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Amazing Wine Country Destinations

Elegant estates at the end of country roads lined with vineyards? Yes. Low-key wineries housed in converted barns? Yes again. Urban wine trails with hip in-town tasting rooms? Yes, we have that too. California’s wine country is as varied as the state itself. Find which ones suit your holiday style.

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Harriot Manley/ Sunset Publishing

North Coast Wine Country

North Coast Wine Country
Slip away to some of the state’s most peaceful vineyards

From quiet vineyards surrounded by lush redwood forests along the Mendocino Coast, to the sun-drenched rolling hills of rugged Lake County, the North Coast has about as varied a wine country as you can get. Start near the Pacific, where summer fog and wet winters make for some of the coolest wine-growing climate in California. Organic, sustainable farming techniques are the norm in this tucked-away corner of the state; 

"You can chat about grapes and grape-growing with local winemakers, who are often the ones pouring the wines in relaxed, unpretentious tasting rooms."

On the county’s west side, Anderson Valley, cooled by ocean fog, produces sublime Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer, while warmer Redwood Valley showcases hearty reds, especially Zinfandel. Further inland, take in the wide panoramas from country roads winding through sunny Lake County, known for impressive Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Clear Lake, the state’s largest freshwater lake wholly within the state, makes for a striking backdrop as you drive through the vineyards.

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Mendocino Wine Country by jalbertgagnier/Flickr

Mendocino Wine Country

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Mendocino Wine Country
Discover secret wineries surrounded by redwoods

Get ready for one of California’s prettiest—and least crowded—areas to sip and swirl. Known for ocean-cooled climates ranging from rolling coastal hills to vineyards wrapped with towering coast redwoods, the Mendocino County wine region is not only beautiful, it’s cutting edge too. The area is home to some of the state’s most progressive winemakers, who perfect organic sustainable techniques in their boutique vineyards.

In fact, Mendocino County has the most acreage of certified organic vineyards in the country. See what it’s all about at Frey Vineyards, America’s first maker of certified biodynamic wines—they even say they are vegan and gluten-free. (Frey was one of the few California wineries to sustain heavy damage during the wildfires of 2017, including its tasting room. The winery plans to resume production in November, and then construct a new winery building, which had already been planned for another site, in Redwood Valley.)

For a bonanza of award-winning Mendocino County wines, head inland on Highway 128. In the vineyards surrounding tiny Philo, have your pick of varietals: Gewürztraminer at Handley Cellarsor Navarro Vineyards, or Pinot Noir at Husch. Be sure to stop at charming Boonville General Store in Boonville to pick up local cheeses and other artisanal foods for a picnic to go with your bottles.

 

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Laura Flippen

Sip Wine in the Gold Country

Sip Wine in the Gold Country
Sample vintages from old vines and new varietals

The roots of old Zinfandel grapevines run deep in this northeastern region of California, with winemaking here dating back to the Gold Rush days of the 1850s. Now, an explosion of wineries, wine tours, tasting rooms, and restaurants specializing in wine country cuisine has added a jolt of grape-fueled energy to the Sierra foothills, where more than 100 wineries now produce a wide range of varietals, most notably Zinfandel, but also an intriguing variety of other varietals.

To sample the new boom, head to tiny Plymouth for surprisingly trendy tasting rooms and sleek restaurants like Taste—a magnet for savvy foodies.

The region’s Shenandoah Valley, which straddles Amador and El Dorado counties, is another great place to experience the influx of new mixed with the old. Follow oak-shaded country roads past weathered barns and fences, then drive around a corner to come face to face with urban-edge chic at Andis Winery. Still, there remains a down-home sensibility in this neck of California, with most Gold Country wineries being family-owned, with the winemaker also being the one who pours you wine in the tasting room.

