California is famous for its vineyards and one of the best wines of the world comes from these parts. There are more than two thousand wineries. Touring this grape-rich country is a thrilling experience. The travel is on a cruise which takes you to the wineries. The people travel by small ships enjoying the beauty of the sea. There are interactive sessions with wine experts and special guests who give us a background about the history about the place. There are visits to wineries on shore.

August is the harvest season in the area and this is the best time to visit there. The Mediterranean climate is just right for growing grapes. There are special wine events and festivals around this time. So, one can enjoy the scenic beauty of the beautiful bay and riverside and visit the wineries and also tour the architectural places of the glorious past. This a tour that expert wine tasters and novices will enjoy to the maximum, since there is wine, culture and beautiful scenery all put together in one journey.

There are many famous areas that can be visited on this tour. Some of them are Amador County, Lodi Country, Monterey Country, Napa Valley, Pasco Robles, Santa Cruz Country and Sonoma Country.

Amador Country is famous for its Gold Rush attraction. In Jackson town you have the Amador Country Museum which houses the memorabilia from the Gold Rush period. Indian Rock Grinding State Park is 2,400ft above sea level, situated at Pine Grove. At Suffer Creek you can the buildings of the Gold Rush era and can also do some shopping.

The wineries of Shenandoah Valley have high class Amador wines. Ario in a new winery and has Italian wine and Dobra Zemula produces “Big Reds’ of Amador.

Lodi country is said to be the hidden jewel of the California wine country. Here you can taste wine at the Lodi wine country and Jessie’s Grove Winery where you can get to know the history of Lodi wineries. There are many marshes and the river basin houses hundreds of birds, reptiles and fishes. Many people come there for bird watching. During winter many Sandhill Cranes come there. At the Lodi Wine and Visitor center there are demonstrations on wine grape growing and wine making.

The Monterey country has 40,000 acres for growing grapes. Monterey and Camel area by sea are great vacation spots. The sunset is beautiful. People can go kayaking, watch the whales and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. National Steinbeck Center at Salines showcases John Steinbeck’s world and has exhibits for all ages.

Napa Valley has almost four hundred wineries, all world class. It was the first to be recognized by the American Viticultural Area (AVA). The famous types of wines Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Malbec are found here. At Oakville you have the Robert Mondavi Winery. Grot h, Duckhorn, and Stag’s Leap Winery are some of the wineries on the Silverado Trail. The town of St. Helena’s is great for shopping. The view from Napa valley and the tram ride to Sterling Vineyards hilltop winery are really enjoyable.

Pasco Robles is between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has 170 wineries and about 26,000 acres of vineyard. It has wide selection of wines like, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Marsanne etc. You can walk leisurely down the coast and visit the downtown City Park. At Pasco Robles vineyards you can listen to a talk about wine planting and wine growing.

The Santa Cruz country has the David Bruce winery, Beach Bargetto winery, Copper-Garrod vineyards and Beauregerd vineyards. You can go over the mountains and walk on Bear Creek Road. You can see the David Bruce chateau and Santa Cruz wharf.

Sonoma is famous for its variety of wines. You can taste Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernot and Sauvignon. You can walk on the beach and watch whales at The Bodega Bay. The Jack London State Park and museum is there.

September is celebrated as wine month. Why not visit this year and enjoy the tour of vineyards in California.

US $14.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 16:59:49 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $46.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 17:00:31 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Napa Valley is an optimal county suited to produce world quality wine grapes. You can have incredible views and many more that have earned this Napa tour area its reputation as one of the premier travel destination of the world. Where you travel in this scenic area, you are almost always in the view of a vine-covered mountain or a valley, and in fact no matter the time of year, you’re here in for a treat for all the senses.

While wine production is done in many different areas of California, having a Napa tours and Sonoma Tours could be finest because these regions is what people think of when they think of wine country tours. Some of the famous Wine country tours begin at the San Francisco Ferry Building. You can meet your tour guide, who would take you to places around. These tours guide would all board the shuttle to Napa Valley by crossing Golden Gate Bridge.

The renowned San Francisco ferry building is home to the ferry plaza farmer’s market that is a well done Farmer’s Market with lot of variety and vendors offering appetizing treats. The Ferry Building is situated on The Embarcadero street at the foot of Market Street. It is the center of the transit hub, which connects the nearby bay area communities to San Francisco.

Both Napa and Sonoma tours are most unique tours in Napa Valley San Francisco. In such wine country tour, they usually take you to all the premier Napa valley wineries aboard a small group tours shuttle. Most of the tours include great picnic lunch, ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and 50-minute relaxing Ferry/Bay Cruise before coming back to San Francisco. You could go outside or sit inside the boat and drink the delectable wine or sparkling wine you buy purchased during this 50-minute cool boat cruise across the bay back to the Ferry Building. And further most of the San Francisco restaurants as well allow you to bring your own purchased wine and pay a very small corking fee. The unique features of such tours is that it offers to taste premier Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Francs, Pinot Noirs with reserve bruts from the well-known wineries in Napa. You can have the unforgettable moments of your life by visiting such shuttle tours!

