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Published: December 31st 2005
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Greetings, this is a short synopsis of our trip to Sonoma and Napa Valley that we took in last May. The trip was added on to a fabulous wedding we attended in Carmel. From Carmel, we drove north through San Francisco, then went along the West Coast up to Sonoma. Although the ride was gorgeous, I would not recommend this route unless you plan on a 5-6 hour ride. This route takes you through mountains with ocean vistas, along ranches with pastures, and then into Northern Sonoma Valley, very rustic, with dozens of wineries that vary tremendously, making this a wine tourist’s day in Eden.
We stayed at Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in Forestville (707.887.3300). It consists of a main house, built in the late 1800’s, and 8 small cottages. The restaurant has an excellent reputation in this area, although we did not have a chance to eat dinner there. They did offer breakfast with the price of the room, and it was delicious, and enough portions so that we could begin “tasting right away.” For breakfast, sit in the front room, the windows look out into plants that attract hummingbirds, which we saw both mornings we ate there.
Our first morning, we set out on Westside Road, which winds along the Russian River all the way to Healdsburg. The wineries that we stopped at were chosen at random, but they all had unique characteristics. Presently, the Russian River region is famous for zinfandel and pinot noir.
Our first stop was Porter Creek Vineyards, this is a small family farm, nothing pretentious, but worth the time. We purchased some excellent zinfandel from this winery. Farther along Westside Road, we turned into Rochioli Vineyards on the right. There is an excellent view of the Russian River valley. One interesting aspect of this winery is a booklet that has many Menu’s from the White House featuring many Rochioli wines on the menu. Right next to Rochioli’s is the Hop Kiln Winery. The building used to be historic hop kiln dating from the early 1900’s. It is a beautiful estate, and check out the duck’s house in the small pond next to the winery. One of favorite stops was Roshambo, a whole different atmosphere. Very modern architecture with a tasting room that also serves as a contemporary art gallery. The servers were fun and we had a great time there.
It was getting close to lunchtime, so headed in to Healdsburg, which has an excellent downtown plaza. We ate at Ralph’s Bistro. Sharon had a cold soup, we have forgotten what is was made of, but we would definitely order that again. From there, we stopped at the Simi Winery. Really nothing special, especially after our experience at Roshambo. We did not have time to visit the Dry Creed Region, instead we headed back to our inn on the other side of the Russian River on Eastside Road. We stopped at Rodney Strong Winery. Although the tasting room itself was neat, I would skip this one, and head right across the parking lot to J Wine Company. The tasting bar here also offers small appetizers to pair and show off the wines.
For dinner, we took a little drive from Forestville to Graton (about 4 miles) and had an great meal at Underwood Bar and Bistro (707.823.7023). I believe they stay open to at least 11 PM for those that prefer to eat later.
The next morning, after breakfast, we took the route to Napa Valley, a beautiful drive through country roads. The first town we hit was
Calistoga, famous for hot springs spas and mud baths. We came down Highway 29, and took a left on Dunaveal Lane. You can’t miss Sterling Vineyards on the right. It sits on a hill overlooking the valley. You get to the winery on a cable car, and the view from it is worth the trip. Kind of touristy place, but we thoroughly enjoyed the tour and tasting. Probably one of the best tours as far as the “making of wine”. After Sterling, we took a right on Silverado Trail, and found a gorgeous winery called Duckhorn. This was one beautiful estate. It is easy to miss from the road. The Duckhorn label is my favorite. From there we went to the local Dean and Deluca shop, bought some cheeses, and headed to Rutherford Hill Winery, which has a beautiful picnic area. Surrounded by olive trees, the winery looks over the vista of Napa Valley. We had a picnic lunch again there the following day. I would highly recommend this for outdoor dining.
We then checked in to our room. We splurged and stayed at Auberge de Soliel. It was overpriced, but what the hell. It helps to drink a
little wine before you check out. We had an awesome room, looking over the valley, and we enjoyed every minute there. Wineries we visited over the next couple days included Rutherford Hill, which has a neat cave system to tour; and Beringer, which is huge. One of our favorites was Cakebread Cellars, which probably had the best tasting experience for us. We also had some good food, what good is wine if you don’t have something great to pair it with.
It is difficult to go wrong in Napa as far as food goes. We ate at Tra Vigne, high ceilings, dark, candlelit. One other night we to Mustard’s Grill in Yountville, a few miles south on 29. More casual, but the food is not. I personally don’t think it matters where you eat, every place looks good and probably is even better.
The contrast from the style of Sonoma and Napa was striking. We only spent a couple days in each, but one could spend years and still find new and exciting places. It was some of the best days of our lives. This was just a summary of our trip, we also enjoyed visiting a farmer’s
market in St. Helena, and shopping everywhere. We met many kind people and we hope to be back very soon.
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