The Wonders of Wine Tasting in Napa and Sonoma.

I would like to say that I am not a regular wine drinker but I love Napa Valley. I started going to Napa in 2011 when I moved to Sacramento, Calif. There was not much to do in Sacramento at that time so most people went to Napa or Lake Tahoe. I love them both for some of the same reasons, but since I left Sacramento several years ago, Napa is one place that I go back to every year. 

My first trip to Napa was fun-filled and I tried many things for the first time. The one thing I remember most is a bike tour I took through Napa. It was a birthday trip for my ex and I felt that this would be fun and something I had never done before. There were two ways to do a bike tour: a tour with a guide or a self-guided tour with a map. Being adventurous, we decided to do the self-guided bike tour. 

The beginning was not bad until we had to get on the streets and realized that most of the streets did not have bike lanes! It was scary riding next to cars, especially when you factor in my second point: doing wine tasting while riding a bike is a big no-no. 

After the second or third winery, I was tipsy and wondered how would I ever make it back to the hotel. I made it back, but I learned my lesson! The thing that keeps bringing me back to Napa every year is how beautiful it is. The lush green hills, the fresh air and the beautiful wineries make me feel like I don’t have a worry in the world!

Now that I’ve learned my lesson about tipsy bike riding, whenever I go to Napa my friends and I usually rent a sedan for wine tasting tours. This year we decided to do something a little different. For the past few years, we have been staying in Sonoma. It’s not far from Napa and they have great wineries there as well. 

This year we did a winery tour in a vintage VW bus. We found this experience on Airbnb and after reading it, we booked it. The only reservation we had was that we would be in a vehicle for 5.5 hours and we hoped the tour guides were cool like us. Luckily, they were. When we arrived at the pick-up spot, we were super-excited and greeted by the owner, Jacob. He made the adventure a great one!!

I was experiencing most of the wineries scheduled for our Sonoma tour for the first time, so I was excited to check them out. Our first stop was Abbott’s Passage. We were the first ones there, so we had the place to ourselves. A very nice winery with a great patio and tasting room. 

The second stop was Three Fat Guys Wines; this one took me by surprise. When we drove up, it looked like a convenience store. We got out of the van and one of the owners cheerfully welcomed us and said, “Come to our backyard for a drink.” 

It looked like a backyard. It was nothing fancy like most of the wineries. It had basic tables and chairs in the back behind the building. The owners are three former football players who met and became friends. One of the owners, Tony Moll, happened to come through while we were there, so he sat down with us and told us his story. He was very nice and full of energy. 

We started the wine tasting and we all were surprised. I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover. The wines were so good that we took a few bottles back to the Airbnb with the favorite being the Champion Brut. I highly recommend this spot!!

Our last stop was Anaba Wines. It was beautiful driving into this winery. Lots of pretty flowers and all the other things you would expect. We walked through the tasting room to the outside courtyard and it was stunning. It has a great view of green hills that still takes my breath away. We sat down, ordered a flight, which is a selection of wines, a charcuterie board, and took our shoes off to enjoy the wine and the views.

While the Sonoma day was great, I knew the Napa day would be even better. We booked a Black sedan and our driver arrived at the Airbnb on time to take us on our adventure. The first stop was The Caves at Soda Canyon. This was my first time here and I had no clue what to expect. 

This winery was way up in the mountains and the driver had a difficult time finding it. It also did not help that he lost his GPS signal due to the remote location of the winery. When we drove up to the spot, I was a little disappointed because the view was not spectacular. 

We were greeted at the front door and led into the winery. It was dimly lit, nicely decorated, and three glasses were waiting for us. We started the tour and walked by many barrels of wine. The host gave us an overview of the winery and introduced us to one of the owners. 

It was time for our tasting, so he led us to our tasting location. We walked through a large wooden door and I was blown away by the view. Being so high up made the view spectacular. I could have stayed there all day. The host was so nice and the wine was delicious; so delicious that I ordered two bottles. A great way to start my day!

Next up was my favorite, Chandon. Every time I come to Napa, I must visit Chandon. This place is beautiful from the moment you enter the gates. This is my Napa happy place. We love sitting outside under a tree and ordering lots of bubbly and snacks. Chandon is such a refreshing wine. I drink it at home and sometimes I buy it by the case. 

The last stop on the Napa tour was a new spot, Regiis Ova Caviar & Champagne Lounge. My brother-in-law (BIL) and I love caviar and this was a must. My assistant found this place and he knew we had to try it. It was located in one of my favorite places, Yountville. We arrived at the location and were nicely greeted and escorted inside. The place is beautiful and the patio is just as nice.

We decided to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful day. As soon as we sat down, my BIL gave us orders. “No need to worry, I got this!” We sat in our chairs, took off our shoes and let him take care of the ordering. I think the server was shocked that he knew so much about caviar. It started with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and seasonal crab and I can’t remember the rest. We enjoyed everything and left feeling great!

For me, Napa must be on the list every year! I am disappointed that I was not able to visit Brown Estate but they will be first on the list for my next visit. No matter how many times I visit Napa, each time is better than the one before. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favor and go — you will not be disappointed!!