Where we grew up, “Get lost!” (with an exclamation point) meant something between “fuhgeddaboudit” and a term unprintable in a genteel journal like Power Tasting. However, we mean it as respectful suggestion: when you’re in Wine Country, allow yourself to get a little lost. Sometimes that means you’ll miss the best known wineries along the best known roads, but there are also the cases in which the owners of premier vineyards deliberately placed them where caravans of tourists would not be passing their front gates.
By all means, travel on the main drags, such as Route 29 in Napa Valley, the Route des Grands Crus in Burgundy and the Strada della Badia di Sant’Antima in Montalcino. But also prepare yourself for the little excursions off the central roads and you’ll get to experience Wine Country the way the locals do.
Photo courtesy of France.fr.
- Do a little preparatory homework. Get a map of the region, which is a lot easier these days with everything on the Internet. But having a good paper map is a good idea because it will show many more minor roads. It’s all right to get lost but it’s smarter to know in general where you’re getting lost.
- Don’t trust your GPS. Even in the primary winemaking areas in the United States, the satellites don’t know every back road. And it’s those back roads you want to drive on. In fact you might find, as we have, that the GPS will take you around in circles when you’re looking for a specific remote winery. This goes double in some European sectors of Wine Country, where road signage is an arcane art form.
- Have several destinations in mind. That way, if you pass a gate with a placard announcing one of them, you’ll know to stop. Then, when you’ve tasted their wines ask the server about the others on your list. He or she might say, “Oh, it’s the next vineyard on this road” or contrariwise, “Oh, that’s quite a way from here’. If the latter occurs, ask for a recommendation for another good winery nearby.
- Enjoy what you see while you get lost. There won’t be any palatial architecture, but there should be some beautiful farmhouses and vineyards. This can be even more fun at harvest time, when the fields are full of active workers (who might just give you a little help getting un-lost). When you stop by a working vineyard, you get the feel for the reality of the farming that goes into winemaking. If you get “good” lost, you can go for miles without seeing a winery, but you will see vines as far as the eye can wander.
- Don’t get too If you really don’t know where you are nor where you’re going, look for pointers back to someplace you do know. Despite the previous comment about road signs, you’re bound to come across a sign somewhere that points to San Francisco or Paulliac or Florence or the Long Island Expressway. Follow one of indicated roads and things will begin to look a little more familiar. When all else fails, ask somebody how to get back home.