Winery Tour

Although I can't drink wines much, I was interested in wines in California.
California seems to be famous for wines because of the amount of productivity of wines, which raises 90% in U.S.A. To create wines, California winery factories seem to work on the fog which San Fransisco is famous for.

First I went toward the north, and then arrived at San Francisco. The town of San Francisco was covered with fog, but Golden Gate Bridge was very clear. The photos were taken from the north side of San Francisco. It was a grand scenery where artificial things are mixed with nature.

Then I was at Sonoma Valley. Sonoma Valley is one of big winery places as well as Napa. An official of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau recommended me to go not only some typical wineries and cheese factories but also a place related to Jack London, who was a characteristic American author from Sonoma. When I said "I'm sorry, I don't know him", she seemed to be very sad... Sorry.

I visited the Sonoma Cheese Factory and Vella Cheese related to Cheese around the Visitors Bureau, and then went to the Buena Vista Winery and the Benziger Family Winery‎.


The Sonoma Cheese Factory was a shop to sell Cheese, Wines, and something about Sonoma. In the store, I could try many kind of cheese. Although smoked cheese was delicious, but unfortunately I didn't buy anything.
The Vella Cheese was also a cheese shop, but also a factory. we can buy their handmade(?) cheese. I tried some cheese so that I bought a red cheddar cheese. It was a important point, especially in U.S., that the shopper was very friendly.

Buena Vista is a oldest winery in Sonoma. Although I went there and saw it, I couldn't find out what I could there. I could only see old buildings of factory from outside and some pictures with the history in the factory. It seemed to be needed there to make a reservation of a tasting tour.

As soon as I arrived at the Benziger Family Winery‎, the staff called me and offered a winery truck tour for US$25. It was very interesting me, but it included wine tasting. I couldn't drink because I had to drive a car to go back home. So I said no thanks, then I walked a little bit around the winery by myself. The winery was very spread with some small hills. It was very beautiful! It was very easy to imagine the good taste of wines. But they also offers only wine tasting for US$10 per a person. My wife tried it. In the tasting, we can drink 6 glasses of wines. There were many choices of wines. She looked very enjoying wines, and she said "I want to enjoy them with much time". So I bought a wine bottle that she chose.

That's all. What an excellent place Sonoma is! I'd like to go again with my friends and family.


By the way, Palo Alto is safe place at the aspect of traffic. But in near Berkley, it was a little bit dangerous to drive a car because roads were very crowded like Tokyo... I'd NOT like to drive a car there no more if possible...