Rick's Wine Country Journal

Blue Heron Custom Tours Awarded TripAdvisor's 2018 Certificate of Excellence

2018-07-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

2017 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

2017-06-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

For the sixth year running, Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travels has been awarded TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence. Thanks to our many guests who took the time to post reviews and for their very kind words.

When you visit San Francisco, come take a tour of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, or the Sierra Foothills wine country. We'll make sure you have a fun outing.

Best Wine Country Restaurants

2016-12-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

The latest edition of "Rick's Tips" is available. Check it out to find the best restaurants in the Napa Valley, Sonoma County wine country, the Anderson Valley and Mendocino coast, Amador County wine country, Paso Robles, and Cambria. To see how the reviewers at the Michelin Guide, San Francisco Chronicle, Zagat, TripAdvisor, and Yelp ranked the best restaurants, click here.

2016-10-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we drove through the Anderson Valley on our way to the spectacular Mendocino County coast. We stopped at three wineries to taste, Foursight, Witching Stick, and Lula. At Foursight and Witching Stick, the owners were behind the bar in the tasting rooms. At Lula, we talked with the owner while he was punching down his fermenting grapes from his Mystery Block. This is an experience that one seldom gets in Napa and Sonoma Counties these days. Tasting fees were $10 or less at each winery and were refunded with a purchase of a bottle of wine. This is the way tastings used to work in Napa and Sonoma before so many visitors started to descend upon the Valleys.

The Anderson Valley is best known for Pinot Noir and Alsatian varietals, e.g., Riesling and Gewurztraminer. If you like these types of wine and small, unpretentious wineries, check out this beautiful part of Northern California. There is limited lodging in the Valley but plenty of places to stay our on the coast in the towns of Elk, Albion, Little River, Mendocino, and Fort Bragg.

Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel offers a two-day, one-night tour of the Anderson Valley and the Mendocino County coast. This can be extended if so desired. For more information call (415) 337-1874 or email Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

2016 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

2016-05-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

Once again, Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel was awarded TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence. Thanks to our many guests for posting reviews.

April 2016 "Rick's Tips" - "Spring Flowers"

2016-04-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

The latest edition of "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free newsletter is available. This issue covers good places to see "Spring Flowers." Check it out by clicking here. You will learn about beautiful gardens at wineries in Sonoma County, a botanical garden not far from the Anderson Valley wineries in Mendocino County, and spectacular daffodils near the Shenandoah Valley wineries in Amador County. Also featured are gardens in San Francisco and elsewhere in the Bay Area.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour that includes some of the gardens mention in the newsletter, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours & Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Return to Paso Robles

2016-01-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

After more than a year, we returned to Paso Robles for a couple of days. Having tasted on the west side of US-101 a few times, we decided to visit the East Side on this trip.

We tasted at Robert Hall, Cass, Still Waters, and August Ridge wineries. As in the past, tasting room staff were friendly and attentive. Like the West Side, you'll find a lot of Zinfandel (red, not pink), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rhone varietals such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier, Marsanne, and Rousanne. A few wineries, such as August Ridge, specialize in Italian varietals, e.g., Nebbiola, Sangiovese, Barbera, and Dolcetto.

Many wineries welcome picnickers. Cass has a cafe with very good food. The staff pour your wines as you wait for your food to come from the kitchen. You can then get a glass to accompany your meal. We had the burger and short rib chili, both of which were delicious.

The East Side is less visited than the West Side, so you might want to head here if you visit Paso Robles on a Saturday to avoid some of the crowds.

If you want to visit Paso Robles from San Francisco, Blue Heron offers private tours that can also include Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, and the Hearst Castle. For more information, call (866) 326-423 7 or e-mail Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Edna Valley Winetasting

2016-01-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

I recently visited the Edna Valley for the first time. This wine region is located about 15 minutes east of Pismo Beach and 15 minutes south of the city of San Luis Obispo, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angles, near US-101.

Being close to the Pacific, the Edna Valley is best known for cool-climate grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. We also tasted some good wine made with Alsatian varietals, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Blanc, as well as Syrah.

We visited four wineries: Claiborne and Churchill, Kynsi, Chamisal, and Wulff. At all of the wineries, staff were friendly and helpful. Visiting on a Wednesday in early January meant that we often had the tasting rooms to ourselves. Tasting fees ran between $10 and $15 per person and were usually refundable with the purchase of a bottle or two.

The only downside to visiting the Edna Valley is the lack of places to eat. Sexton winery has a deli, but it was closed when we visited. Many wineries will let you bring food and picnic. It's also easy to head into one of the towns for lunch and then continue winetasting after eating.

