Impromptu visit to Napa, CA area (Page 2): You probably need to call them, especially if you want out of hours access. I wouldn't assume that the answer would be positive on the cost...

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Golden Rule wrote:

Can we walk the grounds without paying the fee? Do they open the grounds early in the morning so I can get some decent shots?

You probably need to call them, especially if you want out of hours access. I wouldn't assume that the answer would be positive on the cost free access perspective.

alfaman

Auberge du Soleil is an hotel and restaurant on a hill in napa that has great food, wine and a spectacular view of the valley. There is also Dariush winery that looks like a Moorish castle and sells great chardonnay. There is also the Silverado golf course, Pineridge winery with an interesting cave and the Yountville area. Have a great trip.

wesm Loc: Los Altos CA

Golden Rule wrote:

Thanks to you all. Making a list of all the suggestions and will start researching. If I want to photograph only some of the wineries such as Castello di Amarosa, will I be charged for walking the grounds? Are there any lakes in the region for letting my 2 Golden Retrievers swim?

Lake Sonoma, worth the drive over.

NorCal Bohemian

Reinaldokool wrote:

More recently, the Sonoma Brinery produces the best dill pickles, sauerkraut and similar products in the whole western US.

So true! I have their sauerkraut sitting in my fridge right now - the best that I have ever tasted - and my grandfather and father used to homemake it. Ummmm!

mikiSJ

Reinaldokool wrote:

The Napa wineries have made an income stream of charging $20 to partake of their tastings, whereas in the Sonoma region, it is usually free, but occasionally $5.

I might be the most liberal/progressive of the people who visit this forum and I have no problem understanding why someone can and does charge $20 to visit their wine tasting room.

Do you think there might be a reason why Napa can charge $20 and Sonoma charge $5. BTW, while I haven't been to the Napa Valley vineyards in 5 years, I never paid $20 for a wine tasting as I am an Italian wine snob and would much rather spend $20 on a fine imported Barolo at one of the many Napa City wine merchants than a boring California cab or zin any day.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Golden Rule wrote:

We have got to get out of Washington state because I'm sick of the cloud and rain that has been nonstop this year. Any suggestions on where the hot photography spots are this time of year? Thanks in advance.

The whole Bay Area is green right now due to our record rainfall, so there is much to enjoy. I spent a wonderful day at Sonoma Raceway at Sears Point two weeks ago at the vintage sports car races. If you are interested in motorcycle races, there is one there in two weeks. It is one of the best tracks in the country. If you want to enjoy the scenery, take a drive on the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley; Mumm Napa is a favorite stop of ours. Then you can drive up the Napa Valley on CA 29 and enjoy. There are many great restaurants and several places to get food for a picnic lunch, but a favorite of ours is the V Sattui winery that has it's own deli and picnic area. I like to continue north to U.S. 101 to Cloverdale and then take CA 128 to the coast. The drive on 128 is one of the best in the U.S. IMHO (especially in a sporty car), there are places to stop along the way (such as Boonville) and the scenery is beautiful. When you reach the coast at CA 1, you can go north a short distance to Mendocino, or south to San Francisco. Or, you could go to Mendocino and then go to San Francisco. If you enjoy wine, you can go to the Livermore Valley and visit several wineries. A particular favorite is Wente, where you can have a great meal as well. They also have a summer concert series. Enjoy your trip!

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

mikiSJ wrote:

I might be the most liberal/progressive of the peo... (show quote)

Well, perhaps it is because you do not know what you are missing. If you haven't tried, then you cannot actually know. The same is true when in Italy, and good Italian wines are outstanding. However, don't discount the California varieties. If you like Italian wines the California Gold Country (a significant drive from Napa) has the terrain that suits Italian grape varieties such as Barbera and some are outstanding.

Also, if you buy something while wine tasting it is not unusual to have your tasting fees refunded. What it does do is give you access to limited distribution wines that can be great for special occasions. Another method is to join a wine club for wineries that you like. The advantage to that is that you get access to stuff that isn't usually available in stores except for the specialist ones, but you also get free tastings. We have a small number of wineries that we like which are both photogenic or interesting for various reasons and are also great for taking visitors to. Usually it means that we can take two guests on a day tour to great places and have free tastings which can be as much as $100 per winery for 4 people and do it as often as we want. That way the wine shipments effectively pay for themselves which is a good deal. It doesn't mean that we are wealthy, just that the economics work out for us. We typically keep (cellar) the good wines for special occasions and occasional treats.

The main reason that the established Napa wineries have hefty charges is to restrict the people that see it as a cheap way of getting smashed which used to happen quite a lot from the tour buses and limos, and the visitors would never buy the product anyway.

That's one reason why I mentioned Turnbull. The owner has an amazing collection of significant original photographs by the great photographers. A year or two back the exhibit was an exclusive Ansel Adams display. As Sharpshooter said it is at least as good or sometimes better than one would see in any MOMA exhibit in the world which would likely cost as much without the wine. Also, with the entrance fee you tend to reduce the number of raucous opportunistic visitors that creates a rare and good experience. Nobody wants to see someone barf all over a genuine, signed Ansel Adams print!

