Page 27 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

wineries vying for your taste buds along
Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are
the signature grapes grown in the valley,
but other varieties have been making a
strong showing in the last decade. While
the majority of visitors go to the big-name
wineries such as Robert Mondavi, Beringer
and Sterling, those in the know are
heading for Coombsville. Located just min-
utes from downtown Napa, Coombsville’s
unusual cool climate results in sensational
Cabernets from grower/producers such as
Meteor, Sodaro, Caldwell and Farella. Most
are open by appointment only, but well
worth the effort to call and go.
Foodies and wine lovers will want to
check out Flavor! Napa Valley, an annual
event featuring world class Napa Valley
wines alongside food prepared by the
master chefs and graduates of The Culinary
Institute of America at the Greystone
Campus in St. Helena. The Valley’s most
famous event, Auction Napa Valley is the
place to hob-nob with serious wine collec-
tors in a weekend of intimate soirees,
casual luncheons and grand tastings, cul-
minating with the auction, where bids on
exclusive wine lots reach the stratosphere
for a worthy cause.
Prefer something more pastoral? Wind
your way up Highway 128 in Mendocino
County to Anderson Valley, the premier
growing region in Mendocino, and stop in
at the The Madrones, a wine-tasting and
luxury lodging “suite spot” that showcases
local wines from Drew, Bink, Knez and
Signal Ridge. The Madrones is also home to
Stone & Embers, a casual trattoria featuring
wood-stove pizzas, house-made breads and
preserves. Anderson Valley hosts two
exceptional festivals, the highly regarded
Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Fest in May, and
the Alsace Fest in February, focusing on
Alsace-style white wines including Ries-
ling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot
Blanc and Muscat. Farther inland, Passport
to Hopland, a true locals event, is held
twice a year in spring and fall.
BERINGER BROTHERS WINERY historic
building in Napa Valley, above; California
grapes ripen on the vine, top; the wares of
Castello di Amorosa, a Tuscan-style castle
and winery in Napa Valley, on display, left.
2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 25