Pairing Wine Tasting with Your Passions

 

For the History Buff: A Taste of the Past

For those fascinated by winemaking history, these wineries are living pieces of the past, with stories spanning centuries.


Winery Stops:

  • 🏰 Château Montelena (Calistoga, Napa Valley) – One of the wineries that put Napa on the world stage by winning the 1976 Judgment of Paris, beating out French wines in a historic blind tasting.
  • 🏡 Buena Vista Winery (Sonoma Valley) – Founded in 1857, this is California’s oldest winery, featuring historic caves, 19th-century architecture, and costumed guides.
  • 🍷 Inglenook (Rutherford, Napa Valley) – Established in 1879, this grand winery (owned by Francis Ford Coppola) boasts a stunning château and an impressive library of vintage wines.

Pro tip: Take a stroll through Sonoma Plaza, home to Mission San Francisco Solano, the last Spanish mission built in California, before heading to Buena Vista for a glass of history.


For the Art Lover: Sip & Stroll Through Creativity

If you love sculptures, architecture, and fine art, these wineries turn wine tasting into an artistic experience.


Winery Stops:

  • 🎨 Donum Estate (Sonoma Valley) – A world-class open-air sculpture collection, featuring monumental pieces by Ai Weiwei, Keith Haring, and more.
  • 🏺 Jessup Cellars (Yountville, Napa Valley) – This friendly tasting room is full of inspiring art and world class wine.
  • 🖼 Hess Persson Estates (Napa Valley) – It all started with a Picasso. Donald Hess supports living artists and has an eye for talent.  Not to be missed. 

Pro tip: Include a visit to the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa or the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.

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