Lodi Wine Country
Dale Goff Photography

Lodi Wine Country

Lodi Wine Country
Sample the city’s famous Zinfandels after a day of outdoor fun

Best known for big red wines, particularly old-vine Zinfandels, the American Viticultural Area of Lodi Wine Country is also a leader when it comes to going green. Upwards of 25,000 acres are certified sustainable, and this is the birthplace of Lodi Rules, California’s first third-party-certified sustainable wine-growing programme. A variety of tasting rooms, located about 100 miles east of San Francisco, have sprouted up in recent years.

Wine & Roses, situated on an elegant 116-year-old seven-acre estate that has been granted recognition as a historical site, makes the ideal home base for winery-hopping. In addition to its luxurious accommodation and amenities, the 66-room hotel is adjacent to the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center, which offers a rotating selection of varietals from nearly 80 local vintners.

Though the range of wines has grown, the rich, concentrated New World varieties are still the region’s hallmark, and more than 40 percent of the state’s Zinfandels are produced here. Map out your own tour—call in at Acquiesce Winery & Vineyards for their award-winning Rhône-style wines, or St. Amant Winery for their Marian’s Vineyard Zinfandel. Or spend an afternoon cycling through vineyards (and tasting wine) on the Four Wineries and a Café cycling tour, or, for the truly adventurous, there’s the Water to Wine Tour—in kayaks!

If a festival coincides with your stay, these two are good bets: ZinFest, an annual three-day tasting party each May, offers a chance to sample some 250 wines from Lodi’s best producers, while the Lodi Grape Festival, held in September, features crafts, rides, games and delicious food.

The Zinfandel Capital of the World offers more than just vino. Lodi attracts golfers with its range of top-level courses, and the Lodi Lake Park offers short walking trails and just about every kind of water recreation, including kayaking, paddle-boarding, rafting, canoeing and angling. The area is also a great place for cyclists, playing host to two cycle tours, the Giro D’Vino in the autumn and the Tour delle Vigne in May. Looking for the perfect family destination? Camping is the main attraction at Jellystone Tower Park Marina & Resort (besides twice-daily appearances by Yogi Bear and friends, that is), but there are also loads of activities to choose from, including mini golf, watercraft hire, laser tag, arts and crafts and more.

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Photo by Laura Flippen

Central Coast Wine Country

Central Coast Wine Country
Miles of coastline, sunny hills, relaxing wineries

Historic ranchlands, a romantic coast, country roads, stay-a-while towns, and grapes—lots and lots grapes—make the Central Coast an outstanding wine country destination. Top vintners have transformed the Central Coast into one of the state’s premier wine regions, with hundreds of wineries to visit in the rolling hills and sunny valleys. Near Monterey, River Road Wine Trail winds into the Santa Lucia Highlands, overlooking expansive farmlands and reminding you that more than grapes grow in this fertile region. Cowboy-friendly Paso Robles has well over 200 wineries and 26,000 acres of vineyards. Here, rural charm mixes it up with contemporary wine country cuisine, not to mention some of the state’s best Rhône-style vintages. Near the college-friendly town of San Luis Obispo, sip wine and take pictures of the elegant, wind-swept Edna Valley at Tolosa and other wineries.

Continue south toward Santa Barbara to discover Pinot Noir paradise, as coastal fog filters through the east-west oriented Santa Ynez Valley to create one of the state’s most diverse winegrowing regions. Some 42 varietals reflect the rich diversity of growing conditions here. Head south along Highway 246 to visit vineyards and relaxed towns, like Los Olivos, Santa Maria, and the Danish-settlement town of Solvang. Or take a walk through Santa Barbara’s burgeoning Funk Zone, where urban tasting rooms fill former industrial warehouses, intermixed with art galleries and hip eateries.

 

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Laura Flippen

Funk Zone

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Funk Zone
Get edgy in this oh-so-hot spot for tasting rooms and food

Tucked between US 101 and East Beach, a narrow band of warehouses has become a hotspot for urban wine-tasting rooms, artists' studios, surfboard-makers and bohemian-cool restaurants like The Lark.

