Coming all the way from Australia, I think it's worth the splurge to stay at Auberge du Soleil which is pretty much the best of the best located just north of Napa:

http://www.aubergedusoleil.com/

I found so many beautiful spots to explore - up to Calistoga, Healdsburg, even the town of Petaluma. I think you'd find a beautiful road no matter where you go. Weather is a bit changeable, but you could get lucky with some warm days. It's a lovely area.

Thanks sheri_lp, but waaay beyond our budget ($625-$5,050 a night, holy moly). We do have to pay for the flights afterall

I'm thinking more in the $200 or less per night range.

I'll look at the town you mention though, thanks.

We stayed in Healdsburg, which was a very cute town with nice town square and downtown and lots of great restaurants. We stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast that did NOT break the bank! It was the Haydon Street Inn. Victorian looking house with wrap-around porch. Innkeepers made pizza in their outdoor pizza oven for the guests when we were there. We walked downtown. They can give you lots of advice on the wineries, and the breakfast was superb. Have fun!

Yes, definitely consider Healdsburg - it is in a very good location and has lots of options.

What is your budget? (I gasped too when I saw the suggestion of Auberge du Soleil . . . not in my lifetime )

Will definitely look at Healdsburg, although after a bit of research Calistoga looks promising and I've found a few reasonable places to stay with good reviews in the $130-160 range, which is more our style.

Off to Google Healdsburg and Haydon St Inn, thanks.

I also think Healdsburg is a great place. I have heard its spendy but have heard there is a Best Western there that is reasonable. We recently stayed in Santa Rosa at the Hilton Wine Country- it was very nice, under $200 but we had a group rate and I think it was a nice central location- although Healdsburg would be a preference. I like the Sonoma area better than the Napa area- seems more low key, don't charge as much for tastings.

The wineries I liked best were Kunde and Martinelli ( you may have to make special arrangements for tasting at Martinilli- not sure. )

Dining- we had dinner at the Girl and the Fig- highly recommended.
The Santa Rosa Hilton is nice but a bit isolated- can't walk to restaurants, shops etc. Healdsburg is more walkable- could have spent much more time there.

Loved the whole Sonoma area

Haydon Street Inn looks very promising, thanks leslieq.

I'm suddenly spoiled for choice and already wanting to add a few days!

There is much to see in the area so understand you considering adding more days. We spent 4 days wine tasting and visiting other areas- nice day spent at Bodega Bay .

We then moved on to Carmel and Monterey- so much to see there too - 17 mile drive, Big Sur-
we were there in Nov and were fortunate to have fabulous weather as well as scenery

The Napa Valley has turned into a giant tourist trap, with overpriced wine tasting and very expensive restaurants.

Another option is to look at the entire Sonoma Valley (it's also closer to SFO than Napa).

My view is that the entire Healsburg area has gone the old "yuppified" route and a lot of things are overpriced.

I prefer the town of Sonoma and the Valley of the Moon. Last year we stayed in Glen Ellen, at the Glen Ellen Inn, a nice funky town about 10 miles from Sonoma town.

Below are several links to either help you or totally confuse you.

http://www.sonomacounty.com/?gclid=CM7Y9LuJv7QCFal_Qgodw2IA3Q

http://www.sonoma.com/

http://www.sonomawine.com/visit-our-wineries/see-sonoma-county-maps

http://www.winecountryinns.com/sonoma_county_map.html

Wow, confuse me is right. Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions though, I've got my work cut out for me.

We'd prefer unpretentious, if that's even possible. We've gotten accustomed to the laid back, uncrowded, boutique wineries of Australia and NZ, where the winemaker him/herself often pours the wine.

Am I dreaming to find something similiar in CA?

And I thought Healdsburg was in Sonoma?

We too love the town/square of Sonoma - and the area around it - where my Brother in Law had a ranch some years ago.

see: http://sonoma.com/ It is not only cute/historic/Victorian themed - but has some very good restaurants.

