Though California has wine-growing regions as far south as Temecula and as far north as Oregon, the word “California wine country” is widely used to refer to the Napa and Sonoma valleys, just north of San Francisco, the most popular wine regions of the Golden State. It may take quite a bit of planning to prepare a trip to the wine country, learning in advance about the various regions, wineries and accommodation and touring options.

So, don’t feel obligated to try everything when touring the wine country. Concentrate on the varieties that you know and like best. Use your discrimination to impose some order to treat tasting room visits as you would a large wine festival.

Find a wine shop if you’re in an unfamiliar place, and ask the manager or owner to recommend the best wines and producers in the region. He or she’ll be pointing the way. And maybe some neophyte winemakers will also get the point if enough customers speak up.

Have your homework done. Find out before you go what the strengths of the region are. Ask for recommendations from a wine seller. Map your itinerary. Minimize driving. Look for clusters of tasting rooms.

Concentrate. What particular varieties and mixtures are you going to taste? Just take notes. It will slow your drinking down and accelerate your thinking.

Maintain a fresh palate. Too many wines can make your senses fatigued. Avoid jumping from sweet to dry and back again. Just breathe. Drink lots of water in between visits and nibble on apples or carrots.

Don’t wear perfume. This is where your cologne dreams go. It seems obvious, but scents can ruin the nose-shot tasting experience for everyone.

Don’t flex your wine knowledge too much. In a tasting room, people usually refrain from talking too technical because it seems like they are showing off. And often, the staff in the tasting room, who tend to be entry-level staff, don’t know as much as you would think. 

Don’t ask for the “good stuff.” Definitely not, but it’s all right to ask if there is an open library or reserve of wines beyond the advertised flight. Just realize that your pressure to buy wine should be increased by specific requests.

Dublin, California and the surrounding communities are blessed with many amazing wineries you don’t want to miss :

• Rubino Estates Winery
• Chouinard Vineyards & Winery 
• Westover Winery 
• Las Positas Vineyards 
• Tenuta Vineyards 
• Page Mill Winery 
• Dante Robere Vineyards
• Retzlaff Vineyards
• Wente Vineyards 

All of these wonderful wineries are located just a short distance from our location located at 6400 Village Pkwy #101 in Dublin, California! Stop by for a visit anytime!