Cincinnati, OH: What would be an unforgettable two day itinerary in the Napa/Sonoma wine country? Pat

Avital Binshtock: I'd spend the first day in Napa, the second in Sonoma like so:
DAY 1 (NAPA):
1) Start in Downtown Napa, stopping at Dwight Murray Plaza to see the clock tower and waterfront mural, Napa Town Center, to get a feel for everyday life here, Vintner's Collective, to kick off your wine-tasting day, the Opera House and perhaps the Firefighters Museum.

 Napa Valley Conference and Visitors Bureau, 1310 Napa Town Ctr., Napa [tel] 707/226-7459.Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 11am -5pm.

2) Stop at Napa General Store to pick up a boxed lunch to eat at your leisure.

3) Visit The Hess Collection. The beautiful drive up provides a good example of the pristine scenery that characterizes much of Northern California. The winery itself is welcoming and has lots to see, including art galleries, a garden that fully blooms in summer, a reflecting pond with water lilies and the impressive stone-walled tasting room in the original 1903 winery.

 
4) Visit Clos du Val. You can't say you've done Napa's best without having seen at least one winery along the Silverado Trail--and if it's in the small, exclusive Stags Leap District, so much the better. Clos du Val satisfies both requisites.

 
5) Head up the long, vineyard-flanked driveway to get to Domaine Chandon. Cross a small footbridge over a life-filled pond (keep an eye out for egrets) and past some interesting sculptures (including a faux mushroom field) to enter the educational visitor center. Domaine Chandon is owned by the venerable French company Moët et Chandon, and what you get is pretty similar. Sample the full range in the tasting salon as knowledgeable staff members explain the nuances of effervescent wine.

 
6) Go to mission-style Robert Mondavi Winery. The winery gives the valley's most comprehensive tours, from basic jaunts to extensive 4-hour overtures that include a 3-course meal. Given today's time constraint, however, opt for the former (still very educational) or simply visit the art gallery before or after tasting.

 
7) Rubicon Estate will be your last winery of the day. Still better known by its former name, Niebaum-Coppola (and even to some, the historic name before that, Inglenook Vineyards), Rubicon is director Francis Ford Coppola's spectacular, ivy-draped 1880s stone winery that exudes momentous grandeur. A caveat: this is one of the valley's more expensive wineries to visit. There's a $25 admission fee, but that includes tasting five wines and a tour.

 
8) Choose your dinner option: If you truly want the best, most memorable, Napa dining experience, then there's only one place to go: a famous little restaurant called The French Laundry. Plainly put, this is unlike any other dinner you've ever had. Chef Thomas Keller's intricate preparations, often finished tableside, are presented with uncommon artistry by highly professional servers. The prix-fixe dinners come in either five or nine utterly sublime courses (a vegetarian menu is an option), but when the check arrives, close your eyes as you slip your credit card into the folio while reassuring yourself that this was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Reservations are required and should be made at least 2 months in advance. If you've still got next month's rent to make, the more modest Grill at Silverado serves excellent Cal-Asian fare made with ingredients from local farms.

 
DAY 2 (SONOMA):
1) Start your day at Chateau St. Jean. Notable for its exceptionally beautiful buildings and expansive landscaped grounds, this winery is a pioneer in vineyard designation. In the large tasting room, sample the wide array of wines.

 
2) Benziger Family Winery presents a wonderful 45-minute tractor-tram tour ($10) which winds through the estate vineyards while providing a thorough explanation of why it's a certified biodynamic winery, stops so you can walk into aromatic aging caves, and ends with a tasting.

 
3) Lunch at Jack's Bistro & Wine Bar, a lovingly refurbished and French-inspired brasserie in Glen Ellen.

 
4) Hit Gundlach Bundschu. If it looks like the people working here are enjoying themselves, that's because they are. The small, often crowded tasting room plays rock music as carefree-but-attentive staffers happily pour chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet and other vintages.

 
5) Check out Viansa Winery. This sprawling Tuscan-style villa perches atop a knoll overlooking lower Sonoma. The winery's focal point for visitors is its marketplace, a large room with a cornucopia of high-quality foodstuff (lots of samples), wine-related gifts and, of course, a tasting counter.

 
6) Wander Sonoma Plaza. The eight-acre site of the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt is the pulse point of the entire county, and it hums with history and local culture. Its park-like atmosphere promotes cheeriness, while historic monuments--like the beautiful Mission San Francisco de Solano, City Hall, General Vallejo's home and old army barracks--add wonder and mystique. You'll be hard-pressed not to leave the plaza lugging shopping bags, since the boutiques, bakeries, tasting rooms and galleries are nearly irresistible.

7) Have dinner at the girl and the fig, a local favorite right on the plaza. From its refusal to use upper-case letters to its inventive nouveau French cuisine, this warmly decorated eatery defies convention, which works greatly to its benefit. Sit outside if the weather's good, and save room for dessert.

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los angeles ca: im (27) looking to surprise my girlfriend (23) with a fun romantic weekend getaway sometime in April, where should i go thats not too expensive, too far, or too crowded? thanks. -j

Avital Binshtock: What a lovely idea! I'd have to say that of the two valleys, Sonoma is the more romantic. It's less developed, less hurried and there are more chances to catch quiet moments together. My advice is to rent a tandem bike, pick up food in the morning, then cycle from winery to winery, picnicking along the way. Which wineries to hit? Ravenswood, Sebastiani, Bartholomew Park and Gundlach Bundschu are a nice mix. For dinner, she'll be highly impressed if you take her to French Laundry. But if you're not looking to splurge to that degree (a meal for two is easily more than $400), restaurants like The General's Daughter, Della Santina's, Harmony and La Toque are extremely romantic. Book a cozy but upscale hotel like The Cottages of Napa Valley.