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Peterff wrote:

Well, perhaps it is because you do not know what you are missing. If you haven't tried, then you cannot actually know. The same is true when in Italy, and good Italian wines are outstanding. However, don't discount the California varieties. If you like Italian wines the California Gold Country (a significant drive from Napa) has the terrain that suits Italian grape varieties such as Barbera and some are outstanding.

Also, if you buy something while wine tasting it is not unusual to have your tasting fees refunded. What it does do is give you access to limited distribution wines that can be great for special occasions. Another method is to join a wine club for wineries that you like. The advantage to that is that you get access to stuff that isn't usually available in stores except for the specialist ones, but you also get free tastings. We have a small number of wineries that we like which are both photogenic or interesting for various reasons and are also great for taking visitors to. Usually it means that we can take two guests on a day tour to great places and have free tastings which can be as much as $100 per winery for 4 people and do it as often as we want. That way the wine shipments effectively pay for themselves which is a good deal. It doesn't mean that we are wealthy, just that the economics work out for us. We typically keep (cellar) the good wines for special occasions and occasional treats.

The main reason that the established Napa wineries have hefty charges is to restrict the people that see it as a cheap way of getting smashed which used to happen quite a lot from the tour buses and limos, and the visitors would never buy the product anyway.

That's one reason why I mentioned Turnbull. The owner has an amazing collection of significant original photographs by the great photographers. A year or two back the exhibit was an exclusive Ansel Adams display. As Sharpshooter said it is at least as good or sometimes better than one would see in any MOMA exhibit in the world which would likely cost as much without the wine. Also, with the entrance fee you tend to reduce the number of raucous opportunistic visitors that creates a rare and good experience. Nobody wants to see someone barf all over a genuine, signed Ansel Adams print!

Well, perhaps it is because you do not know what y... (show quote)

The wine clubs are good if you enjoy wine. We have been a member of one for something like five years. However, ours is not in the Napa Valley (which is an hour from our home), rather it is Talbott in Monterey County, which is a couple of hours from our home. We normally visit their Carmel Valley tasting room. Talbott only produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but we like them and they are excellent wines. There are several other wineries in the area, and we love the Monterey Peninsula. Also, there are plenty of great photo opportunities in the area, including Big Sur.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

DJphoto wrote:

The wine clubs are good if you enjoy wine. We hav... (show quote)

All good and valid points, it depends where you are located. However, you can't get to Big Sur from the north right now. It's a bridge too far...

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

Peterff wrote:

All good and valid points, it depends where you are located. However, you can't get to Big Sur from the north right now. It's a bridge too far...

You can almost get to Big Sur, and that part of the coast from Carmel (about 25 miles) is worth the trip. The latest is that the replacement for the downed bridge will be open September 30.

jimalexander45 Loc: Napa Valley

Cakebread Winery is a must for photographers to see. Jack Cakebread was a notable photographer as well. He is the Patriarch of the family but is rarely there these days. However, they have a wonderful collection of Ansel Adams. Shooting in the Napa Valley is not a snap though. It takes a bit of creativity to capture the character and lifestyle. I have lived in the valley since 2001. I have found that the side roads will take you to more interesting places than just rolling around the perimeter of the valley. Use the roads off of Silverado Trail. Stay off of Hwy 29, the main drag. Too much traffic and only good in the morning when the sun breaks over the mountains to the East. Silverado Trail itself has the best light but only in the afternoon. Another thought is to go north from Calistoga up 29. You will end up in the Alexander Valley. The Alexander Valley (no relation) has not been ruined by commercialism and tourists. It is a lovely area with some beautiful vistas of vineyards. Up and back will take you about 3 hours plus shooting time.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Golden Rule wrote:

Thanks to you all. Making a list of all the suggestions and will start researching. If I want to photograph only some of the wineries such as Castello di Amarosa, will I be charged for walking the grounds? Are there any lakes in the region for letting my 2 Golden Retrievers swim?

Sorry to break this to you, Mr. Rule, but this no longer qualifies as an impromptu trip. Impromptu = unplanned, spur of the moment, without preparation. Don't worry about fees or schedules or how far. Just throw a bag in the car, gas it up, take the dogs or not, and develop a "you and me against the world" attitude. Just get the hell out of Dodge before sundown!

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

OddJobber wrote:

Sorry to break this to you, Mr. Rule, but this no longer qualifies as an impromptu trip. Impromptu = unplanned, spur of the moment, without preparation. Don't worry about fees or schedules or how far. Just throw a bag in the car, gas it up, take the dogs or not, and develop a "you and me against the world" attitude. Just get the hell out of Dodge before sundown!

Agree! We did something like that last June. We were on a fly-drive trip to Charleston SC, ending in Chicago. Our plan was Charleston-Manteo NC-Beaufort NC-Charleston SC-Paducah KY-Davenport IA-ORD. My wife had severe allergy issues in Charleston, so we needed to change plans from Manteo and not return to Charleston. We considered Kennebunkport ME-Buffalo NY-Davenport, but decided to go Manteo-Charlottesville VA-Asheville NC-Paducah KY-Davenport. All of my carefully planned directions were replaced by GPS navigation and my wife searching B&Bs as we drove. It turned out great! A few years ago we changed plans the night before our departure to home from Whitefish MT. Instead of going the most direct route via Twin Falls ID, we went via the Columbia River Gorge and an overnight near Portland. That added a little time, but also worked out great.