One of our favorite wineries is Gundlach Bundschu - with a rich history (the oldest family winery in Cal - http://www.gunbun.com/

- and you cannot beat the adjacent Carneros region for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Acacia and Buena Vista and Bouchaine (were there during crush once) - being three of my favorites - and Gloria Ferrer Champagne also is quite well regarded and fun to visit. http://www.carneros.com/wineries/about and http://www.carneros.com/appellation/map

Abd here are some pics of the town of Sonoma. http://tinyurl.com/crdncvd

Sonoma is the name of a town and a county. So Healdsburg is in the county of Sonoma as is the town named Sonoma.

If you go to Healdsburg, try to visit Armstrong Woods (http://krcb.org/sonoma-county-hiking-trails/trails-armstrong-woods). If you want unpretentious wineries, you could visit some in Almador or Placer counties - but that would be a longer drive.

If you go to the Sonoma area and are roaming the country side stop at the Wild Flour Bakery - its out in the countryside, but packed with people stopping for bread, rolls - its a unique spot. If unpretentious is what you are looking for, this will fit the bill.

http://www.wildflourbread.com.

I did not find the wineries pretentious ( well I few were I guess), but no owners pouring wines that we met. I'll see if I can come up with a list of the ones we visited and we visited a lot

We were a group of 18 mostly Canadians celebrating a BD and we had so much fun.

I agree that Armstrong Woods makes a great stop- we did a short walk to see some of the redwoods.

List of wineries I visited in Nov in Sonoma area

Kunde, Chateau St Jean, Landmark, St Francis, Ledson, Martinelli, Merry Edwards, Hop Kiln, Mill Creek

Merry Edwards and Mill Creek were smaller, more boutique type- enjoyed all of them

Napa and Sonoma are not the only "wine countries" in California. There are wine growing appellations up and down the state. After the Bay area, are you driving to CO? Perhaps we could give you some other recs on your route?

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I'm researching like mad.

Michelle - No, we're not driving to CO. The current plan is to fly to SFO, then fly on to Las Vegas for a few days (we've found that its a great place to recover from jetlag, since the city never sleeps!), then fly back to SFO for a few days in wine country, then fly from SFO to CO.

Just re-read your original post. In March the vineyards will still be dormant, if that matters to you. The hills will be green and there could be some wild flowers, depending on the rains and what part of March you are visiting.

One thing you could do is from SFO, head up to Bodega Bay. Then continue to Jenner and head east on Hwy. 116, stopping at Korbel for sparkling wine tasting. The Armstrong Redwoods are off Hwy. 116. You can then turn off on the Westside Road, and head up to Healdsburg . There small wineries along the Westside Road, West Dry Creek Road, Lambert bridge Road, and The Dry Creek Valley. The Alexander Valley also has lots to offer.

If you like Pinot, have you thought about visiting the Santa Ynez Valley, flying to Santa Barbara? This is also a very nice wine appellation to visit. Not sur how connection to LV or CO would work out. Sants Ynez was where the movie "Sideways" was shot.

Sorry to be a pest. Here is info on N. Sonoma County:

http://www.wineroad.com/

You're definitely not a pest Michelle, quite the opposite! I really appreciate all the great ideas and your driving route is particularly helpful.

I realize the vines will be dormant; we're off season travelers by choice. We live at the doorstep of three wine regions, and there's no shortage of lush green vines, particularly right now, as it's summer.

A bigger issue might be closures...are wineries generally open in the middle of the week in early March?

Wineries are indeed usually open midweek, but they often choose one day to close, like a Tuesday; thing is, there are so many in Napa and Sonoma, you'll have no trouble finding enough great ones to visit to fill your time.

We were in Sonoma last spring, stayed at the Hotel Healdsburg in Healdsburg. Lovely hotel, with a lavish full breakfast that may help justify the cost. Its sister hotel, which is called something like the H2Hotel, is just down the street and looked good to us from the outside, and it's less expensive. We love the Dry Creek AVA in particular, so Healdsburg is our ideal location, and there are great restaurants, although that's true of the entire area, really. I suggest you sample zinfandels while you're there, as CA makes excellent zins, but Unti in Sonoma makes great Syrah, Schug makes lovely pinot, and Hartford Family is not to be missed for chardonnay, pinot and zin. These are all in Sonoma County.

