What are the best attractions in Napa and Sonoma?

This post first appeared on Forbes Travel Guide here.

Napa
First and foremost, wine is the main draw in Napa Valley, and many wineries are worth a visit, even for those who are not wine tasting. My personal favorite for all-in-one wine, fun, and education is Raymond Vineyards.

In Napa proper, visit Oxbow Market for the best food purveyors all under one roof. Check the schedule at the Uptown Theater for top music and entertainment events, or board the Wine Train for a leisurely gourmet ride though the vines.

The Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga, and the Petrified Forrest are wonders of nature at the north end of the Napa valley.

Sonoma
I think the best attractions in Sonoma County are found outdoors. Grab your hiking boots and enjoy the rugged beauty of the Sonoma Coast, the tranquility of the soaring redwoods in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve Park, or the relaxing Russian River.

In Northern Sonoma County, follow The Wine Road for the best wineries in Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley. And for an experience way beyond sniff, swirl and sip, check out Francis Ford Coppola Winery, located in Geyserville, with an array of activities including a resort style pool with cabanas, and a mini-museum of film memorabilia.

Fans of Peanuts comic strip will want to make a pilgrimage to the Charles Schultz Museum and keep an eye peeled for character statues scattered all around Santa Rosa. In tiny Bodega, flock to the spot where Alfred Hitchcock filmed the famous schoolhouse scene from The Birds.

One Must Do Activity in Wine Country?

Anyone interested in the essence of the wine county should experience making wine and food first hand. It’s both practical and fun.

For ardent oneophiles or even casual wino’s the must-do activity is make your own wine. Blending sessions are an entertaining way to learn and create your own bottle. The Conn Creek AVA Barrel Room in Napa has barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon representing the diversity of American Viticulture Areas in the valley. The Cabernet barrels are grouped according to five fruit complexity profiles— Soft, Supple, Complex, Rich and Bold. Everything you need from blending beakers to corking is provided. The first step is to taste from each barrel and note what samples appeal to you most. Then after you have an idea of what blend percentages you’d like, you fill your beaker accordingly and try it in the large tasting glass. The tricky part is converting your percentages to millimeters, but don’t worry, calculators are provided.

At Raymond Vineyards in the Blending Room you can also create your own blend, design your own label and order a case made to your specifications.

Once you make your wine, you’ll probably want some cheese to pair with it. Luckily, the other must-do activity I recommend is making cheese, and you can learn how to do that with Sheana Davis, at The Epicurean Connection in Sonoma.

The Theater of Nature at Raymond Vineyards: Growing Wine Tourism

Four months ago I visited Raymond Vineyards for an event I felt could never be matched for sheer over the top inventiveness. Well, I was wrong. I should have known better when I got an invitation to the debut of several new features at Raymond Vineyards and the opening of the Theater of Nature. A mere four months ago the Theater of Nature was just a notion, now it is a fully realized interactive educational experience about the process of organic and biodynamic farming.

The Theater of Nature
At the gates of the theater you are met by one of the three animatronic sheep that gently takes your hand in its mouth and leads you through the exhibit explaining the 5 Acts. It's an extraordinary experience, like a Disney fantasy come to fruition.

Oh wait... I think I may have dreamt that part about the sheep, but honestly if you've ever been to Raymond you'd understand. It is like a waking fever dream of genius and madness and love for the pursuit of pleasure and understanding of wine in all it's aspects.

The Raymond estate has quietly undergone a transformation led by Jean-Charles Boisset and the Theater of Nature is just the beginning. Raymond is converting over to biodynamic practices and they are in the transition stages of gaining Demeter certification for organic growing as well.

The Theater of Nature is an educational walk in the Bio-dynamic park presented in 5 Acts starting with the Soil and continuing around to include the Plants, Animals, the Vineyardist who farms in harmony with the laws of nature and the final act, the act of Wholeness that explains to guests the process of biodynamics and the convergence of earthbound and celestial forces that directly effect the growth and quality of the plants.

