29071 Thu Apr 29 19:42:17 -0700 2004 18 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 122369 Hi Hounds, I've got some family coming soon that want to go wine tasting. There are a few constriants on the group. PRICE: we generally need inexpensive wines (several college students in the group) and little, no, or at least waivable tasting fees. Say, most bottles under $20/bottle. TASTES: Most preferred are red wines like zin, cab, merlot, and syrah, tending toward fruit forward. Aromatic, not buttery/oaky, whites. One sparkling wine producer highly desirable. ATMOSPHERE: Tending toward "touristy." That is, places that offer distractions other than just tasting and talking about wine. TOURS: At least one informative tour, perhaps a sparkling wine tour since there are extra things to see. WHEN: A Monday or Tuesday. LOCATIONS: Napa or Sonoma, as this must be a one day day trip from SF. If it wasn't for this, I'd take them to Anderson Valley. We'll probably hit 4 or 5 places, so not every single place needs to meet every single requirement. Commentary on wineries that I'm familiar with but won't work this time: - Cline - Great inexpensive wines, is perfect except that I've taken these people there twice already. - Domaine Chandon - Great tour, don't care for the wines too much so would like something different. - Siduri - Too touristy. - All of Russian River area - A favorite area of mine, the group found this place not touristy enough, boring I suppose. But that was years ago, maybe it's been Napafied enough by now. - Benziger - They also enjoyed the tour here, and the peacocks, but no good inexpensive wines. - Copia - I can't stand the place, plus it's costly. I'm stumped. Any suggestions?? How are things these days at St Supery? Mondavi? Thu Apr 29 19:42:17 -0700 2004 0 nja 1 122376 Siduri too touristy???? The Siduri I know is appointment only and housed in an industrial warehouse in Santa Rosa. (BTW, they are having a 10th Anniversary open house on Saturday, and the wines will be poured by the owners of each supplying vineyard.) Thu Apr 29 20:17:26 -0700 2004 122369 0 Paul H 2 122403 Does this mean that they'll be pouring their Santa Lucia Pinots from the Gary's Vineyards? Thu Apr 29 23:15:07 -0700 2004 122376 0 JoeH 3 122404 That would be my guess. And you might get to meet the Garys (both of them). Thu Apr 29 23:17:06 -0700 2004 122403 0 Paul H 4 122439 This was posted by the owners/winemakers of Siduri on the Vinocellar forum: I just wanted to update everyone on our Open House on Saturday May 1. It is at our winery in Santa Rosa from 10am to 4pm. It is looking like it will be quite a party! Here are some details: - All of our growers are showing up to pour wines from grapes grown in their vineyards. This includes Gary Pisoni, Gary Franscioni, David Hirsch, Bob Grimes (from Oregon), Marcy Keefer, Peter Cargasacchi etc. We'll also have our Novy growers here. - All of the wines will have special - day of the event - sales prices. If we are already sold out of a current release the grower will be pouring barrel samples and Futures will be offered. - Food (little appetizers) will be provided by Restaurant Mirepoix. We hope you can make it! Adam & Dianna Lee Siduri Wines/Novy Family Winery pinot@siduri.com 707-578-3882 Fri Apr 30 10:59:45 -0700 2004 122404 0 Trevor Linden 2 122414 Sorry, brain fart. I meant Sattui. Fri Apr 30 00:49:54 -0700 2004 122376 0 nja 3 122459 Friends don't let friends go to Sattui. Fri Apr 30 13:09:42 -0700 2004 122414 0 Ruth Lafler 1 122378 Some suggestions: Artesa -- gorgeous building with view, reasonable tasting fees, good wine (including sparkling wine), nice staff It's just up the hill from: Domaine Carneros -- might be a nice alternative for your sparkling wine tour. And it's just down the hill from the Hess Collection, which everyone assures me is a great art collection and where some of the wines are in the price range you mentioned. And