A Week in Wine Country

Have friends, will travel! 

Last May, a group of friends (Shawn, Caron, and Susan) and I had to cancel our travel plans to Greece in the face of the accelerating pandemic. At the time, we vowed to re-book for May 2021. Well, as spring began to arrive, Greece was *just* opening its borders to international travelers. We learned that many restaurants and attractions would be closed, as well. So it seemed our dreams of Greece would have to be delayed again.

However, our research also showed us that destinations throughout America were beginning to open up as vaccination rates slowly climbed. Domestic travel would be less risky (on a number of fronts), and we'd also be pumping our money back into the American economy. Plus, there are still tons of U.S. destinations we haven't visited yet. 

After kicking around several ideas, we opted for a week in Napa and Sonoma in California. We found an amazing AirBnb that featured four bedrooms, three baths, and a pool/hot tub out back. California was beginning to re-open indoor dining, and wineries were operating once again, though they did require tasting reservations. Ditto for spas. We figured between that and hiking in the beautiful public lands, we had a week's worth of activities to keep us occupied! Off we went. 

Cheers to girls' trips!

Day 1

Luckily, our flights to California were on time and uneventful. We arrived in the San Francisco airport and picked up our rental car - a sleek black Audi SUV. With a little effort, we crammed *all* of our luggage into it and set off for wine country. 

Because we arrived on a Saturday, there was no 5 p.m. traffic. Caron had never been to San Francisco before (more on that later), so we chose a route over the Golden Gate Bridge, through Sausalito, and on to wine country. It was a lovely introduction to the area! 

In no time, we were pulling into the driveway of our snug AirBnb, which was on a cul de sac a few miles outside of downtown Sonoma. This home-away-from-home would be a perfect spot from which to explore the area. 

After stretching our legs, unpacking, and freshening up a bit, we drove a few miles into town for dinner at El Dorado Kitchen. (Note: Much like the wineries, we felt it would be prudent to book dinner reservations for any of our must-eat locations in advance. Though most of the places we visited seemed to have capacity for walk-ins, we didn't want to take chances or wait in long lines. Most restaurants began accepting reservations about a month ahead of time.)

We started with cocktails (I chose a lovely vodka and ginger beer concoction called The Clear Conscience, with a cucumber ribbon swirling through the middle of it.) and truffle fries. Then, I had the spring risotto, rich with mushrooms and spinach, parmesan and mascarpone cheese. Delish! We loved this place. Though we sat indoors (The night was chilly.), there was plenty of outdoor seating. Masks were worn by staff and were required if you were leaving your table. (We found this to be the case most everywhere we went.)

After dinner, we stopped by Sonoma Market to pick up necessities for the rental - breakfast foods, snacks, etc. Morning is a tender time, so we'd decided to breakfast in each day. In addition, we wanted some snacks on hand and also had to purchase the odd item here or there that we'd neglected to pack. This great little market had everything we needed. 

We headed home, put away the groceries, and turned in after a long day of traveling! (Note: The beds were super-comfy in our rental, and the screened windows could be opened to catch the breeze. Lovely!)

Hiking the bald back to the trailhead at Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park. 

Day 2

We started the next day with coffee, boiled eggs, and fruit at the rental. Then, we headed for Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park, about a 30 minute drive away. Once there, we opted for the Meadow Trail and Vista Trail Loop, which took us through several different environments and offered beautiful views. 

The sky was cloudy first thing in the morning, but the sun quickly burned the clouds off, meaning we had clear skies for our hike! AllTrails had marked this route as easy, but I'd classify it as moderate. About a third of the trail (on the vista leg) was very steep and rocky. (For an easy hike with the same view, hikers could park at the lot in the back - near the white barn, as close to the observatory as possible - then do an out-and-back up Lower Bald Mountain Trail and Bald Mountain Trail. That would get you to the same view, and though it's uphill, it's much less challenging than coming up the other side.) 

We loved our Estate Pairings at St. Francis Winery.

After about 2 hours of hiking, we cleaned up and changed clothes at the trailhead, then navigated our shiny ride to nearby St. Francis Winery for an estate pairing/tasting. This place was GREAT. First of all, they have an executive chef on-site, so the pairings menu is really well done and well-thought-out. You try a total of five wines, and four of them come with a small plate. Reservations are required, and you enjoy the wine and food in a gorgeous outdoor seating area with sweeping views of the vines and nearby mountains. 

We were seated immediately, and our wines were quickly poured. We began with a light chilled white as an aperitif, then moved on to the estate pairing itself: a cuvee blanc with a shrimp tostada, a pinot noir with a delightful fried maitake mushroom , and then a zinfandel with an amazing cherry-soy glazed pork slider. We finished with a port paired with a decadent sour cherry and pecan florentine. The wine, the food, the atmosphere - This place has it all. They also do a seated dinner that's several courses. If I were returning to the area, I'd be looking pretty hard at that option. (FYI - We also bought several bottles here for later.) 

It's all about the food and wine! Delish! 

Full and happy, we headed to our next tasting at Matanzas Creek Winery. (Susan, who is not a huge drinker, volunteered to be our designated driver for the day.) This winery is on a lot of lists as a good location to visit on one's first trip to the area, both due to its laid-back approach and its lavender fields/products. (Several of us purchased lavender body butter, candles, etc., from the winery's on-site shop.) We checked in, were seated on the outdoor deck, and dove in. We tried six wines here, and though we hadn't pre-ordered a charcuterie platter, the hostess was able to bring us a few nibbles to help absorb the alcohol. 

This winery was incredibly family-friendly, and we ran into locals hosting birthday parties and other small gatherings in the grounds below the tasting deck. Tables, chairs, and umbrellas were scattered throughout the property to help disperse crowds and provide lots of places to perch. We chatted and sipped and nibbled. When we were finished, we strolled through the lavender fields. Unfortunately, we were a bit too early to see them in bloom (which happens in June), but we still enjoyed exploring! 

When we were finished, we headed back to the rental for a quick rest before dinner. That night, we ate at OSO Sonoma, in their charming outdoor courtyard. I was honestly not very hungry after our marathon of a day, so I stuck to a hummus plate, which was filling and flavorful. 

Then, it was back to bed!

More to come . . . 

Beautiful lavender fields at Matanzas Creek Winery