Sonoma Valley Tours are very elite as it is a home of five distinct wine regions: Los Carneros District, Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, and Dry Creek Valley along with Alexander Valley. A person could spend a day by Sonoma Tours discovering each region and yet have plenty of other reasons to come back. The most excellent reason to make up a Sonoma Valley Tours could be its top winery, the best winery in California is placed only a few minutes away from Historic Sonoma Square in downtown Sonoma Valley, and the primary producer of champagne in U.S. could be found about an hour along with the beautiful Russian River.

Sonoma Valley is a federally chosen wine designation region, which means the climate, soils, and scenery of the Sonoma Valley creates grapes of an idiosyncratic and astonishing character. Sonoma tours are finest as it is ranked as one of the top wine producing regions in world; Sonoma Valley possesses more than thirty high-quality wineries and with some of the traditional vineyards as well with wineries in state, it is recognized as the birthplace of California wine-making.

Sonoma Valley is in fact less developed than the Napa Valley, but offers more features. Sonoma Valley possesses the huge geological diversity and the principal number of appellations in Wine Country Tours, people chose Sonoma Wine Country Tours simply for this reason. The awesome charm of Sonoma Valley is the rural less visited areas than its neighbor Napa Valley.

Sonoma is extremely unique than Napa Valley and as well offers sole experience and could easily fill one holiday time her by taking up a Sonoma Tours. This wine country side is scattered with over 200 wineries; each one shiny its own history, its culture, and the people those surround around this gorgeous valley. While it is as well possible to visit more than one wine area in a day, you might find that is good to focus you leisure time in one area at a time. All need to do a prior planning if you desire to have a holiday at Sonoma valley. You can go for the online booking for tickets as well, as there are large numbers of good San Francisco shuttle tours companies offering this facility.

Help Me I Have NOOO idea What to Do Here And I Been Living here for 19 years please help me!!!

check www.bayareavisit.com, there are two option to napa valley( Yountville, St helena, calistoga).
Ferry and VINE bus 10 , total cost $11.50
BART and Bus 80, 10, total cost $ 8.10

provided by Cocktails & Wines | http://www.cocktailsandwines.com  

Amuse Bouche, Beringer,  Burgess, Cain Five, Far Niente, Folie a Deux, Grigich Hills, Harlan Estate, Pahlmeyer, Paradigm, Quintessa Rutherford, Robert Mondavi, Cask 23-Stag’s Leap, Bond, Bouchaine, Bravante, Cakebread, Dominus Estate, Duckhorn, Etude, Insignia, Miner, Nickel & Nickel, Opus One, Rutherford Hill, Screaming Eagle, Silver Oak & Stags’ Leap

During the early decades of winemaking in the Napa Valley, grapes were often planted in patchwork pattern vineyards in which many varieties were mixed. But experience has since shown the wisdom of matching grapes with locations whose microclimates and soils are best suited to particular grape varieties. Within the Napa Valley, regions have emerged that possess distinct microclimates and terrains, imprinting recognizable characteristics on the grapes grown within them. Vintners and growers within these regions delineate the boundaries of these growing areas, giving them names that reflect their regional designations, or appellations.

Data supporting a proposed American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is submitted to the government, which decides whether the proposed appellation designation will be granted. The Napa Valley is itself an appellation. Within the Napa Valley appellation exists 14 subappellations, or AVAs, including:

Atlas Peak, Chiles Valley District, Diamond Mountain District, Howell Mountain, Los Carneros, Mt. Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, Spring Mountain District, Stags Leap District, Yountville, Wild Horse Valley and Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. The Calistoga appellation is still pending approval.

Cool, mountain-influenced, with temperatures about 10 to 15°F cooler than the Valley floor in summer. Above the fog line, there is a low diurnal change, with summer temperatures rarely above 90°F (30°). Elevation: 760 to 2600 ft (231m to 792m). Rainfall: 38 inches (96 cm) annually. Soils: Volcanic in origin, with basaltic red color, shallow with limited water retention, so irrigation is often essential. Principal varieties & characteristics: Cabernet Sauvignon: Bright berry and cherry fruit, and more acidity than wines from Stags Leap District. Chardonnay: Crisp, flora, aromatic, with distinctive pear-mineral flavors and bright acidity. Chiles Valley District AVA Climate: Fairly warmer summer days (mid-80°F plus), but due to higher elevation and summer fog at night, quite chilly at night (below 50°F). With colder winters and spring, as well as strong winds, harvest comes later than on valley floor at Oakville. Elevation: 800 to 1300 ft. (242 to 394m). Rainfall: 35 inches (88cm) annually.

