Robert Mondavi Winery

Vineyards stretching out in the distance, olive trees lining the parking lot rows, an orange tree near the wide breezeway entrance invite visitors to enter. After meeting under the breezeway, the tour begins in a small room with maps of the California wine country and an explanation of how the soil, temperature, and climate play into the quality of the grapes grown and therefore the wine produced. Next a walk down a couple of rows in the vineyards for a first hand look at the vines in mid-February leads one to imagine the brown vines cut back to mere stumps stretching out covered with green leaves and dripping with grapes. Comfortable shoes are a must for this part of the walk as a few ladies in our tour soon realized! A walk across a courtyard brings the group past rows of grape vines with large rocks with the names of various types of wine grapes on them indicating the type of grape grown in that row and a small rose garden which is probably quite beautiful when in bloom during the summer months.
Moving inside the distillery, the eye travels over rows of huge containers used in processing the wine. A walk down a ramp leads from the tops of the huge barrels to the bottoms. Next comes an underground, temperature controlled warehouse size room filled with smaller barrels of aging wine. The guide explains parts of the process throughout the tour beginning with why the land is chosen for various types of grapes, how the grapes are crushed for different wines, how the wine is processed and aged, and finally bottled and sold. The $10.00 per person tour ends with a tasting in another cozy room with a tasting table. Our tasting included Fume Blanc 2001, Carneros Chardonnay 2001, Cabernet Savignon and Familia de Moscato Blanco 2001. All the wines were delicious. We came home with a bottle of the Chardonnay and 2 bottles of the Moscato Blanco. This was a tour and tasting well worth the time and money! Make the Robert Mondavi Winery a stop on your next visit to Napa Valley, and you won’t be disappointed.

Domain Chandon

The grounds of Domain Chandon are beautiful even in mid- February.  The parking lot is surrounded by trees as is the entrance to the grounds.  Passing under the company name and insignia display across the top of an archway, you cross a bridge covering a tree-lined stream.  Contemporary sculptures, including a group of mushrooms under living trees, dot the landscape.  Lemon trees in pots frame the doorway to the gift shop and lobby.  The tour includes a lesson on the process of making sparkling wine and the origins of Domaine Chandon which was started in 1973 by Moet-Hennessey, a collaboration of Moet & Chandon from the Champagne region of France and Hennessey, a cognac producer, looking to expand their sparkling wine production to new regions in the world.  The tour meshed together beautiful examples of the “old” process and the technological advances made to the process ranging from displays of wooden presses, storage containers, and riddling racks to modern presses, large stainless steel vats, and automated machines to perform riddling.  Explanations of the process of making the wine and blending of the wines to get just the right taste are entertaining as well as informative.  The tour is free, but the tasting is pay by the glass.  We tried the Etoile Brut and the Chadon de Noir.  Both were excellent with refreshing, clear tastes.  If you’re in Napa Valley, this winery is definitely worth a look.  The tour is fun and informative.  The grounds are delightful.  The delicious sparkling wine is worth buying a glass or even two!

Chateau Montelena

We drove to Chateau Montelena after hearing they gave an excellent tour at the breakfast following our hot air balloon ride even though it wasn’t on our list of wineries for this particular visit.  The couple talking about it during breakfast was so impressed with it that we decided to add it to our list knowing we might have to drop another planned visit.  By the time we arrived, however, the tour itself was completely booked.  We decided to pay for a tasting anyway.  The $10.00 per person for the tasting was worth it.  We tasted a Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Potter Valley Riesling.  All were delicious, but we especially enjoyed the Potter Valley Riesling.  However, we left without purchasing even a single bottle.  After the tasting, we went on a short self-guided tour including taking a look at their elegant tasting room and walking around their beautiful pond and viewing their picnic area available only for Montelena functions.  A temperamental swan made for some beautiful photos.  If interested in their more extensive tour, $25.00 per person, be sure to call ahead to reserve your spot.

Beringer

We stopped at Beringer for two reasons.  One, my husband wanted to take photos of the incredibly beautiful grounds.  Two, they were offering a special tasting of port and chocolate in honor of the Valentine’s Day/President’s Day weekend.  A regular tasting was also being offered, but the regular tours were closed due to the holiday weekend.  We walked around the gift shop and the outdoor area between Rhine house and the Carriage House before heading into Rhine House for the tasting the second floor.  Walking up the stairs, we stopped to admire, and photograph, the lovely stained glass windows.  The port and chocolate were served in a small bar at the top of the stairs.  We tasted a 1988 Vintage Port of Cabernet Sauvignon with a piece of cherry bark chocolate and a 1998 Vintage Port of Cabernet Sauvignon with a raspberry truffle.  The chocolates really enhanced the experience of the Port.  We bought two bottles of the 1998 as we enjoyed its flavor a little more than the 1988.  We’ve discovered, due to this experience, that a divine way to top off a meal is with a glass of Port and a chocolate.  The tasting was worth every penny of the $10.00 per person we paid.  Please be aware, however, that Beringer only sells its Port through its gift shop and website at the present time.

Sebastiani

We were surprised to find Sebastiani in such an urban setting in Sonoma after the other wineries and vineyards we’d visited.  There were no tours offered when we were there as it was Valentine’s Day/President’s Day weekend.  There were two types of tastings being offered.  We opted for the regular tasting, which included a free glass of Chardonnay and three wines chosen from a list.  We chose a Zinfandel, a Merlot, and a White Meritage.  We enjoyed the Chardonnay and the White Meritage enough to buy a bottle of each to bring home with us.  If you want to do one of the more involved tours described on the Sebastiani website, I would suggest calling to ensure they’re available which we neglected to do.

Balloons Above the Valley

Gliding up into the air, cold air on my face, warmth from the hot air powering the balloon, and my husband’s arms around me brought a smile to my face.  An hour soaring over vineyards, wineries, and the homes of Napa Valley was both peaceful and exhilarating.  Booking our flight was easily accomplished through a phone call.  Online reservations are also available, but as our trip was planned quickly and over a holiday weekend, we opted to call when we didn’t hear back immediately from out online query.  We met the group at the Marriott in Napa and were bussed to the launch site.  Each basket held as many as sixteen passengers and the pilot.  Our flight was wonderful.  Our landing, however, was a rather bumpy when our descent happened a little faster than anticipated and the basket caught the wire used to train the grapevines in one of the vineyards and pulled one of the posts out of the ground.  After a couple of tries, we landed safely on the ground.  We were then bussed back to the Marriott where we were served breakfast and sparking wine, Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noir.  Even with our near crash, the balloon ride was something I’d do again without hesitation.