Wine tasting area recommendations

My folks are coming to visit on Sept 29.  Im planning on taking them and others to visit two or three wineries, and also for a picninc lunch. 

for those who have experience,  do you prefer:

1. Livermore
2.  Santa cruz mtns
3.  Monterey, Carmel?

We wont be going to Napa or Sonoma.  Have done those to death and want a change. 

Livermore has a high concnentration of choices, but it seems a little barren.
santa Cruz is convnenient but its a little windy of a drive and my folks get car sick, plus not really known for great picnicking.
Monterey is the furthest, but carries the most viewing pleasure, tons of picnicking areas and collateral benefit of alternative activities.

Aaaaarghh, too many choices... Need help deciding!
well be driving ourselves - no tours.

I really like going to Amador to go wine tasting. There are some great wines and several wineries.

Livermore is cool. Check out this spot. Really nice cabana area to sip wine an eat tapas. http://m.yelp.com/biz/underdog-wine-bar-livermore

Wente is super nice as well.

There are a few wineries in Santa Cruz. Beauregard tasting room in Bonny Doon, they also have a back picnic area. There's an organic winery on Empire grade cutoff, also has a nice deck for a picnic. 

Then down off Swift Street (on Ingalls) on the westside there are 2-3 tasting rooms next to one another, also SC mountain brewing company is there too. You would be close to Natural Bridges park as well.

*edit* BigJim has the details

You can hit up Ingalls Street on Westside santa Cruz and drink at like 10 wineries and at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery without driving in between and then grab a lunch right there from kelly's bakery and go have a picnic over on Westcliff or up on Hwy 1.

http://www.surfcityvintners.com/

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

ps...the Bonny Doon tasting room over there is really cool. 

Bargetto in Soquel is one of my favorites as well:

http://www.bargetto.com/taste_soquel.shtml

There are a half-dozen tasting rooms w/in a half mile of each other in Carmel Valley. That's where I like to take my parents when they require vino. Just park the car then walk around. Decent eats nearby too.

Bargetto in Soquel is one of my favorites as well:

http://www.bargetto.com/taste_soquel.shtml

I also enjoy Bargetto!

The Lodi wine region is a nice change of pace.  It reminds me of what Napa was like many years ago before it became such a tourist attraction.  I don't know the area well but recently visited several wineries in the region with some friends who live there.  All of the wineries we visited had a tasting fee but credited the entire amount to any purchase of their wines.  Lots of small family owned operations with converted barns for tasting rooms and many with picnic areas.  Not nearly as pricey or trendy as Napa but a nice place to spend a day and taste some pretty good wines.

You said it all here:
"Monterey is the furthest, but carries the most viewing pleasure, tons of picnicking areas and collateral benefit of alternative activities."

Come to Lodi. You can paddle from to a winery, and catch trout at the same time. Seriously though Heritage Oaks winery is a epic place to spend a day and they have a really nice picnic area on the Mokelumne River.

duh...Carmel/Monterey

If they haven't been down there is too darn beautiful to pass up

The Yakuza I know sticks to boone's and thunderbird......times are changing 



 



Monte and Carmel sounds like a no brainer....for local entertainment...the real sleeper is the Morgan Hill area. 

thx guys.  We won't be doing Lodi this trip and morgan hill is not enough of a "destination" (you got the "sleeper" part right, art lol). 

I'm looking forward to doing Lodi some day.  maybe we can even roust Brian G out of his hiding hole when there.  he gave me some special homemade wine a while ago that was indeed special.

arty i'll only consume t'bird gutrot for after coming into contact with the peninsula lagoon water.  helps kills GI bugs and clear the upper airway lol

lemme know if any other suggestions!