If you are someone who loves wine or just enjoys being outdoors, while taking in beautiful scenic views, eating good food (and drinking wine) this place is for you.
I am not a sommelier by any means. I am just a sucker for great wines and good views. Below are a few of the wineries I’ve had the chance to visit in Napa and Sonoma. If you have any suggestions for other wineries to check out, comment below.
Wineries to Visit
Domaine Carneros This places looks like a castle. It is Instagram heaven and the perfect place to take pictures. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, I wish we could’ve stayed here longer. If you enjoy sparkling wine, this winery a must. I went here for a Bachelorette and it was the perfect way to kick off the weekend. We did the Sparking Wine tour for $60+ tax and it included about 5-6 tastings and a tour of the property. After the tour, we sat outside and enjoyed more wine ( of course) and snacked on some meats and cheeses.
I also recommend Sterling Vineyards as the view at this winery are gorgeous. The fun thing about this winery is you take a cable car to the winery; also another perfect place to take Instagram pictures. The tasting here is about $40 and self guided which is nice because you can take your time and stop along the way. Once you’ve completed the tour, you can order food and bottles of wine to the table for a picnic outdoors and relax for the afternoon. If you enjoy the wines at Sterling, they are also sold at Target, so you can purchase them there.
Places to Eat
We had lunch at The Girl & The Fig in Sonoma and it was delicious. This restaurant services a combination of French cuisine and American food. We each enjoyed our meals here and will definitely be back.
Getting Around Napa and Sonoma/ Where to Stay
I’ve been to northern California twice. The first time I took a day tour from San Francisco which was so much fun. We took a bus that picked us up in Union Square, took us to the Golden Gate bridge for a photo opp and served mimosas before we headed out to Napa. This is a great way to see Napa and Sonoma if you are staying in the city, and only want to go to wine country for the day.
The second time, I went for a Bachelorette party and we stayed the weekend in Sonoma at an AirBnb. We used a car service that picked us up from our Airbnb, took us to the wineries of our choosing, and dropped us back off. We used Napa Valley Tours and Transportation and it was great. The location of the AirBnb was perfect. If you are interested in this location, let me know and I can send you the details.
Additional Recommendations
Although I did not have the opportunity to visit the places below, these were recommended to me by some friends that have also been to Napa/ Sonoma.
Scribe Winery was on my list of wineries to visit as it came highly recommended; however, we did not have the opportunity to visit as reservations are required months in advance as you can not just walk in. If you are interested in going to Scribe, I would definitely recommend making reservations at leaves 1-2 months in advance.
xo, Faby
