California Wine Country

I believe that my favorite place to travel to is the place i just left. So today my favorite travel destination is Northern California …. aka Wine Country. With over 500 Vineyards in area, there is no way a person could ever see all of them. But its about so much more then just wine. Lots of places to eat, the ocean is a close drive and the mountains are right in front of you. Here are a few of my favorite wine country picks.

If your going to wine country my favorites are

The Meritage Hotel and Spa
Off the beaten path this place has its own wine cave, full spa you can book a massage, pedicure or just sit by the pool and relax.  It has a bowling alley, vineyards, great restaurants and beautiful views, they have their own vineyard and tasting room on site.   Close to some great boutique vineyards.   They will set up a variety of tours for you if you ask.  Love this place.  About 1 hour from SFO and 15 minutes from NAPA.

Embassy Suites Napa – 1075 California Napa Valley – great location walking distance to downtown Napa, free breakfast Buffett and happy hour.

Napa Valley Marriott – nice hotel great pool and bar.

Napa Valley Wine Train
Very romantic nice tour of wine country.  The food is delicious. a little pricey but good way to see country side.

Vineyards
Calistoga Castella di Amarosa – beautiful castle Vinyard you feel like your in old Europe with gorgeous views, great wine.

Madonna Estates – small Vinyard good wines, nice staff.

Elkhorn Peak Vinyard
Small boutique Vinyard, call Ken in advance to book tasting, great wine, personalized visit, he will educate you on all things wine.

Grgich Hills – wonderful wines, good tour, great history.  One of my favorites.

Bogle Vineyard -Located near Sacramento, no tasting fee and a beautiful outdoor seating area.

Places to eat

Napa – Downtown. Joes 902 Main downtown Napa – great view of river good food, delicious cheeseburgers great beer flights and beer choices.

Scomas of Saulsalito
Great place to stop and eat on the drive to Napa if your coming in from San Francisco.  Good food, water views pretty town past the Golden Gate Bridge.

Black Bear Diner 303 Soscol in Napa – huge portions delicious home style cooking

Red Hen Cantina 4175 Solano Napa – delicious margaritas.

Sattui Winery 1111 White Lane St. Helena – Beautiful winery great place to stop for picnic, in addition to wine they also sell cheeses, bread and lunches there is a beautiful picnic area on the grounds.

Gotts Roadside 933 Main St St. Helena – delicious cheeseburgers its a small roadside place food is very good.

Ernie’s Tin Bar 5100 Lakeville Highway Petaluma – fun little roadside bar, no cell phones allowed.  Friendly very simple.

Pub Republic Petaluma
Loved the Brussels Sprouts Tacos, I am not even a Brussels sprout fan but Don ordered them and I ate most of them. Good service, live music and full bar.

Della Fatoria Petaluma
We came on a Saturday and it was pretty crowded, it is a tiny place so expect a wait. But it is well worth it. I had the delicious eggs Benedict. The bread they use is so good and their sauces are amazing. Breakfast is served until 11 and they close at 3:00 so go early and be hungry. They also sell bread and pastry.

The Golden Gate Bridge

It doesn’t matter if you drive or walk over it, this is a classic sight that never gets old. For best views dont stop at the bottom, go up the hill where there are other stopping points (with much less traffic)   The views from above are breathtaking.    Bring a jacket, it gets chilly there even in the hottest summers.

Sonoma Raceway

This is what brings me to this part of the country, my husbands job with Fox and the NASCAR race in Sonoma.    It’s a beautiful racetrack and with great views not to mention the chance to see a good race.

Movie Buffs
Visit Bodega Bay and the Birds Cafe where you will find pictures and items from the movie The Birds.
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Petaluma, St. Helena, Calistoga, Napa and Sonoma are very near to one another.