I think you need to decide, somehow, between Napa and Sonoma, and then proceed to narrow down a town and hotel. You really can't go wrong, if that helps

The first two weekends in March are very busy in Northern Sonoma County near Healdsburg. They are the Barrel Tasting weekends:

http://www.wineroad.com/events/barrel_tasting/5

These are events you want to avoid if you dislike crowds. However, they are also wonderful opportunities to try the new wines that are still in barrels. In many cases, you will taste with the winemaker or owner. We go every year and consider it a highlight of the season.

We have decided on Sonoma NewbE, just need to decide where exactly.

Thanks for the heads up on the Barrel Tasting Supercilious...looks like we'll be arriving on a Mon or Tues, which should work in our favor.

WEll Napa is very tiny - and their is basically one long road from Napa (the city) through the other little wine towns. YOu can see pretty much everything in one or two days.

In Napa you'll be on one main road heading north through the city of Napa, then the smaller cities of YOuntville, St. Helena and Calistoga. (Not in the that order).


Sonoma is larger but (as I recall doesn't have the cute charm that Napa has). However you can easily do both areas, visit lots of winerys and the wonderful restaurants.

If you are into foods/wines you might enjoy Per Se and The French Laundry (both owned by Thomas Keller). However for the French Laundry you'll need reservations several months in advance. We did not eat there but did dine at Per Se and enjoyed it very much.

http://www.frenchlaundry.com/

Per Se moved to Yountville? I hope it doesn't put Ad Hoc or Addendum out of business.
Love Yountville as a central location. Hurley's still our "under the radar" fave resto, esp in the Spring/Summer and early Fall when they have their patio open.

Several hotels w/in walking distance to Bottega, Bouchon's, Bouchon Bakery, Redd Wood, Bistro Jeanty, Redd, Pacific Blues Cafe.

City of Sonoma fave: Della Santina's esp when their patio garden is open. Their wine bar is also "well equipped".

<<< then the smaller cities of YOuntville, St. Helena and Calistoga. (Not in the that order).>>>


Actually, they are in that order, heading north.

Per Se is in Manhattan, as Kal obviously knows

Who? Me?

Our favorite Wine Country area is the Russian River Valley, in Sonoma. It's lovely. Try sonoma.com and wineroad.com We usually stay in a rental via Vrbo.com or russianrivergetaways.com

enjoy!

For pinot noir, consider a visit to Failla, on Silverado Trail. We needed to make a reservation, and we were the only visitors at the scheduled time, conversing with a knowledgeable staff member, sipping, relaxing in easy chairs in the rustic lounge. Nice wine, nice experience. (My daughter asked us to include a few bottles of their chardonnay in our order.)

Failla is not far from Joseph Phelps, with its beautiful outdoor tasting area overlooking rolling hills planted with vines.

Laid back is Sonoma town, Glen Ellen and the rest of the Valley of the moon.

There are a lot of great restaurants there, without the pretentiousness of the French Laundry. "This is Thomas' interpretation of a beet salad" while serving me one slice of beet about the size of a u.s. quarter.

If you want really laid back, then head north to Mendocino County and Philo or Booneville. You can learn the language of Boontlin', or trade lingo with wines like Mollydooker.

My head is spinning, you've all be a huge help, thank you. I'll let you know what we decide after I get my head around the options.

kal: >>Per Se moved to Yountville? I hope it doesn't put Ad Hoc or Addendum out of business.>>

Mea Culpa!! You are so right!

No probs...Latin is Greek to me.

Meknq8, good luck! Now that I know you've settled on Sonoma (which I think you'll love), I can firmly suggest Healdsburg. Sonoma town looked lovely, too, we just didn't stay there. But both have that classic California town square, cute shops, great restaurants, and oh yeah, loads of good wineries nearby. Let us know what you decide!