Being just off US-101 makes the Edna Valley a good place to stop if you are driving from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. It's also not too far from the Hearst Castle in San Simeon; although the Paso Robles region is closer. If you like good Pinot Noir, check out the Edna Valley when you visit San Luis Obispo County.

Rick's Tips Issue No. 49, August 2015 - A Perfect Day in Wine Country

2015-08-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

The current issue of "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free newsletter of fun and interesting things to do in the Bay Area, has an article on northern Sonoma County wine country entitled "A Perfect Day in Wine Country." Check is out by clicking here.

Best Sonoma County Restaurants - 2015

2015-01-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Restaurants 2015 was recently published. Zagat, which in years past has published a guide book that included wine country restaurants, only included restaurants in San Francisco in this year's Top 50 list. While we're a little late this year, here's Blue Heron's annual summary of the critics' choices for the best restaurants in Sonoma County.

No Sonoma County Restaurants received two or three stars from Michelin. The Sonoma County recipients of one Michelin star are Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in Forestville, Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, and Terrapin Creek in Bodega Bay.

"The San Francisco Chronicle's" top rating is four stars. No Sonoma County restaurant received 3.5 or 4 stars. Sixteen restaurants are the recipients of three stars. In Sonoma city only Cafe La Haye received three stars. In Healdsburg, the recipients are Barndiva, Chalkboard, Madrona Manor, New Campo Fina, Ravenous Cafe and Lounge, Scopa, and Spoonbar.

Lunchtime on my tours in Sonoma County usually finds my guests in either Healdsburg or the town of Sonoma. My favorite lunch spot in Healdsburg is Willi's Seafood, which features small plates of the freshest seafood. In Sonoma city, I recommend The Girl and the Fig for French influenced California food, El Dorado Kitchen for American cuisine, La Salette for Portuguese food, and Della Santina's for Italian food. If you would like to take a private tour in Sonoma County that includes a meal at one of these great restaurants, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Best Napa Valley Restaurants - 2015

2015-01-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Restaurants 2015 was recently published. Zagat, which in years past has published a guide book that included wine country restaurants, only included restaurants in San Francisco in this year's Top 50 list. While we're a little late this year, here's Blue Heron's annual summary of the critics' choices for the best restaurants in the Napa Valley.

The French Laundry in Yountville and The Restaurant at Meadowood near St. Helena once again received three stars from Michelin. Thirty Bay Area restaurants received one star from Michelin. The Napa recipients are Bouchon in Yountville; La Toque in Napa city, Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, Terra in St. Helena, and Solbar in the Solage resort in Calistoga.

"The San Francisco Chronicle's" top rating is four stars, which were awarded to two Napa Valley restaurants: French Laundry (Yountville) and The Restaurant at Meadowood (near St. Helena). The following Napa Valley restaurants received 3.5 stars: Bar Terra (St. Helena), Bistro Don Giovanni (Napa city), Redd (Yountville), and Terra (St. Helena). Thirteen restaurants are the recipients of three stars.

My favorite lunch spot in the Napa Valley remains Auberge du Soleil. The combination of food, service, and view can't be beat. I've taken many happy guests to this restaurant. If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a meal at one of these great restaurants, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

More Winetasting in Paso Robles

2014-12-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I returned to Paso Robles for some more winetasting. I visited some old favorites as well as some tasting rooms that were new to me. As in the past, staff were uniformly friendly and knowledgeable about the wines they were pouring. There seemed to be some creep in the tasting fees. Most fees were $15/person with some wineries' fees at $10/person. I was quite surprised by the increase in wine prices. Most of the tasting rooms had wines selling between $50 and $75. Some tasting rooms had no wines for less than $45. Those prices were a little too steep for my budget, but I did find some good wines in the $30 - $35 range.

While walking around the square in Paso Robles, we saw a sign for the Paso Underground tasting room. This collective houses tasting bars from four small wineries, Edmond August, Turtle Rock, Dilecta, and Aaron. All, except Aaron, were staffed when we visited. The staff were all terrific; answering our many questions about their wines and the region as a whole. Here you'll find interesting Zinfandel, Rhone Varietals, and other wines. If you are strolling around the square in Paso Robles, stop in. The tasting room is open Friday and Saturday from 1:00 until 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, hours are from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m.

Turley is a very well regarded Zinfandel producer. I had visited Turley's tasting room in Amador County but not the one in Paso Robles. Again, we found very good wine and friendly staff. One wine on the menu had made both the "Wine Spectator's" and "San Francisco Chronicle's" top 100 lists. At $29/bottle, the Old Vines California Zinfandel was a great buy. Turley's tasting room is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

I still have many more wineries to check out so I'll need to come back for another visit. If you would like to take a private tour from San Francisco to Paso Robles and/or the Hearst Castle, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at rick@blueherontours.com or (866) 326-4237 (toll free).

