If you are planning a trip to California, then you might want to consider scheduling some time for a trip to visit some of the many California wineries. With the gorgeous weather and lush scenery this can be a wonderful way to experience some of the finer US wines.

California wine is well known all over the planet and with over 200 days of sunshine each year this state boasts an ideal climate for growing wine of all kinds. In California, you will find 6 predominate varieties of wine. The Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine with a melony or herbal taste and is a good pairing with seafood. The Chardonnay can have a buttery taste and goes well with chicken as well as seafood. Of the red wines, you will find Pinot Noir which has a fruity taste, the Zinfandel which can be fruity, herbal or spicy, the Merlot which can have a fruity and floral flavor and the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Along with the varieties above, you can find many other types of wine to peak your taste buds and California winery tours offer not only an inside look as to how the wines are made but also wine tasting as well as yearly festivals and events based around processing and harvesting. If you time your visit to California right, you can make the most of your winery tours.

If you are thinking about adding some California wine tours to your schedule, here are some things to consider:

1. Plan your visit. As with anything else, planning ahead will help to insure a successful tour. The first thing you should do is decide which areas of California wine country you want to visit. Most places are near each other, so you can map out a visit where you can see a couple of wineries in one day. You can start by looking at websites which give information on wineries including tours and special events. Also, try the winery organizations and trade bureaus.

2. Make sure you make reservations. You may find that the wineries require an appointment if you want to try some wine tasting so it is a good idea to call ahead of time. Also, if you are traveling to California, be sure that you have your travel and hotel plans already booked before you start to look into winery tours. When scheduling tours, it is best to limit yourself to no more than 3 vineyards per day. You want to allow yourself enough time to see everything and traveling between wineries can take some time as well. If there are special events, you want to be sure to allow enough time for those too.

3. Know what you want to see. It will be in your best interest to know exactly where you want to go and what you want to see before you start on your trip. That way you won't waste time arguing over which direction to go in. If you can get a driver that knows the area, all the better.

Some wineries in California are small while others are quite large. In some you may see the farmers picking grapes by hand while others use machines for harvesting. Either way, you are sure to have a fun filled day with your family and maybe even learn a little about the California wine business to boot!

About the Author

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.online-gourmet-foods.com where you can learn more about gourmet food and drinks such as red wine.

A synopsis on Wine Train.

California Wines and Tips For Winery Tours


If you are planning a trip to California, then you might want to consider scheduling some time for a trip to visit some of the many California winerie...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

Wine Train Items For Viewing

2003 Finca Los Arroyos Malbec


This 2003 Finca Los Arroyos Malbec from Argentina is deep purplish red. It has well-defined aromatic descriptors such as sweet cherries, plums and strawberries with vanilla and caramel touches, given after aging in new barrels of French oak for twelve months. It is a dry wine of balanced acidity, which makes it very pleasant and persistent, the ideal one to be served with dishes with meat. The temperature of service is from 61 F to 64 F. 7680600020 7680600020


Price: 18.95 USD



Current Wine Train News

It's Up To All Of Us

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:46:41 PDT
Nicky Whelan, the face of Harrow’s travel awareness campaign, has begun work on her Hollywood debut entitled “Hollywood and Wine”. Nicky used to be on the popular Australian soap Neighbours and left the show to pursue some offers from Hollywood. Nicky was kind enough to not only be the face of the campaign but also to appear at our I Move London launch event to announce she was going to be endorsing the initiative which promotes walking, cycling, car sharing and using public transport as a me

Emerald Cocktail #4 recipe

Wed, 14 May 2008 01:07:14 PDT
There are many different alcoholic drinks available these days that it is not easy to know what to choose. One of the best ways to discover which the best quality wines are is to check out reviews. That means you will have some inclination of the type of wine it is as well as the quality of the wine. Others opinions are really the best way of discovering great wines. I used to often drink cocktails and have a tasty Emerald Cocktail #4 recipe which I used to mix. Even the most elaborate cocktai

Forex Trading System

Wed, 14 May 2008 01:32:17 PDT
fundamentals and G20 Friday’s move is expected to collect all this information, but is currently worth. The two leaders, who, in his younger days, qualified as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM), said that the company made very little money out of it, but said that it could not write-off the costs accrued performing the work. Bush reiterated that the market ought Koizumi warned against any rapid exchange fluctuations in indicating Japan’s commitments to more actively manage their reserves, w

DRINK OF THE WEEK: Down Under Cobbler (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Wed, 14 May 2008 03:05:00 PDT
By June Naylor It's already time to think about warm-weather libations. If you love red wine and berries, you won't be able to resist this slightly sweet, wine-based concoction, courtesy of Australian winemaker Yellow Tail. You'll be tempted to make a pitcher and invite a gang over to toast the pretty afternoons. Down Under Cobbler Serves 2 3 tablespoons fresh raspberries or blackberries, ...

another birthday in south africa

Wed, 14 May 2008 03:09:48 PDT
two years ago yesterday, i was celebrating my 21st birthday in cape town, surrounded by friends and alcohol at the wonderful madame zingara's. that was an amazing day. i never thought then that i would be back here so soon, celebrating yet another birthday. yesterday i turned 23. the whole day i had this sad feeling in my stomach, not only because i was getting older, but because birthdays don't seem to be as big of a deal anymore. people celebrated with me, baked me cakes, bought me presents, a


Sweet Wines
Sweet Wines
Wine Basket | Wine Bottle

Labels: Wine Accessories

&type=page">