I know you’re all anxious to get to “the list”, and I know some of you can’t wait to weigh in on your own personal favorites. But first, a little overview — because like good wine, a discussion on planning the details of your wine country visit needs structure.
As I discussed in part one in my wine country series, there are two main ways you can structure your wine visit trip. Either way you end up staying in one (or perhaps two) hotels, but how you arrive at the decision will vary.
photo by jenn kosar
First, you could orient your stay around a particular area known for the kind of winemaking you like and stay in a hotel central to those vineyards. If you’re a Zinfandel fan, you may want to focus on towns in the Sonoma region, such as Healdsburg. Syrah and Pinot Noir fans might consider Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz.
If you’re dying to visit the big-name cult wineries, you’ll be more Napa centric; boutique winemakers are found everywhere, but less famous appellations like Paso Robles will have a higher concentration and more varied productions. This map is a great resource.
Alternatively, you can select based on the overall “feel” of a town, which loosely correlates with the style and price point of restaurants, hotels, shopping, and other amenities. Yountville, for example, features some of the most famous and best restaurants in the country (not just California) — French Laundry and Bouchon, to name a few. The resorts in the area are super-luxurious, with world-class spas and amenities that will make you feel like royalty. Naturally, the area attracts those with more money to spend, and the nearby wineries and shops reflect the clientele.
photo by jenn kosar
In contrast, Calistoga has a more down-to-earth feel, with delicious farm-to-table dining options that don’t break the bank, and close proximity to a range of both world-famous vineyards and smaller, lesser known producers of amazing wine. If you’re looking to travel back to a time when wine country was farming country, consider the Sierra Foothills, filled with quaint bed & breakfasts, historic mining towns, and boutique wineries. Wine Country Getaways has some good resources covering all the regions.
I promised you a list. This is the product of three personal visits to the area, another visit currently in planning, and countless discussions with friends and family making trips to the region to hear their views. It’s dynamic, and very personal, but hopefully it’s a starting point to help you plan the trip of a lifetime. One that includes tasting amazing wine — and delicious food as well.
photo by jenn kosar
Favorite Wine Country Restaurants and Food Stops
I purposely omitted the super-obvious. You can all google the michelin-starred restaurants in wine country yourself. These are the less well-known places, but in my view, they strike the right combination of both delicious food and a wine-country vacation ambience, setting, and experience.
If you’re staying in Calistoga or making your way to many of the nearby wineries, stop at the Roastery for coffee and hand-made breakfast treats inspired by the owner’s mum’s recipes. Clive will serve you himself with a smile and a joke or two.
photo by jenn kosar
A french brasserie in the heart of beautiful downtown Sonoma, the girl & the fig is the place for my favorite kind of wine country lunch — a cheese plate. Don’t worry, there are plenty of options for those of you who don’t consider cheese to be a food group.
A picnic in wine country is a bucket list experience, and Dry Creek General Store is the perfect place to purchase all the goods. Their made-to-order sandwiches are classic California with a twist, like the veggie veggie with cilantro jalapeño hummus, or my favorite, the curried chicken salad with calabrese chili mayo. You can also grab sides like quinoa salad or a block of cheese, and all the gear you need to picnic here or back home. They also sell wine and have a bar next door if you’d rather stop and sit a spell.
This one is slightly more well known, thanks to its famous chef and owner. A perfect casual dinner or lunch option, with options as easy as gourmet pizza or as refined as terrines and quail, all served in an industrial-chic elegant setting. It’s next to the North Block Hotel, which is on my list for a future visit.
photo by jenn kosar
The view. That’s really all the matters here. Where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean, it feels like the beginning and end all wrapped into one. Enjoy a plate of oysters and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The rest of the menu is average, so plan to enjoy the sunset over appetizers and head elsewhere for dinner.
Twinkling lights overhead, music in the air from a nearby bar, and warm California evening air. What more do you need? Award-winning microbrews. And delicious food. We love taking a break from wine to enjoy the delicious beers paired with easy-going menu options from pizzas and burgers to short ribs and bowlfuls of mussels.
photo by stefan johnson via unsplash
Housed in the renovated Freemark Abbey, home to the first female vintner in California and central to the Judgement of Paris in 1976, Two Birds One Stone is the brainchild of two Top Chef Masters looking to merge Japanese culinary experiences with local California produce. It’s a departure from the typical wine country cuisine; a self-curated tasting menu paired with sake is a refreshing break from the norm.
Another beautiful outdoor dining option in Calistoga, Sam’s Social Club also features craft beer and an excellent cocktail menu. The ambience here is a sit-by-the-fire-a-while feel, with friendly, relaxed service and seasonal comfort food. The stone patio with a geyser-fed fountain and a canopy of oak and olive trees is a dining experience I won’t soon forget.
