Publication: Weekend GetAways
California Wine Country | |
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WEEKEND GETAWAYS - Friday, August 17, 2007
Make The Most Of Your Vacation - From Coast to Coast!
Greetings Getaway Lover,
We are off to do some wine tasting in California Wine
Country.
In 1975 Napa Valley had no more than 20 wineries; today
there are well over 200. In Sonoma County, where the web
of vineyards is looser, there are 200 or so wineries, and
development is now claiming the cool Carneros region, at
the head of the San Francisco Bay, deemed ideal for grow-
ing the chardonnay grape. Within these combined regions
of the Wine Country, at least 120 wineries have opened
in the last seven years alone. Nowadays many individual
grape growers produce their own wines instead of selling
their grapes to larger wineries. As a result, smaller
"boutique" wineries harvest excellent, reasonably priced
wines that have caught the attention of connoisseurs and
critics, while the larger wineries consolidate land and
expand their varietals.
Happy Trails,
Jan
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--DESTINATION:
California Wine Country
There's more to do in the Wine Country than merely taste
wine. Mineral water soaks, mud baths, and massage are
rejuvenating local traditions. Calistoga is famous for
its warm, spring water-fed mineral tubs and mud baths
full of volcanic ash. Sonoma, St. Helena, and other towns
also have full-service spas. Among other diversions, you
can dine at superb restaurants, take a balloon ride over
the vineyards or a bike tour through them.
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Normal Price: $4.99
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Get a few of them. You can use them for so many things. Ideal
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Store it in the closet or in the corner of the room. We
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--WHAT TO DO AND SEE:
Arrowood Vineyards & Winery
Winery/Brewery, Glen Ellen
Arrowood Vineyards & Winery is neither as old nor as
famous as some of its neighbors, but winemakers and
critics are quite familiar with the wines produced
here, especially the chardonnays, cabernet sauvignons,
and syrahs. The winery's harmonious architecture over-
looking the Valley of the Moon earned it an award from
the Sonoma Historic Preservation League, and the wine-
making equipment is state-of-the-art. A stone fireplace
in the tasting room makes this an especially enticing
destination in winter. The winery has been owned by
Robert Mondavi since 2000, but winemaker Richard
Arrowood has stayed on. www.arrowoodvineyards.com. COST:
Tastings $5-$10, tour $10 (includes tasting). OPEN: Daily
10-4:30; tours by appointment.
Address: 14347 Sonoma Hwy./Rte. 12, Glen Ellen, CA, USA
Phone: 707/935-2600
Bodega Marine Laboratory
Zoo/Aquarium, Bodega
For a closer look at Bodega Bay, visit the Bodega Marine
Laboratory, a 326-acre reserve on nearby Bodega Head.
Open Friday from 2 to 4 PM, the lab gives free tours and
peeks at intertidal invertebrates, such as sea stars and
sea anemones (suggested donation of $2).
Phone: 707/875-2211
Culinary Institute of America
Educational Institution, St. Helena
The West Coast headquarters of the Culinary Institute
of America, the country's leading school for chefs,
are in the Greystone Winery, a national historic land-
mark and, at 117,000 square feet, once the largest
stone winery in the world. The campus consists of 30
acres of herb and vegetable gardens, a 15-acre merlot
vineyard, and a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant,
which is open to the public. Also on the property are
a well-stocked culinary store, a quirky corkscrew
display, and a culinary library. Daily one-hour cooking
demonstrations begin at 1:30 and 3:30, with an extra
class at 10:30 on weekend mornings. www.ciachef.edu.
COST: Free, demonstrations $12.50. OPEN: Restaurant Sun.
-Thurs. 11:30-9, Fri. and Sat. 11:30-10; store and
museum daily 10-6.
Address: 2555 Main St., St. Helena, CA, USA
Phone: 800/333-9242
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Other Places of Interest:
Ferrari-Carano Winery
Winery/Brewery, Healdsburg
Noted for its beautiful Italian villa-style winery and
visitor center, Ferrari-Carano Winery produces mostly
zinfandels, chardonnays, fumé blancs, and merlots.
Tours cover not only the wine-making facilities and
underground cellar, but also the lush gardens.
www.ferrari-carano.com. COST: Tasting $3, tour free.
OPEN: Daily 10-5; tours Mon.-Sat. at 10 AM, by
appointment.
Address: 8761 Dry Creek Rd., Dry Creek Valley, CA, USA
Phone: 707/433-6700
Indian Springs
Spa, Calistoga
Indian Springs, an old-time spa, has welcomed clients
to mud baths, mineral pools, and steam rooms, all
supplied with mineral water from its three geysers,
since 1871. Today it continues to offer a wide variety
of spa treatments and volcanic-ash mud baths, and has
an Olympic-size mineral-water pool, kept at 90°F to
102°F, depending on the season. The spa rents 16
bungalows ($$$-$$$$) ranging from a studio duplex to
a three-bedroom house. Reservations are recommended
for spa treatments. www.indianspringscalistoga.com.
