Advice about winery's

[fuente]

I'm going to Sacramento this weekend and I want to visit a winery within a two hour drive. Do you know of any smaller winery's worth visiting?

[Bucko]

Within a two-hour drive includes all of Napa Valley and the Sierra Foothills -- over 200 wineries. Need to narrow down what you are looking for, i.e., caves, architecture, wine types, big, small, tours, no tours, self-guided tours, tastings, views......

Bucko

[fuente]

I am looking for a small winery that provides good tours and tasting. Has anyone heard of or visited a fun winery within an hour or two of Sacramento? I tried to find info on the net, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Help!

[Zinner]

The Sierra Foothills area is closest to Sacramento. Personal favorites from my trip there include Lava Cap, Renwood, Karly and Domaine de la Terre Rouge/Easton. And though it couldn't be called small, Montevina is doing some interesting stuff, lots of experimentation.

There are plenty of other fine wineries--these are just some I've visited. Once you get in the area, you'll find brochures with wineries and maps. Ask right away whether there's any special events going on.

With tiny wineries, it's advisable to call ahead to see if they can do a tour. But the smaller the winery, the more likely some of the family will be around. And if they have someone to watch the tasting room, they may even offer to show you around on the spur of the moment if you express an interest. Most are very proud of what they're doing.

For info on the internet, try travelenvoy.com for a listing of wineries with info such as tasting hours, varietals, phone numbers, etc. The Sierra Foothills Vine Times site at innercite.com has useful maps. And winetoday.com has a story on Gold Rush Country wines plus you can pull up individual winery info there too. Entering the phrase "sierra foothills wineries" in a search engine will bounce up more info.

If you have another specific question, ask and I'll try to come back and answer.