California Wine Country
- Start: Berkeley, CA
- End: Sonoma, CA
- Last Modified: 2011-09-13 20:39:34
- Total Mileage: 187 Miles
- Number of stops: 18
Description
This looping tour, beginning and ending near San Francisco, takes you through two distinct wine country valleys: Sonoma and Napa. Begin by heading north on the loop until you reach the Healdsburg area. Wine lovers can peruse more than 60 wineries, including Simi Winery, Chateau Souverain, Dry Creek, and Geyser Peak Winery, with free tours and tastings available at most. Next, travel southeast to Calistoga at the northern end of the Napa Valley. Here visit Old Faithful Geyser of California, which erupts every 30 minutes, sending boiling waters 60 feet into the air. Also, pay a visit to the petrified Forest, where a grove of ancient redwoods were turned to stone because of a volcanic eruption 3 million years ago. End your tour by heading west out of Napa to Sonoma Valley. Visit Buena Vista, one of California's oldest wineries, where Agoston Harazthy planted the vineyards from which the entire California wine industry sprang.
