I was writing a scouting report to a friend coming to the Bay Area from out of state. He's organizing an anniversary trip for him and his wife. My tips to him are below and it occurred to me that others would be interested, so I'm posting the scouting report here.
http://www.garyfarrellwines.com/ - incredible Pinot Noir and a sweet view from on top of the hill where the tasting room is. Probably my favorite.
http://www.yoakimbridge.com/ - you tasted their wine already. Virginia and her husband run it. She’s a little nutty in a good way. They also make a really good meatball sauce using their wine as an ingredient. Family owned.
http://www.kunde.com/ - I just discovered these guys last year. Really good Zinfandel and white wines. They have a strand of vines that are something like 100 years old. Still producing wine. Pretty neat. You can walk up on the hill and do a tour too.
A big splurge for a hotel would be the Solage: http://www.solagecalistoga.com/ - beautiful pool, really nice place. My friend got married there.
If you go off any of these reccomendations, drop me a line and let me know if you liked them.
