Sonoma Valley Wine Tour
I just got home from a weekend girls trip to San Francisco. What a blast! The first day there we did a full day wine tour (8 hours of wine drinking!). I must say, this is one of my all time favorite moments in my entire life. Taking a wine tour has always been at the top of my bucket list, but even with my high expectations of an amazing time, it still exceeded my expectations. The combination of great wine, my best girlfriends, beautiful weather, new adventures, green vineyards, and a nice buzz... wow was I in heaven!
The tour took us to three different wineries. This was special because each winery was entirely different and unique. Each beautiful and special in their own ways. The first winery we visited was called Roche Winery. It is a smaller, family owned winery, so we had a more intimate experience there. We were the only group there which was nice. Our tasting was at their vineyards instead of their wine tasting room, which was so peaceful and the scenery was stunning, it felt like a fake backdrop. They turned a barn into a tasting room and that is where we tried their wines. The vineyards were unbelievably green this time of year and the wine was delicious... What a perfect way to start the day! The woman talking and giving the spiel was so sweet and totally hilarious! She definitely kept us entertained. We got to sample about 5 wines (can't remember the exact number lol). They gave us a few whites and a few reds to taste. As usual, they had a bucket you could pour your wine into if you did not want to drink it all, whether it be because you did not like the wine or because you just preferred not to drink too much. This winery was the only one of the whole day that took us to look at the vines in the vineyard. She told us quite
a bit about the grapes, how they are grown and what is special about the climate in Sonoma Valley. We were there the last week in April and the grapes were just tiny babies. Here is a picture of them.
The second winery we visited was the Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery. This winery may have had a vineyard nearby, but we did not see it. The building was much larger and fancier than the first location. The decor inside the tasting room was stunning, my friends and I kept saying it would be a dream wedding location! There were huge wine barrels all around and fancy wood carvings on the barrels. Here is a pic!
Photo taken at Sebastiani Winery
At Sebastiani we got to sample four wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon. They were all tasty in my opinion but the Sauvignon Blanc was my favorite at this winery. They also had balsamic vinaigrette to sample, and a few dessert wines (one that tasted like a Muscato and I loved it)!
Photo taken at Roche Winery
The third winery we went to was by far the most stunning property. It was the Cline Winery. This one might have been my favorite, even though I really enjoyed them all. Cline let us sample about five wines, then we were able to walk and explore the property, taking photos in the vineyards and wandering around. This property had so many stunning plants and trees. They had another tasting going on where they let us sample five more wines, that was such a treat! My friend and I actually each purchased a bottle from here. I bought the Mourvedre Rose, and believe it or not it was only like 12 bucks!! It was one of my favorite wines I sampled there. I also really enjoyed their Pinot Gris and Cuvee. Can you tell I'm a white wine girl?! Haha. I took a wine course in college and they said that "beginner" wine drinkers like white wine then as your palate evolves as a wine drinker you will begin to love reds. Well, I'm 26 and have loved wine for about six years now... not sure when my "palate will evolve".
Photo taken at Roche Winery
Photo taken at Roche Winery
Here is a video I have put together of our experience through Sonoma wine country! I hope this post inspires you to get on a wine tour asap or maybe it inspires you to take an adventure that matches your personality, or cross something off your bucket list! Here's the video... Enjoy!!
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