winery

Napa/Sonoma Travel Guide

Happy Monday everyone! This past weekend was a little more relaxing where I caught up on laundry, cleaning and shopping. I wish I was still in the wine country with my mom for our mother daughter trip. During Labor Day weekend we headed West for our first mother daughter trip, and it was pretty amazing. This was both of our first times to California and knew that the wine country would be the best place to head to. My mom had got great recommendations from her friend who also did a mother daughter trip there and we thought it would be the best location for us too! We planned the trip, booked our flight and accommodations and started looking at wineries and food places a couple of weeks before we left. Below are my favorites for a Napa/Sonoma travel guide.

To Stay

I highly recommend staying at an Air bnb. My mom’s friend told us about the Greystone Castle Suite and it was the best place out of everywhere we looked. This was my second time staying at an Air bnb but I will for sure do it again. We wanted somewhere that was centrally located but was big enough and of course pretty enough for us! This was a 10,000 square foot house where upstairs we had a huge room complete with 2 beds, a bathroom with a separate tub and shower, microwave and fridge. They only have 2 rooms booked at a time which makes it so nice. We got little breakfast snacks and coffee in the morning and a complimentary bottle of wine. My favorite part of this house was the scenery. Right next door was a vineyard and there was a gorgeous balcony and pool in the background. In the morning we were greeted by the hosts announcing that hot air balloons were flying over us!

To Drink

It wouldn’t be wine country if we didn’t get to go to the vineyards and do some tours and tastings. There were so many great recommendations that people gave me, but since we were only there a couple of days we went to 5 of them. I did not realize that there were about 500 and you could literally probably spend a couple of months there and never see them all. The only other wineries I had been to were in Fredericksburg, TX so seeing vineyard after vineyard for miles and miles was a great experience!

  • V. Sattui: This was the first winery we went to and probably one of the most traditional and well known of the ones we visited. I really enjoyed the grounds here and the greenery and fountains that were everywhere. We got here around 10:30 am and began the tasting. It was also one of the cheapest tastings I found which was $15 pp for 6 tastings which was not bad at all. This winery is very well known and has been around since 1885 which I can see why. Consistence and service are key and they do it here. They also have cooking outside with lots of picnic tables which are nice to enjoy the grounds while doing a little food pairing too. My favorite wine here was the rose.

 

 

  • Alpha Omega: Next we visited this winery which was completely different than the first. This was a more modern and very nice architecture type of place. The outside chairs that were lined up right by the fountains with the  mountains in the background was such a Kodak moment. We stayed here for a while just relaxing and enjoying the wine and surroundings. I really enjoyed the chardonnay here and had to buy some! If you are looking for something quant and peaceful this is the place and the wines are awesome too!

 

  • Cakebread Cellars: This was the next stop for our little winery exploration. The grounds on this one are more traditional vineyard type of setting as well but is very gorgeous! I really enjoyed the tasting area here with all of the barrels all around and the history that I enjoyed reading. Here they also had some tables and chairs outside to enjoy as well. Mom and I enjoyed a glass of sauvignon blanc which was crisp just like we like it. We walked through the gorgeous courtyards and enjoyed our time here.

 

  • Domaine Carneros: I spoke of this winery on my previous post with pictures, but this winery was a great spot to start on our 2nd day. To start the day with bubbles is a must. You have to come and visit this one just to see the chateau if anything, and both their sparkling and red wines are amazing. I would highly suggest doing a tour as this was the best one!

 

  • Andretti: This was a very small but cute little winery. It was hidden and when you walked up it looked like you were in Europe. Here we did another tasting and I really enjoyed the cabernet. By this time we wanted to just relax and I liked how quiet and calm it was in the back. They had tables that were positioned right up to the vineyards which were perfect for picture taking. They had music playing and it was just a relaxing but good winery.

To Eat

Before we left I had heard their food was almost as good as all of the wine. I immediately got excited after hearing this because I think I would consider myself a foodie and love trying the best restaurants and food. There were several that were recommended and even though I wanted to go to all of them we were only able to go to a few.

 

  • Uva Trattoria: This little Italian restaurant was too cute. It was a location that the locals hung out at and I loved that about it. There was a guy playing guitar while we were there and apparently there is always some type of band or musician which is my kind of place. We got a pasta and it was so good with a glass of cab. You have to try some Italian food while here, or at least go here for a drink and to listen to the music!

 

  • Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch: We came here for dinner one night after it was highly suggested to us and it did not disappoint. This is a farm to table type restaurant with only the freshest of ingrediants. As you can imagine from the name it is on a farm and they grow all of their own vegetables and raise their own cows. The inside is very rustic with a whimsical modern flair that I loved. We started out with a cheese plate because “when in Rome” and then had the steak tartare which was awesome! After our meal just walking around the area and seeing the old fashioned trucks and tractors was so fun too!

 

  • Oakville Grocery: While we were in between wineries and wanted to get a quick bite to eat we stopped at this cute little grocery that was off the side of the highway. When you step in they have so many different options of sandwiches to choose from and so many oils and other items you can purchase too. My mom and I got a reuben and a chicken salad sandwich and a Virgil root beer. They have great little bottle soft drinks that you can choose from. When there is a root beer like this I just have to have it! We ate our sandwiches on a little bench outside which was a great little area to enjoy the scenery before we went back to more wineries.

 

  • The Fremont Diner: I had to go to this place after seeing it on instagram and how cute it looked. We ventured out here on the second day for breakfast and when we pulled up it was nothing fancy or anything, but instead looked like a hole in the wall. This is always a good sign because they typically have the best food, which I was right. We sat in the back on the picnic benches where we drank coffee and enjoyed the scenery with the mountains in the distance. It reminded me of a place that would exist in the 1950’s with all of the cute antique memorabilia. We had to get the chicken n waffles and jalepeno cornbread which were so yummy. A little Southern food in Cali was just what we needed to refuel.

To Do

Other than going to the wineries, which if you come to this area you have to go to the wineries, there are some other things we did in our spare time that involved just walking around and enjoying the area.

  • Downtown Napa & Yountville: Mom and I walked down both of these areas of town 2 separate nights to do a little sight seeing and see the area a little more. Downtown Napa has lots of restaurants and shops and of course everyone’s favorite guys Ben & Jerry that we had to have. Yountville is a little small town with some of the best restaurants in the area including the famed French Laundry that I have to go back to if we come here again. It was so nice in the evening to walk around here when it got a little cooler.
  • Hot Air Balloon Ride: We did not take a hot air balloon ride, but sure did see them soar over us from the house we were staying at. Early in the morning probably about 15 set off for rides around the area and across the vineyards. This is the prettiest time to ride in them and the weather is amazing. I have never been on one but would recommend going on it. That is on my bucket list and maybe next time will happen!

 

 The wine country was by far one of my favorite places that I have visited. It is so gorgeous and just takes you back to nature and out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If I could retire there one day I would be in heaven. If you haven’t been I would highly recommend it as a mother daughter trip, trip with your girlfriends, or with your significant other. Between wine, great food and an even better scenery, it will not disappoint!

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