Wine country and weed growers

[masshole61]

The wife and I have been thinking of traveling to the west coast to visit "wine country" , wherever that is.
So I started to do a little research as to where would be the best area to start our tour and it dawned on me.
There are alot of people on the site that live in areas that grow wine from Washington state tHrough Oregon to California . So I'm thinking maybe some one on the farm can steer me in the right direction. Would love to find a bunch of bed and breakfast places that we could stay at while we work our way down (or up) the coast.
Being that I'm an east coast guy I'd really like to see what the MMJ scene is like on the left coast. Our state is slowly getting around to opening up dispensaries ( voted for it a year ago and still zippo) and are way behind in terms of acceptance and availability. I've heard of some older hippies who grow wine AND weed . Wouldp love to meet some like minded organic farmers and turn this into a trifecta of weed , wine and organic farming.
The knowledge on the farm never ceases to amaze me.
The includes you logic who built

 

[masshole61]

I meant to say that includes you logic, who built a web site that can handle more people than healthcare.gov ( without the "glitches")!

 

[pinegrovedave]

Well, from Portland going south, there's the Willamette Valley. Very scenic and some great places throughout to stop and visit. Heading south into CA, cut over to highway 1 and 101 through Humboldt and Mendocino counties. Once down in Santa Rosa, you can cut over to the Napa Valley for some good places to check out. Even up here in the Sierra Foothills, we've got some good growing conditions. Amador County is establishing a reputation for some great wineries, many of whom are my customers (wireless Internet access).

 

[Seamaiden]

Yeah, oh man, there are too many to list. We've got wineries all over the state, even Temecula for Chrissakes. And we know that weed's being grown all over, too. The Farm to Fork movement is strong and getting much, much stronger out here, but it's strongest along the coast.

 

[GR33NL3AF]

I would strongly consider visiting Napa/Sonoma Counties. So much to see here. Between the great food and wine you will not want to leave.

I certainly take it for granted...

California Bed and Breakfast Inns:
http://www.bnblist.com/california-bed-and-breakfast-directory/index.htm

Btw, are you are beer guy? You could spend some quality time visiting the different brewery's also. Russian River, 3rd st. Ale works, Lagunitas, 101 Brewing, Dempsey's......on and on...

 

[Seamaiden]

Some very good suggestions just made there. ^^

 

[masshole61]

Thanks greenleaf and seamaiden. Appreciate the link. Love the b+b experience. Met a lot of really nice people. I'm kind of equating my vacation experience in the Caribbean with some of the tours I've seen down there. I have no desire to get shuttled around in a bus on a schedule between mega vineyards. Rather look for a more personal experience where the wife and I can enjoy each day at our own pace. And search for a perfect Cabernet Sauvignon . I don't ever expect to grow grapes but I do appreciate the passion for their craft that wine growers share with weed growers :)

 

[tngreen]

I have been told Paso Robles is great for some hidden gems and also a great area in general. Haven't been there yet myself but this comes from some wine enthusiasts.

 

[chickenman]

We got a lady out west who's a vineyard owner, her son ran a dispensary, shes mrs. reefer madness.
Emailed her MO, telling her how alcohol kills and my story with MJ and drinking was killing me and so many others, daily..,how her argument about children harmed by pot, but wine no mention?
all may not be that friendly in the wine scene.
Some can be pretty high faluting and snooty..
Tour around for awhile and check it out, then maybe..
Find a nice bottle, some nice cheeses, apples or nice fruit,French bread, a cracked crab, hike into the redwoods, feast and enjoy, way too many tourists, cheaper and way more fun...Wife and you...Who knows what could happen!!!!!

 

[fishwhistle]

Yep Central coast wineries are kicking ass with reds right now,how much time do you have to spend out here mass?

 

[delae632]

The Santa Ynez valley is a must.

 

[respect]

Two buck chuck all day long :cigar:

 

[Seamaiden]

I tried that stuff, can't stand it. Sorry, even my folks are all about the Two Buck Chuck. Me? Pinot Gris, and the central coast is producing it (MacMurray).

The Santa Ynez valley is a must.

Oh..? I know that area for Arabian horses, trainers & breeders.

Any of you cats ever been to Hearst Castle? I wanna go.

 

[masshole61]

My trip tip wine country is still in the planning stages, but I would like to go for a week or two, depending on my itinerary. I'm also curious as to what time of year is the best time to go as well . Is summer the best time or perhaps fall harvest season?
Are there any wine tastings or competitions that are worth checking out? or are there any times you definitely do NOT want to go, like when I have to drive to cape cod for work in the summer and everyone and his brother is crossing the sagamore bridge at the same time...

 

[fishwhistle]

Sagamore bridge,been there done that,lol,My daughter is on staff at BU and we have tons of family in waltham.I would fly into LAX,rent a car and drive up hwy 1 through santa barbara,hit the solvang/central coast wineries and continue my ride up hwy1 to monterey(one of THE best drives in the world)and then head over to napa,You should be able to spend a leisurely week doing that and then drop the car off at the airport in san fran or oakland and you wont have seen the same thing twice.If you have two weeks you could continue on north to oregon/washington but dont underestimate how big california is and give yourself plenty of time to enjoy it!

 

[Seamaiden]

+1 to ^, but an alternative (because I've returned rentals to a different airport and it adds a LOT to the charge) is to take 101 back down and hit those wineries. A visit to Hearst Castle when going up Hwy 1 would be a must, in my book. I'd be 100% sure to hit MacMurray vineyards if AT ALL POSSIBLE. I'm a huge fan of their Pinots (Gris and Noir). Huge fan. What about microbreweries? They're all over the place, yeah?

 

[masshole61]

Thank you fish! Really appreciate the game plan. I'm going to print out a map to follow your lead and look for some nice b+b's along the way. What month would you go?

 

[masshole61]

thanks seamaiden ! Just put Mac Murray on my list. And I'm checking out Hearst castle as well. If you ain't figured it out by now this is a real bucket list vacation for us . Wine country is our specific agenda but I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see some other parts of California while I was there.
A friend recently went to Oregon and was able to meet some really cool people at nectar of he gods. He was able to "tour" their production facilities. . Can you think of anywhere along my travels up route 1 and back dwn 101a that I might get a taste of cannabis culture in California? Massachusetts has yet to open dispensary, shady ass growing "rules" and cops who seemingly don't care about the changes to the law.
I'd love to look through the eyes of California to see what the future holds for cannabis in mass.
Masshole

 

[fishwhistle]

Thank you fish! Really appreciate the game plan. I'm going to print out a map to follow your lead and look for some nice b+b's along the way. What month would you go?

All the months are good here;)but i like spring and fall.

 

[mayonnaise]

If you are going to the napa valley, late spring or early fall is definatly best. It gets HOT in the summer. DO NOT try to see everything. It will drive you crazy. There are more wineries in the napa valley than you can visit in a week not to mention Sonoma valley. Enjoy your drive up the coast and the central coast wineries and just hit the high points in Sonoma / napa. You can always come back and dig deeper later!