Soils: On the valley floor, primarily alluvial soils with silty-clay composition of marine origin, with good fertility. Hillsides show more clay-loam and stony-clay composition, mostly marine in origin, with some volcanic outcropping, and less fertility.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc: Cabernets usually reveal a lush yet firm texture with good acidity, firm tannin and distinctive cherry-blackberry flavors. Merlot typically has vibrant black cherry flavors mixed with a touch of cocoa.

Moderately warm temperatures with lower maximum temperatures and higher minimum temperatures than north Napa Valley floor, due to topography and altitude. Significantly cooler than valley floor near Calistoga, 50 to 95°F in growing season (10 to 32°C). Elevation: 400 to 2200 ft. (130 to 530 m) Rainfall: 40 to 55 inches (135cm) annually.

Soils: Residual uplifted soils of volcanic origin, often reddish and very fine-grained, even gritty in texture, composed of both weathered sedimentary and volcanic origin.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc: firmly structured, rich and fairly tannic when young, with strong blackcurrant, mineral, and cedary flavors. Less supple and fleshy than valley or benchland wines, with good aging potential. Chardonnay: Full-bodied, yet revealing mineral, green apple-peach aromas with fairly firm acidity; less richly textured than valley floor wines. Howell Mountain AVA Climate: Similar to the facing Spring Mountain AVA, however slightly warmer and dryer overall due to strong afternoon sun influence. Fairly cool nights in both ranges and higher elevations help maintain good acidity. Elevation: 600 to 2200 ft (184 to 675m).

Rainfall: 40 to 50 inches (125cm) annually. Soils: Predominantly volcanic, shallow and infertile. Drainage is high, fertility low. Principal varieties & characteristics: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel: Powerful, firm, blackberry-currant flavors and often richly tannic, with excellent acidity for aging. Chardonnay, Viognier: Sinewy, firm and not as fruity as those of the valley floor, revealing more citrus and stone fruit flavors.

Cool, with prevailing marine winds from the San Pablo Bay and through the Petaluma Gap to the west. High temperatures during summer rarely exceed 80°F (27°C) with less diurnal range variation. Elevation: 15 to 400 ft. (4.6 to124 m)

Rainfall: Lowest in Napa Valley: 18 to 24 inches (7.2 to 9.6 cm) annually.

Soils: Clay dominated, very shallow in general, with more loam and hillside alluvials in the northern section. Yields typically are restrained by the hard claypan subsoil, which prevents deep-rooting.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Chardonnay:

minerally pear-apple and spice flavors.

Merlot:

sinewy and lightly herbal, with fine tannins and sleek structure.

Pinot Noir:

ripe cherry-cinnamon spice flavors with earthy notes.

Cool to moderate, with most vineyards above the fog-line, meaning warmer nights and cooler days and less diurnal range than the valley floor. Typical mid-summer high temperatures about 85°F (30°C).

Elevation: 600 to 2100 ft. (183 to 650m).

Rainfall: 35 inches (87.5cm) annually. Soils: Sedimentary based, former seabed, shallow and generally well drained, as well as more acidic, with low fertility. Most have a sandy or sandy-loam texture. Principal varieties & characteristics: Ageability is a hallmark of Mt. Veeder wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel:

Low yields give red wines a firm, tannic structure with strong earth-berry aromas and rich, but powerful flavors.

Chardonnay:

minerally, appley, even citrus flavors with good acidity. Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA Climate: Moderate to cool: marine air and fog can remain until mid-morning. Late afternoon breezes frequently occur, maintaining slightly cooler temperatures than upper valley. Mid-summer temperatures may reach 92 degrees F (31.5 C) and drop to around 50F (10C) at night.

Elevation: sea level to 800 feet (244m) Rainfall: 36 inches (90cm) annually.

Soils: The valley’s largest alluvial fan formed by Dry Creek creates the defining feature of the district. The northwest area is composed of volcanically derived soils, with stony or gravelly consistency. South and east areas are transitional from gravel to silty clay loam.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon benefit from a longer growing season with slightly cooler temperature, though crop size is typically less than in other AVAs. Elegant style is the common note with fruit flavors of cassis, tobacco and spice typical to Bordeaux-style reds. Chardonnay showcases flavors of crisp apple, mineral notes and tropical fruit with fine acidity.

Moderately warm, with temperatures commonly in the mid-90°F range in high summer, but also still strongly affected by night and early morning fog which helps keep acidity levels good. East side of the AVA receives more of warmer afternoon sun.

Elevation: 75 to 500 ft (23 to 150m). Rainfall: 35 inches (87.5 cm) annually.