Cambria and Paso Robles Update

2014-04-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

The November 2010 issue of "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's quarterly newsletter, discussed visiting the Hearst Castle and Paso Robles wine country." I've just had a quick return visit to the area and here are few new tips.

Farmstead 46, the deli I mentioned in "Rick's Tips," is no more. The building now houses Cypher Winery. Like most wineries in this area, Zinfandel and Rhone varietals (Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre) predominate. The tasting room staff were friendly and the wines well made. The winery hopes to open a restaurant featuring small plates and pizzas by the summer. If you visit later this year, post a comment on the food.

I visited two other friendly wineries with good wine: Peachy Canyon and Castoro Cellars. These are large producers for the region; making 50,000 and 100,000 cases respectively. The wines are good and the staff friendly. Castoro Cellars' tasting rooms has many wine accessories and nick-knacks for sale.

The town square in Paso Robles has even more shops, tasting rooms, and restaurants around it. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to visit any of them.

In Cambria, Creekside Garden Cafe is a great spot for breakfast. Wild Ginger is a small restaurant serving very good pan-Asian food.

The Hearst Castle has revamped its tours. There are now three daytime tours covering different parts of the building. These tours are shorter than the old tours but allow visitors to explore the gardens on their own. Evening tours are offered in the spring and fall.

If you are planning a California vacation, I recommend a day or two on the Central Coast. There's pretty scenery, interesting attractions, and good wine and food. Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel can provide you with a one-way or round-trip tour to the Central Coast starting and/or ending in San Francisco. For more information, phone (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Wine Country Favorites

2014-03-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

When I take guests on tours of wine country, I frequently am asked to name my favorite winery. I respond that I don’t have one favorite winery; that there are many great wineries. The best wineries for you to visit depend on the types of experiences you want to have and wines you enjoy. This post describes some of my favorite wineries in Napa and Sonoma Counties. I’ve tried to break them down into useful categories. While I have not been to every winery in these two counties, I have visited over 140 tasting rooms in Napa and 130 in Sonoma County.

Napa County Napa is all about Cabernet. This is the grape that makes Napa one of the premiere wine producing regions in the world. If you are looking for great Cabernet, just about every winery makes one. If you’re looking for something else to try, you may have to look harder.

Tasting Rooms for White Wine Fans

If you prefer white wines, Napa can be a challenging place to find a winery with more than one wine you will enjoy. Trefethen is a regular stop on my tours as it has a variety of whites and reds. This family-owned winery produces a couple of Chardonnays, a dry Riesling, a white blend, and other whites as well as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, a Malbec blend, and a few Cabernets. The friendly tasting room staff will make sure you enjoy your visit. Mike Grgich is one of Napa’s legendary winemakers, making his name on Chardonnay.

At Grgich Hills, the tasting room usually has a couple of Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs available. Red wine fans can taste Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet.

St. Supery is one of the few wineries in Napa that is best known for Sauvignon Blanc. Visitors can usually choose from a couple of Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays as well as a Semillon, Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend, and Muscat. The winery also produces a few Cabs and other red wines.

Wineries for Sparkling Wine Lovers

If you want to take a tour of a winery that produces sparkling wines, check out Schramsberg. The tour and tasting includes a visit to caves built by Chinese laborers in the 19th century. An appointment is needed and tours fill up well in advance, especially during summer and fall. On popular dates, you may need to book 60 days in advance.

There’s no place more pleasant that Domaine Carneros’ terrace overlooking the rolling hills over vineyards. You can enjoy flights of sparkling wine and/or Pinot Noir paired with cheeses, caviar, smoked salmon, and other tasty treats. Try to avoid weekends, which can be crowded on nice days.

Tasting California’s Heritage Grape - Zinfandel

Napa is not generally known for Zinfandel (red, not pink) but a few wineries make very good ones. Two of my favorites are Robert Biale and Elyse. Both require appointments to visit and provide intimate tasting experiences. On a nice day, you can enjoy your wines while seated on Biale’s patio.

Intimate Tasting Experiences

For me, the best tasting experiences are at small wineries where the staff or owners provide you with a private tasting that walks you through the producers best wines. These wineries require appointments but are worth the extra effort. Many do not distribute their wines or have very limited distribution. Look at any winery map of Napa and you’ll see many names of small wineries you never heard of. Pick one and make an appointment. Two of my favorites are Bell Wine Cellars and Sullivan Vineyard. Both wineries are known for Cabernet. Bell makes a variety of other wines. Sullivan makes a few Cabs, Merlots, and blends. While tasting you could meet one of the owners.

