Wine and Gourmet Trip to California NZZ Reader Trip

Day 1: Switzerland - San Francisco

Make your own way to Zurich Airport. Direct flight with SWISS to San Francisco. Transfer to the centrally located Beacon Grand Hotel****, close to Union Square. Dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 2: San Francisco

The morning begins with a fascinating guided city tour. Experience the magic of San Francisco first-hand, starting at Union Square. You will pass Lombard Street with its hairpin bends and beautiful planting, and ride the historic cable cars, those world-famous, rattling cable trams that turn a journey over the city's steep hills into a real adventure. You will also see the vibrant heart of Chinatown. The tour ends at Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Get to know the lively waterfront district with its famous sunbathing sea lions and freshly caught seafood. Lunch awaits you here. Afterwards, our wine expert will introduce you to the secrets of Californian wines in a wine course, which includes a small wine tasting: «Welcome to the Golden State of Wine!» The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore. Dinner is at your own arrangement. Overnight at the Beacon Grand Hotel****.

Day 3: Muir Woods – Golden Gate Bridge – Sausalito

Excursion to Muir Woods National Monument, a well-known conservation area just under 15 kilometres north of San Francisco. It protects one of the last remaining old-growth forests of coast redwoods, which are among the tallest tree species on earth. On a walk, marvel at these giants, which catch most of the sunlight. In their shade, a specialised mix of other coniferous and deciduous trees grows. Continue to Sausalito, a picturesque coastal town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, known for its artists' colony, colourful houseboats and grandiose views of the San Francisco skyline. Stroll through the town and take time for lunch at your leisure. Afterwards, you will take the ferry from Sausalito back to San Francisco. Enjoy an unforgettable front-row seat over the glittering San Francisco Bay. As the boat glides gently through the water, the historic prison island of Alcatraz passes majestically by. On the horizon, the Golden Gate Bridge spans the bay in all its orange splendour, perfectly completing this spectacular panorama. Dinner together in San Francisco. Overnight at the Beacon Grand Hotel****.

Day 4: Napa Valley – Heitz Cellar Winery

You leave San Francisco and travel to Napa Valley, the world-renowned heart of Californian winemaking, famous above all for its first-class, powerful Cabernet Sauvignons as well as outstanding Chardonnays and Merlots. The round of wine tastings begins in St. Helena at Heitz Cellar Winery with a tour, tasting and a light lunch. This traditional winery delights with its long-lived, elegant single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. Continue to the Napa Valley Marriott****. Dinner at leisure.

Day 5: Napa Valley - Hess Persson Estates

The day begins with a panoramic drive through Napa Valley. It reveals a picture-postcard landscape of endless, gently rolling vineyards, historic stone wineries and magnificent oak trees, framed by the picturesque backdrop of the Mayacamas Mountains. In the late morning, you will reach the winery of Swiss vintner Donald Hess, Hess Persson Estates. Here, a tour, wine tasting and a light lunch await you. The elegant Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays come from the high-altitude volcanic soils of Mount Veeder. Swiss pioneer Donald Hess revolutionised the wine region by recognising the enormous potential of viticulture in the rugged mountain terrain of Napa Valley and combining art with winemaking there. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at the Napa Valley Marriott****.

Day 6: Sonoma Valley

Today the nearby, sunny Sonoma Valley awaits you. A culinary paradise that, besides its internationally acclaimed wines such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is also known for first-class, artisan cheeses. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate, centuries-old olive trees also thrive in the region, from which award-winning extra virgin olive oils are pressed locally. Visit and tasting at an olive oil mill. You will see the traditional press and learn about the differences between extra virgin olive oils, infused oils and balsamic vinegars. Later, you will visit a cheese maker right on the historic Sonoma Plaza. Take a look behind the scenes and enjoy generous tastings of Californian cheeses. During a subsequent visit to a cooperage, you will experience first-hand the fascinating traditional craft in which master coopers shape the fine barrique barrels for later wine maturation from solid oak, using fire and precise bending. Dinner together in a local Michelin-starred restaurant. Overnight at the Napa Valley Marriott****.

Day 7: Sonoma – Ridge Lytton Springs

In the morning, you travel to Sonoma. At the Ridge Lytton Springs winery, you will enjoy a tour with wine tasting and a light lunch. The vines of Ridge Lytton Springs thrive in California's Dry Creek Valley on nutrient-poor, barren soils of siliceous clay (gravelly clay), which retain moisture superbly and give the vines a natural balance. In the afternoon, drive to Napa and visit the Oxbow Public Market. A lively market hall, perfect for handmade cheese, fresh oysters, local coffee and souvenirs too. Dinner is at your own arrangement. Overnight at the Napa Valley Marriott****.

Day 8: Santa Cruz Mountains – Monterey

Today you leave Napa Valley. You travel to the Santa Cruz Mountains to Thomas Fogarty Winery. Visit, tasting and light lunch at the winery with its magnificent views. The winery is particularly known for its elegant, terroir-driven Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which thrive in the cool higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Afterwards, you continue to Half Moon Bay & Pigeon Point Lighthouse. You will stop at the dramatic cliffs of Half Moon Bay. A little further south stands the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in the USA. Continue to Monterey. Dinner at leisure. Overnight at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey****.

Day 9: 17-Mile Drive – Carmel – Wrath Wines

Today's programme is full of highlights. First, you follow the famous 17-Mile Drive, which winds along the rugged coast of the Monterey Peninsula and captivates with dramatic views of the Pacific, majestic golf courses and landmarks such as the legendary «Lone Cypress». After this scenic drive, the exclusive Pebble Beach invites you to an elegant aperitif overlooking the roaring sea, before you continue to the idyllic artists' town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Here you stroll through picturesque streets lined with boutiques, straight down to the powder-white sandy beach framed by cypress trees for a relaxing walk. At the wine bar of Wrath Wines, a final wine tasting follows with a light lunch. Later, at the historic, beautifully restored Mission San Carlos Borromeo, you will immerse yourself in California's Spanish colonial history and its peaceful gardens. A walking tour of Monterey rounds off this eventful day. Farewell dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight at the Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey****.

Day 10: Monterey – San Francisco – Return flight

Day at leisure. Let the whole trip pass in review and decide on your personal highlight of the tour, before a transfer through Silicon Valley takes you to the airport in San Francisco. In the evening, direct return flight with SWISS to Switzerland.

Day 11: Arrival in Switzerland

Landing in Zurich in the afternoon and individual journey home.

Programme subject to change

Participants

Minimum 12, maximum 25 persons