remember that some (most?) wineries will let you share a tasting flight, which since you end up dumping wine out anyway, is no big sacrifice. Since Carneros is between Napa and Sonoma, you can go either way from there. Korbel does a surprisingly good (and I think free) tour. They also do tours of their rose garden Tues-Sun. It should be gorgeous in May. Thu Apr 29 20:37:33 -0700 2004 122369 0 Ruth Lafler 2 122393 I love sitting on the Domaine Carneros terrace looking onto the Carneros valley while sipping sparkling wine. I think starting with either Domaine Carneros or Artesa followed by Hess Collection is a wonderful idea, and should meet most of Nick's requirements. Thu Apr 29 21:31:01 -0700 2004 122378 0 Malik 1 122383 That's exactly what I was going to say. If Siduri is touristy, the OP's head would explode if he came within 100 feet of Viansa. Thu Apr 29 20:49:28 -0700 2004 122369 0 MikeW 2 122385 I like St. Supery, but there is a tasting fee, and the wine prices at the winery are full retail. Their sauvignon blanc is about the only California one I drink, very nice for the price. They offer more than just tasting from what I recall. Under $20 at the winery is getting difficult almost anywhere. Throw in entertainment and the desire for quality wine and you are nearing the impossible. Thu Apr 29 20:53:38 -0700 2004 122383 0 MikeW 1 122402 How about Clos Pegase (knock-out architecture plus outdoor sculptures) and Rutherford Hill (a cave tour)? CP charges for tastings but (I believe) RH doesn't. Both have midprice wines. Speaking of caves, outside of the town of Sonoma, Gundlach-Bundschu has an interesting cave tour (as well as nice grounds), and you can be touristy at Ravenswood and Buena Vista. I think tastings are free at all three. Wines should be reasonably priced at all three. The main square in Sonoma is always interesting for tourists. Thu Apr 29 23:10:25 -0700 2004 122369 0 svL 1 122406 Shouldn't this be on the Not About Food board? Not to nitpick, but I think everyone should get dinged equally. I'm trying to teach the moderators my motto: "If you can't be right, at least be consistent." Thu Apr 29 23:34:54 -0700 2004 122369 0 Gary Soup 2 122413 Recommendations for wineries to visit in the bay area have always been on topic for this board. Fri Apr 30 00:48:15 -0700 2004 122406 0 nja 3 122421 I'm from the "wine is food" school myself. But when you start asking about tourist attractions rather than what you put in your mouth, my eyes glaze over... Fri Apr 30 02:31:20 -0700 2004 122413 0 Melanie Wong 2 122419 i agree on the 'it's local, so it should be posted here' tip. but a-freakin'-men about the 'be consistent' comment. Fri Apr 30 02:25:28 -0700 2004 122406 0 shocker 2 122422 Gary, the moderators need your eyes and help to be consistent in their calls. You probably read this board more carefully than they do since they're stretched across all the message boards, and this one is better behaved than some others. (g) They can only be consistent to the extent they can read and review every message, which is never going to happen. If you see something that you think a moderator should review, then please copy the url into an email and send it to webmaster@chowhound.com. Fri Apr 30 02:43:10 -0700 2004 122406 0 Melanie Wong 1 122464 Thanks everyone. Domaine Carneros, Artesia, Hess sound like a great start, then maybe I'll take them toward Sonoma and stop at Schug (just checked their website, they're not as expensive as I recalled), Ravenswood, or Buena Vista. I like the picnic spot at Gundlach-Bundschu, but avoid it due to a negative experience with the tasting room staff. -Nick Fri Apr 30 13:32:59 -0700 2004 122369 0 nja 2 122512 You might also want to stop at Coppola. The grounds are quite pretty, and the movie paraphanalia might appeal... (And some of the wines are tasty). I seem to recall they do charge for tastings though. Fri Apr 30 20:17:48 -0700 2004 122464 0 wlw18