539624 Thu Jul 17 06:54:54 -0700 2008 49 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3876586 I just saw on the news this morning that the Gov. signed a bill allowing us to drink wine outside at winery picnic areas. Finally. So, what are your recommendations for wineries in Napa and Sonoma that would be a good spot for this? Who has good picnic wine AND a nice spot outside to enjoy a picnic (either tables or nice grounds or views to enjoy from a blanket). Thu Jul 17 06:55:03 -0700 2008 130031 Shane Greenwood 1 3877427 We were breaking the law all these years? Hop Kiln has a beautiful picnic area. Most of their wines are so-so to my taste but the Thousand Flowers white blend is a nice picnic wine. Thu Jul 17 10:40:26 -0700 2008 3876586 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 3877739 I'm not really clear what it means. The detailed and informative (not!) AP report says, " It allows winery patrons to consume wine on winery premises, and will be added to existing winery license privileges to give wineries the choice to pursue it as an option in their business plan. The bill also provides that cities and counties may restrict but not eliminate winery license privileges in a manner consistent with local land use authority." I'm quite positive consumers have been allowed to consume wine on winery premises in the past, and much of the limitation on picnicking has been by county ordinance anyway, so I don't know what this will change. For instance, it was probably illegal when my mom had a group of tasters who wanted to try another winery's wine, Ritchie Creek's Blaufrankisch, and my mom gave them a taste from a bottle she already happened to have open in the house. Ritchie Creek produces so little that I don't think they're pouring it, but luckily they do bring it to neighborhood tastings! Thu Jul 17 11:59:00 -0700 2008 3877427 17221 SteveG 2 3881179 Prior to its enactment, the bill's author, Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), said, "... current law is unclear about winery picnics when a bottle of wine from the tasting room goes into someone´s picnic basket." The change makes it explicitly legal, and also allows tasting rooms to sell wine by the glass. Fri Jul 18 12:13:07 -0700 2008 3877427 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3877993 One of the best picnic spots is V. Sattui in St. Helena, however their wine is sub-par, so I wouldn't recommend it. Try either of the following: Rutherford Hill: http://www.rutherfordhill.com/basic_template.asp?page=winery_tours Cuvaison: http://www.cuvaison.com/tasting_room_Calistoga.htm Buena Vista http://buenavistacarneros.com/history/ Thu Jul 17 13:02:17 -0700 2008 3876586 182738 Michelle Grinnell 1 3878300 I agree. V. Sattui has made a ton of money all these years on this picnic concept--surely it couldn't have been illegal? In Dry Creek, Bella and Preston have good picnic areas. Bella has good wine and a nice grassy area under the big olive trees. Preston's wines are a notch lower. But Preston has fresh bread and a garden. Wilson has picnic tables as well, from what I recall. Further south, Lynmar has some nice wines and a really nice patio area with a garden and fruit trees. (and grape vines). Great new facility there, which we were surprised to find has been open for two or three years now. Thu Jul 17 14:23:38 -0700 2008 3876586 13670 Bryan Gros 1 3881378 Casa Nuestra is a "funky" little winery on Silverado trail in St. Helena. Think tie-dye and framed paintings of Elvis, it's pretty cool something different than all of the other wineries...They sell wine by the glass there. We brought food from the deli at V.Sattui and had a picnic at Casa Nuestra! I loved it and there was no one there but us...nothing like the zoo that is V. Sattui... Fri Jul 18 13:11:35 -0700 2008 3876586 196036 angie2210 2 3882365 I completely agree! While we did not picnic there we had the nicest time at Casa Nuestra, loved the people, loved the Fillmore posters (we have a few here) the atmosphere and the Elvis stuff from him filming a movie there. Very pretty and relaxing. Of the 15 wineries we did in 2 1/4 days this was one of the most fun and welcoming. Fri Jul 18 20:03:30 -0700 2008 3881378 41725 manomin 2 4422352 I too