Personally, I like Healdsburg. Is it a bit too twee? Sure, but it is nice and convenient and some decent restaurants are about. Most importantly, it puts you within relatively easy access to Napa AND Sonoma + Anderson Valley.

As for wineries... Knowing that you like Pinot would mean you might want to focus a bit more on Sonoma or, assuming you are willing to drive a bit and get off the beaten path, you really should hit the Anderson Valley. Among my favorites in each of the areas:

Anderson Valley (this area is very rural, very laid back):
Drew
Foursight - great staff at the tasting room
Goldeneye
Londer

Sonoma:
Papapietro Perry
Williams Selyem (I think this is only open to mailing list members, but worth seeking out at restaurants)
Bella
Dry Creek Vineyard
Kosta Browne
Patz & Hall
Rafanelli (requires appointment, but easy to schedule even same day) - Zinfandel and Cab
Seghesio - Zinfandel and Italian varietals
Twomey
David Coffaro - the least pretentious winery I have EVER been to. The wine is only okay, but if David is around it is a blast.
Ridge

Napa:
Miner - seek out the Garys' Vineyard Pinot from them and their Stagecoach Merlot is a great Merlot. Great staff.
Pine Ridge - Cab, Merlot, and Malbec. No Pinot.
James Cole - big, bold wines. No Pinot. My favorite atmosphere of any winery in the area (tied with Miner).
Robert Sinskey
Twomey (they have tasting rooms in both Napa and Sonoma)
Nickel & Nickel - the tasting fee is prohibitive unless you buy 6 bottles
Whitehall Lane
Cakebread - ask if they have any Rubyiat

For restaurants, do try to eat at French Laundry if you can. Some like to pooh-pooh it in what I suspect is a bit of reverse snobbery, but Thomas Keller is easily one of the most influential chefs in the world, one who refuses to rest on his laurels, and it is an experience you will never forget. For something more casual, I LOVED Redd. Fantastic, friendly service, a great wine list and exceptional food. While tasting in Napa, I like to stop at Gott's - overpriced, but excellent quality "fast food".

We'd prefer unpretentious, if that's even possible.

Anderson Valley will give you what you are looking for, I think.

But don't assume too much pretension, even in Napa. Talk to the people pouring. Ask questions. If you are interested in the wines, they will be interested in you and you will have some great experiences. Remember that most of the people working the tasting rooms at the better wineries work there because they are passionate about wine. They aren't so much pretentious as they are jaded by the parade of folks coming through looking to see how much wine they can drink.

Any suggestions for off airport car rentals at SFO? Maybe taxi/shuttle to an off airport location (not sure which locations to look for online as I'm unfamiliar with the area).

SFO car rental prices are ridiculous. Even Payless, which is off airport accessed via a secondary shuttle from the SFO rental car center seems high.

Current thoughts are to pick up rental car, drive to Sonoma via undetermined route, spend three nights in Healdsburg (Tue-Thurs nights) then take our time driving back to SFO on Friday and stay in a hotel near the airport. This saves a very expensive Friday night in Sonoma (possibly made worse by the barrel tasting festivities over that weekend) and lets us use some Marriott points for the last night. Not sure the flights work though, still sorting those.

try Hotwire website for cars and see if prices better.
When I was in Sonoma in Nov, my family members flew into SFO, took a shuttle to Santa Rosa airport and rented car there- not sure how that pencils out - but you could check it out

Good ideas, sunbum, I'll take a look.

Try a search - someone posted recently that renting at the Avis office in San Bruno (the town that is at the northern edge of the airport) was much cheaper than renting at the airport, and getting there by taxi wouldn't be expensive.

On your return, there are several Marriotts near SFO - I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding one for points.If you're there at dinner time, have dinner in downtown Burlingame - an exceptionally pleasant suburban town where the airport Marriott is actually located (drive into town before you return the car, or take the "Burlingame Trolley" from the hotel).