Start your sampling at AVA Santa Barbara Vintners with its dozen or so house wines, each made with grapes from a different corner of Santa Barbara County. Continue to sip your way east towards the beach, finishing with a pale pink rose from Municipal Winemakers, then stroll a block to the sand to dip your toes in the surf. When you want to take a break from sipping and swirling, check out the Funk Zone’s galleries and studios, as well as its ever-changing murals on Mason Street, part of an ongoing project by AMASS (Artists Making A Street Scene). End in true California style, watching the sunset from the tip of 2,300-foot-long Stearns Wharf, a wooden gem dating back to 1872. From here, it’s just you, the swirling seagulls, the barking sea lions and the twinkling lights of town against the soaring coastal mountains.

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Laura Flippen

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY WINE COUNTRY

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SANTA YNEZ VALLEY WINE COUNTRY
Tour an iconic wine region with fog, sun, and plenty of Pinot

The Santa Ynez Valley, just north of Santa Barbara, is one of most diverse grape-growing regions in the county. Near the Pacific, fog and cool air rolls in at dusk, ideal for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Thirty miles inland at Happy Canyon, it’s sunny and hot—perfect for Bordeaux varieties like Cab Franc and Merlot.

And scenic? How about rolling hills, endless vines, and ancient oaks to the horizon. Between the wines and the views, it’s easy to see why the region became a star in the 2004 surprise hit, Sideways. Take a self-guided tour of the film’s many shoot locations in Buellton, Los Alamos, and Los Olivos—even if you don’t remember the movie, these places are all worth a visit.

Where to go? Why not start at Sunstone Winery. It has a cool wine cave, sustainably grown grapes, and a spectacular limestone chateau available for overnight stays. Another tip: buy a pass from Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association to save on tastings at 15 participating boutique wineries.

If you’re looking for a totally different way to tour the region, sign up for a Cloud Climbers Jeep Tour. Guides take you four-wheeling on mountain roads to various wineries, including picnic lunch.

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Ron Thomas/Getty Images

Temecula Valley Wine Country

Temecula Valley Wine Country
Taste your way through Southern California's leading wine region

For many visitors, the Temecula Valley Wine Country is a surprise. After all, a lot of people don’t expect to see gently rolling hills blanketed with rows of vineyards so close to the California desert. But the Temecula area has been producing top wines since the late 1960s. And like the best vintages, this wine country just gets better with age.

It’s a diverse growing region, home to everything from cooler-climate grapes like Chardonnay to warm-weather varieties such as Syrah and Grenache. How can wine grow so close to the desert? It begins with a rich, granite-based soil that plays host to the vines. Then it continues with a unique micro-climate in which the grapes thrive: crisp mornings coated in mist, a warm daytime sun, and cool ocean breezes that welcome the clear night sky.

More than 30 wineries take advantage of these conditions, and the result has been lots of award-winners—which, of course, you can sample. One of the oldest wineries in the region, Callaway Vineyard & Winery (first launched by the golf-gear family) dates back to 1969, and it offers both a big tasting room and cellar tours where you can taste from the barrels. Go to Europa Village and sit on the patio to savour the Cinsaut, made from a grape usually found in the South of France; the winery is also home to a 10-room B&B with themed rooms like Syrah and Pinot Grigio. Head to the Leoness Cellars—located along a rural stretch known as the Deportola Wine Trail—and take one of the vineyard tours before enjoying some Mélange de Blanc or Grenache by the patio’s outdoor fireplace.

Plenty of the wineries are sights in themselves. At Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards, sample the signature almond sparkling wine and take a stroll around the grounds to see the thousands of roses and other flowers—or book the on-site manor, which sleeps 24, for a wedding or reunion. For a tasting plus dinner theatre, Longshadow Ranch Vineyard & Winery does a Wild West show in its ranch-style winery on Friday nights.

Briar Rose Winery, meanwhile, houses its tasting room in a replica of the seven dwarfs’ cottage from Snow White. The wines here are unique too—like the Talking Frog bubbly, a blend of Viognier and lager beer.

