My family was visiting this past weekend and I showed them all the sights, from the hills of San Francisco to the vines of the wine country. The highlight of their trip was biking through Sonoma, but on the two-hour drive over, I learned they didn't know much at all about Northern California's wine-growing region.

This inspired me to pen a Wine Country 101. Please help me out by putting your tips in the comments section.

Introduction
When you're talking about California's wine country, the word "Napa" starts popping up. But what is Napa? A town? A county? A valley? If you answered all of the above, then you're correct. Northern California's wine country is comprised of two primary wine valleys, Napa and Sonoma, and both produce excellent wine.

Photo courtesy of Eric Lundell.

Each valley is made up of smaller wine growing regions and is dotted with idyllic towns. For instance, in Sonoma (the county), you can visit the towns of Healdsburg, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma (the town) and sample wines from the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and more. And just confuse things further, there are more wine regions in California (the movie Sideways is set in Southern California and not Napa, as many believe), but this primer will just focus on Napa and Sonoma.

Napa
Pros: The best part about going to Napa is that guests want to see it. They've heard the name bandied about and they're ready to pony up for the experience. The towns of St. Helena, Napa, Calistoga, and Yountville are well-equipped for tourism and boast world-famous sights, like Thomas Keller's crown jewel, The French Laundry (located in Yountville). The wineries have names that almost anyone will recognize: Domaine Chandon, Beringer, and Robert Mondavi. Plus, there's more to do in Napa. Activities beyond wine tasting abound like hot-air ballooning or hopping aboard a wine train.

Cons:
The glitz and fame of Napa does come at a price. Wine tastings range from $10 to $20 dollars and entrees at many restaurants start in the $30 range. Most quaint wine country inns charge prices on par with San Francisco and require a two-night minimum on weekends ($250 a night). And then there's the traffic. During harvest or the high tourist season of the summer, the winding, two-lane roads of Napa can get packed, making biking to the wineries nearly out of the question.

Sonoma
Pros: Sonoma is the relaxed younger sister to Napa, where tastings are still free at most wineries, and if there is a charge it's almost never more than $10. Plus, without the crowds of Napa, one can still bike from winery to winery without too much trouble. I recommend staying in the postcard-perfect town of Healdsburg and renting bikes from the experts at Wine Country Bikes, where each bike has a four-bottle carrier strapped on the back. Healdsburg is also the home of Cyrus, one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants, and Charlie's Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen.

Cons: The towns of Sonoma County aren't yet built out to the splendor of Napa. While Healdsburg can compete with the best of the best, the other towns feel more rustic and less prepared to wow tourists. Activities tend to focus around the great outdoors, the wines, and relaxing. For some, this is a good thing, but it could be a disappointment to others. Also, you won't have the same name recognition that you'll have in Napa. While true oenophiles will know the vintages, the labels usually aren't household names.