I spent time in my happy place in Napa and Sonoma a few weeks ago. It was so great to be back after so long, with the pandemic keeping me away! I met up with my group girlfriends from the time I lived in LA. We are scattered over the country now and only get to see each other for these trips. I also spent some time with a friend from work, too.

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Wineries We Visited

We spent time mainly in two areas – Healdsburg and Geyserville, and also in Carneros. Here are a few of the wineries I visited that I loved!

Silver Oak

Silver Oak! One of my top stops of this recent trip. The recently-opened Healdsburg tasting room is stunning AND is the world’s first winery to achieve LEED Platinum for building, design and construction (BD+C). And anyone who knows wine knows Silver Oak produces a very high quality product!

Flowers

One of my favorite moments in Sonoma was the Bottle & Provisions Experience at Flowers estate in Healdsburg. This features Flowers estate wines alongside local, seasonal food pairings crafted by the House of Flowers culinary team. It is essentially a full lunch in the most charming box to unpack and eat. The food and setting were divine!

Ashes + Diamonds

AIt’s always an architectural treat to visit Ashes + Diamonds. Love that sunshine yellow door! 💛 These buildings were designed by L.A.-based architect Barbara Bestor, and are a very modern expression of true Californian midcentury modern. Their wines are made in a light-handed style as a throwback from the era, as well.

Donum

It was my first time at Donum and the experience was spectacular! Their building is just gorgeous and the Donum family displays an impressive collection of art throughout the winery. They have lovely pinots and chardonnays that we really enjoyed tasting in such a beautiful setting!

Reeve

Reeve is a husband and wife-owned winery in Healdsburg that specializes in small-production wines. They make a variety of wines, including some interesting Italian varietals. We enjoyed the wines and the really lovely setting, as well!

Other wineries I enjoyed:

• Robert Young – a family-owned winery in Geyserville with fantastic red varietals, among other things
• Williamson – a small production in downtown Healdsburg
• HDV – a basic facility, but fantastic Bordeaux-style wines
• Ridge – wonderful zins on a beautiful patio
• Rockpile – great zins in downtown Healdsburg
• Blooodroot – another stop we enjoyed in downtown Healdsburg, owned by the couple that started Reeve winery

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Where We Stayed

A lot of people have asked where we stayed. For the majority of my trip, I stayed at a private home in Geyserville owned by my friend Sara’s family. It was amazing! My pictures don’t do it justice but it is a beautiful new modern home with a gorgeous pool, right in the middle of rows of vineyards. Dreamy!

I also stayed at the Senza Hotel in Napa for two nights prior to meeting up with my group of girlfriends. I was tasting with my coworker and friend Genie – we both stayed at the Senza and liked it. The rooms are nice and spacious, and the vineyard view from my patio was amazing! It’s reasonably priced and centrally located – were able to walk to dinner and to Ashes + Diamonds winery, which was nice.

The Restaurants

I took zero pictures of where we ate, but I’ll list out a few recommendations here that we really enjoyed:

Dinners

• Don Giovanni’s Bistro (Napa)
• Chalkboard (Healdsburg)
• Catelli’s (Geyserville)
• Other suggestions: Dry Creek Kitchen, Valette, and Bravas Bar de Tapas

Lunches

• Rustic at Francis Ford Coppola (Healdsburg – a lovely outdoor lunch setting!)
• Flowers Bottle & Provisions Experience (Healdsburg – this is an amazing winery lunch experience)
• Other suggestions: Hazel Hill at Montage

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Overall & Tips

It is always wonderful to visit during harvest. Late August and September are perfect times to visit and see the grapes just before they are picked!

Hope everyone has a great rest of their week!
xx—BB