Hugging Trees and Sipping Wine with San Francisco's Extranomical Tours

Hugging trees and sipping wine are just two of the things visitors to San Francisco can do with Extranomical Tours. Last month was the first time I visited San Francisco. With only 36 hours to see the city and visit the California wine country, I booked space on Extranomical's "Wine Country & Muir Woods Tour" to maximize my time. Was the tour worth it?

Sipping Wine. Extranomical Tours arranged three winery tours of varying sizes in Sonoma Valley. California's traditional wine country is Napa Valley, but I just didn't have the desire to visit Napa. Sonoma Valley produces great wines and it seemed more my style, more relaxed. My favorite quote from the Extranomical guide was, "The people in Sonoma think people in Napa are snobs and the people in Napa think the people in Sonoma are hillbillies."

The smallest Sonoma winery visited was Homewood Winery where we had the privilege of meeting the winemaker, David Homewood. Homewood Winery produces 3,000 cases of wine annually. The atmosphere was casual, intimate and personable. The "Flying Wizzbanger" is the winery's signature wine, mixing various flavors of wine for a spicy, zippy result. Each year, the Flying Wizzbanger has a different flavor. My favorite of the seven wines tasted was the 2005 Zinfandel Port. A smooth, rich, subtly sweet port, sampled with a piece of dark chocolate. (www.homewoodwinery.com)

Cline Cellars was a medium sized Sonoma winery we visited. More than 5,000 stunning rose bushes with vibrant flowers blanket the vineyard. I learned how roses and vineyards go hand and hand. They're environmental indicators for the grapevines. If the rose bushes are not healthy, that indicates something is wrong in the surrounding environment and the farmer can react accordingly to protect the grapes. Five wines were tasted and my favorite was the 2006 Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay, a blend of 86% Pinot Grigio and 14% Chardonnay.

Other cool things about Cline Cellars are that the winery runs on solar power and the California Missions Museum is on site. The Missions Museum holds a collection of 21 models of California's missions displayed during the 1939 World's Fair. (www.clinecellars.com)

Viansa Winery and Italian Marketplace was the largest Sonoma winery Extranomical Tours took the group. The Italian-style architecture sits atop a mountain with vineyards and olive trees blanketing the landscape. The name Viansa is a combination of the names of Vicki and Sam Sebastiani, who branched away from Sonoma's Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery in 1989.

Viansa produces 60,000 cases of wine annually and relies on its wine club for distribution. Of the four tastings, my favorite was the 2006 Imbianco, a light, fruity wine. The winery also produces cold pressed olive oil. The grounds of the winery are fabulously scenic. The Italian Marketplace offers wine tastings and samples of gourmet treats such as fig balsamic vinegar and virgin olive oil. (www.viansa.com)

The tour included about an hour in Sonoma for lunch and wandering around. I stopped by the Cheese Factory for free samples of cheese and thought the lines for the grill and deli counter were too long. I ended up having a nice lunch at LaCasa Restaurant and Bar (yummy salsa, it's got a kick!). I also had time to stop by the Sonoma Valley visitor's center, wander through some of the shops and see Mission Sonoma, founded in 1823.

Hugging Trees. The tour includes a visit to Muir Woods National Monument (but the $3 admission is not included). There's enough time to leisurely walk the paved trail, admire the sequoia redwoods and inhale the earthy-pine scent.

Other Cool Things About Extranomical Tours. The Wine Country & Muir Woods Tour includes a stop in Sausalito. Tour participants can hop on a ferry taking them back to San Francisco (ferry fee not included in the tour price). I opted to stay on the tour, in which we stopped for the obligatory photo opportunity overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Extranomical Tours guide gave excellent commentary throughout the trip. He also took the time to learn everyone's names and where we were from. The wineries were a nice mix and informative. Different wineries are visited on each tour. Following the nine-hour tour, the guide dropped us off wherever we wanted and I was dropped off at Fisherman's Wharf.

The Downside. I booked my trip for a Sunday and was staying across the Bay in Oakland. Extranomical Tours instructed me to meet the guide between 8:15 and 8:40 at San Francisco's Parc 55 Hotel. I asked the Extranomical Tours sales person whether the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART, the light rail system) would run early on a Sunday and was told it began running at 6 a.m. On Sundays, BART begins service at 8 a.m., which would have been too late for me. I ended up taking a cab (which added to the cost of the trip).

Is Extranomical Tours Worthwhile? Absolutely! The tour was well worth the $69 (plus tip for the guide, lunch and $3 admission into Muir Woods). Here's why:

The price fit my budget.
Someone else did the driving so I could REALLY enjoy California's wine country.
Wine tastings were included in the tour fee.
I'm not a fan of traveling with large groups. Extranomical Tours transports participants in a 15-passenger, white van. There were 11 participants during my trip, making the ride comfortable and intimate
Being a solo traveler, participating in a small tour allows me interaction with other people

Beforehand, I was concerned about the tour's quality and checked out reviews on TripAdvisor.com. Reviews were mixed with most being negative.

Not sure if I had lucked out, but I had a very positive experience and highly recommend Extranomical Tours as a great way to taste California's wine country and see some really big trees! It's ideal for independent travelers, couples and friends looking to explore beyond San Francisco.