Where to be Wowed

Napa is home to many wineries that are palatial estates with exquisite architecture and/or beautiful views. Most of these wineries require appointments to visit. Four of my favorites are Hall Wine’s Rutherford winery, Palmaz, Jarvis, and Quixote.

Hall’s Rutherford winery is located on a hill overlooking the Valley. When you arrive you’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the Napa Valley while tasting a white wine or rosé. The 90 minute tour and tasting includes a visit to a cave lined with bricks from the Hapsburg Empire and a seated tasting under a Swarovski crystal chandelier in the shape of a grape vine’s root system.

Palmaz also sits on a hillside with lovely views. The two-hour tour and tasting includes a visit to the one of largest underground reinforced structures in the country. You will see technology that is not found in many wineries. After the tour, you'll enjoy a seated tasting of Palmaz's wines. Often your host is a member of the family.

A tour of Jarvis includes a walk through a beautiful cave with a creek flowing through it and a stop at the ladies room. If not being used, men also get to see this unique restroom. Following the tour, you'll get to taste current release wines in the cave.

One of the most unique wineries you’ll find anywhere is Quixote. The building was designed by the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Fred, as he was called, did not believe in straight lines and many other architectural rules, making the winery quite whimsical. The tour at Quixote focuses mostly on the architecture rather than the winemaking process. Following the tour, you'll enjoy a seated tasting of Petite Sirah and Cabernet.

Sonoma County

Sonoma County is home to 16 wine regions including the Alexander, Dry Creek, Russian River, and Sonoma Valleys. The Russian River Valley is best known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Dry Creek Valley produces some of California’s best Zinfandel. The Sonoma and Alexander Valleys are best known for Cabernet although many other types of wines are produced in both regions. Given the size of Sonoma County, I’m going to divide my recommendations into two regions: Sonoma Valley and Northern Sonoma County (Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys).

Sonoma Valley

If you are a white wine fan, check out Anaba, Nicholson Ranch, and Chateau St. Jean. The first two are small family-owned wineries. Anaba produces a few Chardonnays as well as Viognier and a white Rhone blend. Their reds include Pinot Noir and Rhone varietals such as Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. Nicholson Ranch has a pretty tasting room with views of a lake, oak covered hillside, and a waterfall during the rainy season. They make a variety of Chardonnays, as well as Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Merlot. Chateau St. Jean is surrounded by lovely gardens, making this a great spot for a picnic. It’s best known for Chardonnay and Cabernet and a few of each are usually available for tasting.

One of the best tours in wine country is offered by Benziger. The 75 minute experience includes a tram tour through the vineyard where you will learn about biodynamic farming, a visit to the winery’s cave and production facilities, and a tasting of current releases. Tour reservations are not required but are recommended during the busy season.

Benziger’s sister winery, Imagery, produces wines from a wide variety of grapes. Here you might be able to taste Viognier, Cinsault, Grenache, Lagrein, Malbec, Mourvedre, Petite Verdot, Tempranillo, and other types of wine that are difficult to find in Napa and Sonoma.

VJB is a small, family-owned winery that produces Zinfandel and Italian varietals such as Prosecco, Tocai Friulano, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Sagrantino, and Barbera. The tasting room is not located at the winery but in a freestanding building on CA 12, the main road through Sonoma Valley. The complex also includes an Italian delicatessen, a wood-fired pizza oven, and a patio where you can lunch on a sunny day.

Northern Sonoma County

Russian River Valley

The Russian River Valley produces some of California’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. There are many great wineries to visit here. A sit-down tasting at Merry Edwards is a great introduction to Russian River Pinot Noir. Merry also makes terrific Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. An appointment is needed for the sit-down tasting, but you can do a shorter, stand-up tasting by just dropping in.

Lynmar is one of the prettiest wineries in the area. You can often enjoy your tastings on the terrace next to the organic garden. On summer weekends, the winery can arrange a picnic to go with your wine.

There’s nothing fancy about the tasting room at Porter Creek. It’s just a large shed. Porter Creek is a great spot to taste good wine served by friendly staff in one of the most unpretentious settings in wine country.

VML’s tasting room is surrounded by pretty gardens, making this winery a nice picnic spot. VML produces a variety of Pinot Noirs and other wines. After tasting, you can pick the perfect VML wine to accompany your food.

For something completely different, visit Siduri and Novy, two sister wineries located in an office park in Santa Rosa. There are no pretty vineyards or palatial estate. You will learn that great wine can be made far from where the grapes are grown, even in a warehouse. The tasting includes a variety of Pinot Noirs, Syrah, and other wines.

If you like bubbly, visit Iron Horse on a sunny day. The tasting room is outside with great views of rolling hills of vineyards.

Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek Valley’s reputation was built on Zinfandel and there are many great producers. Both Lambert Bridge and Passalacqua have very pretty picnic areas. Both produce Cabernet, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and other wines.

At Truett Hurst, you can reserve a chair by the Dry Creek to enjoy your wines with a bite to eat. Relaxing by the creek with some good Zin is a perfect way to spend some time in wine country.

The Tuscan lunch at Kachina Vineyards is a fun wine and food experience. You'll enjoy Kachina's wines paired with cheeses, salumis, and other Italian delicacies. On nice days, you sit outdoors under the trees. You’ll probably be served by one of the owners. A reservation is needed.
Lastly, you can visit a lot of tasting rooms with little effort at the former Timber Crest Farms on Dry Creek Road. My favorites include Papapietro-Perry and Peterson. And don’t forget to try the olive oil at Dry Creek Olive Oil Company if you visit before they move to a new home later this year.

Alexander Valley

The Alexander Valley made its reputation on Cab. Silver Oak and Jordan are two of the better known producers of Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Field Stone is a great winery to visit when your group includes both white and red wine fans. Here you can taste Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet, Petite Sirah made from vines that are over 115 years old, and other wines.

Alexander Valley Vineyards (AVV) is one of the bigger producers in the region, best known for Sin Zin. A free winery tour that includes a visit to AVV’s cave is offered daily at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

At White Oak, you will taste good, reasonably priced wines while being served by friendly staff. Plus you can enjoy the view from one of the tallest buildings in the Alexander Valley – two stories. White Oak produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Cab, and Zin.

Stryker Sonoma is a great spot for red wine lovers. Tim, the winemaker, likes to make small lots of wines from Bordeaux varietals, Zin, and other types of grapes. The pretty building enables visitors to enjoy views of the neighboring vineyards while enjoy Stryker's wines.

In reviewing this list of favorites, I realize I omitted many great wineries. To optimize your wine country visit, do a little research ahead of time and pick some wineries you think you’ll enjoy. Better yet, book a private wine country tour with Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel by phoning (415) 337-1874 or e-mailing Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Latest Edition of "Rick's Tips" Covers My Favorite Tasting Rooms

2014-02-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

The February edition of "Rick's Rips" discusses my favorite tasting rooms in Napa and Sonoma Counties. To see the free newsletter click here.

Best Sonoma County Restaurants - 2013/2014

2013-10-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

The new Zagat Bay Area Restaurants 2014 and The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Restaurants 2014 were recently released. Here's an update on the critics' favorite restaurants in the Sonoma County.

No Sonoma County Restaurants received two or three stars from Michelin. The Sonoma County recipients of one Michelin star are Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in Forestville, Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, and Terrapin Creek in Bodega Bay.

None of the 50 most popular Bay Area restaurants, according to Zagat, are in Sonoma County. Zagat's top rated restaurants for food in Sonoma County are Madrona Manor (Healdsburg), Cucina Paridiso (Petaluma), and Farmhouse Inn (Forestville) with 27 points.

"The San Francisco Chronicle's" top rating is four stars. No Sonoma County restaurant received 4 stars and only one received 3.5 stars: Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant (Forestville). Fifteen restaurants are the recipients of three stars.

Lunchtime on my tours in Sonoma County usually finds my guests in either Healdsburg or the town of Sonoma. My favorite lunch spot in Healdsburg is Willi's Seafood, which features small plates of the freshest seafood. In Sonoma city, I recommend The Girl and the Fig for French influenced California food, El Dorado Kitchen for American cuisine, La Salette for Portuguese food, and Della Santina's for Italian food. If you would like to take a private tour in Sonoma County that includes a meal at one of these great restaurants, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Best Napa Valley Restaurants - 2013/2014

2013-10-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

The new Zagat Bay Area Restaurants 2014 and The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Restaurants 2014 were recently released. Here's an update on the critics' favorite restaurants in the Napa Valley.

The French Laundry in Yountville and The Restaurant at Meadowood near St. Helena remain Michelin's only three-star restaurants in the Bay Area. Twenty-nine restaurants received one star from Michelin. The Napa recipients are Bouchon in Yountville; La Toque in Napa city, Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, Terra in St. Helena, and Solbar in the Solage resort in Calistoga.

Seven of the 50 most popular Bay Area restaurants, according to Zagat, are in the Napa Valley: The French Laundry (Yountville), Bottega (Yountville), Bouchon (Yountville), Hog Island Oyster Co. and Bar (Oxbow Market, Napa city), Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford), Ad Hoc (Yountville), Bistro Jeanty (Yountville), and Mustard's Grill (Yountville).

The top rated restaurants for food in the Napa Valley, according to Zagat, are The French Laundry (28 points) (Yountville) and Terra (St. Helena), Cole's Chop House (Napa city), The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena), Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford), and Redd (Yountville) (all 27points) (Yountville).

