favorite things in napa / sonoma counties
By 
Introduction
these are my favorite things to do when we head to wine country. lots of people visit this region, so i thought this list would be useful to email when i get asked "what should we do?". well. since you asked....
healdsburg, california
a very cute town that's not as touristy as napa or sonoma. situated around a town square, very quaint and beautimous. really want to try cyrus - a restaurant on the heels of french laundry - sometime.
porter creek vineyard - russian river valley
www.portercreekvineyards.com/pages/about_main.htm
this is by far my favorite winery. it's rustic and real - not one of those horribly cheesy tasting rooms (if anyone sells bedazzled t-shirts that say "wine diva" or some such nonsense, i'm outta there). i love the guy who pours the wine, his dogs and his orchids from safeway. and the wine is fabulous to boot.
the martini house - st. helena
great restaurant in a gorgeous arts and crafts home. amazing outdoor seating too.
oakville grocery
only referring to the original in oakville, ca, this gourmet "general store" is so fun to peruse around. great deli. great charm.
quintessa winery - silverado trail
i took a tour here with holly and the girls when they were visiting. it's pricey to tour ($25) but worth it. it's a biodynamic winery, so you not only learn about winemaking, but also about their partnership with nature. beautiful facility.
auberge du soleil - silverado trail
x-tina aguilera got married here. there's a fabulous porch with a view where you have to go for a pricey (but yummy) burger for lunch - or a drink or two.
taylor's refresher - st. helena
fish tacos, burgers, tuna burgers, fries, onion rings....wine. i LOVE this place.
el dorado kitchen - sonoma
have had a few good meals here. the vibe is kickin' and i love the ambiance. right on the sonoma town square.
the girl and the fig - sonoma
www.thegirlandthefig.com/html-sonoma/index.html
we had a killer brunch here. right off of the sonoma town square.
dry creek general store - dry creek valley
oh this place rocks. it's so authentic. head straight to the bar on the side, hang with some locals, and take your beer out to the front porch to watch the sunset. you won't be sorry.
quiviera winery - dry creek valley
kind of a cheesy tasting room, but really good wine at a good price.
robert sinskey winery - silverado trail
wines were great, great ambiance, and they have these homemade little hors d'oeuvres to go with your wine. fancy.
getting lost
if you're in a hurry, no, i don't recommend this. but if you're meandering and happen to get lost, it can be such fun. the roads between the valleys are wind-ey and beautiful. and you never know what gem you might stumble upon.
forman vineyards
www.formanvineyard.net/default.asp
it's by appointment only, so i would go only if you are seriously in to wine. you will be the only people there. it was the best vineyard experience i've had. very remote, and we met mr. forman himself as they were bottling wine in the driveway. very cool.
underwood bar and bistro - graton, california
in a god-forsaken little town there stands an amazing bar and bistro. for real. it's fun for a destination lunch or dinner.
sonoma town square
i love taking all the time in the world to grab a coffee, peruse little boutiques, get a good lunch, pet some local puppies.
I also like Lynmar winery. Great back porch type tasting. Superb pinots. Highly recommended!
I have freinds who arre going next week. I will print this list out for them. Thanks,
Thanks for the List Kelly. My favorite thing in Napa was visiting Rubicon. Rubicon is the newly reformed Coppola estate. The have a really great tour with lots of history. The wine was really good (at least to me it was). It is beautiful and they have a very interesting museum.
By 
By 
By 
By 
By
6 Comments