We actually did this one a while back in August 2012 during our trip to the United States. The Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour was definitely a highlight of our time in San Francisco. It was wine tasting for beginners but offered more than just a few vineyards, Chardonnays and a bucket to spit into. You meet the bus down at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and you get a scenic day tour all the way to the vineyards with a running commentary.
Our bus driver was quite entertaining and was filled with interesting facts on towns and landmarks as we drove past them. I’m positive that he didn’t take a breath for the whole journey. Non-stop talking. Seriously. Most people slept the majority of the journey there, which I found disappointing (for them), but not everyone loves travel as much as we do.
The quality of the vineyards varied, as did the wine. Some vineyards were beautiful with average wine and some had beautiful wine with average vineyards.
The guides at each vineyard varied with their knowledge and enthusiasm to educate us all but we did walk away with a little more knowledge than when we arrived. What was our biggest learning from the tour? “The bolder the (bottle) shoulder, the bolder the wine!”
I don’t think that I would recommend this wine tour to anyone that knows a bit about wine… however, it is perfect for beginners (like us) or anyone that just wants to visit the area.
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