love Casa Nuestra for picnics. Yes, it is a little funky but it's also quiet and there aren't bus loads of tourists pulling up to the place. The vineyard dogs will hang around but are not beggars and the goats take an interest in you as well. I like their wines as well and think that they are reasonably priced. Mon Feb 16 13:21:31 -0800 2009 3881378 42600 Bon Vivant 1 3882213 I like the wine and picnic area at Sunce near Santa Rosa. They have an deck with chairs and picnic tables that surrounds a bocce area. Very relaxed tranquil atmosphere. Fri Jul 18 18:44:06 -0700 2008 3876586 94323 wanderlust21 1 3883771 Wineries with picnic facilities ... whether the wine is good or the picnic facilities nice ... that is the question ... would be nice if people who knew updated the place record with info. http://www.chow.com/search?search%5Bquery%5D=%22wine+country%22+picnic+winery&search%5Bclass_names%5D=Restaurant&search%5Bfrom%5D=10+years+ago&search%5Bto%5D=now&search%5Bsort_mode%5D=relevance&search%5Bboardgroup_id%5D=1&search%5Bboard_id%5D=1&Search.x=34&Search.y=5 Sat Jul 19 13:49:01 -0700 2008 3876586 10264 rworange 1 3884560 >the Gov. signed a bill allowing us to drink wine outside at winery picnic areas< I don't remember ever encountering a winery picnic area with no wine drinking allowed. Sat Jul 19 22:11:44 -0700 2008 3876586 10724 Mick Ruthven 1 3982704 How about good wine + wheelchair-accessible picnic area? Sun Aug 24 11:03:20 -0700 2008 3876586 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 3984219 Excellent question. V. Sattui comes to mind since the place is all ground level (is the wine good or just okay...? some debate there). Buena Vista in Sonoma seems accessible too, but there is about 50 yards of dirt road leading up to the winery from the parking lot. Mon Aug 25 05:55:14 -0700 2008 3982704 130031 Shane Greenwood 3 3984971 V. Sattui's a tourist trap. I don't think there's any debate among wine lovers that their wines are not good. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/381428 Mon Aug 25 10:06:59 -0700 2008 3984219 11369 Robert Lauriston 4 3985792 I kick myself for buying my cheeses and meats at V. Sattui's for a picnic. Not that it's bad but there's more of a selection across the street at Dean and Deluca's. Didn't see it there until we were pulling out. Nice deli. Mon Aug 25 13:34:33 -0700 2008 3984971 48784 dcrockett 4 3986489 Yes, agreed. But you were asking about wheelchair access. Maybe some people would appreciate them for that. Mon Aug 25 17:34:30 -0700 2008 3984971 130031 Shane Greenwood 2 4422282 We ended up at Paradise Ridge in Santa Rosa: http://www.prwinery.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=55 It has a covered patio with tablecloth-covered tables and a stunning view. The wines are good and varied--I ended up buying a case of a late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Very wheelchair-accessible. There's a small charge for picnics. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/lauriston/ Mon Feb 16 13:03:19 -0800 2009 3982704 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 4422427 Do they charge for tasting? Mon Feb 16 13:41:22 -0800 2009 4422282 10264 rworange 4 4422479 I think it's $5, waived with purchase. Mon Feb 16 13:58:14 -0800 2009 4422427 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3985778 This photo doesn't make the picnic area look very nice: http://mybt.budgettravel.com/kickapps/_Picnic-Area-Buena-Vista-Winery-Sonoma/photo/1232826/21864.html?enlarge=true Mon Aug 25 13:31:38 -0700 2008 3985758 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3987809 Ledson's an even worse tourist trap than V. Sattui. Tue Aug 26 08:51:13 -0700 2008 3987397 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 3987841 Viansa in Sonoma has a lovely picnic area, but there are a lot of stairs to get to it. Tue Aug 26 08:57:49 -0700 2008 3876586 52499 ChefJune 2 3987889 Viansa's a tourist trap, too, or at least the winery is at best the third priority after the deli and gift shop. Tue Aug 26 09:10:46 -0700 2008 3987841 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 3988884 Robert, do you have any suggestions of your own, or do you plan on just pointing out what's wrong with everyone else's? Tue