| We’ve often described the Northern California | | | | Frisbee. There are some great lawns in the Valley of |
| Wine Country as a ‘Disneyland for Adults’, | | | | the Moon. |
| but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the | | | | |
| children behind. For many people, visiting wineries is | | | | Visiting Napa with Children |
| only one day of their trip to San Francisco. After all, | | | | |
| with all of the attractions it has to offer, the Bay | | | | Napa is a great place to visit because everything is |
| Area is a great destination for the whole family. A | | | | close together. The whole valley is only thirty miles |
| daytrip to the scenic counties of Sonoma and Napa | | | | long by five miles wide, and while there are other |
| provides an opportunity to enjoy a relaxed pace with | | | | wineries tucked up in the hills, the variety of wineries |
| stunning views, wonderful tours and interesting | | | | that are easy to reach is wonderful. However, it is |
| wineries. The wineries and their gift shops are | | | | not as agriculturally varied as Sonoma. Napa is |
| admittedly more interesting to the adults than the | | | | another half hour farther from the Golden Gate |
| kids, but they will still enjoy the trip because it is, | | | | Bridge, but the ride brings you through the beautiful |
| after all, farm country, and what kid doesn’t | | | | Carneros district with its vineyard covered rolling hills |
| enjoy that? Sonoma especially takes great pride in | | | | that have a distinctly Tuscan feeling. Napa is closer to |
| their agricultural diversity, so as you travel around | | | | San Francisco via the less scenic Bay Bridge. |
| you’re going to see a wide variety of plantings, | | | | |
| orchards and livestock in between the vineyards. | | | | Napa has a bit more of a city style than its country |
| | | | | cousin Sonoma, but there are several places that |
| We’re seeing increasing numbers of children in | | | | children will especially enjoy. Everyone enjoys |
| Wine Country. While it is still a relatively small number, | | | | spectacular architecture and great views, something |
| parents are finding ways to make it work. The | | | | at which Napa excels. A classic example of this is the |
| secret to having a great time together in Sonoma | | | | Artesa Winery, with its hilltop site overlooking |
| and Napa is to realize that while many wineries are | | | | Carneros and the Bay. Artesa is close to San |
| not suitable or enjoyable for children, there are many | | | | Francisco and despite not being built with children in |
| others that are. Sonoma and Napa have over seven | | | | mind, the feeling is relaxed enough and the variety of |
| hundred wineries, of which about half can be visited | | | | places to explore extensive enough that everyone in |
| easily so there are plenty to choose from, as well as | | | | the family will be charmed. They even have an |
| many other family attractions. | | | | elevator for those with strollers. |
| | | | | |
| One of the most kid friendly and adult enjoyable | | | | Just to the north in Yountville is Domaine Chandon, |
| destinations is the Plaza in downtown Sonoma. If | | | | one of Napa’s original makers of sparkling wine. |
| you’re coming from San Francisco over the | | | | This is a favorite for groups and people with children |
| Golden Gate Bridge you’ll be at this historic and | | | | because the grounds are gracious and |
| charming place in a little over half an hour. This is the | | | | accommodating, with lawns, ponds and wildlife. Up on |
| ‘Philadelphia of California’, because it is the | | | | the patio, they offer snacks along with their elegant |
| place where the Republic of California declared its | | | | sparkling wines and the tables make it easier to keep |
| independence from Mexico. | | | | everyone together. The springtime tadpole explosion |
| It is helpful to know that there are the counties of | | | | in the ponds will keep any child entertained. |
| Sonoma and Napa, and the cities of Sonoma and | | | | |
| Napa. | | | | One of the most enjoyable family wineries is Francis |
| Even though Sonoma is a small city of about nine | | | | Ford Coppola’s Rubicon in Rutherford, about half |
| thousand people, it is big on history. It is the only city | | | | way up the Napa Valley on Highway 29 (St. Helena |
| in California that enjoys all three of these distinctions; | | | | Highway). He took the historic Neibaum/Inglenook |
| it was an official Pueblo, or city under Mexico, it was | | | | building and surrounded it with gardens that have all |
| a Franciscan Mission (the twenty-first and final), and it | | | | of the graciousness of a southern Italian villa. The |
| was the military headquarters for the entire West | | | | exhibits and old barrel rooms upstairs are enough to |
| Coast under both Mexico and the United States. | | | | entertain most children. During the summer they |
| Around the Plaza, which is the largest in California, | | | | provide model sailboats to send gliding on the |
| there are numerous historic sites as well as nice | | | | fountain pool in front of the building. There is a small |
| restaurants and shops. In the Plaza there are great | | | | café, with outdoor seating, a great gift shop and |
| picnic tables near the playgrounds and the newly | | | | of course some wonderful wines. |
| restored duck pond. | | | | |
| The tourist bureau sits on the Plaza in an old Carnegie | | | | Just to the north is the V. Sattui Winery which in this |
| Library building and it can provide additional | | | | context is most valuable for their great deli offerings |
| information for a great day with kids. A unique | | | | and large picnic area. Napa does not have a lot of |
| attraction called Train Town is just two minutes back | | | | picnic areas. On a Saturday in season it can get busy, |
| down Broadway, the road that led you to the Plaza. | | | | but finding food, wine and picnic tables all together |
| This is a small old-style amusement park suitable for | | | | certainly makes the logistics of blending wineries with |
