Napa and Sonoma Wine Tasting

Our hotel, the River Terrace Inn, is just a short walk from downtown Napa and the Napa Wine train.  Although we didn't take the train we did stop in at Bounty Hunter, a downtown wine bar that boasts some great BBQ brisket in addition to being the "go to" place to sample local vino.  We also made sure to hit the Oxbow Public Market, which hosts many food- and wine-oriented shops as well as Gott's Roadside (great burgers).   But the primary focus of this leg of the trip has been driving around the picturesque countryside and sampling the great wines of the Napa and Sonoma regions.

Each estate seems to have a unique architectural and landscaping style.

Domaine Carneros

Rubicon Estate

Ornate Columns at Darioush

Some can only be described as over-the-top ostentatious, like the Castello di Amorosa which looms like a medieval fortress over the highway.

Are we in Italy?  No, we are just at the Disney-esque Castello di Amorosa

Some of the interiors are very elaborate as well.

Peju Province Tasting Room - Note the marble floors

Staircase in the mansion at Rubicon

Feasting hall adorned with frescoes at Castello di Amorosa

How many wineries did we manage to visit in all?  These are just the ones remembered to photograph:

River Terrace Inn
1600 Soscol Avenue  |  Napa, CA 94559  |  Reservations 866.627.2386

Domaine Carneros
1240 Duhig Road  |  Napa, CA 94559  |  800.716.2788  |  Tastings with table service daily 10am - 6pm

Darioush Winery
4240 Silverado Trail  |  Napa, CA 94558  |  707.257.2345  |  Tastings daily 10:30am - 5pm

Peju Province Winery
8466 St. Helena Highway  |  Rutherford, CA 94573  |  800.446.7358  |  Tastings daily 10am - 6pm

Rubicon Estate
1991 St. Helena Highway  |  Rutherford, CA 94573  |  800.782.4266  |  Tastings daily 10am - 5pm

Castello di Amorosa
4045 N. St. Helena Highway  |  Calistoga, CA 94515  |  707.967.6272  |  Tastings daily 9:30am - 6pm
                                                                                                                 (until 5pm Nov - Feb)