My favorite part of the Theater of Nature besides the sheep and the goats and the very cool cow, was the descriptor gardens planted with different herbs and fruit trees to illustrate the aromas and flavors associated with Cabernet and Chardonnay. You are invited to wander about with your wine in hand and taste the herbs, smell the fruit and determine what's in your glass accordingly.

The Corridor of the Senses
This new experience looks much like something out of the Roman Polanski movie "Repulsion" wherein Catherine Deneuve was grabbed by disembodied hands as she went down a hallway. In the movie it was very creepy, but at Raymond it's sort of Stephen King meets Lady Gaga. Large hands are mounted on the wall holding scent vials with red tasseled puff atomizers allowing you to inhale the aromas found in wine. Breathe deep. But keep one eye open.

The Rutherford Room
The Rutherford Room is where everything you ever wanted to know about the soils and AVA's of Napa Valley can be learned in a program developed by Karen MacNeil. Large glass apothecary jars display the soil along with a maps of the area. Now you can actually see what various soil types, such as volcanic, really means and get a whiff of it too.

The Red Room
If you thought the JCB lounge was jaw dropping (I wrote about it here), wait till you see the Red Room. Or wait till you become a member, I should say. The Red Room is a members only tasting room that offers an exclusive red wine blend and classic games, such as cards or billiards, set in posh red surroundings. Oh did I mention all the surroundings are red?  Yes, I believe I did.

Before you continue reading might I suggest you pour yourself a glass of something. Perhaps the Raymond Generations Cabernet, but anything will do really, you just need to get in the proper frame of mind as I introduce you to Napa Valley's very first Oompa Loompa. I am not kidding. Now go get that glass of wine. I'll wait here. Seriously, go get it you are going to need it.

Okay you're back...ready now... follow me to the Blending Room a.k.a Willy Wonka's Wine Factory.

Blending Room

Welcome to the black lit, disco balled, and ultra futuristic Blending Room with your host Tyson Madden. Mr. Madden is the blending master and resident Oompa Loompas in Raymond's version of Willy Wonka's Wine Factory. Under the direction of Mr. Madden guests will be able craft their own personal blends and then make a customized label on the spot using their own images or logo. You even get to wear a fetching silver robe while blending. I give it high marks for sartorial reasons alone!

The Grove and Outdoor Living Room
This area on the opposite side of the winery is set up for guests to enjoy their wine in an open and relaxing setting and also play some bocce, pétanque or croquet. The Grove with it's linden trees, cafe tables and little white lights twinkling in the leaves feels very much like a little bit of Paris. The whimsical outdoor furniture alone makes this an irresistible spot in which to enjoy the day.

Growing Wine Tourism
Wine tourism is a concept that encompasses many things, and what "wine tourism" means exactly is open for discussion. But for now, I think Raymond has all the bases covered and then some. If you think wine tourism means Education, check, they have it; Entertainment, it's there; Hands on Experience, got that too. Raymond gives the visitor an array of choices and environments in which to experience wine, be it from a quiet corner of an outdoor garden, or in the full on glitz and decadence of the Crystal Cellar and Red Room. It's all happening at Raymond Vineyards and you don't even need an E ticket to get in.

Opulence? JCB Hez It! -- A Visit to Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley

The wine revolution will not be televised—it will be shown live at Raymond Vineyards. And it’s going to be quite a show. Things are different here. Owner Jean-Charles Boisset has taken the venerable Raymond vineyards and sprinkled pixie dust all over. Boisset is the mastermind and ringmaster for some evolutionary new ideas in the experience of wine. But don’t let the wow factor fool you. There is some serious good wine here along with all the glamour and glitz. 

On Saturday May 14th I visited the Raymond Vineyards with a group of bloggers and wine writers and it was unlike any winery visit I’ve ever experienced before. It was a three-ring circus of wine, creativity, and decadence. 

