So you've explored Napa and Sonoma and fancy yourself a CA Wine Country enthusiast.  Not so fast...there's a whole lot more exploring to do!  When you first move to the Bay Area, you spend a lot of time in Napa and Sonoma and bring all of your visitors there...but after a while you branch out a bit, and fall in love with the California wine country all over again.  So when we don't have Wine Country virgins in town (who really should be first introduced through Napa in my opinion) our preference is actually some of these lesser known regions.  We prefer them for the more laid-back, humble feel and because they make wine (and sometimes food) just as good as the more famous and expensive regions.  So here are my favorite regions beyond Napa and Sonoma and a few recommendations for where to taste, eat and stay for each...photos to help inspire can be found here:

Summer is right around the corner; the grapevines are starting to fill out and soon will be heavy with grapes and lush foliage.  It's a wonderful time of year in wine country.  Living in the Bay Area and being passionate about food and wine means I often get asked for wine country suggestions, particularly since I actually used to live in Napa and worked at a winery for a summer.  I love wine country and boy do I have lots of recommendations!  So consider this the first of a three part series on Wine Country....Napa, Sonoma, and Beyond. First up, Napa!  If you've never been to wine country before, Napa should be first on your list. Yes, it's touristy and at times a bit cliche but it's Napa!  You should experience all Napa has to offer first and then move onto the smaller and more quaint wine regions like Sonoma, Russian River and Alexander Valley.  Exploring and understanding Napa will allow you to appreciate the others even more.  Trust me. If you can, try to go during the week since the weekends are more hectic. My recommendations for what to do, where to eat and of course where to taste are below...and to see some pictures of many of the wineries and surrounding valley check out my Napa Valley Album.  It will inspire you to start planning your trip right away!

As promised, it’s time to tell you all about our fabulous dinner we had at the end of our Wine Road Barrel Tasting day up in wine country.  Now, if you’re a regular reader you know that I don’t review restaurants very often but when they really blow me away, I feel it’s my foodie obligation to share...and Zazu Restaurant & Farm did just that!

How would I summarize the Zazu philosiphy?  Nightly changing menus inspired by American classics, authentic, rustic Italian cuisine and focused on what is local (often their own farm!) and in season.  Re-reading that sentence, makes Zazu sound a bit pretentious but in fact it’s quite the opposite their dishes and ambience are comfortable, uncomplicated and perfectly suited for the amazing wine that surrounds their location in every direction.  Next time you’re up in Sonoma County give Zazu a try....they’re right off the 101 so a quick and easy detour on your way to or from the wineries, I promise you’ll be back a second and third time!

 

Ah, Barrel Tasting Weekend...nothing quite marks the start of Spring in the Bay Area as much as this event to me.  It’s always so festive and fun and it’s a nice easy way to explore new wineries and get a sneak peak to some truly delicious wines.  It’s also a fantastic wine education, because, you see it’s a bit of an art to taste a yet unfinished wine from the barrel and be able to truly imagine what it will be like finished to be confident enough to buy futures.  But the wineries are extremely helpful with this, allowing you to taste from the barrels and taste some finished products to compare and contrast.   Really though, the only way to learn is to jump in and buy some futures!  My first year doing it I was a bit disappointed with my wine once I did get it but I’ve gotten better over the years and it really allows you to form a bit of a deeper connection with the winery as well. If you didn’t make it this year, mark your calendar for March 2012!

We’ve been having such fantastic weather that Christian and I decided to take an impromptu trip up to Napa this past Saturday...we brought our bikes, hit the Oxbow Public Market for lunch and then rode around to a few wineries.  I’ll warn you though...starting your day in Napa at the Oxbow Public Market may risk you never making it to any wineries at all!

If you haven’t been to the Oxbow Public Market you should check it out, it’s fabulous.  If your from the Bay Area, upon arriving it will be no surprise to learn that the founder, Steve Carlin, has 20 years of experience with the Oakville Grocery Company and was a project manager of the San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace.  It’s right across the river from downtown Napa where other fabulous foodie outposts are as well, such as the Fatted Calf Charcuterie and Model Bakery.