"The San Francisco Chronicle's" top rating is four stars, which were awarded to two Napa Valley restaurants: French Laundry (Yountville) and The Restaurant at Meadowood (near St. Helena). The following Napa Valley restaurants received 3.5 stars: Bar Terra (St. Helena), Bistro Don Giovanni (Napa city), Etoile (Yountville), Redd (Yountville), and Terra (St. Helena). Thirteen restaurants are the recipients of three stars.

My favorite lunch spot in the Napa Valley remains Auberge du Soleil. The combination of food, service, and view can't be beat. I've taken many happy guests to this restaurant. If you would like to take a private tour of the Napa Valley that includes a meal at one of these great restaurants, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Changes in the Anderson Valley

2013-09-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

After nearly a year and a half without visiting, we returned to the Anderson Valley this weekend and found many changes. A few wineries were no more - Standish, Londer, and Jim Ball. The owners of Claudia Springs have retired, and the tasting room will close by the end of the year. Lula, Harmonique, and Phillips Hill have new tasting rooms. We found a number of new tasting rooms including Balo; Baxter; Signal Ridge, Knez, and Bink in The Madrones; and Edmeades/Champs de Reves from Jackson Family Wines.

The Madrones is a complex on the east side of Philo that houses four tasting rooms, a bed and breakfast, a nice garden/housewares store called Sun and Cricket, and a new restaurant - Stone and Embers. We heard that Stone and Embers had good pizza and tried to lunch there; only to find it closed for a special event. Signal Ridge is the newest tasting room in the Valley. Currently they have rose and sparkling wine available for tasting but will release a Zinfandel and Pinot Noir in the spring. Bink has been in The Madrones for a while, but we missed it on our last visit. The winery features Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet. Staff at both Bink and Signal Hill were most welcoming. We did not have enough sobriety left to visit Knez Winery and Drew Family Cellars but were told that both feature Pinot Noir.

Baxter has a small tasting room across from the grocery store in Philo. Here we met Claire Baxter, one of the owners and wife of winemaker, Phillip Baxter. Claire walked us through Baxter's single vineyard Pinot Noirs as well as its Syrah and Chardonnay, Baxter gets its Pinot Noir grapes from a variety vineyards, which results in varying styles of Pinot, from very light to fairly full bodied.

We stopped in at the tasting room at Balo only to find the door open but no one present and a sign saying they had sold out of all of their wines but one.

The Valley is also seeing improvements in the dining scene. Lauren's has been open for a while but was always closed when we tried to visit. This time we found the restaurant open and enjoyed a couple of very good sandwiches that used many local ingredients. Everything looked delicious, so we'll have to return. We returned to the Boonville General Store, which continues to offer tasty lunches and breakfasts. We heard good things about Aquarelle Cafe and Wine Bar in Boonville and Coq Au Vin, a very new French restaurant in Philo. Both are only open for dinner. Since we were staying on the coast, returning in the evening wasn't a convenient option.

If you are a Pinot Noir fan and want to taste some good wine in friendly tasting rooms, the Anderson Valley is just the place for you. Combine your visit to wine country with a stay along the spectacular Mendocino coast for a great getaway. If you would like to take a private tour of this area, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Winetasting in Fair Play

2013-08-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Fair Play is one of California's lesser known wine regions. We recently had a chance to visit this small region located in the Sierra Foothills of El Dorado County, The area has historically been known for producing Zinfandel (red, not pink). Today, there is still plenty of Zin but wines from Italian,Rhone, and other varietals are also made.

Just over 20 wineries are located in Fair Play. Most are small, family-owned affairs with the largest wineries producing around 15,000 cases per year. The wine region is small; with the most distant wineries located just 20 minutes from each other. Tastings were free at all of the wineries we visited. Staff were universally friendly and eager to talk with us about their wines.

One of the newer wineries is Mastroserio Winery. Ruggero, the welcoming owner and winemaker, walked us through a good selection of his wines. His most unusual wine is a 2010 Fiano, an Italian varietal that is seldom grown in the United States. It's possible that Ruggero is the only winemaker in this country that makes a Fiano. Mastroserio also produces Sauvignon Blanc and an array of red wines.

Two of the older and bigger wineries in the region are Windwalker and Perry Creek. Windwalker Vineyard and Winery produces a variety of white, red, and dessert wines. We particularly enjoyed the reds we tasted. Perry Creek Winery is best known for its Zin Man Zinfandel, which is distributed, but makes a few whites and a good number of reds. Here too we liked most of the red wines we tasted.

