One of the days I was visiting my son we drove out Dry Creek Valley in the Healdsburg area. Healdsburg is north of Napa (and Santa Rosa) and has numerous wineries. Jenny, my son's girlfriend, worked for several wineries in the past so she was an excellent guide.
We first stopped at Ferrari-Carano vineyards and winery because of the beauty of the grounds and building. They actually have several vineyards scattered throughout the area. See their Web site for a photo of the building. It is quite elegant, inside and out. We looked rather than tasted at this one and wandered in the lovely gardens. (Photo of Jenny, my grandson, Chris and son, Jim by the bronze of a wild boar with a lucky nose.)
At the other end 
of the spectrum was Preston of Dry Creek Winery and Vineyards. This is an organic family farm with a focus on sustainable land use. Besides wine they offer organic olive oil, delicious fresh bread and organic vegetables in season. Their rustic winery is decorated with pictures of their animals. Their "Christmas tree" was decorated with "udders" made of water-filled disposable, clear medical gloves tied with red ribbons, interspersed with photos of their cows, goats and sheep!
We did taste wine here and Jenny knew all the questions to ask. We did purchase a couple of bottles of L. Preston, their special blend wine, and a bottle of jug table wine. (Pouring jug wine pictured below.)
The vineyards are bare this time of year, but as I drove through Napa Valley and Dry Creek Valley, I did 
see workers tending to the vineyards. There must be something to do all year long.
One thing I haven't figured out is how do you select and find wineries out of all the dozens there are in the area. In Napa, going up Hwy 29 and Silverado Valley, there is one after another. Some are well known, others strictly local. Other areas of Sonoma County like Healdsburg have many more. You could go from winery to winery for days and not taste them all. I'll have to ask Jenny.
One wine tasting was plenty for me. I did enjoy the beauty of the drive and seeing the variety of architecture wineries choose. Some are quite the mansions; others are simple, family-run operations. This may be one gorgeous area that is protected from wall-to-wall development since wine brings tourists and money to the region. That would be nice!
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