Winter WINEland

Winter WINEland is Wine Road's January weekend: two days when around sixty wineries across Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and the Russian River open to passport holders. You choose a starting winery when you buy, check in there for a tasting glass and a wristband, and then go anywhere on the roster in any order, with at least three tastes at each stop. Some wineries add a warming bite to go with the pours. The roster spans the whole map, from Pedroncelli and Trione in the north to Korbel and Hartford out toward the river.

Go for the off-season. In January the vineyards are bare and the tasting rooms are calm, so there is time to talk with the people pouring and to ask for the bottle they are proudest of. Each winery takes a limited number of check-ins, which keeps the weekend from feeling crowded, and it runs rain or shine. Build a loose loop of a handful of stops a day rather than a sprint, start early, and end somewhere warm. It is the best weekend we know to learn these three valleys before the busy months arrive.