Ring 1 –Tank Room and Crystal Cellar: The Baccarat chandelier in the Crystal Cellar steals the show, but once your eyes adjust to the low lighting there’s plenty more to see; stainless steel walls, a mirrored bar and a display of crystal decanters. The philosophy is kind of Forest Gump like in it’s approach—Beauty is what beauty does. Surround yourself with beautiful things and beauty becomes you. It seems to work. Who knew stainless steel could be so sexy? From the looks of it, Studio 54 is alive and well in Napa at Raymond. I half expected Dr. Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show to pop out from behind a tank and purr in my ear “Give your self over to absolute pleasure!”  But instead Boisset arrived and the wattage of the room amped up considerably. Boisset is a bundle of energy, ideas and most of all showmanship. Take one part P.T. Barnum and one part marketing genius, (shaken, not stirred) and you have Jean-Charles Boisset.

In the warm glow of the candle lit Crystal Cellar winemaker Stephanie Putnam poured the current releases:

2009 Napa Valley Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Appellation Collection Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Appellation Collection St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Appellation Collection Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

2006 Generations Cabernet Sauvignon

All of the Cabernets were exceptional examples of what Napa Valley is known for, but I liked the Rutherford best--Hearty, meaty, and balanced with sweet notes of blueberries. Very drinkable now and well into the future too.

Ring 2—Barrel to Barrel: Next it was time for the arts and crafts portion of the tour. We split into teams to decorate individual barrels that are part of Barrel to Barrel a new program for delivering a wine by the glass experience in restaurants and homes. The materials provided for the decorating were anything but traditional. Liberace would have approved. Hello! Leather, glitter, leopard prints, sequins, peacock feathers and marabou galore. I think a tasteful decoupage of wine labels might be a better approach. But hey…C'est la vie! 

While sipping the 2009 Barrel to Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon we set upon decorating the mini barrels. The end result included a sexy kitty, an ode to “Eyes Wide Shut” and an over the top Mardi Gras creation that took first place. If you want to try your hand at barrel decorating too, you will soon be able to visit the Raymond website to decorate one online and be eligible to win an actual barrel in real life. 

Ring 3—The JCB Lounge: As we entered the JCB lounge I had the feeling of Déjà vu. Where had I seen this place before? Was it in a scene from a movie? Boogie Nights perhaps? Gianni Versace’s home in Miami Beach? Possibly. Then it hit me…I’d seen it all before here in this commercial.

Opulence? JCB hez it! The JCB lounge had the same vibe going on-- Mirrors and gold statues? Check! Stack of gold bricks? Yup! A charming and charismatic leader with foreign accent and beautiful female staff? Check! Check! Check! Check! The mini giraffe was about only thing missing. Actually the JCB lounge is beyond opulent. It’s a sensory extravaganza of gold and marble and crystal and candles and glitz all grooving to a steady beat of Michael Jackson videos playing on the big screen. Honestly, you really must see it to believe it. 

This is where we tasted the JCB label wines, which are numbered and labeled with evocative terms. 

JCB No.81 Chardonnay—Alluring*Ephemeral*Insatiable

JCB No.7 Pinot Noir—Debonnaire*Charismatic*Seductive

JCB No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon—Voluptuous*Opulent*Incorrigible

The Pinot from Sonoma coast fruit tasted true to it’s terrior with a light scent of lavender and mint and rich flavors of clove, blackberries and a bit of bacon fat too.

I have to say, I first found Boisset’s eccentric approach to the “wine of the mind” disconcerting. It seems nothing is too far-out or off limits. But then half-way through the tasting I found the energy of it all to be wildly creative and inspiring. I came up with several ideas on the spot, that I’m sorry to say, his attentive staff my now be charged with bringing to fruition. Sorry! (By the way--I think it would be great to spend a day brainstorming with Boisset and his team if they are interested.)

So, you might be thinking why all the theatrics? Are they trying to distract my attention from the wine? No, I don’t think so. I think it’s merely an attempt to deepen the experience and increase the enjoyment of wines that are already very good. But you can decide that on your own. Note: If you go to Raymond Vineyards be warned; the experience can be overwhelming. One of our group stabbed themselves during the barrel decorating session drawing much blood, and another got so carried away by the Michael Jackson videos, she lit her hair on fire in tribute to him. Proceed at your own risk. But do by all means proceed. Let go, loosen up and have some fun.