Travel Guide :: Napa & Sonoma, California

After a little bit of a hectic month, I'm back! I traveled out to California at the beginning of the month and since then I feel like things have been nonstop. Same thing happened last year around this time, I had to go to Napa for a work conference, so decided to take advantage of the trip and go out a few days early and bring my husband, Brian, with me. We had such an amazing time and would love to go back soon! There are so many wineries I would love to visit again and so many we didn't get to see.

Brian & I at Kunde Family Winery

Where to Stay:
We were lucky to split our time between two hotels, one in Napa and one in Sonoma. It was nice to be in two different places and experience the surrounding wineries. Something I didn't realize about wine country is how BIG it is! If you can, I would recommend staying in two different areas if you want to experience a variety of wineries all over the different regions. Even though our two hotels really weren't all that far apart, it was nice to switch it up. You can check out maps of Napa Valley and Sonoma County; we based our days on the wineries we wanted to visit and tried to group by areas that were close together.

River Terrace Inn, Napa: This boutique hotel was just perfect for the first few days of our trip. It is within walking distance of downtown Napa and the Oxbow Market (see info below!). The rooms are beautifully decorated with a rustic theme. We had a room with a deck overlooking the river, it was the perfect spot to hang out and relax with a glass of wine! They also have a nice patio and host wine tastings in the early evening.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn: I've always enjoyed staying at Fairmonts and this one was really beautifully done and not far from downtown Sonoma. The rooms are a little small but nice, and the staff was outstanding - we got some great recommendations on things to do and places to eat. They also have a great pool area.

Private Tour at Alexander Valley Vineyards

What to Do:
So many wineries and so little time! As mentioned above, we tried to plan our days around the wineries we wanted to visit and what areas they were in. We decided to go North the first full day, and stay closer to the hotel the other days. Here are the wineries we visited:
- Kunde (Kenwood): We did the Mountain Top Tasting at Kunde and it was the highlight of our trip! (see first picture above) If I could only recommend one thing this would be it, there is so much to see (and taste) on the tour and you can't beat the great view.
- Markham (St. Helena): Beautiful winery with a nice, open tasting room and a great staff. We received some great tips here!
- Castello de Amorosa (Calistoga): This winery seems touristy, but we were pleasantly surprised! Their tastings are a little expensive (and you can’t split one between two people like you can at others), but I would recommend buying at least one Reserve tasting (it's worth it!).
- Kendall Jackson (Fulton): I originally didn't want to go to one of the bigger wineries, but they had a lot of nice reserve wines you can't get anywhere else.
- Gloria Ferrer (Sonoma): Nice selection of sparkling wines. You can also get small plates of local cheeses here which we really enjoyed.
- Sebastiani Winery (Sonoma): We were fans of Sebastiani before our trip, so it was only fitting to visit their winery! We had a wonderful private tour, they have a lot of unique wine barrel carvings.
- Hanzell Vineyards (Sonoma): Beautiful little vineyard with a small selection of great wines, by appointment only.
- Rodney Strong (Healdsburg): Nice selection of red wines, we really liked the ones they had from their Brother's Vineyard.
- Alexander Valley Vineyards (Healdsburg): A very nice small vineyard with a great tour. We got to go through their wine caves and taste wine straight from the barrel! (see picture above)
- Mayo Family Winery (Glen Ellen): We came here on a weeknight and had the tasting room to ourselves, so we got to learn so much about how to properly taste wines here!

Other wineries we wanted to visit but didn't have the time:
- Domaine Carneros Winery
- V. Sattui
- Stonestreet
- Medlock Ames
- Chalk Hill Rd
- Scribe
- VJB Winery (great prosecco & pizza)

Conference Dinner in the wine caves at Benzinger Family Winery

Where to Eat:
- Oxbow Public Market: We loved this place! I swear we were here at least twice a day! There is such a great variety of foods, so we usually stopped for breakfast and then for a snack later in the day. This is definitely a do-not-miss!
- The Model Bakery: Best breakfast sandwiches. 'Nuff said.
- Hog Island Oyster Company: We love oysters! Being from the East Coast we don't see a wide variety of West Coast oysters, so we loved grabbing drinks and a variety of oysters at this bar as a quick bite (their sandwiches and soup also looked great). Plus it's in the Oxbow Public Market!
- Long Meadow Ranch Winery & Farmstead: We really loved this restaurant, they had so many good items on their menu: short rib gnocchi, ribs, mac and cheese, etc... and their French 75 was pretty delicious! They also have a nice outdoor patio with a fireplace that is just perfect to relax and enjoy a cocktail. Oh, and don't forget dessert :)
- The Girl & The Fig: Nice little restaurant in downtown Sonoma. If you ask for recommendations this one will probably get mentioned.
- Norman Rose: Right in downtown Napa, they had some great burgers.
- In-N-Out: I mean, when in Rome... :)
- French Laundry: I didn't know about this restaurant until closer to our trip so I didn't have time to make reservations, but it's fairly well known (just wasn't to me until too late!) and people rave about it.