OPEN: Daily 9-8.
Address: 1712 Lincoln Ave./Rte. 29, Calistoga, CA, USA
Phone: 707/942-4913
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--WHERE TO SLEEP:
Applewood Inn
$150 to Over $250, Guerneville
On a knoll in the shelter of towering redwoods, this hy-
brid inn has two distinct types of accommodations. Those
in the original Belden House are comfortable but modest
in scale. Most of the 10 accommodations in the newer
buildings are larger and airier. The buildings cluster
around a Mediterranean-style courtyard complete with
gurgling fountains. Cooking classes are available at an
on-site cooking school, La Buona Forchetta.
www.applewoodinn.com. 19 rooms. In-room: no a/c (some),
dial-up. In-hotel: restaurant, pool, no-smoking rooms.
AE, MC, V. Full breakfast.
Address: 13555 Rte. 116, Guerneville, CA 95421, USA
Phone: 707/869-9093 or 800/555-8509
Fax: 707/869-9170
Beltane Ranch
$90 to $199, Glen Ellen
On a slope of the Mayacamas range just a few miles from
Glen Ellen, this 1892 ranch house stands on 1,600 acres.
All of the charmingly old-fashioned rooms, decorated with
antiques and supplied with quilts, have separate entrances,
and some open onto a wraparound balcony ideal for whiling
away lazy afternoons. The detached cottage, once the
gardener's quarters, has a small sitting room. Formerly a
turkey farm, the spread is traversed by an 8-mi hiking
trail that's popular with guests. www.beltaneranch.com. 3
rooms, 3 suites. In-room: no a/c, no TV. In-hotel: tennis
court. No credit cards. Full breakfast.
Address: 11775 Sonoma Hwy./Rte. 12, Glen Ellen, CA 95442,
USA Phone: 707/996-6501
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs
$90 to $199, Calistoga
Though the rooms are standard motel issue, their well-
equipped kitchenettes and the property's four outdoor
heated mineral pools make this a popular spot for those
who want to enjoy Calistoga's famed waters on a budget.
An on-site spa offers mud baths, massage, and other
services at reasonable rates, and its location on a quiet
side street one block from Calistoga's main drag is another
plus. www.calistogaspa.com. 51 rooms, 1 suite. In-room:
kitchen. In-hotel: pools, gym, spa, laundry facilities, no-
smoking rooms. MC, V.
Address: 1006 Washington St., Calistoga, CA 94515, USA
Phone: 707/942-6269
Fax: 707/942-4214
--WHERE TO DINE:
All Seasons Café
French, $15 to $30, Calistoga
Bistro cuisine takes a California spin in this sun-filled
space, where tables topped with flowers sit upon a black-
and-white checkerboard floor. The seasonal menu, which
includes homemade breads and dessert, might include
organic greens, hand-rolled tagliatelle, pan-seared
salmon, or braised lamb shank. Attentive service contri-
butes to the welcoming atmosphere. D, MC, V. Closed Mon.
No lunch most Mon.-Wed.; call for additional lunch dates
in summer and fall.
Address: 1400 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, CA, USA
Phone: 707/942-9111
Bistro Don Giovanni
Italian, $10 to $30, Napa
Terra-cotta tile floors and high ceilings surround this
lively, festive bistro. The Italian food with a
Californian spin is simultaneously inventive and comfort-
ing: risotto with squab and radicchio, pizza with pear
and prosciutto, and rabbit braised in cabernet. Whole,
wood-oven-roasted fish is an unusual specialty. Seats on
the covered patio are coveted in fair weather. AE, D, DC,
MC, V.
Address: 4110 Howard La./Rte. 29, Napa, CA, USA
Phone: 707/224-3300
Boon Fly Cafe
American, $10 to $30, Napa
This newcomer to the Carneros region, west of downtown
Napa, has a rural charm-meets-industrial chic theme.
Outside, rocking chairs and swings occupy the porch of
a modern red barn; inside, high ceilings and galvanized
steel tabletops set a sleek and stylish mood. The small
menu of modern California cuisine includes dishes such
as roast organic chicken with sautéed mushrooms and
artisanal cheese plates. Though the wine list is impres-
sive for such a moderately priced spot, kids' dishes
such as "Cheese Pizza the Adults Can't Have" hint that
the proprietors don't take themselves too seriously.
Reservations not accepted. AE, D, MC, V.
Address: 4048 Sonoma Hwy., Napa, CA, USA
Phone: 707/299-4872
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newsletter have been selected by our editors. Apart from
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