2006-09-01
No Whining in Wine Country
On our NBC 11 show “In Wine Country,” the crew and I have a mantra, “no
whining in Wine Country,” and for the most part it’s pretty easy to
follow. It’s easy to stay calm, cheerful and contented when surrounded
by vineyards, gracious homes, great restaurants and incredible vistas.
The
no whining rule is not so easy, however, for children to follow. Wine
Country is geared more for foodies than families, but if you have
children and are yearning for a Wine Country getaway, don’t despair.
There are lots of fun things to do with your little ones in Wine
Country, if you’re willing to do a little planning.
First, keep in
mind, wine tasting is not for children and most wineries are not set up
to entertain kids. If you bring a child into a tasting room remember to
closely supervise them. Wineries often have heavy equipment running and
tasting rooms can be full of expensive glass and giftware.
A good
option for parents is to find a winery like V. Sattui in St. Helena
with a nice lawn and picnic area. You can bring your wine outside and
let the children run around and play while you relax with a glass of
your favorite vintage. In fact, the convenient deli and large picnic
area make V. Sattui a favorite for families. Weekends there have the
look and feel of a party.
Another family-friendly winery is
Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga where you can ride a gondola to the
hilltop and then take a self-guided tour. If your kids are like mine,
you’ll have a hard time getting them off the tram, but you may be able
to lure them with the promise of a glass of sparkling apple juice in
the tasting room.
The Napa Valley Wine Train in Napa offers family
fun nights every Sunday during the summer months. Parents can enjoy
dinner and wine while kids ride in a separate railcar entertained with
movies, games and a meal all supervised by professional caregivers. The
best part, kids ages 3-12 ride free.
You can often find special
programs geared toward children at Copia, The American Center for Wine,
Food and the Arts in Napa. In fact, Copia offers summer day camps where
children can learn about gardening and cooking.
In Sonoma County,
the call of the wild brings many families to Safari West located
between Calistoga and Santa Rosa. It’s a 400-acre wildlife preserve
with more than 400 wild animals. You can go for a day or make a weekend
out of it because Safari West is also a bed and breakfast. They offer
daily Jeep tours through the preserve as well as chances for the kids
to interact with some of the smaller animals. Overnight guests stay in
tent cabins. There’s no television, but you’ll never it miss it with a
chorus of animals lulling you to sleep at night.
While you’re on
the wild side, why not check out California Carnivores in South
Sebastopol? They boast the largest collection of insect-eating plants
in the world with 800 varieties on display, and many of them are for
sale!
Or, step back in time three million years or so, with a
visit to the Petrified Forest in Calistoga. You and your children will
marvel at the giant redwoods turned to stone by volcanic activity. Hike
through the woods and get a glimpse of California’s prehistoric past.
While
you’re in Calistoga, don’t miss the Old Faithful Geyser. It’s not as
well known as the Old Faithful in Wyoming, but it’s just as reliable,
blowing off steam every 40 minutes or so.
Speaking of blowing off
steam, for young children, it’s hard to beat riding a steam train
around Train Town in Sonoma. You’ll wind around one-and-a-quarter miles
of track, over five bridges and trestles. There are also vintage
carnival rides and a petting zoo.
There’s no age limit to taste
chocolate and now, in addition to wine tasting bars, Sonoma County is
home to a chocolate tasting bar.
Wine Country Chocolates is
opening a retail location at the Jack London Village shopping center in
Glen Ellen. In the tasting area, you and your kids can get a sweet
lesson in the subtle differences between a variety of chocolates.
Visitors can also get a view into the kitchen as the chocolatiers
create their hand-made truffles.
Though touring Wine Country with
your children may not be as romantic as the visits taken “sans kids,”
there are still memorable adventures to be had exploring another side
of Wine Country where fine wines take a back seat to critters, rocks
and trains. Cheers!
Mary Babbitt is the host of NBC11’s In Wine Country which airs on Sundays at 6:30 p.m.
For more information about Mary, or about the products and people featured in her column,
visit www.inwinecountry.com.
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