| young children up to approximately age ten. There is | | | | children much easier. The wineries have dramatically |
| a small train to ride and a traditional merry-go-round | | | | more traffic on Saturdays than Sundays. |
| and it harkens back to a time before special effects | | | | |
| were digital. There is even a petting zoo. | | | | The Wilds of Calistoga |
| | | | | |
| Around the Plaza are several winery tasting rooms | | | | For the San Francisco-based traveler, unfortunately, |
| where you can taste some excellent wines without | | | | two of the most interesting wineries for children are |
| spending all day getting there. Then you can nip back | | | | all the way at the northern part of the valley, just |
| to the playground before moving on to the next | | | | south of the ‘old west’ style town of |
| winery. Five minutes from the Plaza is one of the | | | | Calistoga, which is a great, kid-friendly place to visit |
| Sonoma originals, the Sebastiani Family Winery, with | | | | onto itself. These two wineries are not suitable for |
| their great old barrel room, one of Sonoma’s | | | | infants in strollers, but for children eight years and |
| best gift shops and some very nice wines for you to | | | | older they are a fun experience. First is Sterling |
| sample. They also offer a trolley tour of Sonoma | | | | Vineyards, famous for its aerial tramway that carries |
| that explains about its wonderful history. Just to the | | | | visitors to its hilltop winery. Many years ago it was |
| south of town is the Larson Family Winery, on the | | | | the first large winery to charge for their tastings. The |
| old Sonoma Rodeo site. This was where the | | | | price includes the tram ride. Between the tram, the |
| champion race horse Seabiscuit stabled overnight | | | | gift shop and the tasting you need to allow an hour |
| when he was racing on the West Coast. It has a | | | | and a half to enjoy the place. Get there early to |
| farm-like setting with llamas and sheep. Horse rides | | | | avoid the lines. |
| through the vineyards can arranged in advance, | | | | |
| bocce courts and picnic areas round out the | | | | Just across Highway 29 is one of the newest, large |
| experience. | | | | wineries in Napa, although it was built to look old. The |
| | | | | Castello di Amorosa is built like an authentic castle, |
| From the Plaza you can head north on Route 12 up | | | | from real stone and hand wrought iron. The vision, |
| the Valley of the Moon, a scenic route. Voted | | | | the forty million dollars and thirteen years it took to |
| Sonoma’s best tour, the Benziger Family Winery | | | | build produced a remarkable place. Children are |
| in Glen Ellen offers a wonderful mix of agriculture, | | | | restricted to the early morning tours so you should |
| education and fine wine. Their vineyards are tucked in | | | | check their website for the schedule. The tour with |
| a pretty little valley on Sonoma Mountain just down | | | | tasting takes about two hours. The admission for |
| the road from Jack London’s old ranch, now a | | | | Rubicon, Sterling and Castello di Amorosa all range |
| park. | | | | between $20 and $25, although they offer discounts |
| Their tour, aboard a tram attached to the back of | | | | for children and young adults. |
| a tractor, winds its way up into the vineyards where | | | | |
| they explain the biodynamic approach to agriculture, a | | | | Napa gets hot in the summer, but very dry, so there |
| remarkable system that is increasingly popular with | | | | are very few flying bugs. During the Winter it gets |
| many high-end wineries. Next you visit the barrel | | | | rainy, but not very cold. Both Spring and Fall are |
| caves and finish up in the winery for a tasting. | | | | gorgeous, and harvest time, from late August |
| Admittedly wineries are about adult enjoyment, but | | | | through mid-November, is a very busy, exciting time |
| there are often children on the Benziger tour and | | | | in Wine Country. |
| they always seem to enjoy themselves. | | | | |
| | | | | Small, private wineries are often at people’s |
| Please don’t make the mistake of bringing | | | | homes, so for the collector, traveling with children, |
| children to trendy wineries where they have nothing | | | | you should ask your potential hosts if children are |
| of interest for kids. They will spend the hour while | | | | welcomed. If you want to get to the smaller wineries |
| you are tasting wine bored with nothing to do. The | | | | with children, consider hiring a guide with a car or |
| wineries that are kid friendly have made a big effort | | | | SUV (avoid limos due to the need to sit sideways or |
| to be so. At both the Sonoma Plaza and Benziger | | | | backwards which increases the possibility of |
| you’ll find good picnic tables, so pick up some | | | | carsickness). While there are limo services in San |
| sandwiches either at the Plaza or at the Glen Ellen | | | | Francisco, many of the experts live in Wine Country |
| Market. | | | | but they pick up clients in the city. Hiring a driver |
| | | | | greatly reduces the stress and increases the |
| Many of the wineries in the Valley of the Moon are | | | | enjoyment. Explain that you have children and ask |
| kid friendly as long as you have an adult willing to | | | | them for a guide that is comfortable with that. Some |
| keep an eye on them. The grounds are gracious and | | | | guides are parents and actually like children. For them |
| park-like allowing for a little outdoor enjoyment in | | | | it’s something different and in fact we |
| beautiful surroundings. Some of those that come to | | | | remember every tour we’ve ever done with |
| mind are B.R. Cohn, Imagery, Landmark and St. | | | | kids. Touring with children is educational and a lot of |
| Francis. Chateau St. Jean and Ledson Winery both | | | | fun, as long as you go to wineries that they’ll |
| have deli markets and picnic tables on site. They are | | | | find interesting too. So enjoy your day with the kids |
| all within five miles of each other along Route 12, the | | | | in Wine Country. |
| main road in the Valley. Hint: Bring a soccer ball or a | | | | |