Wine Country Bucket List

People are always asking me for recommendations for their Napa and/or Sonoma trip, so I decided to put together a list of some of the really cool and unique experiences. If you want to immerse yourself and take advantage of everything wine country has to offer, I recommend checking out a few of the items I listed below. While most wineries offer a “standard” tasting experience at a counter, it is much better to go off the beaten path and learn a little bit more of the “why” behind the wine.

• Barrel Tasting
  • Napa: Del Dotto Cave Experience & Barrel Tasting
  • Sonoma: Barrel Tasting Weekend
• Tour a Vineyard
  • Napa: The Hess Collection Vine to Table Excursion
  • Sonoma: Kunde Mountain Top Tasting
• Stomp Grapes
  • Napa: Grgich Hills Estate
  • Sonoma: Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival
• Tour a Wine Cave
  • Napa: Schramsberg
  • Sonoma: Alexander Valley Vineyards or Bella
• Join a Wine Club
  • Almost all wineries have a wine club, so pick your favorite and sign-up! Or join them all 🙂
• Winery Picnic Lunch
  • Napa: V. Sattui
  • Sonoma: Cline
• Wine + Food Pairing
  • Napa: Davis Estates
  • Sonoma: Scribe or Flowers
• Make Your Own Blend
  • Napa: Conn Creek’s Barrel Blending Experience
  • Sonoma: Dry Creek Vineyard’s Meritage Blending Experience
• ATV Ride Through a Vineyard
  • Napa: Reverie II
  • Sonoma: Gustafson Estate Tasting
• Hot Air Balloon Ride
  • Napa: Napa Valley Aloft
  • Sonoma: Sonoma Ballooning Adventures
• Taste with a Winemaker
  • Napa: Aonair Wines
  • Sonoma: Acorn Winery
• Stay Overnight at a Winery
  • Napa: Cliff Lede’s Poetry Inn
  • Sonoma: Jordan

If you’re looking for other Napa and Sonoma resources, check out some of my other posts linked below:

• Visiting Napa on a Budget
• Napa Guide for Beginners
• Wine Country Weekend – Napa 2019
• Two Perfect Days in Napa
• Wine Country Weekend – Sonoma September 2019
• Wine Country Weekend – Sonoma 2020
• Wine Country Weekend – Sonoma February 2019

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