Soils: Primarily sedimentary gravelly alluvial loams on the western side, with more volcanic but heavier soils on the eastern side. Low to moderate fertility and fairly deep, with average water retention.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot:

Ripe currant and mint flavors, rich texture and full, firm structure tempered by rich fruit.

Sauvignon Blanc:

Full, steely, yet very fleshy, and not especially crisp.

Moderately warm, still marginally influenced by early morning fog. Western bench area is cooler, with less late afternoon sun, tempered by afternoon marine winds. (This AVA averages a bit warmer than Oakville and Stags Leap District). Usual summer peak temperatures are mid-90°F with good diurnal range.

Elevation: 100 to 500 ft. (33 to 150m).

Rainfall: 38 inches (95 cm) annually.

Soils: Western benchland is sedimentary, gravelly-sandy and alluvial, with good water retention and moderate fertility. The eastern side has more volcanic soils, moderately deep and more fertile.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel:

This is “Cabernet country.” Quite intense cherry and mineral, almost earthy aromas. Flavors are full, ripe, and notably currant with firm, but supple tannins for extended aging.

Warm, due to greater protection from western hills, with less fog or wind incursions. The narrowing of the valley floor provides more heat reflection off the hillsides. Mid-summer temperature peak is often in the mid- to high 90°F range (31 to 35°C).

Elevation: 150 to 600 ft. (46 to 185m). Rainfall: 38 to 40 inches (95 to 100cm) annually.

Soils: South and west borders are more sedimentary, gravel-clay soils, with lower fertility and moderate water retention. Further north and to the east soils are prevalently volcanic in origin and are deeper and more fertile.

Principal varieties and characteristics:

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot:

deep, ripe, often jammy flavors, with firm tannins for structure, and appealing aromas of currant and black fruit.

Rhone varieties (Syrah, Viognier):

Fleshy, supple and slightly earthy. Zinfandel: Blackberry-like, well-structured.

Similar to Mt. Veeder AVA, with cool weather prevailing and smaller diurnal changes. Fairly cool nights and higher elevations help maintain good acidity.

Elevation: 600 to 2200 ft (184 to 675m). Rainfall: 40 to 50 inches (125cm) annually.

Soils: Primarily sedimentary; weathered sandstone/shale, loamy and friable in texture. Drainage is high, fertility low.

Principal varieties & characteristics: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel: Powerful, firm, blackberry-currant flavors and often richly tannic, with excellent acidity for aging.

Chardonnay, Viognier:

Sinewy, firm and not as fruity as those of the valley floor, revealing more citrus and stone fruit flavors.

Moderately warm, with afternoon marine winds acting as an ‘air-conditioner’ to cool the warmer air radiating off the bare rocks of Stags leap itself and the surrounding hillsides. This AVA is often up to 10& deg;F warmer than in Yountville AVA. Mid-summer temperatures can reach 100°F, but more regularly are in mid-90 range (32-34°C).

Elevation: 66 to 400 ft. (20 to 123 m).

Rainfall: 30 inches (75cm) annually. Soils: Volcanic gravel-loams on the floor of the valley, with rocky hillsides, and low to moderate fertility due to hard clay bedrock subsoils 2 to 6 feet down.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese:

Distinguished by lush, velvety textures and fine perfumed cherry and red berry flavors, supported by soft tannins.

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc:

Round and ripe, especially Sauvignon Blanc, yet retain excellent citrus and apple flavors.

A warmer area well to the east of Napa Valley proper, but still moderated by both altitude and prevailing winds coming off Suisun Bay to the Southeast.

Elevation: Wild Horse Valley 400 to 1500 ft. (123 to 460 m).

Rainfall: 35 inches (94 cm) annually.

Soils: Volcanic in origin, with basaltic red color, shallow with limited water retention, so irrigation is often essential.

Principal varieties & characteristics:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese:

Bright berry and cherry fruit, and more acidity than wines from Stags Leap District.

Chardonnay:

Crisp, flora, aromatic, with distinctive pear-mineral flavors and bright acidity.

Yountville Climate:

Moderate, with definite cool marine influence and fog contributing to cool summer mornings and the marine breeze keeping afternoons more comfortable than further up valley. Mid-summer peak temperatures may reach 90°F (31°C), with noticeable diurnal fluctuation to the mid-50°F range (13°C).

Elevation: 20 to 200 ft (6 to 61m).

Rainfall: 32 inches (80 cm) annually.

Article provided by Cocktails & Wines | Cyrus from www.cocktailsandwines.com

Two hours if you want to enjoy the drive, 5 hours if you hit traffic between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm.

