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California Wine Tours - When to Visit
You need to make an appointment to visit some wineries while others are open every day. Obviously, you need to check this out before making your visit. If it is around harvest time, you can phone to winery to find out when they plan to crush the grapes. Usually you do not get to see the crushing process unless you time it right. If the season is low and tourists are sparse, the staff at the winery will have more time to spend with you.
This also means that some tasting rooms will not be open, however. If you want in depth explanations and fewer people at the tasting bar, you might like to visit a California winery off-season, in December, January, or February. The busy season begins in March and continues until November. The harvest time is around September or October, depending on the region and climate. The harvest time is usually busy and bustling with tourists.
Planning Your Own California Wine Tours - Cheap and Fun
If you do not want to take part in an arranged California wine tour, it is possible to sort out your own. This is usually cheaper but there are some things to bear in mind if you want to do this:
- Sometimes the distances on maps look deceptive. It might take a lot longer to get to a winery than you initially thought so allow ample time to get there.
- Plan to visit two or three wineries a day. Any more than three will mean you are rushing about instead of savoring each winery experience. If in doubt about distances or timing, just plan to visit a couple of wineries.
- Either base yourself centrally or choose lodgings and a restaurant near the last winery of the day.
- Travel with a couple of ice chests in the car to protect wine purchases and keep them chilled.
- Save a couple of afternoons for visiting wineries recommended by people you meet along the way on your wine tour.
California Wine Tours - Best Places to Visit
Although wine is produced all over California, Napa Valley, and Sonoma Country are the two main wine producing areas people think of when they think about California. Just because they are the best-known regions does not automatically mean they are superior to the other winery areas.
Actually, in the summer months, wineries in this region are inundated with tourists so you might want to find some wineries in different locations or just visit a couple in the Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley. Sometimes visiting a small, out of the way winery can be a very good experience and be an interesting experience compared to a larger, busier one.
There are over 90 wine growing areas spread across California so you should limit your winery visits to one or two regions. You can choose between the south coast, the central Californian valley, the central coast, and the north coast. Each region boasts many fine California wineries for you to choose from on you wine country tour.
