The wine country is divided into two distinct regions: the Sonoma and Napa valleys. Both Napa and Sonoma are about a 45 to 90 minute drive north/northwest of Berkeley (depending on traffic and which wineries you want to go to). The only way to get there is via an automobile, so it is usually best to get a group to all go up at once (more fun that way anyways).

More famous than Sonoma valley but more expensive as well. According to Sutter Home, they are the only winery in the region that has complimentary wine tasting.

Links

Below are some useful links if visiting Napa valley:

• Alphabetical list of Napa Valley wineries Includes contact information, website link, and a brief description of what the winery has to offer.
• Napa Valley Map Colored map of Napa valley including the regions and locations of wineries in the county.

Sonoma valley, which is a little less well-known than its neighbor, is a popular place for graduate students to go and visit. Many places offer complimentary or cheap ($5) wine tastings, especially further north in the valley. Sonoma has numerous small wineries with owners who love talking about their wine and explaining their wine making processes. If you don't know much about wine, this region is a great place to start learning.

Links

Below are some useful links when planning a visit to Sonoma valley:

• Sonoma Valley Map Colored map of Sonoma valley including the regions and locations of wineries in the county.
• Wineroad.com Northern Sonoma County website with details about upcoming events and detailed maps of the northern regions.
• Small list of some Sonoma Country wineries Definitely not an exhaustive list of wineries in the valley but does have a few links for wine tasting coupons.

Wineries

Those that have been popular with past graduate students:

• Sunce - free tasting and has a boche court.
• Harvest Moon - usually a $5 tasting fee but is often waved. Make sure to ask about their chocolate and dessert wine tasting.
• Kendall - Jackson - a larger winery. Worth a visit if only to see the grandiose tasting room. Many students really like their dessert wine.

Barrel Tasting

In addition to wine tasting every weekend, a few of the northern regions get together for a few weekends in late February/early March and run an event called Russian River Valley Barrel Tasting. It is a unique experience that is a lot of fun to go to, but beware, the costs have been going up lately. You can save some money by buying tickets in advance about a month ahead of time. Otherwise, the tickets are good for the whole weekend (Friday - Sunday) although some places do not have tastings on Friday. Make sure to leave Berkeley early to get there with plenty of time to taste. It is a popular event so expect to run into some traffic and possibly some lines at the wineries.

If you have a large group of people who want to go tasting, make sure to call ahead and ask if they can accommodate your group. Some places are locally owned and therefore fairly small. In addition, some places will up their tasting fees for larger groups (>10). The short time it takes to make the phone call is well worth the postponed headache.