Fair Play is about 2.5 hours east of San Francisco. Lodging and dining options in Fair Play are limited. Only about a half dozen bed and breakfasts and three restaurants are located in the region. We stayed at Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge, which I highly recommend. The bed and breakfast, tasting room, and winery are located in a large log house. Rooms are spacious and well appointed. Five tasty options are offered for breakfast.

We ate at two of the three restaurants located in the Fair Play area. The Pub at Fair Play serves typical bar food. The Gold Vine Grill, in nearby Somerset, serves more refined fare in a casual atmosphere. We were also told that there is a good Chinese restaurant nearby but did not see it. If you are visiting on a Friday or Saturday night during the summer or early fall, you may find wineries hosting special events that include dinners.

More lodging are restaurant options are available in Plymouth and Placerville, both about 30 minutes away.

Fair Play is a great weekend getaway for Bay Area residents and an easy day trip for those living in Sacramento. If you are traveling from further away, there's much to do in the Sierra Foothills. You might want to include a day or two in Fair Play as part of a longer Gold Country vacation. If you would like to take a tour of Fair Play from San Francisco, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com or (415) 337-1874.

Favorite Healdsburg Lunch Spots

2013-02-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

While I haven't eaten at every restaurant open for lunch in Healdsburg, I've dined at most of the restaurants near the town square. Here are my favorites in alphabetical order.

Bistro Ralph - One of the first good restaurants in Healdsburg. Ralph's serves a variety of entrees. Make sure you're hungry. Brunch is served on Sundays.

Campo Fina - Terrific paninis, salads, and small plates.

Downtown Bakery and Creamery - This is the place for dessert. Delicious pastries and ice cream.

Healdsburg Bar and Grill - Great burgers and fries with truffle oil. Need I say more. Enjoy your burger, sandwich, or salad on the patio on a nice summer day.

Mateo's Cocina Latina - For something different, try the tastes of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Willi's Seafood - My favorite seafood restaurant in the Bay Area. I love Willi's small plates and oyster bar. One of the best lobster rolls in the Bay Area. Also pretty good crab cakes.

Zin Restaurant - The salads, sandwiches, and entrees are all good. Too bad Zin is closed on weekends.

Healdsburg has a lunch spot for just about every taste. If you would like to take a private tour of the Russian River, Dry Creek, and or Alexander Valley that includes a stop for lunch in Healdsburg, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

All Italian in Kenwood

2013-02-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Over the years, a few of my guests visited VJB Vineyards and Cellars in Kenwood (Sonoma Valley). They always enjoyed the friendly staff and wines made from Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Barbera, and Primitivo. Last year, I learned that the tasting room had moved across the street and added an Italian deli. As the northern end of Sonoma Valley has limited lunch options, especially during the week, I had to check out this new restaurant.

Last month, I finally got to visit VJB. The wines were still good and the tasting room staff still friendly. The big addition is La Cucina, the deli. On weekdays, the deli offers a variety of paninis, salads, cheeses, salumis, and antipasti. On my recent visit, I enjoyed a tasty meatball panini while my friend had an antipasti plate. You can enjoy your lunch with a glass of VJB wine outside at a table in the courtyard. From Friday through Monday, the outdoor kitchen opens and you can lunch on pizza, ribs, drumsticks, and sausage and pulled pork paninis. In the not too distant future, I hope to get back to VJB when the outdoor kitchen is open so I can taste more of their delicious food.

VJB's tasting room is located at 60 Shaw Avenue in the small Sonoma Valley town of Kenwood. If you would like to take a private Sonoma Valley tour that includes a stop at VJB, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

A Faded Star Reborn

2013-01-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

Early this month, I wrote about the Boisset family's efforts with Raymond Winery in the Napa Valley. Tuesday I had the opportunity to see the results of their work since purchasing Sonoma's Buena Vista Winery in 2011.

Buena Vista Winery was founded in 1857 by Agoston Haraszthy, a native of Hungary, making it the oldest commercial winery in California. In recent years, the winery went through a number of owners and its star faded. The wines were good but not exceptional. The old Champagne Cellars building closed due to damage sustained in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

In 2011, Boisset Family Wines, one of Burgundy's largest wine producers, purchased Buena Vista. Led by Jean-Charles Boisset, the company began a major renovation of the property. Last year, the Champagne Cellar reopened after undergoing an extensive seismic retrofit estimated to have cost over $7 million. Also, for the first time in many years, wine was made onsite at Buena Vista. More work remains, but today the old winery shines again.

Buena Vista offers a variety of tasting options. You can drop in to do a stand-up tasting of a variety of whites and reds. By prior appointment, daily barrel tastings are offered in the Champagne Cellars at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. On Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., "Count Haraszthy" will take you on a tour of the property and tell you about its rich history. You'll need a reservation to join the Count on his walk.

