Unless visitors have been wine touring before they really don't know what to expect when they come to Napa and Sonoma. These are the top two wine tourism destinations in the world, so not surprisingly, the level of hospitality and expertise is exceptional.
The first thing people often notice is the lack of wine snobbery. That's more common in big city restaurants than here among the vineyards, which is just another way of saying farm country, with really good restaurants.
What they do have is 'country hospitality' combined with huge enthusiasm for our products and the beautiful region we call home. Would it surprise you to know that one of the biggest reasons people visit is education? They want to know more about the culture and of course, the wine! It's true, and many our clients seek us out for that reason, due to the number of books we've written about the region and our popular TV show. That kind of work takes a lot of fun research, which we apply to creating custom tours for our guests. Ralph explains how vineyards and wineries work their magic and how to most enjoy the tasting room experience.
While we often work with last minute clients, putting tours together on the fly, most of our clients prefer to contact us well in advance, so that we can create a unique experience based on their interests that may include some hard-to-get appointments not available last minute.
We also suggest watching the videos about wine touring and tasting from our TV episodes. Also, purchasing our books can be a great way to prepare so you truly enjoy your trip. And don't worry, there won't be a quiz.
We work in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese to a greater or lesser degree and French when it is required!