Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bianco, despite the vanity venture, is one of my favorites wineries to visit.
Although Rubicon, in Napa (another Coppola property), has a longer history and
is certainly as pretty as a coffee-table book, it charges $25 to get in. This place is
free, and it also gives you glimpses at some movie memorabilia. Another boon: It's
yards off the 101 (but not close enough for its pollution), making this a top choice
for people who hate navigating country roads. It's under renovation until 2009,
so one or two elements of this review may not be up and running when you visit.
Some of the best views at any winery in the region can be had at
Viansa Winery
and Italian Marketplace
5
(25200 Arnold Dr./Hwy. 121, Sonoma;
%
800/
995-4740; www.viansa.com; daily 11am-4pm),
atop a hill south of Sonoma. Sure,
it's a Disneyfied version of a Tuscan estate, made to look old, but there may be few
places better suited to a picnic with a supreme panorama of vivid green hills, neigh-
boring vineyards, and even a slice of the Bay. Tastings of its Italian varietal wines—
its specialty—are $5 for four glasses, and tours are $10, but they're mostly historical
and not about the process. Intelligently, the owners have placed plenty of picnic
tables outside, where you can watch the birds of prey circling the valley below at eye
level. And the deli sells a selection of foods you'd actually want to eat, including $3
risotto cakes, $3 baguettes, and cheese and salads for $7.
Next door, at the bottom of the same hill,
Jacuzzi Family Vineyards
(24724
Arnold Dr./Hwy. 121;
%
707/931-7575; www.jacuzziwines.com; daily 10am-
5:30pm)
is equally theatrical, but for different reasons. Here, the grounds are done
up with the bombast of rustic Italian stone manse; little surprise, since it's based on
the Jacuzzi family home in Italy. Tastings are free, and although there's no wine pro-
duction on the premises, which are just for show, the winery does own vineyards
around the area, and daily at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, there's a production tour of a
facility across the street. A separate part of the shop area is dedicated to fancy olive
oil, mostly by local maker The Olive Press; squeeze some out of a soap-style dis-
penser and dip a little bread in to taste. Some oils are made here; peer through the
glass window at the back to see if anyone's busy today. In the piazza-style courtyard,
Italian opera is gently piped in, and inside the church-like events hall, which is
flanked by two grapes-carrying figures, there's a triptych that came from a cathedral
in Lyon, France (mind you, it's not very old). All of this is brought to you by the
family that brought you the trademarked spa tub (still doing their bit for romance,
I see), and the shop carries lots of vanity products such as books dedicated to their
self-celebration.
You'll need to bring a few supplies to
Armida
555
(2201 Westside Rd.,
Healdsburg;
%
707/433-2222; www.armida.com; daily 11am-5pm)
—meaning a
camera for the fab view and some food to eat on its fab patio. People come from
miles around—at least, people in the know do—to sit out on its generous wooden
deck, which overlooks a man-made reedy pond and an excellent vista beyond.
There, you can sit in the sun or in the shade, eat whatever you've brought, and
hang out for as long as you like. The winery just asks that you only drink their
wine on property. (If you don't, as they explain it, “it upsets our dog.”) The tast-
ing center, for its part, is relaxed and non-aggressive, and the winemakers don't
take the scene too seriously; one of its wines is called PoiZin (as in “the wine to
die for”—they must also mean it's a budget-killer, since it's $90/bottle) and the
wine club is called Wino. There's a list of six wines that are available to taste for
free, or pay another $10 to try its specialty and limited-release wines. It sells a few
