Exploring Napa & Sonoma
This was my first trip to Napa and Sonoma and it did not disappoint! Almost a year ago, my husband, my dad, and close friends decided to sign up for the Napa-to-Sonoma-Wine Country Half Marathon. Because what’s better that working out and then getting to drink ALL of the wine? Nothing. The answer to that is nothing.
Before our trip, we researched wineries in the areas and decided to focus on smaller, more intimate locations. There’s so many options, that it can be overwhelming if you don’t narrow down your search or get recommendations from people who have gone before.
We were lucky to get some great recommendations and along with our own Google searching, we set up a really fun program.
We flew into San Francisco on a late Friday night after work. This allowed us to have four full days of adventures before flying back to NYC. Since we arrived into San Fran so late, we stayed at a hotel close to the airport and got up early the next morning to pick up our rental car. We grabbed brunch in downtown San Francisco before making our way to Sonoma!
San Francisco
I had heard amazing things about Zazie's brunch, so I knew we had to go. It’s worth bearing in mind that they do not take reservations and all parties are seated on a first come, first served basis. You just put your name on the waiting list and wait to be called. Easy as that. As a party of three, it took us just over an hour to be seated, and it was WELL worth the wait. I got the Le Mer eggs Benedict (California Dungenss crab with avocado and chives, served on an english muffin with lemon hollandaise sauce) and it was mouthwatering. I also got a side of their bacon - extra crispy. Their mimosas also pack a punch, so if you’re into that sort of thing, I highly recommend it.
After brunch, we drove to Sonoma to check into our Airbnb, which was located right off of Sonoma Plaza, the town square. It’s an extremely walkable area and you’re close to restaurants, shopping, and beautiful outdoor seating.
On the morning of our half marathon, there were shuttles running from the Sonoma Plaza to the starting line of the race, with the race ending back in Sonoma Plaza for a wine festival. The race itself was such a fun experience. It winds you through beautiful vineyards and neighborhoods along the way, and at the end of the race, you get a wine glass and can then do free wine tastings in the Plaza!
After race day, we were then free to explore the wineries! Here’s a breakdown of where we went.
Napa
Aonair
Aonair was my personal favorite. It’s a small winery that’s situated at the top of a hill overlooking the vineyards. They have a fire-pit with cozy seating (Adirondack chairs made out of recycled barrels) where you start your wine tasting. You then hop on a four wheeler (wine glass in hand) and tour the property!
*We made a reservation prior to visiting
Piña Napa Valley
Piña’s red wines were delicious, but full warning that their tasting room is very different from the others I’ve listed. We had a great guide who walked us through each of their wines, but it’s not as visually appealing as the others I went to. Piña is unique because they started off as primarily a vineyard manager, and has since started producing their own wines. They still really pride themselves on the management portion of their business.
*Piña is walk-in only. They’re open daily from 10:00-4:00.
Silver Oak
Silver Oak was the biggest winery we visited and I highly recommend you go. I really loved being able to compare the smaller wineries to the larger producers. We did the wine tasting and tour, so we were able to walk around the premises and learn about the history of Silver Oak. I recommend going early to walk around and enjoy the space before your reservation.
*We made a reservation prior to visiting
Sonoma
B Wise was a wonderful experience. We did a wine tasting in their “estate cave,” which was super eclectic with funky furniture, dim lighting, and lots of artwork. Our guide was great and let us try others that weren’t even on the tasting menu. The underground cave and walkways are really cool!
*We made a reservation prior to visiting
Hamel Family Wines was probably the most “formal” of all the wineries we went to. I don’t mean formal in the sense that you need to get dressed to the nines in order to go, it just has a more modern and upscale feel. We did their “estate experience” which allowed us to see the premises and end the afternoon with a wine tasting on their gorgeous patio overlooking the vineyards. This wine was some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
*We made a reservation prior to visiting
While at Hamel Family Wines, we learned about Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Market in the Plaza! It’s a farmer’s market that’s open every Tuesday night through the end of September. They have food trucks, live music, local vendors and more. Since the Sonoma Plaza was walking distance from our Airbnb, we walked over with a bottle of wine, a blanket and had a picnic for dinner! If you find yourself at the market, check out the garlic crab fries from the local food truck - they’re ridiculously good.
The world’s most delicious crab fries.