Great charter destinations are in remote locations, have a decent airport, and compelling attractions to visit. Some of the most compelling attractions for adults are wineries, and the state of California is rich with them. When most people think of wine country, Napa Valley or Santa Barbara, made popular from the movie “Sideways,” come to mind.

There are many other parts of the state with great wine areas of their own, and the use of a charter aircraft can make them accessible enough to be great charter destinations. For those who prefer all-inclusive tour services, visiting the more famous wine tour areas of Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and Santa Barbara are all made more accessible and special with the use of charter flights.

Napa Valley

The Napa County Airport is not served by commercial flights and is located just south of the City of Napa. You can pick up a rental car at the Napa Jet Center or have a tour service pick you up planeside.

The Sonoma County Airport is a good alternative airport for Napa Valley but is also a great entryway to visit the Russian River Valley or the Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys. Alaska Airlines introduced non-stop flights from San Diego to Santa Rosa this past year, but if you plan on re-supplying your wine cellar, a charter plane will be an easier way to bring your purchases home.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is a great charter day trip airport to visit the City’s Urban Wine Trail. You can fly right into the heart of Santa Barbara’s wine country with a smaller plane using the airport at Santa Ynez. This is an ideal charter destination.

If you are slightly more adventurous, then there are several areas north of Santa Barbara that are less well known and accessible by smaller airports. You can fly into Santa Maria and take a drive on the Santa Maria and Los Alamos wine trail with over a dozen small wineries. Make sure you try some of the famous tri-tip barbecue while you are there.

San Luis Obispo

To the north of Santa Barbara is San Luis Obispo, which is famous for its world-class Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. East of Santa Barbara is one of my favorite destinations, Paso Robles, which has more than 25 varieties of grapes and over 100 wineries, many of which are small, family owned and operated with wines only available in their tasting rooms. The Paso Robles airport is not served by commercial service but is a quick flight from San Diego in any size aircraft.

The Sierras

For the really adventurous, there are several wine areas at the base of the Sierras that are ripe for discovery. In Calaveras County, the old gold rush town of Murphy has ten small wineries that are within walking distance of each other.  There are two airports you can fly into; Calaveras County Airport, which is good for turboprops or the Columbia Airport, which is capable of handling turboprops or small jets.

El Dorado County, located between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, is the center of California gold mining and has only mountain vineyards. You can reach the area via the Placerville Airport, accessible to small planes and turboprops as is Amador County’s Westover Field.

Amador County is known for old Zinfandels with vineyards that are over 125 years old. If you are going to fly into these smaller airports, make sure to use your charter company to set up your ground transportation and accommodations since many of these airports are scarce in services.

California has some of the best wines in the world. Whether you are looking for the traditional or the off the beaten path wineries, the use of the right aircraft can greatly enhance the experience. Make a wine tour your next day trip or weekend getaway and use an airplane to make it an extra special occasion.

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