Good time for dinner reservations after a day of touring?

What is a good time to make dinner reservations after a day of touring? How long does 4 wineries and lunch take? And is it necessary to make reservations? Thanks

Good time for dinner reservations after a day of touring?

Many answers depending upon your personal style of planning and wine tasting. If you arrive at your first winery for tasting early (before 11am), you will comfortably be able to visit 2 wineries inc. taking a tour at one of them by lunchtime. Most tours will last about 40-60 min. This assumes that you%26#39;ll be tasting within a vicinity of several miles, not traveling a great distance. A leisurely lunch of 90 min. (one can linger for a couple hrs at some places) and then 2 more wineries afterwards would make for a really nice, relaxed day--which is what the day should be all about. Time allocated for each winery or tasting room depends upon many factors: Does the winery have things to see/do other than tasting/tours, like gardens, art galleries, viewpoints, interesting shopping? Also, you may find yourself wanting to stay much longer at certain ones simply due to the fact that you like the atmosphere and the tasting room staff is especially friendly and in a ';pouring mood'; (lucky you)--and of course, you love their wines. So anywhere from 20 min. to over an hour per visit. Whether you need to make reservations at restaurants is also variable. On Fridays and wkends--yes, it%26#39;s definitely best, esp. during busy periods like summer or popular dining times like noon or 7-8pm. If you get to the restaurant right when they open, you probably will still be able to get a table, but not always.

So the best bet is to do your research in advance and choose perhaps half a dozen wineries of interest, preferably within the same general area. Get to whichever one makes most sense logistically, shortly after they open (check with the winery, as that will vary). You may want to wing it for lunch and not make reserv%26#39;s, but have a few possibilities in mind that are relatively close to the wineries you%26#39;ll be visiting. For dinner, I would really suggest making reservations, particularly if you have special restaurants in mind.

Good time for dinner reservations after a day of touring?

We have no idea how long we could be out touring because we have never been to wine country. We are staying near the Sonoma Plaza, so yes we are in the area. Is there a general rule as to a good time for dinner. We are early risers so 11AM to start seems feasable. Do you generally head north to start and then make your way back?

In general it%26#39;s more relaxed and quieter at a restaurant if you arrive fairly early--6 or 6:30pm, but since you%26#39;ll be out and about, that may not be practical. You might consider making reserv%26#39;s for a later time like 7:00 or 7:30 so you%26#39;ll have plenty of time to just relax at your place of lodging before heading out for dinner. If you%26#39;re staying at a B%26amp;B, inn or small hotel, many of them have a social hour when they serve complimentary wines, cheeses or hors d%26#39;oeuvres and that usually takes place around 5pm. I normally drive to the most distant location--in your case probably in the Kenwood or Glen Ellen areas at the north end of the Sonoma Valley--and start there first thing, then make my way back towards ';home';. But it really will depend upon where the wineries are that you want to visit. They may be quite close to one another and that would give you lots of flexibility.

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