Relaxation, Beauty, Romance and Wine!
Written: Oct 15 '00 (Updated Oct 15 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful Scenery
Cons: Too much to see/You will need some time!
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| BryRrose's Full Review: The Wine Country |
Review Topic: Overview
Review Topic: OverviewNorthern California is known world wide for the Napa Valley and the wineries it hosts. Napa Valley is a place of beauty, where you can relax, take in its splendor, eat, drink and be very merry! Also located in Northern California are a number of other wine regions and wineries. There are three other major wine regions within about an hour and a half drive from the Napa valley. They are the wineries of the Sierra Nevada Foothills east of Sacramento, the wineries of Sonoma County, and the wineries of the Mendocino County area.
Sierra Nevada Foothills
The Sierra Nevada Foothill wineries are located in a general area around the El Dorado County City of Placerville. Placerville is located about 45 miles east of Sacramento. These wineries are in the foothills where the scenery is different than the Napa Valley area. The elevation here ranges from about 1500 to 3000 feet. A number of wineries are located north of Highway 50. Some of these are:
Boeger winery: Boeger offers a number of different wines. I tried their Chardonnay and Cabernet and both were very good. The Boeger Winery tasting room was like a fancy barn with hardwood floors and an antique style throughout. Behind the wine tasting bar was a number of windows with a beautiful view of the small lake on the winery. The foothills were in view also, it was a very romantic winery.
Medrona Vineyards: This winery has a tasting room that is hidden among a lot of oak and pine trees. If you were not following the signs you might miss it. This winery offers a variety of wines. I tried the Cabernet and Merlot. We bought a bottle of wine and had a picnic on the grounds. It was a very beautiful place.
In addition to these two wineries there are four more wineries in the Placerville area and about fifteen more in the Plymouth area. Plymouth is about a half hour drive south of Placerville on Highway 49.
Sonoma County Area
The Sonoma County Area is located about 15 miles north of Santa Rosa on Highway 101. The wineries in this area are located among small foothills and oak trees.
Murphy-Goode Estate Winery: The people at Murphy-Goode were very friendly. They made us feel like we were at home with family and I felt like they were going to ask us to stay for dinner. Not only did we learn about the wine, we learned about the history of Murphy-Goode. They offered several choices of wine to taste. I tried their Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir. All were very good. The staff was wonderful! If you make it to the Sonoma County area this winery is a MUST SEE!
There is over 30 wineries in Sonoma County. Some major wine makers are located here including: Korbel Champagne Cellars, Clos Du Bois Winery, Kendall Jackson Winery, and Rodney Strong Vineyards.
Mendocino County Wineries
Mendocino County stretches from the Ukiah area, which is inland from the ocean, which is about an hour drive west. The wine region is located in the inland area of the county around the Ukiah area.
Fetzer Vineyards: Fetzer Vineyards is located in the town of Hopland about 10 miles south of Ukiah. Fetzer Vineyards is very nice. The tasting room is in a large colonial type building. Inside the tasting room is a large square tasting bar. The staff was very friendly and when we went the winery was very busy. They have a deli and a large picnic area. The winery also has a bed and breakfast inn on the grounds but we did not look at it.
Also located in Mendocino County is a number of wineries off of highway 128. Highway 128 is a very romantic drive from the Cloverdale area to the coast. The drive covers foothills, valleys, and just prior to the coast you get swallowed up by redwood trees that change the scenery dramatically. At about the halfway point to the ocean is a town called Boonville. Just west of Boonville there is a number of small wineries. Some of them are: Pepperwood Springs Vineyards, Navarro Vineyards, and Obester Winery.
If you have a couple of days in the Northern California area I would highly recommend the Napa Valley area, followed by the Sonoma County region and the Mendocino area. The Sierra Foothills Wineries would be a good choice to visit on your way to the Lake Tahoe area if your schedule allows it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
BryRrose
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 - Top 200 |
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Location: California
Reviews written: 235
Trusted by: 409 members
About Me:
"If I live another day, Make mine a Chardonnay!"
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