Napa Valley and Sonoma County Wineries
So this could get lengthy and frankly, contentious, as there are so. many. options. and they all deeply personal. I’ll roundup my favorites, again combining a view of both the quality and the wine and the experience of the tasting. For practical purposes, I’ve sorted them into “serious buyer” vs. “casual visitor” categories, as the former comes with it a price tag, an expectation to purchase, and more advanced planning to arrange a visit. Those planning a fun, carefree trip [translation: bachelorette party] will be happier sticking with the latter category.
photo by katie chavanu
Wine Country for the Serious Buyer
A classic wine country tasting experience in a beautiful tasting room, it’s a great way to start your day. Take a few moments to relax on the Adirondack chairs and take in the beauty of the Russian River Valley.
Gary Farrell is known for excellent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The beautiful wood-paneled tasting room is undergoing a facelift through May 2017, but you can still taste in their “Glamping Cottages” while they renovate.
Fascinating story and a really educational tour, plus some of my favorite wines enjoyed in a beautifully appointed cave.
Home of our favorite Sauvignon Blanc and known for its Pinot Noir, we like Merry Edwards (one of the first woman winemakers in California) for the quality wine in every category. Merry’s wines grace the wine lists of some of the best restaurants in New Jersey, so you can enjoy it when you return.
A [literally] hidden gem high atop Moon Mountain, it’s been quietly producing amazing wine for 125 years. This tour is a little different from the rest. Visitors get to follow the entire wine production process starting with a jeep tour through the vineyards, meander through the caves and the bottling room, and end with sipping in an elegant tasting room.
photo by jenn kosar
Extremely limited, Bordeaux-style wine production, the only way to enjoy their wines is by visiting and becoming a member. Matt, the general manager, welcomes you with a glass of wine, and you instantly feel like you are home. I don’t want to spoil the surprises, but all your senses will be dazzled. A must visit for those serious about adding to their wine collection.
Famous for its role in American history and presidential toasts, Schramsberg sparkling wines are in my view the best in America. The Davies Vineyard reds are a less widely known production, but the 2012 Jamie is one of my absolute favorites. This is the place to splurge for a full reserve tasting with a cheese pairing – completely worth it.
photo by jenn kosar
Casual Wine Country Visitor
A longer list, as there are many, many options for visitors to enjoy wine at every price point and style.
- Chateau St. Jean (Kenwood) Also more well-known, consistently good wines and a beautiful tasting room. One of the few vineyards we frequent that serves real food, it’s a good midday selection.
- Cline (Sonoma) Front-porch tasting of their family-owned, sustainably produced wines, this is a classic Sonoma wine experience.
- Domaine Chandon (Yountville) Another popular one, but solid sparkling wines and a light fare menu that’s perfect for a lunch break.
- Foppiano (Healdsburg) We love Petite Sirah, so Foppiano was a delicious discovery. A casual, farm-feel tasting room, and plenty of places to arrange a picnic lunch.
- Frank Family Vineyards (Calistoga) This is a bigger, more commercial operation, but I think one of the better ones in that category.
- Gundlach Bundschu (Sonoma) A fun stop on the tour, the wines are good (I like the rose), but its real appeal is the story of the oldest winery in wine country.
- Iron Horse (Sebastopol) Known for sparkling wine, its the perfect “end of day” place to watch the sunset.
photo by jenn kosar
- J Vineyards (Healdsburg) Another California sparkling wine favorite, offering one of the first educational wine and food pairing programs in Napa.
- Kunde Family Winery (Kenwood) Enjoy their estate grown wines in a range of tasting options, including a hiking tour or a mountain-top reserve tasting.
- Loxton (Glen Ellen) One of our all time favorites, with great reds across multiple varietals. If you’re lucky they’ll be pouring their port.
- Madrigal (Calistoga) If you like Spanish wines, a must visit.
- Martinelli Winery (Windsor) Taste in their renovated barn, formerly used to produce hops. Another accessible option that allows all kinds of tasters to discover California wines.
- Mayo Family Winery (Glen Ellen) Think picnic tables and dogs, Mayo reminds you that grapes come from farmers! Affordable, unique wines in a very accessible tasting environment, they make it easy to explore new options.
- Robinson Family Vineyards (Napa) This winery still feels family-owned and operated. Work with them to arrange a picnic lunch in the vineyard.
- Rochioli (Healdsburg) Known for the unique “old vine Sauvignon Blanc” as well as classic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Tasting here includes a beautiful view of their Russian River Valley vineyards with the ocean in the distance.
- Rombauer Vineyards (St. Helena) I love their Zinfandel and the fact that it’s the Rombauer of Joy of Cooking fame. This one can feel a little “touristy” and rushed in contrast to the others, but it’s a gorgeous view worth checking out.
photo by oscar soderlund via unsplash
So there you have it, my view. I have a list of places I’m pondering for my next visit — Alexander Family and Storybook for the Red Zinfandels and gorgeous tasting rooms; Simi, Cakebread and La Crema to see where my favorite whites are made; and Nickel & Nickel, Far Niente, and Twomey just to name a few.
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