Ohh Sonoma, a trip to California wine country

Our first real immersion into “wine country” was as educational as it was fun and relaxing for Amanda and I. Our good friend was turning 40 and what a way to celebrate! A fun group of friends from her life were assembled to take on wine country, California, during a week in mid June. The two hour time difference between Minnesota and California gave us a head start to the day. Flying Delta into San Francisco International was a breeze and getting to the rental shuttle for our car was not a big deal at all. We use SixT Car Rental as much as possible, we love the vehicles they have to offer and the prices are good. We decided to go early and stay stay a little longer to have some adventures of our own. We hit the road in style with our sporty Jaguar SUV and headed North. This vacation was the first time I had crossed the Golden Gate Bridge since I was a teenager traveling with my family. What an experience to cross the San Francisco Bay on such an engineering feat.

From Highway 101 we followed the Shoreline Highway toward our first destination of Muir Beach. We always make it a point to set our eyes on the ocean if we can. If you like the smell of Eucalyptus, make sure to open your windows as you climb the hills of the Tamalpais Valley. The area is home to Eucalyptus trees that line the curves of the roadway as you work your way up the valley. Our first stop, Muir Beach, a beautiful park to watch the waves, walk the beach and take some short hikes.

On the hunt for lunch we wound our way through the beautiful green, hilly countryside to a little town called Olema. Who knew? A one light town less than 40 miles outside of the hustle and bustle of San Francisco. We ate on the outdoor patio at Due West, a little restaurant right off of Highway 1. You must have a bucket of Oysters and a glass of wine there, if that is your thing.

We arrived at our destination for the evening, the Kenwood Inn & Spa, where Italy meets California. Beautiful grounds, beautiful pool area and beautiful rooms and villas. With the fireplace lit, a bottle of wine and comfortable robes, we could have stayed in the room all day. During the evening happy hour, they had arranged a tasting for guests from a local winery with yummy Hors D’oeuvres. The breakfast is amazing with their spinach eggs, parfaits and cheese. This hotels has all amenities needed for relaxation and enjoying wine county.

Through out the next few days we hopped along from winery to winery. Our friends had chosen and reserved tasting times at wineries prior to us arriving. This was great planning which I have since used on other trips to wine country. The wineries did not feel crowed and it was nice knowing there was a spot waiting for you. We visited Kunde, Simi, Chateau St. Jean, Chateau Montelena, Castillo di Amorosa, Ferrari Carano, and Sherwin Family. Each vineyard had their own unique gardens, ponds, tasting/pairing ideas and ambiance. I am not kidding when I say a stop at any of these wineries is a fun experience.

My favorite? Let’s just say you can’t beat sipping a glass of Cellar Scraps on the top of a hill, overlooking a valley of vines circling a pond. At Chateau Montelena and Simi wineries we were given a tour and learned about the entire wine making process. The information given on how much science and time it takes to produce a single bottle of wine will change the way you look at and drink a glass. From the growing and health of the vines to the barreling, racking and fermentation. It is definitely a process you want to take in while touring the wineries. As for dress code, collared shirts for the guys and sun dresses for ladies – don’t forget to bring a fun hat!

Ferrari Carano….

Simi…..

Sherwin Family…

Chateau Montelena…

Castillo di’ Amorosa…

With a big group of travelers needing a home base, we chose the Dry Creek Inn in Healdsburg. The rooms were newly remodeled and they were nice and spacious. Our group enjoyed the outdoor sitting areas for wine tasting happy hours and the pool and hot tub areas were a nice place to cool off and relax. The hotel is a 10 minute walk to the downtown area which has shopping, tasting rooms and many restaurants to choose from. Amanda and I walked into town in the mornings and ate at a little cafe, Costeaux French Bakery. Great breakfast, great espressos and great mimosas. For a little nightlife, the Elephant in the Room Pub is fun place to listen to some live music and have a few drinks. And, when you need a break from the wine, a great brewery we visited in town is Bear Republic. They have a great atmosphere and a great beers on tap. From the traveling we have done in wine country, I would say Healdsburg has a young feel and vibe.

We chose to end our vacation in Sonoma. We booked at the Ledson Hotel, which is right on the center square. From this luxurious boutique hotel, with its own tasting room, you can easily access the shops and restaurants right out the front doors. A must go for brunch is the Sunflower Cafe. They use fresh, local ingredients in their meals which is complemented with a nice outdoor patio (did I mention monster mimosas). A dinner under the stars at La Salette was in store for us as well. Nice setting for a little Portuguese style dinner, also complemented with fresh locally sourced produce.

The grand finale of our vacation was a stop at Sonoma Speedway to watch the Toyota/Save Mart 350. For Amanda and I, this was our first experience watching a NASCAR race in person. It was fast, loud and gritty! A call ahead for ticket information saved us from a definite sunburn. We chose seats under the grandstand that provided us a cool and shady spot during the race. Another fun experience to put in the memory books.