Pacific Grove is at the tip of the Monterrey Peninsula.
Napa Valley is approximately 1-1.5 hours north of San Francisco (depending on where you start in Napa Valley). Pacific Grove is about 2 hours south of San Francisco. However, the most direct route between the two locations is via I-680 to San Jose, and then onto the 101. This route avoids much of the traffic around San Francisco.
If you take the I-680/101 route, traffic is probably not a major problem. The may be some congestion in Napa, especially along route 28 (a narrow road with wineries and other commercial establishments along the way). There will be traffic on 680 and also on the 101 south of San Jose, but it normally moves along. Traffic in the Monterrey area is rarely an issue other than at the rush quarter-hour.

Schedule of Air port shuttle service from San francisco internationa airport?

The rolling hills and vineyards of the Sonoma Valley are just part of a natural tapestry that has beckoned art-lovers and wine connoisseurs to this region for decades. Indeed, the fathers who founded missions here were growing grapes hundreds of years ago. Then, in the late 1850′s, a fellow named Col. Agoston Haraszthy figured it all out.

Haraszthy was a Hungarian immigrant who convinced the state of California to send him to Europe on a fact-finding mission to see just how European growers created what were acknowledged to be the best wines of the time. He came back convinced that the soil in the Sonoma Valley was ideal for growing grapes, and that locally produced wines could rival those in Europe. He founded the Buena Vista winery and, by 1876, the Sonoma Valley was producing more than 2.3 million gallons of wine per year.

Today, the Sonoma Valley and the nearby Napa Valley are the cornerstones in a winery industry that continues to grow well beyond Northern California. Whichever wine-going region you choose in California, you’ll be experiencing some of the best wines anywhere.

And so Sonoma and Napa keep packing in visitors seduced by the fertile landscape, the charm, the history and now the variety of wineries that each region has to offer the California traveler. Stately inns and luxurious resorts have sprung up alongside the hundreds of wineries in those regions today, each accommodation offering a getaway experience that becomes almost spiritual in the way it transports the visitor to a completely different way of life.

In Sonoma Valley, you’re likely to see more family-run wineries and fewer of those owned by international conglomerates. The landscape is similar to Napa but everything seems just a bit more “small-town.”

Our first visit to Sonoma was during one of its many festive events held down in the Plaza

As the wines produced in the Napa Valley continue to grow in prestige, joining the ranks of the finest of Italy and France, so does the expansion of the tourism industry in this region. Its history as a wine-producing district stretches back to the early 19th century. By that century’s end, there were over 140 distinct wineries, each offering their own product. Today, with over 340 wineries, Napa is considered to be among the finest of the AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas). Touring a vineyard is a great way to spend a day on your California vacation.
An enormously diverse range of grapes is produced in the Napa Valley. Specialties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Zinfandel. The Vineyard owners have turned production into an art form, spending countless hours researching cultivation methods in the pursuit of the perfect grape. Indeed, most producers blend several grapes into each wine to produce a mixture from throughout the Valley.
The average vineyard tour takes from one to two hours, and usually costs about twenty-five dollars. Ambling through a vineyard is one of the most tranquil experiences California has to offer. You’re immediately confronted by the sweet fragrance of crushed grapes, a sublime odor. Every sense delights, with birds chirping in your ears and sweeping vistas playing out before your eyes.
One of the most famous wineries is the Beringer Vineyard. The oldest continuously operating Vineyard in Napa (and the first to offer tours to the public), Beringer has been declared a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The winery is open every day, with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
The Vineyard was founded by Jacob Beringer, a German immigrant who left life in Europe to pursue opportunity in the New World. After landing in New York, Beringer almost immediately set off for points west, lured by reports that the climate in California excelled in producing fantastic grapes. Though he had only minimal experience, he knew this would be his life-long profession. Through perseverance and hard work, he was able to transform wilderness into paradise, resulting in the birth of the Beringer Vineyard.
Numerous buildings throughout the Vineyard seamlessly blend into the landscape, providing a historical context to the grapes growing around you. Some have been here for over 100 years, a testament to the quality of this Vineyard’s product. Many buildings also contain examples of art produced in the region.
Beringer offers a number of different tour options. Beginners should start with the “Introducing Beringer Tour”. This is also the only tour at the winery open to those under 21. It highlights different moments in Beringer’s 129 year history. Other options include the Historic District Tour, the Vintage Legacy Tour, and the Taste of Beringer Tour. Whichever you choose, end at the Old Winery Tasting Bar.
Whether you choose Beringer or any of the fine wineries in the Napa Valley, you’re sure to have a great experience wandering through the quiet scenery. Let a Napa vineyard tour be a highlight of your time in California.

Which red or white wines that are priced between $15.00 and $30.00 that is a great choice for the holidays?