Why settle for a routine wine-tasting experience with just a bar and a glass when you can sip and swirl in some world-class, unusual settings? A train through Napa Valley, an underground cellar in Santa Barbara or a cave in Temecula are all worth the drive; just don’t drink and drive when visiting these creative California wine-tasting destinations.
Napa Valley
The Wine Train is a fine-dining restaurant on the rails in a stylish vintage Pullman rail car, and it’s the closest thing America has to an Orient Express/Belmond style of experience. The three-hour, seven-course “Tasting on the Rails” or the six-hour “Legacy Experience” with a four-course lunch service and wine pairings are great ways to see the Napa Valley without needing to drive or hire a car service.
The train journeys leave the downtown Napa station. Depending on your ticket, you can start the day with Eggs Benedict and Champagne while you cruise past famed landmarks such as Yountville, and the architecturally stunning Opus One winery (which is also available to sip on the train journey) all the way up to St. Helena and Calistoga. One of the stops includes Charles Krug for a tour and tasting before you hop back on board for more imbibing and gourmet fare such as mushroom risotto and cider-glazed salmon.
There is also an afternoon high tea in partnership with Chandon Champagne on a vintage 1920s rail car, along with other experiences such as a grape-stomping ritual at Grgich Hills Estate, and the new “Fly and Ride” Balloons Above the Valley for one-hour hot air balloon excursions. winetrain.com
For more tea and vino, Opus One offers new elevated experiences for wine tasting, including a tea pairing with handmade ceramic bowls crafted by world-renowned artist, Pekka Paikkari, and their new four-course “Art of the Table” wine and culinary pairing amid a world-class art collection. The tastings begin with the tea service, with pairings developed to cleanse the palate and not interfere with the taste of the wine. An herbal blend curated for Opus One by San Francisco’s Red Blossom Tea Company is meant to awaken the palate with a blend of chrysanthemum, goji berry and winter melon. opusonewinery.com
Oasis by Hoopes offers a new kind of wine-country tasting experience. The vineyard has a wine club that’s not only about tastings. They invite members to become part of an extended family experiencing the regenerative farm life, with loved ones and dogs welcome. It is located in the midst of organic gardens and an animal sanctuary that is home to pigs, chickens, goats, dogs and a donkey, all of which you can pet while sipping on a selection of Hoopes premium wines. hoopesvineyard.com
Paso Robles and Central Coast
About 20 minutes south of Paso Robles, the charming town of Santa Margarita is one of California’s best-kept secrets. The Old West town, with only one stoplight, is home to Ancient Peaks Winery.
Santa Margarita Ranch is located on 14,000 acres in the Santa Lucia Mountains. What sets its beautiful surroundings apart from others in the region is not only the sustainable farming and Ancient Peaks winemaking, but additional adventures available on site. Visitors can zipline over the vineyards, go horseback riding through hidden oak groves and explore the land on guided foraging and wildlife tours. Estate-grown wines available for tasting range from chardonnay to cab franc, thanks to the diverse terroir from volcanic soils and the coastal breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean. Don’t miss the Ancient Peaks Café and general store, which is a throwback in time where everybody knows your name. ancientpeaks.com
If your fall plans include exploring more of California’s Central Coast, do stop in Buellton, at the Brick Barn Wine Estate, which hosts fun-filled events from comedy night to a creative paint and sip experience. Also, the Vega Vineyard & Farm offers family activities that include a petting zoo and private cabanas available for rent. discoverbuellton.com
PHOTO courtesy of Alma Rosa Winery
Santa Ynez Valley
Alma Rosa in the Santa Rita Hills offers several unique and immersive experiences either by open-air tram or an invigorating hike. Jump on a private, guided, 2.5-hour tour aboard a seven-seater golf cart that winds through the vineyard vistas for a behind-the-scenes look at the 628-acre estate. Alternatively, take a one-mile Caracol Hike through elegantly planted patterns inspired by the Fibonacci sequence, with five distinct clones of Pinot Noir spiraling around a knoll with a view of the hills and ending at the Ranch House for a seated tasting paired with an artisanal cheese plate. almarosawinery.com
