Heading to SF and Napa

[thefork]

Can anyone recommend a hotel in San Francisco and a hotel or BnB in Napa? How did you get from SF to Napa? Any wineries you recommend to visit?

I decided to leave my Rolex in my bag when dealing with the TSA for the trip. I have never had such an expensive watch and it unnerves me to lose control of it with the TSA, but c'est la vie.

[Joey_V]

I always prefer to have the watch on me and then I slip it into the carryon right before I hit the security scanners.

[Newportkrieger]

The Fairmont Hotel in SF is IMHO the best old world San Francisco hotel. Great location on top of Nob Hill, The best staff and service and if you get a tower suite... the best views of Golden Gate, Sausalito, Angel Island, and Alcatraz.

I do not know Napa very well but the Pelican Inn in Muir beach is a world class BnB. They have a great Sunday brunch that all the locals come to and "parK" their horses in the paddock next to the hotel. Its like a 18th Century American tavern. Just a few rooms, steps to the beach.

[Dr. Robert]

re:hotels in San Francisco......what's your budget?????
by the Ferry Bldg. Hyatt Embarcadero, by Union Square, Hyatt, St. Francis,Hilton, Marriott, around the corner on Market...4 Seasons.
Rent a car to get out of SFO......you won't need a car on the city.
Napa is great....Sonoma is better..............all our vino is excellent.....
Have a good time.

[fusionstorm]

Besides budget, you also need to advise what type of wines you like and how many days you'll be in Wine Country........

[STEELINOX]

We last stayed at Union Square Hilton !


We visited Robert Mondavi
Ravenwood
Copolla
Cakebread
Viansa
and a bunch of others as we were there a week...

They're all relatively close at 45mins to an hours drive.
Start first thing and be on the road by 8a and you can have a fantastic day of wine and food.

Course, we love to go at Harvest time (August), so your experience will certainly vary...

Enjoy

[mastermixer]

Originally Posted by Joey_V

I always prefer to have the watch on me and then I slip it into the carryon right before I hit the security scanners.

I do the same. I think it gives you the most piece of mind

[speedo]

never been to california but if i went, i'd definitely check out this place and try the purple pachyderm or the pink platypus:

http://www.claypoolcellars.com/

[mikea]

you'll have a great time!

we always like caymus, cakebread, silver oak, if you can get to papapietro perry(amazing pinot), elizabeth spencer(everything is good)...and make sure to eat at mustards!

[thefork]

I have two days to spend in Napa or Sonoma. I chose the Fairmont for the hotel in SF. I like cabs and merlots. I was wondering if I should split the two days with one in Napa and one in Sonoma.

Do alot of people get DUI's up there? It will be just me and my wife and neither of us is gonna get wasted, but it doesn't take much nowadays if they make you blow? Both of us want to drink.

[fusionstorm]

Yes, DUIs happen in Wine Country. You're more likely to get one on weekends and in the evenings. If you plan to drink at a lot of wineries in a short amt of time, you may want to consider a car service.

For cabs, I say go big or go home! Shafer (appt only), Pine Ridge, Chateau Montelena (beautiful pond with an island gazebo), Diamond Creek (nice pond that allows for wading and swimming) and Harlan (appt only for mailing list members) are where I like to go. You can do a Google map search of the Silverado Trail and pick out 5-6 solid wineries in a 10 mile drive (names like Chimney Rock, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Silverado) if you're looking to combine qty with efficiency.

In Sonoma and points north, I like Arrowood and Lancaster. Jordan and Silver Oak Alexander Valley location are also up that way. Be forewarned that what looks like a short distance between Napa to Sonoma and other points west and north are often very long drives. Napa is the most compact, and even then it's spread out if you're not careful.

All the wineries mentioned are cab-centric. The only merlots I'll drink are Pahlmeyer and Beringer Bancroft Ranch.

[TSW]

Originally Posted by fusionstorm

Yes, DUIs happen in Wine Country. You're more likely to get one on weekends and in the evenings. If you plan to drink at a lot of wineries in a short amt of time, you may want to consider a car service.

For cabs, I say go big or go home! Shafer (appt only), Pine Ridge, Chateau Montelena (beautiful pond with an island gazebo), Diamond Creek (nice pond that allows for wading and swimming) and Harlan (appt only for mailing list members) are where I like to go. You can do a Google map search of the Silverado Trail and pick out 5-6 solid wineries in a 10 mile drive (names like Chimney Rock, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Silverado) if you're looking to combine qty with efficiency.

In Sonoma and points north, I like Arrowood and Lancaster. Jordan and Silver Oak Alexander Valley location are also up that way. Be forewarned that what looks like a short distance between Napa to Sonoma and other points west and north are often very long drives. Napa is the most compact, and even then it's spread out if you're not careful.

All the wineries mentioned are cab-centric. The only merlots I'll drink are Pahlmeyer and Beringer Bancroft Ranch.

Great recommendations

[GoldenBear]

I would suggest the Fairmont in the City and The Inn at Southbridge in St. Helena. The best wine experiences are in Sonoma...it is like Napa 20 years ago. The big, well-known wineries are good (Chateau Montelena, Silver Oak)...the smaller ones are even better. Press is a fantastic restaurant in St. Helena, so is Tre Vigne. Watch the movie Bottle Shock. Really puts the Napa wine boom in perspective. Also, due to the temps., Napa is better known for the Cabs and Sonoma is better for Chardonnay and Pinot. I would suggest hiring a towncar and/or using a taxi. Regardless of the cost, a DUI is just not worth it.