In 2009 we stayed at the Metro Hotel in Petaluma: odd (Paris-obsessed) but nice, and relatively inexpensive, with a terrific Thai restaurant next door. It's in Sonoma County, a little farther west than the wine areas, but gives you good access to the coast (Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, etc.), Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge, if you want to take some time off from wine tasting.

WE had a lovely vacation in California wine are in October.

Highly recommend Camellia Inn in Healdsburg. Outstanding location - EASY walk to very good restaurants, a number of in-town tasting rooms, shopping, small theatre.

Several type rooms in charming turn-of-the century, lovingly carded for house. All rooms en suite except the one we had which still had private bath, just across the hall. Owned and managed by same family for over thirty years (now second generation handling the operation but "Dad" still shows up and manages the gardens). Excellent breakfasts, very helpful with local info and tasting passes. Cheese and wine served each evening (by the pool if weather suitable). Easy off-street, free parking. AND well within your budget. Lucy and Archie are wonderful hosts.

Rastaguytoday: There are a lot of great restaurants there, without the pretentiousness of the French Laundry. "This is Thomas' interpretation of a beet salad" while serving me one slice of beet about the size of a u.s. quarter.



Agree with Rastaguytoday that the FL is really not worth it. If you're staying in Healdsburg, there are several good restaurants there and the town of Santa Rosa not too far away has any number of wonderful places to eat that are pretty much not well known outside of the locals. But, to each his/her own.

Michelle has given you an excellent website for Sonoma County: wineroad.com.

Agree with Rastaguytoday that the FL is really not worth it.

As long as both of you acknowledge that pretty much every single chef or critic of any standing strongly disagrees with you, then you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

I'm a third, regardless of what "every single chef or critic of any standing" thinks. I'm the customer, I've been there twice, and if I were paying for it myself, I'd gag. It just isn't "all that" to me and husband.

'7307....I guess it's all a matter of taste.
BTW, we had another great pizza at The Brick Oven. lol

I did write my own personal take on dining in those very fine restaurants, deleted it thinking it might offend some sensibilities, but will attempt to restate it.

"I'm really not much into expensive, foofoo restaurants where a plate comes out with a slash of multicolored foam (Ooooh! how beautiful!) and another slash of sauce that took someone hours to put together (Ooooh! How unique!) with one strawberry sliced in half, three blueberries (when out-of--season, of course. "Ohh! I wonder how he was able to get such fresh tasting blueberries this time of year!"), one raspberry also cut in half and a huge sprig of indigestible mint to cover the rest of the plate - color coordination is very important - which plate is elegantly rectangular/triangular/round/boat-shaped and probably made in some exclusive china factory in Europe. All this bounty served with a fork/spoon that is not called a fork/spoon but by an antiquated and obscure French term but heck! it was invented by Marie Antoinette herself!"



Before the year ended we went to SF Opera, so had a chance to stop by and have dinner at Jardiniere where I had their fish dish du jour (believe it was sea bass) and Rataguytoday, you'll be pleased to know, it came all of the size of two quarters! A couple of days later we went to a year-end Chinese banquet where an entire fish was one of the dishes. Cost of the entire fish was about 3/4 that of my sea bass. It's not the cost so much, I can remember the exquisite taste of that banquet fish but can't remember a thing about the sea bass.

Anyhow, to each his/her own.

In Healdsburg, we absolutely loved Scopa. Dry Creek Kitchen was also excellent, and here's a tip: no corkage fee on Sonoma County wines, which is the deal of the century. If you get tired of a wine-centric menu, Mateo's is Mexican with real flair and technique, and they make a host of unusual and tasty margaritas.

In Santa Rosa, we loved Zazu. In Geyserville we loved Diavola (pasta to die for).

I would happily return to any of these

With all these helpful ideas, I hesitate to mention that we've had a change of plans. Sonoma may not be in the cards this time around afterall.

You're going to Disneyland? Wonderful!