Wine in California

California is home to some of the Western Hemisphere's most celebrated and well recognized wine. California wine production accounts for almost 90 percent of all American wine production.
Within California, there are many wine producing regions. These regions are located all over California. In the San Francisco Bay area, we are fortunate enough to be located close to many of these different wine producing regions. An hour's drive away, is the infamous Napa Valley. Napa Valley is widely considered one of the top American Viticultural Areas in California, and all of the United States, with a history dating back to the early nineteenth century.
Today Napa Valley features more than four hundred wineries, makes 4% of California wine and grows many different grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, and other popular varietals. Napa Valley is visited by as many as five million people each year. In 2010, Trip advisor's Travelers choice awards awarded Napa Valley as "The World's Best Wine and Food Destination". It is also internationally recognized as one of only nine Great Wine Capitals on earth.
Napa Valley's success is due largely in part to its warm, sunny days which have made it a world leader in Cabernet Sauvignon production. Our cycling tours take us along the Silverado trail and into some of the most glamorous and elegant of tasting rooms. Guests are taken on private tours through these massive estates. We also visit smaller producers, producers who are harder to meet and whose wine is harder to find.
We spend most of our time in Napa in the Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, Stags Leap District and St Helena regions of the valley. Below is a list of the wineries we frequently visit. This is not a guarantee that these will be your stops during your visit.

Frequently visited wineries in the Napa Valley

Domaine Chandon, Goosecross Cellars, Clos Du Val, Elyse Winery, Cliff Lede, Miner Family, Paradigm, Plumpjack, Alpha Omega, Frog's Leap, Honig Vineyards, Peju, Rutherford Grove, Rutherford Ranch, Sawyer Cellars, Sequoia Grove, The Terraces, ZD Wines, Pine Ridge Winery, Quixote Winery, Franciscan Winery, Tres Sabores Winery

Sonoma County is an additional top destination in California Wine Country. Sonoma is home to almost every type of grape grown in California: Alexander Valley shines at Cabernet Sauvignon production, Dry Creek Valley is home to some of California's oldest Zinfandel vines, and the Russian River Valley produces top-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Our days spent cycling through these regions offer a plethora of opportunities to taste unique and exquisite wines.

Whilst visiting these regions we stop at some of the following wineries. This list is not a guarantee that these will be your stops --- our itinerary is subject to change.

Gary Farrell, Moshin Vineyards, Thomas George Estate, Matrix Winery, Arista Winery, Twomey Cellars, Mill Creek, Winery, Armida Winery, Everitt Ridge, A Rafanelli, Preston Vineyards, Lambert Bridge Winery, Bella vineyards, Montemaggiore, Ferrari-Carano, Mazzoco, Ridge Lytton Springs, Raymond Burr