The Calm Before the Crush (The Grapes are Getting Fat in California!) When business takes you to Sacramento and you have some extra time in your schedule, consider day trips to Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, or Amador and El Dorado Counties. Frugal's web guy Jerry Hall just returned from such a trip in the latter part of August 2007. The subject of the pictures is winery architecture and the very abundant vines. (You can click any picture for a larger version or to see full vertical images which appear cropped to fit the horizontal format of the slide show).
Says Jerry: This quick trip to California allowed less than 2 days to grab some photos in addition to 2 lunches at Taylor's Refresher in St. Helena. The slide show opens along Highway 29 in Napa, at Heitz Cellars just south of St. Helena.
Picture 1-5: Heitz Cellars, St. Helena.
Picture 6-8: Louis Martini, St. Helena.
Picture 9-13: Franciscan, Oakville.
Picture 14-15: Opus One, Oakville.
Picture 16-17: Groth, Oakville.
Picture 18-20: Maturing vineyard along Silverado Trail near Oakville.
Picture 21-22: Clos Pegase, between St Helena and Calistoga.
Picture 23: Calistoga before sunset.
Picture 24-29: St. Francis, Sonoma County.
Picture 30-40: Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma County.
Picture 41: Sonoma Winery Sign.
Picture 42-48: Kenwood, Sonoma County.
Picture 49-54: Kunde, Sonoma County.
Picture 55-61: Benziger, Sonoma County.
Picture 62-63: Montevina, Amador County near Plymouth.
It's the third week in August, the grapes are plump and the harvest and crush will begin soon. In fact some "Champagne" grapes (called sparkling wine here in California) are already being crushed as they are the first to come in. Most grapes hang on until the sugar content reaches its peak level and the flavor is mature, perhaps September or even October.
Just 1-2 hours west of Sacramento depending on I-80 and Highway 12 traffic, Napa and Sonoma Counties are always photogenic if not outright over the top. The quality of the food, wine and accommodations is very high but my purpose is to avoid being run over by a limo and bring back nice pictures. (And I always grab at least one burger and fries at Taylor's.)
Time was very short for my first trip to the Sierra foothills, just 1-2 hours east of Sacramento. From Placerville ("Old Hangtown") to Plymouth, this is an overlooked area not to be missed. Some really great wines, like big and bold Zins, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo and other heavy hitters are being made here. And the natural beauty of the unique "gold country" foothills is abundant. You'll be on tight winding roads with steep drops and navigate golden rolling hills dotted with happy cows, horses and sheep. There are recreational opportunities including river rafting and touring gold rush towns. Here are towns like Nashville and Cool. And excellent food, wine and accommodations are convenient to it all. I will be back as soon as I can.
The Sierra foothills area is between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Suggested Airports: Reno (2.5 hours when Donner Pass is clear); Sacramento (1.5 hours).
Our discount policy may save you money. Purchase a full case of any wine with a bottle price of $10 or more, and get an additional 10% off.
Get to know our wine consultants: Jeff Warzynski, Jack Mantle, and Bob Schmitt. They are in the store to help suggest wines for your specific needs. Whether you need advice on pairing wine with food, what to lay down in your cellar, or any other questions, call or e-mail them.
