California Wine Country

Now that I am back from Italy I need to say something about our California wine country.

October and early November are the best times to visit California as the temperatures are moderate, the rain usually hasn't started and it is less crowded. Some people make the mistake of coming during the summer. California can get very hot in the summer but one thing people don't realize is that in Northern California the heat pulls in the marine layer from off shore and can make San Francisco feel like winter in other parts of the US. Mark Twain was right when he said "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco".

I came back from Italy to temperatures in the mid 70's to low 80's with no rain in sight. Children are back in school so it is less crowded during the week.

My cousin David came to visit from Denmark so we took  him and his family to Sonoma to taste some Pinot Noir on a Thursday. It was a perfect day of temps in the high 70's. The wineries were empty and the harvest was finishing up. We had a relaxing day of sitting outside tasting wine and at one of the wineries we had a cheese platter.

My advice is that if you are in the area visit any one of the wine regions in California. From Sacramento you have the foothills, Napa, Sonoma and Lodi. If you can, go mid-week. You won't be disappointed.