Aug 26 14:00:49 -0700 2008 3987889 130031 Shane Greenwood 4 3989036 I recommended Hop Kiln above. I emailed them asking about picnic area accessibility but haven't heard back. Tue Aug 26 14:46:03 -0700 2008 3988884 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 3989065 I think, but am not sure that their picnic area is accessible, but I seem to remember a lot of stairs to the tasting room. Tue Aug 26 14:52:45 -0700 2008 3989036 10133 wally 6 3989074 Tasting room accessibility doesn't matter for my purposes. Tue Aug 26 14:56:09 -0700 2008 3989065 11369 Robert Lauriston 6 4422216 Sounds like this post has been dormant for a while, but for future reference, the picnic area at Hop Kiln does not require any step-climbing as far as I can remember. I agree that the wines are not standouts and the picnic area is in full view of some wine-making tanks/equipment, so it is not the most bucolic setting. I think the picnic grounds at Gundlach Bundschu are a lot nicer. Mon Feb 16 12:40:00 -0800 2009 3989065 180708 pickyeater08 4 3989099 I second Shane's comment (although I think this is just Robert's style, in general). But Robert, a nice rephrasing such as "I believe x is a tourist trap because" instead of "X is a tourist trap" (or not jumping to the conclusion that wine lovers automatically don't like V. Sattui) might be a little kinder than the harshness of your above posts (as well as posts on other threads). Really. Sadly, some of us LOVE wine and can appreciate V. Sattui's Gamay on a warm summer's day. Tue Aug 26 15:04:17 -0700 2008 3988884 136252 rahir 5 3989168 I posted a link to a discussion about V. Sattui on the Wine board. Ledson and Viansa have never been mentioned there. None of them are really in the wine business. Tue Aug 26 15:30:13 -0700 2008 3989099 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 4007464 Viansa has a ramp leading up to the second floor tasting room. It is a steep path though so either the person in the wheelchair needs a moter, strong arms and grit or a hearty assistant doing the pushing. However, the picnic area is limited to what is bought at the deli in the tasting room. The wine as mentioned are ok and not top of the line. Wed Sep 03 22:06:16 -0700 2008 3987841 10264 rworange 3 4010043 There is also pizza from a wood burning oven outside. I visited for the first time recently with an insistent MIL. Very touristy, yes, and more about the gift shop than anything else, but the view is nice and the pizza was not bad (though a bit undercooked.) Thu Sep 04 21:25:35 -0700 2008 4007464 11231 Glencora 3 4010928 Is the outdoor seating accessible or not? If they don't allow outside food, I'd call it outdoor seating for the deli, not a picnic area. Fri Sep 05 09:08:39 -0700 2008 4007464 11369 Robert Lauriston 4 4032311 Yes it is accessible. And there is no way this could be considered outdoor seating for a deli. The picnic area is extensive. It seemed a shame they won't open it up so that people could picnic there if they bought wine at the site. Actually the food wasn't all that shabby in the deli ... lots of familiar cheeses like Point Reyes blue. It is just that unless one is trapped on a tour bus there are better options down the road in Sonoma. Sat Sep 13 12:35:14 -0700 2008 4010928 10264 rworange 5 4033377 Very much agree with your last sentence. Viansa is not at all a good recommendation for a winery picnic. Sun Sep 14 00:46:48 -0700 2008 4032311 96640 justalittlemoreplease 1 3988158 In Sonoma I'd suggest Benziger would be my top pick - in Glen Ellen - good wine and very pretty location looking onto hills, lot sof outside tables and chairs. No lawns though Valley of Moon has nice small picnic area at rear St Jean has nice picnic area too as has Ledson Gloria Ferrer can be very windy in afternoon - as can anywher e in Carneros Tue Aug 26 10:32:51 -0700 2008 3876586 52756 sonomajom 1 4033580 Curious with respect to this string as well. We'll be in Sonoma and of the wineries on our tentative list, Bella and Preston are the only ones who have picnic facilities along DryCreek or Westside. While we have a 2pm tastings appointment with Bella, I'd rather defer drinking Zin till the evening after it cools off. As one has to drink what they purchase, are