When is the Best Time to visit Napa Sonoma Wine Country

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The #1 time to come is when your schedule allows. 

November through March is our “Offseason.” Also known as our “rain season”. Napa and Sonoma are in Northern California, not sunny Southern California with beaches and surfing. We get on average 30 inches of rain, just a little less than Seattle. Winter temps are 50’s & 60’s during the day and 30’s & 40’s at night.

  • Make the most of discounted accommodations, tastings, and tours.
  • Experience a more relaxed and personal atmosphere at wineries and tasting rooms.
  • Visit smaller, family-owned wineries or join special winter tastings.
  • It’s easier to secure reservations at top restaurants

April, May, June The weather starts to get better, warmer, chance of rain decreases, the days are longer, and the vines start to grow rapidly, as the temps spike up. Once the rain stops, the beautiful green hills and grasses turn brown but the vines provide the color.  Temps are 45 to 75 in April and May, 50 to 85 in June.

As more people start to visit the area, hotel, B&B prices start to inch up, the prime restaurant reservation times get tougher to secure. I always recommend, make your dinner reservations as far out as they’ll take them. That way you can eat from 6:00 to 8:00 pm not get stuck with the 4:30 or 9:00 time.

July, August, September, no rain, no humidity, no bugs, 55 degrees overnight, 90’s during the day. We do get a few very hot days each year, where the temps get over 100.  Hottest part of the day is from 3:00 to 6:00. After 6:00 temps start going down. You’ll need a sweater at 8:00 pm. Cool mornings and hot afternoons are perfect growing conditions for grapes.

  • This is “High Season”. Hotel rates highest, tough to get a reservation for the weekends
  • Try and come during the weekdays
  • Grapes start to develop sugar and turn color, called Veraison
  • Chardonnay & Pinot grapes get picked as early as July to make Sparkling Wine
  • These grapes & Sav Blanc, Zinfandel, Malbec will get picked for still wines by the end of September

October is my favorite month. The hot days are behind us, averaging 45 to 77. After the grapes are picked, the vines to go dormant for the winter, which creates the fall colors. Cabernet Sauvignon are the last grapes to get picked. Fingers crossed that no natural disaster hits, frost or long spell of rain or unnatural disaster, fire, that prevents the grapes from getting harvested.

  • Fall colors
  • Grape picking, processing, lots of added activity going on
  • Wine making, many of our small winery partners will let you in behind the curtains to watch

The Grapes of Early Summer

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The 2015 growing season is well on its way. From bare stocks in March, the vines have grown 3 to 4 feet and the grapes are noticeable green berries. All grapes start out green; in the next 30-45 the red grapes will start the process of going from green to red. It is a great time to be in wine country as the grapes are changing. This is the second year in a row that we have received very little rain. We are supposed to get 35 inches, last year we got 5, this year we got 9 inches just about all in one day. The vines get their water through their roots and don’t require a lot of water. The drought of 2014 & 2015 will actually make the wine even better; less water in the berries means more flavor in the grapes. Word is the 2014 wines will be awesome.

Will let you know in a few months when harvest will be. Late September and all of October is a great time to visit wine country!!

The Grapes in Fall

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The grapes of 2014 have been picked and the wine has been made. How the 2014 vintage will turn out and how it will rank, only time will tell. But the winemakers I’ve talked with say that 2014 could be a special. Why? Because of the drought. This past rain season, November 1st. 2013 to April 1st 2014, we were to get 35 inches and we got 5. Grapes / the vines get their water through their roots and because the ground water was non-existent in the soil, the grapes had less water in them creating a more concentration of flavor. What mother nature provided or didn’t provide will show up in the wine. The colors in the vineyards after harvest have been spectacular!