Well you-know-who has left yours-truly behind while she goes off gallivanting in beautiful Napa Valley this week. Well I was in on the decision to not go with, but that does not mean I have to like it.
Here are my top 10 reasons why I want to visit Napa Valley as well.
10. There are over 450 wineries in the area. You don’t have to work hard to find something you’ll like and many wines you taste can only be obtained at the winery and are not available in your local area.
9. It’s not just Napa. Napa Valley is only one of the regions in the California North Coast AVA (American Viticultural Area). 6 counties fall into this area: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Solano and Sonoma. Within the 6 county area are some 44 AVAs. What does this mean to us? Really unlimited opportunities to go places, meet people and sample their wines.
8. This is undoubtedly one of the worlds premium wine growing regions. Not just California, not just the US, but the world. Dare we say it could also be one of the universes’ premium regions? I think it is safe to say so.
7. Sonoma. The larges production of wines in the North Coast is actually from Sonoma. Sonoma is considered the birthplace of the California wine industry. Napa is hip, Sonoma is cool.
6. Zinfandel. 
I’m not talking about the pink stuff your great grandmother likes to drink. Zinfandel is a unique (mostly) American robust red wine. High sugar content in the grape creates wines with high alcohol contents. There are only 2 other areas in the world of note, growing this grape – in Italy it is known as Primitivo and in Croatia it is the Crljenak Kaštelanski grape (don’t ask me how to pronounce this!). I’ve had Primitivo and can say it is certainly a similar tasting style. Some day I hope to go to Croatia for the final comparisons. Zinfandel is planted on about 11% or more of California vineyards. Zinfandel is described as tasting intense: spicy, peppery, plummy, red berry fruits, notes of cedar and vanilla. It is higher in alcohol than many other grapes, so tastes best if well balanced with tannins, often from American Oak. My favorite red? A big jammy Zin.
5. Boutique wineries. Don’t worry about visiting the fanciest or trendiest wineries, visiting the smaller mom & pop or boutique wineries provide an intimate and satisfying trip. Visiting with the folks that actually make the wines is preferred to visiting a sterile tasting room.
4. All the wine. Ok, not just Zinfandel, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc & Sauvignon Blanc, just to mention a few. Sometimes only 1 grape variety is used in a given wine, but frequently other grapes are blended to add more body, flavor or structure overall.
3. Brewpubs. There are some new brewpubs that I would certainly like to try. I can’t list them here, as I don’t know them well at this point.
2. Breweries. Lagunitas Brewing Company is located in Petaluma, CA – only about 10 miles from Sonoma. They make a fantastic IPA and have a dog on their logo – 2 things I look for when picking breweries to visit.
1. I’m missing a nice trip with my best friend. OK and I’m a bit jealous. I’m stuck in the office blogging about it and she is out tasting wines as I type.
Just a plug, if you need help planning your wine tasting vacation anywhere. Contact GetAway Travel Service – www.getaway.travel For some of our wine-centric postings, visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/getawaywine
Thirsty Travels 