to always be a debate about whether it is better to stay in Sonoma versus Napa, even though Napa makes only 5% of the wines in the region.  For us, Sonoma was the clear winner - with numerous wine varietals and a much more relaxed and down-to-earth approach to wine making, restaurants and life.  If only Sonoma could implement a public transit system that circles round to each of the wineries, it would be the hands-down winner!

Wineries Visited:

Sebastiani

Domaine Carneros (Sparkling wines)

Stonestreet

Seghesio

Preston (Organic Wine)

Copain

Ironhorse (Sparkling wines)
Lynmar Estates
Dutton Goldfield

DeLoach

Francis Ford Coppola

Mondavi