I am going back in October - Wine Country travel ratings and reviews

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I am going back in October

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Author	Topic: I am going back in October
yesilovewine Member	posted 03-23-2013 07:42 AM I'm going to be out of pocket here for a while, so I'll throw out a few comments for when you get started with your plan. Harvest has been less than stellar due to weather, but for this past year the reports are big and good quality. Harvest FAir will definitely fill your bill for some big fun- especially if you "go for it" and participate in the Grape Stomp...what a way to celebrate your 50th b'day- purple feet! The best way to find out who is having celebrations is the event calendar on the regional winegrower websites...like dry creek valley winegrowers, and such. Also, Sonoma uncorked can be a good reference for that. Acorn and White Oak usually have a bash that's open to the public, and so does Bella; whether they will fall during your visit I don't know. It seems like there is always something a week before the fair and a week or so after that I want to do but can't stay long enough to attend.... .... many of those are member-only things thrown by the different wineries, but there are a couple regional events too. I have in mind that Sonoma Valley may have the Taste of Sonoma around then, and at one time there was talk of adding a "Discover the Gems..." program in the fall too, but I don't know if it ever came to pass. If the weather is good, I'd certainly contact the guy in Alexander Valley that offers vineyard tours by horse drawn carriage...that would be a fun day, indeed. That's all I've got for now...if you have specific questions as you get closer to time, you can e-mail me... IP: 71.65.244.218
KMJ16138 Junior Member	posted 03-10-2013 10:33 AM Thanks again for the update. Harvest fair sounds fun. This trip is to celebrate our friends 50th bday celebration. We will be there the first weekend of October so I expect a busy scene. The crowd are kinda wild so anything goes. When I get closer to planning the trip details I will be in contact. IP: 74.83.219.235
yesilovewine Member	posted 02-07-2013 06:10 AM Hi again K'. I see you haven't gotten a chance to answer my questions, so I'll just take off here and hopefully this information will be pertinent to your upcoming visit. Winery-related changes that I know of in the last 2 years: Blackstone's Kenwood facility was sold and later purchased by the Wilson Artisan Group which opened a new venture, St. Anne's Crossing, in that location. St. Anne's shares the facility with a European co-op called Naked Wines which , in very brief terms, is a European wine club that offers you the chance to choose from numerous small production, boutique facilities in Europe. There are about a dozen new tasting rooms around the Sonoma Plaza now- the tourist board has even created a "wine walk" to point out these places. Roessler Cellars was bought out by their partner and is now WALT wines. The Roessler brothers started a new place called R2 and its located somewhere near The Red Grape, I think. There is now a wine tasting trolley service in Sonoma. There are actually 2- one is like a Platypus Tour and the other is more customized. Hamel Family Wines is building their facility on Hwy 12. I believe construction has begun now, and you may be able to visit them by October. They aren't well known but the winemaking pedigree is there. Wines we tried were very good, especially the Zinfandel. Pezzi King opened a tasting room behind Hudson Street Wineries in Healdsburg That's what comes to mind at the moment. October weather is usually wonderful- look for the potential of VERY warm days, but bring a jacket in case evenings are cool. Check the winegrower association ( like Alexander Valley Winegrowers) calendars for localized events. There are a couple things that come up every year that we have had to miss because they are either right before or right after HF and are outside our visit window. And if you have certain wineries that you particularly enjoyed, be sure to check their websites for winery events- I know that Wilson, Bella, St. Francis, Ledson, Dutcher Crossing, Sunce', Truett-Hurst and others have BIG Harvest parties. [This message has been edited by yesilovewine (edited 02-07-2013).] IP: 71.65.244.218
Hawkeye Member	posted 02-03-2013 06:11 AM Hi KM, You should post your Napa wants on the Napa Board. How many days will you be staying in each valley? -Hawkeye IP: 68.169.189.79
yesilovewine Member	posted 02-02-2013 06:43 PM Hi K'. I remember you. So happy you get a chance to go back!! Lucky Duck. Yes, there have been numerous changes in Sonoma County since your trip- several winery closings and numerous new ones opened. Do you have any ideas yet? Do you have activities other than wines in mind? And what are your dates...if you can manage the first full weekend of October you can visit Harvest Fair and experience it for yourselves. Again- lucky you!!! I have forgotten your wine preferences, so how about a refresher? IP: 71.65.199.114
damombo Member	posted 02-02-2013 06:11 PM October is a wonderful time of year to visit - and yes, probably very busy. Eleven days is a long time! Jealous!!! We generally get about 4 days so we spend two days in Sonoma County and two days in Napa Valley. During that time of year, I would definitely avoid Napa Valley on the weekends due to crowds. Are you planning to do other things - spa days or golf? Are you looking for recommendations for wineries and restaurants? Or for other things to do during those eleven days? Let us know and we will put in our 2 cents worth! IP: 96.8.187.200
KMJ16138 Junior Member	posted 02-02-2013 02:46 PM I used this blog 2 years ago to plan my 20th ann . My wife and I had a wonderful time and it would not have been possible If it wasn't for some awesome recommendations from this blog. This time we will be traveling with 3 couples and be in the Sonoma / Napa area for 11 days. Want to know if anything has changed drastically. How was the harvest the last two years? What is October going to be like! I would bet busy. IP: 74.83.219.235

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