Travel&Vacation

Often when people think of wine, they think of expensive taste. However, after a weekend trip to California wine country, based on your vote, I learned that an escape can have high value without pretense or the price. And whether or not you splurge a bit on a fine vintage, you can have a quality experience.

What’s the deal?

Out of all of California’s wine regions, I chose to stick with the classics, Napa and Sonoma, focusing on the latter. Located near San Francisco and its airports, both of these valleys are easily accessible from just about anywhere in the country. Lodging options are vast and suitable for any budget, and most activities—wine tastings and tours, vineyard and garden walks, museums visits, and park hikes and picnics—cost little or nothing at all. The only potential expense lies in which wines you chose to bring home with you, from simple table reds to well-aged vintage ports.

Getting there

The easiest way to get to Napa and Sonoma wine country is to fly into one of the Bay Area airports, then drive the hour or so from there. Because San Francisco gets a lot of air traffic, fares tend to stay low and competitive from most U.S. departure cities. An influx of low-cost carriers flying into Oakland airport, such as JetBlue and Southwest, have made prices that much lower.

The lowest fare I found cost just under $200 round trip on several major airlines for a flight with one connection. However, to maximize time for my short escape, I opted to pay a little more for a nonstop, and JetBlue had the best offer at $241.90. Had I booked early enough, I could have enjoyed that same route for as low as $100 each way. The only caveat to flying JetBlue, at least in my experience, was that the lowest fare on the return trip was a red-eye. But after three days of wine-infused pleasure, I can’t say that I noticed the difference.

Getting around

The best way to explore the valleys is by car, so long as you have a designated driver. Because it’s a major metropolitan area, San Francisco’s car rental prices remain relatively constant and competitive. Most agencies consistently offer rates around $15 per day for a compact car with unlimited mileage. For three days, I paid only $55.64 with Budget at the Oakland airport. I found this same rate on multiple booking sites, but in a pinch, Hotwire is often a sure bet for low rental rates.

Although gas prices have continued to rise (at press time pushing $3 in San Francisco), filling the tank was not a major impediment to staying under budget. Because I was covering such a small geographic area, I only had to stop once before dropping the car off at the airport, costing $23.05.

Where to stay

The region offers a variety of lodging types such as brand name hotels, spa resorts, small inns, B&Bs, and rentals. There’s also a wide spectrum of prices, from as low as $53 to more than $400 for a single room. For me, staying at a vacation rental was the most value-added option. I picked the Old Hill Ranch, a craftsman-style cottage with an adjacent artist studio near Glen Ellen in the heart of Sonoma. Its setting on a 40-acre vineyard allowed me to experience wine country as more than a casual observer.

Cost Breakdown:

For 2 nights and 3 days, including all taxes and fees, based on two people traveling together

Airfare:
$241.90

Lodging:
$150

Car rental:
$55.64

Gas:
$23.05

Admissions:
$27.50

Total cost:
$498.09

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