Sonoma or Napa, Which is Better?

There's a question that's been asked a few times. There is no right answer, but a reporter from Business Insider thinks she's found it. No, I don't know why a financial writer is doing this piece.

Napa vs. Sonoma

Read through the article, paying close attention to the pros and cons at the end. I can tell you what she did wrong.

As she said herself there are hundreds of wineries in both Napa and Sonoma, but in Napa she visited a few of the famous touristy spots. Granted, this is what many first-time visitors will do. Her comment about Napa generally being more expensive than Sonoma is true, but there are plenty of exceptions.

See, we're right next to each other
and speak the same language and everything!

Her remark about spending too much time driving in Sonoma County is an easy fix. Don't try to cover the whole county in a day! Stick to one region such as Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, or Sonoma Valley. I think most visitors can figure that out by looking at a map. I don't know why she didn't.

She mentioned crowds in Sonoma County. Yes, they are in both Napa and Sonoma depending on when you visit. But even on the busy days it's easy enough to get away from the crowded areas. It's worse if you go to the touristy spots!

She concluded Napa is best for first-time visitors and that may very well be true depending on why you're visiting. And if you're on an expense account like she was.

I do hear lots of visitors say something like, "Our first trip to the area was to Napa, but now we come to Sonoma." I suppose it's like visiting Hawaii the first time as you're likely to go to Honolulu then on subsequent trips you venture out to the other islands.

The best idea for a first trip is to spend several days in the area with a couple days in Napa and a couple in Sonoma and decide for yourself.