coll. - Top 10: California Wine Country

All price ranges quoted for hotels in this guide are based on a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges. Similarly, all price ranges quoted for restaurants are based on a three course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.

Highlights

The warm, sheltered valleys north of San Francisco, popularly known as Wine Country, offer amazing diversity due to their varied terrain and microclimates. The wineries here produce excellent wines, and many of them even house art galleries and museums. Add to that historic towns with Victorian architecture; recreational activities such as hot-air ballooning and canoeing; plus excellent spas, world-class dining, and fabulous accommodations, and it is easy to understand why Wine Country is one of Californias most popular regions.

Barrel room, The Hess Collection

The ivy-covered, three-story stone winery was erected in 1903 by wine merchant Colonel Theodore Gier. In 1930, it sold to the Christian Brothers religious order and was renovated by Donald Hess after he leased it from the order in 1989.

The Visitor Center

Housed in one of the original winery buildings, the visitor center features a wall of glass that offers a peek into the cool, dark Barrel Chai, a cellar where wine is aged in huge barrels.

Contemporary Art Museum

The private art collection of winery proprietor Donald Hess displays about 150 works, such as Cornelia by Anslem Kiefer, and other names such as Frank Stella and Robert Motherwell, alongside other international artists.

Hess Collection Wine Shop

The store sells the Hess Collection labels of Mount Veeder appellation wines, Hess Select, and Hess Estate labels from appellations further afield. It also stocks small production wines from their small block series, only available at the winery.

Self-guided iPod Audio Tours

There are no organized guided tours of the art collection, but you can pick up an iPod and earphones at the visitor center and take a free self-guided walking tour at your own pace.

Tour of the Palate

This six-times weekly tour option, offered Thursday through Saturday, combines a guided tour of the art museum with a tasting of three release wines paired with dishes prepared by the winerys executive chef.

The Garden

The terraced winery garden is planted with native and exotic grasses and ornamentals, plus fern groves that edge up to redwood forest. Installations include various sculptures and a reflecting pool by noted landscape architect Peter Walker.

Auditorium

A 15-minute video presentation is given in this modern and comfy 40-seat theater. It gives an in-depth introduction to the winery, vineyards, and eco-sensitive, organic techniques, such as the use of goats for under-growth management.

Hess Collection Wines

The winerys signature label wines are known for their complexity and elegance, exemplified by the flagship Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon and the Mount Veeder Chardonnay.

Wine Tasting and Tours

Options for sampling Hess wines include a private tasting of current releases, wine and cheese pairings, and tutorials by certified sommeliers. Themed winery tours are also offered by reservation and include tastings.