US $102.50 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Feb-17-2012 17:20:32 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $40.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-17-2012 17:19:23 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $61.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 18:04:11 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

When you go to the wine capital of California, missing out on experiencing Napa Valley wine tours is the last thing you would want to do. There are lots of things you will get to experience when you go to Napa Valley, and often times, hotels in the area and even travel packages are already included with the activities you will choose doing while on the area. With an estimated number of over three hundred wineries established in the county, experiencing a Napa Valley wine tour becomes an exquisite pleasure.

Activities During Napa Valley Wine

ToursThere are plenty of stuff which are being showcased in such a tour. One of them is of course wine-tasting. But more than just letting you sip lots of wine from many refineries, tour guides (who most of the time are the owners themselves) also teach a few tricks and tips when it comes to reaching satisfaction in wine tasting. Some even teach you how to appreciate wine and note differences in various wine products. Aside from this, wine tours also let you on the colorful histories of many popular wineries, so you can get a glimpse of how these distilleries started out and what’s the secret behind their generations of success.

Aside from these really cool experiences, there are also wine and food pair-ups. One of the things that wineries keep in store for their visitors is to educate them about the ways in which food and wine can help enhance each other’s taste. If you are lucky, you will be in on some food and wine pairing festivity while experiencing a Napa Valley wine tour. This way, you will get to see and experience how wines can fare alongside various cuisines from all over the world. You will also get to meet a lot of people, and in essence increase your networks throughout these fun-filled activities.

What You Should Remember with Wine Tours

In order for you to fully maximize that wine tour experience, there a few important tips that you must remember. One of them is to at least get to visit three different wineries in one day. Doing this will help you realize how Napa Valley was able to achieve its worldwide popularity based from the wine industry, and it will also help you appreciate the beauty of the entire wine area.

Then of course, you should also remember to practice wine etiquette as you go along these wine tours. This involves the three S to wine tasting — you Swirl your glass, you Sniff it, and then you Sip the wine. If your host asks you what you think of the wine, it’s better to be honest than put on a fake smile and say that you like it. Remember that not all wine are meant to taste sweet and be ultimately pleasurable to drink. So, it’s better if you really say how the wine made you feel because wines also, are made distinct according to their own personalities.To cap your day of wine tasting tour, make sure you indulge yourself in some gourmet food for that full of wine experience. There are plenty of gourmet restaurants you can choose from while enjoying Napa Valley Wine Tours, so you can be guaranteed to never really run out of food choices.

US $102.50 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Feb-17-2012 17:20:32 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $40.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Friday Feb-17-2012 17:19:23 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $61.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 18:04:11 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

When it comes to Zinfandel, Americans are just plain crazy about both the red and white versions, making it the third most crushed grape varietal in the U.S., right behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. When it comes to growing and bottling zins, California is king, so whether you love a nice refreshing glass of slightly sweet White Zinfandel on a hot summer day, or you prefer the intensely fruity, spicy red versions there’s something for everyone in California. With good weather all year long, anytime of the year is a good time to tour some of the best places in the world for growing this American favorite.

Originally an obscure Croatian grape varietal, Zinfandel came to America early in the 19th century. It’s grown in many of California’s grape growing regions from the Cucamonga Valley in the far south to the northern border with Oregon. From any major California city, you can be enjoying a Zinfandel experience in wine country in no time.

Although the Zinfandel grape has been around for a long time, White Zinfandel didn’t come into existence until the 1970s. Sutter Home Family Vineyard in Napa Valley is widely credited with creating what became known as “blush wine” when they made a rosé of Zinfandel but stopped fermentation a bit early to ensure it had a touch of residual sugar. Today, inexpensive white zin far outsells its pricier red counterparts and tends to be produced by large wineries like Beringer and Sutter Home.

When it comes to red zins, there are a wide range of styles, quality and price. They tend to have high alcohol content and when very ripe, make good desert wines with a flavor profile somewhat like Port. Three of the top California regions for red zins are Amador County in the Sierra Foothills, Sonoma County and Paso Robles.

Amador County is the ideal spot to spend a few days checking out California Gold Rush country and sipping hearty red zins, while still only an hour away from the city of Sacramento. Tasting rooms here are mostly small family businesses where you can often talk to the winemaker, pet the family dog and enjoy a picnic lunch. And yes, you can still pan for gold and see traces of the rustic Wild West atmosphere that inspired writers like Mark Twain.

In Sonoma County there are many good micro-climates for Zinfandel including the Dry Creek Valley and Rockpile areas. Make the town of Healdsburg your starting point for a driving tour of numerous outstanding zin producers. If fine-dining is on your agenda this is also the perfect destination to experience some of northern California’s best cuisine.

If your California vacation plans take you to the Central Coast region, be sure to stop in Paso Robles to taste Zinfandels and Zinfandel-based red blends that will knock your socks off. Although wine has been made in the area for a long time, the winemaking focus began to shift away from inexpensive wines to high-quality boutique wines in the 1980’s and today some of the most exciting wines in California are made in Paso Robles.

When you head for sunny California, a good Zinfandel wine tasting tour is never very far away. Sample a few on your next visit and you’ll know why the American love affair with Zinfandel is likely to remain a lasting one.

US $14.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Feb-13-2012 16:59:49 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $46.00 (2 Bids) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2012 17:00:31 PST Bid now | Add to watch list