Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [215]
Every single time I write this book, the rules change. This go-round the government is said to be phasing out reciprocity laws and requiring that each state be approved to ship or receive wine. Individual wineries must buy permits for each state they want to ship to, making it difficult for smaller wineries to ship to many states (so most will probably opt only for the states that brandish the most visitors or mail-order demands). Technically, only wineries with permits are allowed to ship wine; shipping stores are not supposed to ship any wine or liquor. That said, they do it anyway, so don’t fret if you want to send wine.
If you do get stuck shipping illegally (not that we’re recommending you do that, but believe me, it’s done all the time and most shipping companies are well aware of it), you might want to package your wine in an unassuming box and head to a post office, UPS, or other shipping company outside the Wine Country area. It’s less obvious that you’re shipping wine from Vallejo or San Francisco than from Napa Valley.
However, you can try these companies. They are likely to help you out.
NAPA VALLEY SHIPPING COMMUNITIES
The UPS Store, at 3212 Jefferson St. in the Grape Yard Shopping Center ( 707/259-1398), claims to pack and ship anything anywhere. Rates for a case of wine were quoted at approximately $40 for ground shipping to Los Angeles and $65 to New York.
St. Helena Mailing Center, 1241 Adams St., at Hwy. 29, St. Helena ( 707/963-2686), says they will pack and ship to certain states within the U.S. Rates for prewrapped shipments are around $29 per case for ground delivery to Los Angeles.
SONOMA VALLEY SHIPPING COMMUNITIES
The UPS Store, 19229 Sonoma Hwy., in Maxwell Village, Sonoma ( 707/935-3438), has a lot of experience with shipping wine. It claims it will ship your wine to any state. Prices vary from $21 to Los Angeles to as much as $75 to the East Coast and $187 to Hawaii and Alaska.
Schramsberg ★★ This 217-acre sparkling wine estate, a landmark once frequented by Robert Louis Stevenson and the second-oldest property in Napa Valley, is one of the valley’s all-time best places to explore. Schramsberg is the label that presidents serve when toasting dignitaries from around the globe, and there’s plenty of historical memorabilia in the winery’s front room to prove it. But the real mystique begins when you enter the sparkling wine caves, which wind 2 miles (reputedly the longest in North America) and were partly hand-carved by Chinese laborers in the 1800s. The caves have an authentic Tom Sawyer ambience, complete with dangling cobwebs and seemingly endless passageways; you can’t help but feel you’re on an adventure. The comprehensive, unintimidating tour ends in a charming, cozy tasting room, where you’ll sample four surprisingly varied selections of their high-end bubbly. At $35 per person, tasting isn’t cheap, but it’s money well spent. Note that tastings are offered only to those who take the free tour, and you must make reservations in advance.
1400 Schramsberg Rd. (off Hwy. 29), Calistoga. 707/942-2414. www.schramsberg.com. Daily 10am–4pm. Tours and tastings by appointment only. At 10am, 11am, 1pm, and 2:30pm.
Sterling Vineyards One of the more commercial wine-tasting experiences in the area, Sterling has one thing going for it that no other winery can boast: an aerial tram offering stunning valley views while en route to its white Mediterranean-style winery perched 300 feet up on a rocky knoll. The ride, which costs $25 ($10 for kids) and includes wine tasting, leads to a self-guided tour of the winemaking process and a panoramic tasting room offering samples of five varietals. However, more sophisticated sips—limited