Autumn Cruise Through Napa
An Autumn Journey through California Wine Country
Autumn brings many visitors to California ’s Wine Country. If you’d love to go to this region, but aren’t looking forward to the grid-locked freeways and hard-to-find accommodations in this popular area, you may want to consider a Cruise West cruise up the Napa River instead. This casual, up-close tour of beautiful wine country is done on a relaxed timetable with chances for plenty of mini-adventures and individual exploration.
Two itineraries are offered for enjoying wine country in the fall. “Vintner’s
Choice” is an ideal trip for learning about both food and wine. It features a cooking demonstration and wine program at the renowned Culinary Institute of America, world-class dining at places like Auberge de Soleil, perched up high with a spectacular view of the Napa Valley , or a limo tour designed specifically for cabernet lovers ready to try some high-end local wines. You’ll also have a chance to walk around charming Sausalito and historic Sonoma .
Cruise West’s “Culture of the Vine” itinerary starts with a taste of the rich Carneros growing region, where ocean breezes cool the vines at night. In addition to a stop in the lovely little town of St. Helena , you’ll enjoy a three-course lunch in the cave theater at Clos Pegase and a tour of this winery’s extensive art collection. In Sonoma , you’ll visit with the winemakers at Benziger and take a tractor-pulled tram ride through their vineyards for an up-close view of their vines. An afternoon reception at Domaine Carneros provides a perfect chance to try the champagnes of this noted vintner as you relax on their beautiful terrace.
Both itineraries kick off at San Francisco ’s Fisherman’s Wharf, and the chance to schedule an additional day to explore that bustling city in more detail can easily be arranged.
No matter which itinerary, the focus of this Cruise West voyage is on exploring the region rather than viewing it from the distance of the ship. An added bonus of Cruise West’s trademark small ship for this specific tour is that it keeps driving in this congested region to a minimum. And, of course, the large cruise lines can’t even offer this trip due to shallow waterways.
Another distinguishing characteristic of Cruise West’s tours is their desire to embrace spontaneity and seize new experiences wherever or whenever they might occur. This means they sometimes vary the wineries they visit from cruise to cruise or the order in which they do them to capture special events. There are also opportunities to go on mini-excursions — hot air balloon rides, inflatable boat rides, or an olive grove tour, just to name a few.
Cruise West trips have a casual dress code, inviting atmosphere, friendly crew, and a dining schedule dictated by the day’s events, so everyone will feel at home here. And because the guests onboard tend to be active adventurers looking for new experiences, they are usually open to making friends along the way. All in all, it’s a pleasant way to explore the wine country.
For more information about traveling through California Wine Country with Cruise West, contact your travel agent.
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