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Patty Hinz/Alfaro Family Vineyards

Santa Cruz Wine Country

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Santa Cruz Wine Country
Tucked-away wineries in lush coastal mountains

Winding into the Santa Cruz Mountains, you expect the towering redwoods and the misty ocean views. But wineries? It’s surprising but true: the Santa Cruz wine region boasts more than 70 wineries, producing a wide range of varietals from its mineral-y soils. One of the state’s first AVAs, the region is best known for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Microclimates abound, with warm sunny days, nights brushed with fog, and almost everything in between.

Wine experts note that the rugged region practically forces character into wine. On the often-foggy slopes, the grapes ripen slowly. Marine air cools the vines at night, keeping acids intact (a good thing). Flavors mature in the grapes before sugar levels spike too high, allowing lower alcohol levels in the end. These are lively, interesting, arresting wines. Mountain soils here are often thin and stony, and this is a good thing too: Vines that struggle in poor soil produce fewer, better grapes, with more concentrated flavor.

A must-see example of the region’s remote, low-key wineries is Ridge Vineyards, perched on a steep slope on the northern reaches of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ridge first hit the wine scene with a flourish at the famous 1976 Paris blind tasting (the subject of the 2008 film Bottle Shock); a Ridge Cabernet was ranked by the world's top tasters above some classic Bordeaux. Ridge wines are still considered top shelf.  Bring a picnic, buy a bottle, and relax with a stellar view east across the Silicon Valley.  

In-town tasting options are another way to sample local wines. Stop by Storrs Winery, located in a former mill, to sample Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Pinot Noir. At Pelican Ranch, enjoys tastes of Burgundy- and Rhone-style varietals. 

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Courtesy of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce

San Luis Obispo County Wine Country

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San Luis Obispo County Wine Country
Explore cowboy-meet-wine-country towns and vineyards

If you love wine, you’ve come to the right place. The San Luis Obispo region ranks as one of the state’s premier wine growing regions, dating back to the 18th century and the time of the Spanish padres. But even if you don’t know a Cab from a Chardonnay, the wine country still beckons, with relaxed, cowboy-meets-winemaker towns and vineyards blanketing coastal hills. 

South of town, Edna Valley is home to many top wineries, such as Tolosa, Chamisal and Balleyana. The average distance of Edna Valley vineyards to the ocean is just five miles, bringing mild days and cool evenings that help Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reach their maximum potential. A complex soil profile adds character and complexity too. 

To extend your wine-country travels, continue about 30 miles northeast to the Paso Robles region. Here, more than 200 wineries ranging from family-owned boutiques to well-known labels such as J. Lohr and Estrella River welcome visitors to sip and swirl award-winning vintages. Paso Robles’ warmer inland climate lends itself to Bordeaux, Rhone and Zinfandel grapes, which vintners use in innovative blends, as well as traditional vintages. To achieve your own blend of variety, delight and safety, consider joining a guided tour (group and private options abound, including Breakaway Tours, Alexis Limousines and SLO Safe Ride.

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Burrell School Vineyards

Silicon Valley Wine Country

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Silicon Valley Wine Country
Apricot and prune blossoms complement local vineyards

The west side of the Silicon Valley, where the land rises to meet the rumpled, wooded folds of the Santa Cruz Mountains, has become an inviting wine-country destination. The charming village of Saratoga is the region’s hub, with in-town tasting rooms including Cinnabar, where you can savor small plates and award-winning Mourvedre on a shaded patio. For a real treat, check the calendar and catch an evening of entertainment at the historic Mountain Winery. The legendary Paul Masson, who emigrated to San Francisco from Burgundy, France in the late 1800s, acquired a Saratoga vineyard where he developed fine California sparkling wines. Today, his winery is the site of summertime concerts in an intimate venue under the stars—a worthy splurge.

Saratoga has a spa tradition too, thanks to natural mineral springs and lavish retreats built around them in the late 1800s. Today’s modern Shangri-Las include Nilou and Preston Wynne.