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Phoenix, Arizona: I will be visiting Healdsburg June 20-21 with 2 friends. We would like to tour several wineries while there. All three of us are particularly fond of Zins and Pinor Noirs. Any suggestions for wineries to visit in the area? I've also read about olive oil tastings. Are there any such things in the Healdsburg area?

Avital Binshtock: I'll address your last question first: Yes, there are olive oil tastings throughout wine country. In the town of Healdsburg, your best bet is a great shop called Plaza Farms; it's likely to have olive oils available for sampling. Elsewhere in wine country, you can sample olive oil at Dutch Henry winery in Calistoga, Olivier (a French-inspired purveyor of epicurean delights) on St. Helena's Main Street and at St. Helena Olive Oil Co. (another storefront in St. Helena).

One of my favorite wineries to visit is in Healdsburg: Roshambo, a playful place with an ubercool tasting lounge (glass walls and Russian River Valley views). There's also a smooth wooden ceiling and a serious modern art collection. It's named after the Japanese rock-paper-scissors game, and they actually hold invitational tournaments. Also in Healdsburg is Ferrari-Carano, one of wine country's most beautiful wineries. Villa Fiore, its Tuscan-style hospitality center, has a tasting bar overlooking the estate's impressive fountains. On the tour, experience behind-the-scenes winemaking, an underground cellar and an eye-popping ramble through five acres of verdant gardens laced with streams and waterfalls. Hop Kiln Winery is also in Healdsburg. Its distinctive and old-fashioned hop kiln structure is a California Historical Landmark. For pinot noir, go to Arista Winery and for zin, try De La Montanya Winery (which surrounded by apple orchards, golden poppies and Felta Creek). There are also some excellent tasting rooms on Healdsburg's downtown square: La Crema (for pinot noir), Thumbprint Cellars, Toad Hollow and Cellar 360.

 
If you can, dine at Cyrus -- it's in Healdsburg and is likely the best restaurant in all of Sonoma.

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New Hartford, NY: My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in California. Since he is a railroad fan, we will fly to Denver, CO to take Amtrak's California Zephyr to Sacramento (October 4-5, 2007). We have some ideas about visiting Napa Valley, San Francisco, Yosemite and possibly Lake Tahoe. With so much to do at these wonderful locations, we would appreciate any recommendations to focus us!

Erika K.

New Hartford, NY

Avital Binshtock: A railroad fan, huh? If you're not sick of trains by the time you get into Napa, you can do the Napa Valley Wine Train. It's basically a rolling restaurant, and one of the most leisurely ways to get an overview of Napa. The food isn't outstanding, but the 3-hour journey is aboard vintage-style railway cars. Sit on the west side for the best views.

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Denver, CO: I hear wine country is quite busy in the summer and early fall. What are some tips for dealing with/avoiding the crowds?

Avital Binshtock: Excellent question. First, choose Sonoma over Napa. Napa will aways be more crowded. Second, avoid Highway 29 like the plague. Silverado Trail is a good alternative, or break out the maps to chart a backroads path to where you want to get. Often, those byways are prettier anyway. Arrive at tasting rooms as soon as they open in the morning. Even during high season, most wineries have few visitors at opening time. Schedule spa treatments and the like for the afternoon, when everyone else will be clamoring for a pour into their flight glass. Make all restaurant reservations in advance in order to avoid long waits. And, finally, consider visiting in winter. Sure, it's not harvest season, but you'll have the place all to yourself.

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Covington, LA: We are arriving in Sonoma 4/18 for 2 nights, then going to Healdsburg for 3 nights. We are interested in hiking/biking, possibly around the coast for the mornings before wine tastings slow us down. Are there any excellent bike routes, i.e. throught the redwoods or along the coast for us to try. We are both moderately fit. Thanks so much.--Maria

Avital Binshtock: Yes! Wine country is the consummate biker's destination. With incomparable scenery and relatively flat terrain, a bike ride here is enjoyable even in gentle rain. In my book, I outline a great Yountville bike tour. Mostly on the Silverado Trail, you'll take in all the beauty Napa has to offer.
For hiking, Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and adjacent Austin Creek State Recreation Area are arguably wine country's best hiking destinations. The 805-acre Armstrong reserve is the natural California you always see in photos: think majestic redwoods. The 5,683-acre Austin Creek area, by contrast, is more of an open forest and has all the accompanying wildlife diversity. Both are part of the California State Parks system, in the Russian River region just north of Guerneville. I recommend the loop hike (elevation climb of about 1,100 feet).
For coastal scenery, drive Highway 1 along Sonoma Coast State Beach and get out to hike wherever you feel like it. Along this spectacular 21-mile drive, you'll see some of California's most gorgeous coastal land -- and that's saying a heck of a lot. You'll pass rugged shale bluffs, coves, headlands and offshore reefs. More than 300 bird species populate this stretch of land and if it's spring, you'll also see capacious sprays of wildflowers like blue lupine and verbena. Beaches -- most of which have tide pools teeming with invertebrate life--are accessible from more than a dozen points. If you want, veer right when you reach Goat Rock Rd. to visit the peninsula's tip, Whale Point, so named because the annual Grey Whale migration passes through here from Dec-April.

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Avital Binshtock: Thanks so much for your wonderful questions, and apologies that I couldn't get to all of them. I hope my answers have helped you plan a special trip to California's gorgeous wine country. To make your journey even more memorable, bring along a copy of my book, Frommer's Napa and Sonoma Day by Day. I know that all of you will have wondrous travels.
Cheers!
Avital Binshtock

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