Napa and Sonoma Sept 2011

Well, we were able to do it. We were able to come back to California for our 5 year anniversary. We were able to see Napa and Sonoma in full swing for harvest. I have never seen so many grapes in my life. The vineyards never ended. Our first day we flew into Oakland and the first stop was In and Out Burger. It was good. It reminded me of Steak and Shake. We made sure to stop at a winery on the way up so we went to Domain Carneros for some sparkly. Then we drove all the way up to Windsor in the heart of Sonoma County. This was our base for a few days before heading to Napa. We stayed at the Holiday Inn express Windsor. It was the perfect location. Minutes from wineries, and 45 min to the redwoods and coast.


The next day we explored Russian River Wine region. I loved it since i was laid back and most of the Wineries were family run. See itinerary at bottom to see all the ones we went to. Dinner was in Healdsburg at Willie's Wine Bar.



Day 3 was all about the redwoods and Bodega Bay. Walking in Armstrong Redwood Park was something I will always remember. It is amazing how tall these trees are, and that some are 1200 years old. It was also so quiet and peaceful. After spending 2-3 hours there we headed to the coast. Just like in Big Sur Route 1 up here was amazing. We pulled over many times. We stopped at Goat Rock Beach where the final scene from Goonies were, and Bodega Bay. My favorite beach was Schooolhouse Beach. I could spend hours there. There were little coves, big waves, and the whole beach was pebbles and rocks with jade stones. It was beautiful.


The next day was all wineries in Sonoma. See itinerary. We splurged the last 2 nights and stayed at the Renaissance Sonoma Lodge and Spa. It was amazing. The room was huge and had a fireplace, jacuzzi tub, and a balcony looking at the mountains. If you can splurge a little, I recomend this hotel. It is 5 minutes to downtown Sonoma.



Day 5 was Napa valley and our foodie day. We went to many wineries but our 2 favorite in Napa were Hendry for the 2 hour very personal tour, and Silverado Vineyards for the view and the $90 Solo Cabernet I fell in love with--buttery smooth. Lunch was at Michael Chiarello Botegga and dinner was at Marimoto's Sushi.


Our last day we woke up early to see the Golden Gate bridge at sunrise. Im so glad it wasnt covered in fog like most mornings. We went to Fisherman's Wharf and ate breakfast at Boudin Bakery. Very good bread. The quickly went to Chinatown to get me some pashminas. Then it was time to go home. Wine country was great. There were so many wineries we would of wanted to go to and so many restaurants, but there are just too many. Some tips if you are driving. We shared most of our tastings. It saved $$ but also allowed us to try more wines. Also keep 2 Styrofoam coolers. One for bottled water to hydrate, and one for the wine. You dont want to spend good $$ on wine and it get spoiled in the sun. I am looking forward to going back probably in a few years. It was such a great experience.

Itinerary and reviews

Day 1

In and Out Burger

Domain Carneros- great sparkling wine with a view

Dinner at Scopa- Tiny italian place with no sign. It is sooo popular right now that reservations need to be made way in advanced. Even being 2 inches from the next table the food was worth it. One of the best italian meals I have had.

Day 2

Russian River Valley

Kendall Jackson Tasting- I surprised hubby with a dessert pairing. It was one of the highlights of our trip. We had the whole patio to ourselves.

Thomas George

Korbel for lunch- great free tour and great deli for afterward

Arista

Preston- Nice unfiltered wine with a farm.

Quivera- Nice wines with amazing gardens

Dinner at Willi’s Seafood Bar- great tapas. My fav was lobster roll, and the calamari.

Day 3

Armstrong Redwoods

Goat Rock

Bodega Bay- Chowder and Crab Sandwich at Spud Point Crab- Creamy clam chowder and very fresh crab on the sandwich

School House Beach

Candy and Kites

Bodega Head 1.5 mile hike

Dinner at Chinois (Windsor)Great little Asian restaurant with delicious basil noodles

Day 4

Ledson- Very nice estate. We didnt taste here but took picture

Chateau St Jean- Beautiful winery with nice Reisling

Kunde- Nice cave tour with good picnic grounds which we did

Benziger- Nice tour on a tram of the organic vineyards

Dinner at Girl and Fig- Great french restaurant with fresh ingredients from the area

Day 5

Breakfast at Fremont Diner- A must. Everything was amzing and the apple donuts were the best. They make their own smoked ham, brisket for the brisket and hash, and their own eggs.

Hendry- 2 hours and 12 tastings later we were hooked. It was a very informational tour that took you from the grapes(we tried grapes still on the vine), to the press, to the bottling.

Bottega- Great food. The gnocchi were like little pillows. So light and airy. The polenta under glass was very tasty.

St Helena Olive oil- Nice place to taste some olive oil, and get cool wine related gifts. I bought a candle holder made from a wine barrel.

Hagafen Winery - Kosher winery with nice sweet wines

Silverado Vineyards- Most beautiful view of all the wineries, and the most delicious Cab. Too bad it was $90. Maybe for our anniversary :)

Dinner at Marimoto for Sushi Bar- Very nice decor and good softshell crab roll.

Day 6

Stop to see Golden Gate bridge at Southern Vista

Fishermans Warf
Chinatown