Across the Golden Gate Bridge and onto the wine country

Tuesday September 19 Santa Rosa
With this Ca area you get two wine locations for the price of one; Sonoma and Napa. We arrived here from Santa Clara a little after noon yesterday and spent the afternoon at the Charles M Shultz museum ( Shultz being the creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip) emanating from this city for a worldwide newspaper audience for generations. Quite the perfect museum and in every sense a dedication to a classic artist/businessman and at the same moment a decidedly passing time warp. Can’t buy gifts for the grandkids—-who is Linus? and Charlie? And Snoopy?
But now for the perfect Tuesday weather to compare Margaret River with the American wine icons.
Both Sonoma and Napa provide quality visitor centres and plenty of staff to point out their favourites on local maps. Only one winery served food and that was a 125 year old Italian specialty vineyard with a Tuscan style deli groaning with meats and cheeses hanging from the rafters—-and doing a power of sandwich and platters business to the extent they simply couldn’t take the money quickly enough. All the other vineyards are denied by state statute from serving meals or doing weddings because it takes business away from the town cafes and hotels.
So apart from the area crying out for a red tape removal crusader both areas are spectacular, and very approachable with turn-out lanes at every entrance.