Expert: Ernest Tufft - 9/4/2007

Question
Hi there, my husband and I are taking a trip to Cali in early October for our one-year anniversary. We'd like to start in San Francisco (and stay for a night or two), then do 3 nights in Napa/Sonoma. We'd also like to end with 2 nights in San Diego. I'd love some recommendations on how we should fill the rest of the trip. We've both been to LA several times so we don't want to spend any time there. But we'd like to see the major attractions on the PCH (Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, etc)and possibly Santa Barbara. How many nights do you recommend we stay in each additional place (and which towns should we stay in)? We'd like a moderate pace so that we're not getting up at 7am every morning and so that we can spend extra time exploring the areas we especially like.

Also, do you feel that three nights is the right amount of time in wine country (or could we do two)? Any vineyards you think are particularly beautiful? We're wine novices, so we're just looking for beautiful scenery, good food and a romantic vacation.

Thanks so much for your time!

Answer
I answered a similar question as yours about a month back, so I recommend browsing my answers for this trip.  But, the issue of how long to stay in the wine country is worth more discussion.  I personally think that 2 nights in Napa, with an additional night in Sonoma county would be an outstanding experience.  I definitely recommend one full day in the wine country, without need for extended driving because wine tasting can be quite tiring.  The mountain and valley backroads are long enough that a nicely spread out itinerary can reduce the problems associated with too much alcohol.  If you are a novice consumer, I recommend going to COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts, which is located in the town of Napa.  This is a museum of sorts with a overpriced but outstanding restaurant.  This would be a good place to go upon arrival, before the first night's stay, so that you are "trained" as it were for the next day's full schedule of winery visits.  Middle class tourists won't want to buy bottles of wine there, however, as I recommend continuing a couple blocks east on 1st street to JV Wine Store for expert help, a world class selection, more tasting, and much lower prices.  Purchasing is better on the last day, just before leaving the valley for Monterey (take the I-580 route along the in-land east bay for a faster route past the Bay Area).  I would try to book a B&B in Saint Helena or Calistoga, to be more centrally located to the Napa Valley wine industry as a whole.  There are also some great restaurants in this area, and these smaller quaint towns are very scenic and romantic.  I have to go fix the family dinner, so if you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  My reviews of individual wineries can be found at Virtualtourist.com for the towns of Napa, Saint Helena, and Calistoga.  You'll want to get up and off the valley floor for the best small winery experience, which means driving some small twisty roads into the surrounding mountains.  Good luck...