California's world famous wine country is renowned for the many outstanding wines produced there. And the landscapes are absolutely stunning: rolling wooded hills, fragrant fields, urban wine trails in pretty tourist towns, wineries ripe for tasting the region's legendary produce and, of course, brilliant blue skies. If you're a wine lover, prepare to be whisked away to a breathtakingly exciting destination you'll remember forever.
There are more than 600 wineries north of San Francisco, mostly in the area's famously scenic valleys.
Viticulture and wine-making have been central to the northern Californian vibe since the mid 1800s, practised in the region since the mid 19th century. And the entire region focuses on the pleasures great food and wine deliver. This is a place where top chefs compete with each other to create culinary perfection, and even the smallest gourmet grocery store is packed to the roof with mouth-watering goodies. How about this for starters?
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Sacramento
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Napa valley
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Sonoma County
Explore these three extraordinary wine regions, each with its own distinct personality, and you'll go home simply steeped in the delicious flavours of northern California.
This is California's internationally regarded wine country... but there's a lot more to it than viticulture. The region is also defined by its remarkable ecology, extraordinary geology, fascinating architecture, world-class cuisine and unique culture.
California's wine region is home to the most extraordinary hiking and cycling opportunities. They even do a fine line in thrilling hot air balloon tours over the endless misty-green landscapes.
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Discover beautiful Lake Berryessa on the Stebbins Cold Canyon Trail
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Extraordinary historic sites including Yountville rail station in Napa valley
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A coastline to die for, particularly lovely in the Sonoma area
Experience the region to the full in all its infinite variety for a genuine flavour of a region that's completely unforgettable. Create memories that last!
This is a mellow region where wine means absolutely everything. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance".
Sonoma is a visual and sensual feast of plenty, with remarkable agricultural diversity. Wander the land sampling the wonderfully pungent wares at quaint goat cheese farms. Pick your own juicy fruits in cool orchards or buy fresh from roadside stalls. Take a leisurely picnic as the sun goes down, or get happily lost in the region's network of tiny, remote roads. The new year in wine country delivers a carpet of vivid vine flowers as far as the eye can see. April and May present a symphony of long days and warm sunshine, perfect for cycling and walking. And the area livens right up during the peak season, September to October, when things are particularly busy and vibrant.
Head for the fabulous Napa Valley. And don't forget the equally lovely Sonoma Valley. They both provide great wine in an unforgettable setting. The Tres Sabores is a small, family-owned ranch on the western Rutherford Benchland, growing organically certified Zinfandel, Cabernet, Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot grapes. And Robert Sinskey's hilltop wine tasting room... they're all not to be missed. You'll find everything from spotless, sophisticated small towns with top class accommodation to large stands of epic wilderness, California's wine country has it all. Perfect for foodies and wine lovers, ideal for hikers and cyclists, it's a little piece of heaven on earth.