04/16/08 - Pinot Noir
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 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.
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