there any other notable picnic areas that have excellent SavBlanc's or Chardonnay in Sonoma? Any input on vineyard and wine would be appreciated. Sun Sep 14 07:05:01 -0700 2008 3876586 220291 JustJake 2 4034959 What do you mean, Bella and Preston are the only ones who have picnic facilities along DryCreek ? My favorite for a picnic is Passalacqua, right by Lambert bridge and roughly across the street from Dry Creek Winery. I like the wine, but it's mainly the picnic area that's neat if you have a small group. There's a sloping lawn with a nice view and a fountain and arbors scattered about, not too close, with round glass tables in them-- it's more like being in a private yard (of a mansion, maybe) than a public picnic area. You can get a glimpse of an arbor in the left-hand photo: http://www.passalacquawinery.com/tastingwines.html Sun Sep 14 18:43:41 -0700 2008 4033580 17062 wearybashful 3 4758396 Is there anything similar to this in Napa? We had a picnic at Passalacqua last time in Sonoma and it was great. The wine was good, but the view/setting was great. I'm hoping to find something similar in Napa, so that we can stock up at D&D one morning and eat while we're out and about. Good wine would be nice, but a nice, romantic picnic spot is the top of my list. Tue Jun 09 19:11:55 -0700 2009 4034959 115805 KateMW 4 4758727 You might like Diamond Oaks Winery on the West side of the valley up Oakville Grade. There are really pretty views from up there and it gives a you a birds eye view of the valley. http://www.diamond-oaks.com/winery/ Tue Jun 09 21:16:14 -0700 2009 4758396 293998 vday 4 4758927 I noticed a beautiful spot at Pride, on Spring Mountain. You have to have a reservation for tasting there, though. If you want to be spontaneous, there are several parks in Napa valley. Wed Jun 10 00:08:18 -0700 2009 4758396 17062 wearybashful 1 4423111 Arista in Sonoma has a Japanese garden adjacent to the tasting room; when we visited last summer, my girlfriend and I spent quite a bit of time sitting at a table taking in the scenery (though I recall there only being one table, so you might be out of luck if it's occupied). It was a nice experience - one of the workers even poured for us outside! http://www.aristawinery.com/arista/index.jsp Mon Feb 16 17:21:16 -0800 2009 3876586 218545 adk 1 4758576 Stryker in Alexander Valley. Just off 128. Tue Jun 09 20:12:26 -0700 2009 3876586 324165 LaFlaca 1 4762013 The request was for good wine and picnicking. I don't think V Sattui qualifies in the wine dept. Wed Jun 10 20:11:01 -0700 2009 4761959 10039 Melanie Wong 2 4762083 I'll ninth (or however high the count is up to) that V Sattui is not a recommended destination for "good wine". If you're in Sonoma, you should consider Cline Cellars. Their zins are decent, they also bottle some varietals you rarely find elsewhere (e.g. mourvedre and carignane) and they have an expansive lawn and pond with picnic tables and many flat places to spread out a picnic blanket (unless the area is being used for special events like weddings). For the kiddies, they have somewhat exotic birds in cages to view as well a locomotive dining car to look out. Wed Jun 10 20:42:17 -0700 2009 4762013 11011 Eugene Park 3 4762104 A long time ago I had some interesting fortified wines from V Sattui, but they're not exactly picnicking wines. Wed Jun 10 20:51:32 -0700 2009 4762083 10039 Melanie Wong 4 4762172 Old thread but Diamond Oaks,Joseph Phelps and Barnett are fabulous picnic spots. V Sattui not on my life. Wed Jun 10 21:31:00 -0700 2009 4762104 52092 mick 5 4762187 The post above says it all . . . "you will see tons of people picnicking and many cars" at V. Sattui. If that's your thing, have at it. But if you enjoy getting off the beaten path and some peace and quiet with views, there are some great places tucked away like Diamond Oaks. However as the word spreads, places like this get more crowded too, and I think they now take reservations for picnickers. Wed Jun 10 21:38:45 -0700 2009 4762172 293998 vday 4 4762199 "A long time ago I had some interesting fortified wines from V Sattui, but they're not exactly picnicking wines." Depends on who you're picnicking with...... =-) Wed Jun 10 21:46:44 -0700 2009 4762104 11011 Eugene Park