French 75 at Long Meadow Ranch

Tips: 
- Ship wine home! It's so hard to go to all these vineyards and not buy some bottles. We bought a shipping box that could hold 12 bottles and picked out our favorite wine from each vineyard to ship home. At the end of the trip we dropped it off at a UPS, super easy!
- Wait to join a wine club. Almost every vineyard we visited has a wine club. We grabbed some info on each one and made notes, it's easier to access which one fits best once you have experienced all the vineyards and have time to think about which you really liked.
- Reach out to your favorite wineries ahead of time. If you know there is a winery you really want to visit, shoot them an email and see if they offer any special tours or tastings. We were really lucky and used my parents wine distributor to help us book appointments. (Yup, my parent's are such big winos they have their own contact that gets them cases, haha).
- Check out the Culinary School. My parents ate here and said it was one of the best meals they've ever had.
- Bring some antiacids, all that wine can do a number on the stomach, especially if you're drinking more wine than eating food!
- Be prepared to want to go back to see all the wineries you couldn't fit in!

Xo C

Travel Guide :: Killington, Vermont

There is nothing better than winter weekends in Vermont! I've been going to Killington since I was a kid and just visited this past weekend. There is so much I love about going North in the winter, but most of all I love being outdoors and enjoying the snow. Whether you're a skier or snowboarder, Killington is one of the best places on the East Coast you can go.

(if you couldn't tell, Brian and I love Burton!)

Where to Stay: Killington Grand Resort Hotel
I've been going here since they opened their doors. They have the best amenities, such as an outdoor heated pool and hot tubs, sauna, steam room, spa, restaurant and lots of cozy fireplaces! They also offer a free shuttle service (or what we like to call the drunk bus, haha) to just about anywhere you'd like to go on the main road. And best of all the resort is at the base of the mountain so you can walk right over to the lifts!

What to Do: Hit the slopes! There is a reason why Killington is called 'The Beast,' it's enormous! Killington has 7 peaks, so there are tons of trails and it's a great mountain for all levels. I've been going to this mountain for over 15 years and haven't gotten tired of it! Make sure you stop at one of the waffle cabins or at the Peak Lodge!

 

If you aren't a skier or snowboarder, there are a ton of other things to do in the area. If you want to experience some other outdoor activities you can go snowmobiling, snowshoeing, snow-tubing, sleigh rides, take a ride on the Beast alpine coaster, mountain biking and so much more!

On the days where it's just way too cold to even be outside, one of my favorite indoor activities is to visit Long Trail Brewery. They also have an outdoor firepit if you want to sit outside. Or you can take a trip to some of the other towns in Vermont. Killington is close to Woodstock (45 min drive) which is a cute, little town that has some good restaurants and quaint shops.

It's also easy to do a day trip to Burlington (another great Vermont town!). It's only about 2 hours away and there are a bunch of fun craft breweries, great restaurants, and the Ben & Jerry's factory is along the way in Waterbury. I spent an afternoon in Waterbury this past trip and had a pretty amazing lunch at Prohibition Pig (their burgers with duck fat fries are to die for!) and we had a great time sampling different VT craft beers at The Reservoir - like beers from The Alchemist (any beer fan will have heard about the coveted Heady Topper), Hill Farmstead (best brewery in the world) and Lawson's (have to try Sip of Sunshine!). I mean, you can't go to VT and not sample some craft beers!

Where to Eat: If you stay around Killington there are a lot of great places to eat.
- Outback Pizza: Great for a laid back night of good pizza, cold drinks and live music. What more could you ask for!
- The Garlic: If you want something a little more upscale, The Garlic has great food and drinks. I'm pretty sure you can smell the roasted garlic from the road!
- Sugar and Spice: A little further down the hill, but they have the best breakfast! It's in a rustic sugar house where they still run the operation on the lower level. Thier signature pancakes are so, so good!
- Prestons: This is the new restaurant at the Killington Grand. I have yet to eat here but loved the old restaurant and the new menu looks amazing. It was packed while we were there, I'm bummed we didn't get to try it!

Other Tips: 
- You can buy a gondola pass to go up the Peak Lodge, so you can enjoy the food and view without having to ski back down the mountain.
- If you're looking for some nightlife, the Pickle Barrel is the place to be. Although be prepared for a pricey cover.
- Vermont is also beautiful to visit in the summer. I have yet to visit during the warmer months as I'm usually down by the beach, but it's on my to-do list!



What's your favorite winter getaway?

Xo C