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EXPERIENCE WINE COUNTRY NEWS
Recipe Feature: Fall Squash Raviolis Recipe
Here in wine country, we’re always pursuing the epicurean lifestyle. It’s the endless array of food, wine, art, and leisurely offerings that make Napa Valley and Sonoma such dream-worthy destinations. With the arrival of Fall, we’re excited about so many of the...
Top 6 Ghost Wineries of Wine Country
Following the 19th Century discovery that Napa Valley and other parts of California could become one of the most prolific and diverse wine grape growing areas in the world, vineyards and wineries literally sprouted across the landscape. By 1919 when Prohibition and...
Recipe Feature: Beet Salad
With Fall around the corner, we’re so looking forward to the abundance of the familiar produce that tends to adorn our dining table right through to Thanksgiving. Besides being delicious, beets are great way to bring a salad to life, or to serve as an exciting...
Featured Tour Guide: Gary Grossman
Gary Grossman is one of our fine Napa and Sonoma wine tour guides. Gary's long time commitment has been delivering the best experience for our wine country visitors. I asked Gary a little more about his time in Napa as a Platypus Tours wine guide. How long have you...
Top 7: New Restaurants in Napa Valley
I strolled through Downtown Napa recently and marveled at all of the new businesses that have opened since March 2020. I want to share with you all of the new restaurants you may try on your next visit to Napa Valley. Empress M - There aren’t too many Chinese...
Featured Winery: Auburn James Winery
Since 2005, Platypus Wine Tours has offered highly educational and enjoyable wine tours to Napa Valley and Sonoma County wineries. Safe, fun, and memorable, Platypus tours are available for groups, private, or as join-ins. During the nearly two decades of experience...
Day Trip Ideas Around Napa Valley
Napa Valley and the Sonoma region are well known among locals and visitors alike for providing an array of pristine day trip destinations. Whether you’re traveling alone, with friends, or taking family along with you, there is truly something for everyone. Keep...
Recipe: Summer Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Stroll the Healdsburg square and you will run into Healdsburg Bar and Grill. Dine outside on the patio and enjoy a scrumptious burger and fries with all of the fixings. They have a full bar so you can even enjoy a Moscow Mule. Chef John Hallgrimson would love to share...
Featured Winery: Dutton Estate Winery
When a visitor walks into the vineyard garden at Dutton Estate Winery, a journey into family history and the Sonoma County wine story begins. Surrounded by twenty acres of Chardonnay grapevines, visitors are greeted with the story of Joe and Tracy Dutton, and what...
Some of the Best Places to Picnic in the Napa Valley
The postcard-like scenery that Napa Valley wineries and Sonoma wineries allow residents to share in many wonderful outings, especially during the spring and summer months. Not only can you sample some of the incredible vintages these wineries produce, but you can also...
Featured Winery: Pride Mountain Vineyards
Pride Mountain Vineyards (PMV) was founded in 1990 by Jim and Carolyn Pride and since 2004 has been owned by their children Suzanne and Steve. From 2004, the winery has been run and managed by Steve Pride, CEO and general manager, who also directs the farming and...
Featured Tour Guide: Chris Largent
I started with Platypus in 2013. Prior to coming to Platypus I worked in the corporate world for about 30 years. I was in the TV and Movie industry for 15 years where I worked on TV shows such as “The Wonder Years” as well as movies such as “Robocop” and “Lethal...
Featured Winery: Charles Krug Winery
The history of Napa Valley starts at Charles Krug Winery. Founded in 1861 by a Prussian immigrant, this iconic winery and historic Redwood Cellar and Carriage House represents the great legacy of a visionary man. After Prohibition ended, another 1st generation...
RECIPE: Spring Roasted Asparagus, Sauteed Mushrooms and Flank Steak
Recipe: Grilled Flank Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms and local roasted asparagus We are all about sharing simple and fun pairings and recipes so that you can recreate your Wine Country experience at home and revel in the memories you created here. During the springtime,...
Featured Winery: Lasseter Family Winery
Lasseter Family Winery strives to make honest, balanced, graceful wines, and to refresh and replenish the resources from which these wines are made. Since acquiring the property in 2002, the Lasseter’s embarked on an environmentally sensitive upgrading for their...
7 Hidden Gems that you will find in Sonoma Valley
In all its splendor, Sonoma Valley, has more to enjoy than just wine. When you explore here, you are going to want to plan for a few days to visit the many unique offerings in Sonoma Valley. Morton’s Warm Springs Resort-A family friendly place, Morton Warm Springs,...
Mother’s Day in Napa
A special holiday is quickly approaching this Spring, can you guess which one we are talking about? The one and only Mother’s Day of course! A day dedicated to celebrating your mother, whether it is your biological mother or someone you identify as a motherly figure...
Tres Sabores
Distinctive, truly enticing, and unconventional. A "hidden gem" in the Napa Valley The Vineyards and Winery of Tres Sabores are nestled against the western hills of Rutherford where the winemaker and owner, Julie Johnson, and her family live and grow dry-farmed,...
