Describing Mendocino as “America’s Greenest Wine Region,” the local farmers, grape growers and winemakers remain at the forefront of the sustainable, organic movements. The County has the highest percentage of acres farmed by sustainable, organic, and biodynamic disciplines.
Encompassing a rolling patchwork of vineyards, quaint farms and 13,000 acres of scenic parkland, Wine Country doesn't get more real than Sonoma Valley, whose rich soils mark the birthplace of California's wine industry.
Russian River Valley is not only abundant with grape growing and winemaking; it is also rich in history—both geological and man-made. This history makes it a special place to grow grapes, to make wine, to live or to visit.
Recognized as one of the "Great Wine Capitals of the World," The Napa Valley is prized for its natural beauty, phenomenal culinary scene, world-class accommodations, and one-of-a-kind spa experiences including the region's famed mud baths and mineral hot springs.
Livermore wineries vary in size from limited release, 100-case labors of love to 400,000-case industry heavyweights. Welcoming tasting rooms showcase award-winning wines and offer year around activities.
The Santa Cruz Mountains enjoys a proximity to the ocean and the benefits of its coastal climate: warm days, cool nights, coastal fog in the morning, and soft breezes by afternoon to dry the vines without stressing them – all so important to growing premium Pinot Noir.
Monterey Coast: the name conjures up visions of Carmel and Big Sur, of Steinbeck and Cannery Row, and of Pebble Beach. Today, Monterey County is also becoming famous as one of the best places internationally to grow winegrapes.
Paso Robles winemakers and wine grape growers are in accord when they say “Quality wine begins in the vineyard.” Paso Robles wines tend to be deeply colored and rich due to the intensity of the sun, with fairly bright acidity due to the cool nights.
Wine growing in San Luis Obispo County stretches back to the missionary days of California viticulture, when the first grapevines were planted by the Franciscan padres who settled California in the 1880s.
Santa Barbara wine grapes now command among the highest prices anywhere in the state. Many of the areas planted with wine grapes are mixed in with the rolling hills, ancient oak trees, oil fields, cattle ranches, and natural areas.
Wine Region The site is split into the main California wine regions, chosen as having high standards for wine production as well as being excellent tourist destinations.
The top row of buttons you see above represents these regions. Upon clicking the region, you will be taken to that area's map site.
Sub-Region Certain wine regions on the site have distinct "sub-regions". For instance, Napa has several, including Calistoga, Rutherford, Yountville, among others.
You will be presented with a second row of buttons. Upon clicking a sub-region, you will be taken to that area and the local wineries will be shown as well.
Trips & Places In each region we have created a select list of themed, fun trips and their places. Some examples are "Top Wineries", "Fun Activities", "Photo Tour", and many others.
Peruse the list and check back often for the latest.
Mapping a Trip Want to see the trip places on the map? Click on the desired trip and a new map tab will open up with all the places on the map.
Some trips with photos have a "Slideshow" button, click to watch the show!
My Maps On all map places, you can choose to add that place to your own map. Maps are like trips and have many of the same benefits: slideshow, sharing, printable guides and more.
Community Maps You can search the user community maps as well as make your own maps searchable to others. Each region lets you search its maps (although maps may use places from any region).
Points of Interest Want to go beyond the places presented in Trip Ideas? Select "Points of Interest" and you can turn on the full list of map places to explore.
Categories Select one or more of the following:
Wineries
Restaurants
Lodging
Activities
Photos
After those points are placed on the map, navigate to select the places, by searching or clicking on the place.
Find Place For all places currently on the map, you can use "Find" to search for places (by keywords) and get a list of matching places, which you can jump to on the map.
Share Map For a selected trip on the map, click "Share" and send an email of the trip to your friends.
Print Trip Also for a selected trip, click the "Print" button to get a concise, elegant, printable trip guise.
Slideshow The "Slideshow" button will open up a slideshow of the current trip's photos, otherwise photos for the region.
Trip Place Drawer Whenever a trip is selected on the map, this button can be clicked to show a listing of the places.
When you mouse-over each place, a small popup window will show up over the place on the map, which contains some key actions to perform. Or by clicking on a place link, it's full popup window will open up.
Other Place Navigation Since we're talking about trip places, seems like a good time to recap the other ways to get to a trip place: Trip Idea's place listings; Searching using the Find feature; Clicking on a slideshow photo, or; Simply navigating the map.
Tips & Discussions You and other members can participate in various discussions. Share your tips and ideas for others or follow current conversations.
Regional Topics By default the current region's discussions are shown, or quickly jump to another area. Once there, look at all discussions, or by topic: Tips for First Time Visitors; Favorite Picnic and Food Spots, and; Regional Wine Talk.
Other Things You can also maintain your own profile (picture, activity stream, ...). You can communicate directly with others (online or email) if a member has allowed that permission.