Buena Vista Winery is a short drive from Sonoma Plaza at 18000 Old Winery Road. The tasting room is open daily, excluding major holidays, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. If you would like to take a private tour of Sonoma Valley that includes a stop at Buena Vista, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Tasty Paninis in Healdsburg

2013-01-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Scopa is a well-reviewed Italian restaurant in the charming town of Healdsburg in Northern Sonoma County. As it is open only for dinner and I am seldom in Healdsburg in the evening, I have yet to sample chef/owner Ari Rosen's cooking. Last year, Ari opened a more casual restaurant, Campo Fina, which serves both lunch and dinner.

Earlier this week, I had a chance to lunch at Campo Fina. Now I want to go back to taste Ari's dinners at both Campo Fina and Scopa. The lunch menu consists of a variety of hot and cold paninis, small plates for sharing, salads, and a special from Grandma's House. We were a group of seven and enjoyed everything. We shared honey-glazed carrots, hard boiled eggs with salsa verde and pickled celery, pickled vegetables, and ciabatta with extra virgin olive oil. Four of us had paninis, two had the special from Grandma's House, and one enjoyed a salad. Everyone raved about his/her meal.

Campo Fina is open daily from 10:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. If you would like to make this your lunch spot on a tour of Northern Sonoma County wine country, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Unique Napa Tasting Experiences

2013-01-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

A few years ago Raymond Vineyards was purchased by the Boisset family, one of the largest wine producers in France. Jean Charles Boisset took charge of the winery and created some of the most whimsical tasting experiences in the Napa Valley.

Upon arrival at the winery, you'll see signs pointing you to the Theater of Nature. Here you'll walk through gardens to learn about Raymond's devotion to Biodynamic farming. You'll see a variety of vegetables and animals that contribute to producing high quality grapes. If you have young children with you, they will especially enjoy seeing the white peacocks, chickens, goats, and sheep. Also outside is Frenchy's Winery, where your dog can enjoy a respite while you are tasting inside.

When you first walk into the tasting room, it looks like a fairly ordinary Napa tasting room, but you'll need to dig deeper. You can walk down the Corridor of Senses to see if your sense of smell can pick up the many aromas found in wines. Instead of tasting out front, walk back into the Crystal Cellar where you will learn about the art of decanting and see more Baccarat crystal than you've probably ever seen before.

If you plan ahead, more tasting experiences await you. By prior appointment, you can take a blending seminar and make your own wine. You'll get to take your wine home with you and Raymond will save your blending notes for future reference should you want more of your special cuvee.

The Gold Room enables you to taste JCB Wines in opulent surroundings. Your group can have a sit-down tasting surrounded by more gold (color, not metal) than you've ever seen in one room.

Finally, if you are a big fan of Raymond's wines, you can become a member of The Red Room. For a $500 annual fee, you can make use of a room lined with red velvet that has a feel of old-time men's club, complete with a pool table. The Red Room has its special red blend, which can only be tasted here.

There are other tasting options at Raymond, so visit the website and see what suits you. If you'd like to take a private Napa tour that includes a visit to Raymond Vineyards, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at rick@blueherontours.com or (866) 326-4237 (toll free).

Best Sonoma County Restaurants - 2012/2013

2012-12-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

The new Zagat Bay Area Restaurants 2013 and The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area, and Wine Country Restaurants 2013 were recently released. Here's an update on the critics' favorite restaurants in the Sonoma County.

No Sonoma County Restaurants received two or three stars from Michelin. Cyrus, which had received two stars, closed this year. The Sonoma County recipients of one Michelin star are Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in Forestville, Madrona Manor in Healdsburg, and Terrapin Creek in Bodega Bay.

None of the 40 most popular Bay Area restaurants, according to Zagat. are in Sonoma County. Zagat's top rated restaurants for food in Sonoma County are Cucina Paradiso (Petaluma), Sea Thai Bistro (Petaluma), Madrona Manor (Healdsburg), Farmhouse Inn (Forestville), and Bistro des Copains (Occidental); all with 27 points.

"The San Francisco Chronicle's" top rating is four stars. Two Sonoma County restaurants received 3.5 stars: Madrona Manor (Healdsburg) and Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant (Forestville). Fourteen restaurants are the recipients of three stars.

Lunchtime on my tours in Sonoma County usually finds my guests in either Healdsburg or the town of Sonoma. My favorite lunch spot in Healdsburg is Willi's Seafood, which features small plates of the freshest seafood. In Sonoma city, I recommend The Girl and the Fig for French influenced California food, El Dorado Kitchen for American cuisine and Della Santina's for Italian food. If you would like to take a private tour in Sonoma County that includes a meal at one of these great restaurants, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.