Santa Barbara
The San Ysidro Ranch is one of the most stunning places for a staycation in a private bungalow, dinner at Stonehouse, spa treatment by the fireplace, or a wander around the gardens, but there is also a private underground wine cellar for tastings and tours. Here, down a long, narrow, stone staircase under the restaurant (next to the Plow and Angel speakeasy), you will find a well-preserved, 15,500-bottle collection, featuring 3,500 individual labels from 70 of the world’s most renowned wine regions. This includes a 120-bottle complete vertical of Château Pétrus from 1945 through 2017, and a recent acquisition of a 138-vintage collection of Château d’Yquem, including the exceptionally rare 1811 “Comet” vintage, celebrated as one of the finest wines ever produced. This is one of the best cellars in the country and an amazing insider experience, including a hidden wine-tasting room behind the bottles that you can also book for a private candlelit dinner. sanysidroranch.com
Ojai
For an outdoor immersive experience, The Ranch House is located amid a historic 15,000-square foot garden in Ojai. Book a global wine pairing with dinner from ‘the garden menu’ by The Rochers, Perfecta and Alia, from near Valencia, Spain, who have taken over this storied property. Before or after, you can wander through the bamboo forest, private tea house, wisteria, and rose garden.
Malibu
Thankfully, Malibu is now accessible after the devastating fires earlier this year. After a major refurbishment, Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club in the Santa Monica Mountains is welcoming visitors to the sprawling, 250-acre grounds for a bungalow staycation, dining, and wellness. They also make wines from cabernet to chardonnay and have fairytale nooks and crannies to indulge in for a special occasion. The antique carousel on the lawn (one of two on property) between the main restaurant and private event building is a fun centerpiece for a magical wine tasting. The North 40 has a classic Ferris wheel for events, and they also have a members club with other perks. calamigos.com
Laguna Beach
The signature restaurant at Montage Laguna Beach has been reimagined as Studio Mediterranean, which opened over the summer on the cliffside bluff overlooking the ocean. The menu features cuisine by Grecian native and chef Dennis Efthymiou (formerly of Luce in San Francisco and The Fat Duck in the U.K.). Along with this refreshing change is the rare Greek wine selection offered at the restaurant to complement the food, and you can have a private tasting overlooking the Pacific Ocean, as well. Sommelier Claude Isambert will pour vintages and varietals from Gai’a made with the assyrtiko white grape only grown in the volcanic soil on Santorini, which is fruity, oaky and pleasant to sip, proving that the wines of this region have come a long way. “They are the discovery grape that I can make you have an experience apart from the food and service,” Isambert told the Courier. “Try something different.” montage.com
Temecula
While you might not be familiar with Temecula wines, now is your chance. This region holds the first subterranean wine cave in Southern California, concealed 104 feet below the surface. This immersive Cave Wine Tasting Tour showcases varietals at Oak Mountain Winery while teaching about the Temecula wine country. oakmountainwinery.com
For even more action, Grapes & Gears will have visitors participating in an ATV vineyard tour that blends adventure with wine education at Danza del Sol Winery. Guided by experienced hosts, visitors traverse rolling vineyards while learning about the art of winemaking and enjoying a curated tasting of seven distinct wines. danzadelsolwinery.com
Valle Guadalupe
If you can take a few days to venture down south to Baja, California, El Cielo resort offers a one-of-a-kind activity during the “Introduction to El Cielo’s Falconry,” where guests can meet one of the estate’s falcons and learn about their role in the winery’s sustainability practices. This is a fascinating glimpse into how the resort integrates nature and winemaking while you are in the Valle Guadalupe surrounded by rolling Mexican vineyards. Guests are able to taste plenty of wines and even blend their own to take home as a quaffable keepsake. elcielovalledeguadalupe.com
