Happy Thursday! How is everyone doing? I am excited that Spring is officially here and the warm weather is here to stay – this past winter was a rough one.
Last weekend, we spent the weekend in Napa and Sonoma, so I thought I would do a quick recap of our trip! As many of you know, we have visited this area numerous times, and I have several other blog posts and guides on this topic.
We drove up from the city on Thursday night and stayed in American Canyon at the DoubleTree Hotel. We have stayed here several times. I love it because it’s cheap and not too far away from the wineries.
We went to dinner in downtown Napa at Azzurro Pizzeria (also a place we have been to before). I love this restaurant because their food is delicious and reasonably priced.
Day 1 (Friday)
- 10:00 AM – Chappellet*
- 11:45 AM – Lunch @ La Luna
- 1:00 PM – Ehlers*
- 2:30 PM – Chateau Montelena
- 4:30 PM – Checked into Bed & Breakfast (Bella Villa Messina)
- 7:30 PM – Dinner @ Valette*
*We reserved ahead of time
We started out the day at Chappellet for their 90-minute tour and tasting. We had heard a lot of great things about this wine from friends and family, so we thought it would be worth a visit! I also saw that their property is tucked away in a gorgeous area of Napa.
We walked around the property for the first part of the tour (with wine in hand of course), and we were able to see an amazing view of Lake Hennessey. This lake is Napa’s primary source of water.
Overall, this was a beautiful winery with amazing wines. We loved it so much that we took 2 bottles home with us!
We stopped for lunch at La Luna which is located in Rutherford. We heard great things about this Mexican market, but had never tried it for ourselves. I ordered the chicken nachos and Alex ordered a burrito. Everything was so good and it really hit the spot after all the wine! I would highly recommend stopping here for a meal when you visit Napa.
After eating lunch, we made our way up to Ehlers. We had a bottle of Ehlers Cabernet at dinner once in Houston and it was incredible. We decided it would be good to visit their winery since we didn’t know much about them.
I was very impressed by this place. Not only are they 100% organic, but they also donate all of their wine sales to the LeDucq Foundation which supports cardiovascular research. They can’t technically call themselves a non-profit because they sell alcohol, but that’s basically what they are. How cool is that?! I had never heard a story like this before, so I thought it was so neat. We ended up joining their club because I really wanted to support their mission and give back to a cause.
After visiting Ehlers, we went up to Chateau Montelena. If you have seen the movie Bottle Shock, you have definitely heard of this winery. This is a very historical winery that basically put Napa on the map back in the ’70s. Up until the Judgment of Paris in 1976, it was believed that France produced the best wines in the world and that California wines could not stand up to French wines. A blind tasting was performed by several judges and Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay came out as the overall winner. Not only did a California Chardonnay win, but Stag’s Leap also won for the best Cabernet Sauvignon.
I am very interested in all of this history, so visiting this winery was a must-do on my bucket list. The California Wine country has been such a big part of our life, so I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if that historical moment did not take place.
After sipping on a few wines at Chateau Montelena, we made our way over to Healdsburg. We always stay at Bella Villa Messina because of the great location and amazing hospitality. After getting settled, we had some wine with the owner (he does a daily happy hour) and caught up on the latest news. He always has so much information about the happenings around town, so it’s always nice to hear what’s new! He also has 2 cute puppies that joined us for happy hour.
For dinner, we went to Valette in downtown Healdsburg. This was our second time dining here, and it was just as good as the first time. This place definitely ranks in my Top 5 restaurants, so if you are looking for a nice dinner or a tasting menu, check this place out!
Day 2 (Saturday)
- 10:00 AM – Lancaster
- 11:30 AM – Hawkes Winery
- 12:30 PM – Lunch @ Jimtown Store
- 1:00 PM – Medlock Ames
- 2:00 PM – Jordan New Release Reveal Tasting*
- 4:30 PM – Bear Republic Brewery
- 5:30 PM – Dinner @ Bravas Bar De Tapas*
Our second day was spent on the Sonoma side in Alexander Valley. The only firm plans we had was the Jordan Winery New Release Tasting from 2-4 PM, so we asked our B&B host for recommendations!
We ended up at Lancaster Winery for our first stop of the day. It was tucked away and hidden from the main road, so I had never heard of it before. I am so glad we went because their wines were phenomenal. They had several amazing Cabernets and red blends. I know people say that Napa is the true king of Cabernet, but I think the wines from Alexander Valley can stand up to Napa. We loved the wines at Lancaster so much that we ended up shipping a bunch home.
Next up, we went to Hawkes Winery, which was just down the road. This was another recommendation from our B&B host. This winery felt super small and intimate, but we loved their wines. Just like Lancaster, Hawkes also produces amazing Cabernet Sauvignon! After this trip, I am starting to think I need to buy more Cabernet from Alexander Valley.
Hawkes Winery is located nextdoor to the Jimtown Store, so we stopped in there for a quick bite to eat. Alex and I ended up splitting some nachos which were surprisingly really good! The Jimtown Store is a super cute general store located in the middle of Alexander Valley. They have coffee, lots of different menu items and even a few souvenirs!
We still had some time to kill before our Jordan event, so we went across the street to Medlock Ames. We had visited this winery last August and thought it was really nice, so we wanted to go back. Their tasting room has a rustic/farmhouse feel, so if you are a Fixer Upper fan, you would like this place! They also have some amazing olive trees outside along with tables to picnic at.
After Medlock Ames, we made it over to Jordan for the 2 PM reveal tasting. We have been to Jordan a few times, but never for an event like this. It just so happened that they were doing this new release tasting the same weekend we were visiting, so I was beyond excited.
I could probably talk about this experience for hours, so I won’t bore you with all of the details. Basically, John Jordan (owner/CEO) and Rob Davis (winemaker), led the event and talked a lot about Jordan and the new wines they were releasing. It was really interesting to hear from the key players and learn more about their process to produce these great wines. I thought Rob Davis was a super interesting person. He is a great storyteller and you can tell he LOVES his job. He has been making wine for Jordan since he graduated college! Can you believe that? I can’t imagine getting a job like that right out of college.
All of these wines were absolutely incredible. The new vintages were already tasting great!
After the event at Jordan, we decided to head to downtown Healdsburg to walk around a bit. We were sick of wine by this point (crazy I know), so we grabbed a bear at the Bear Republic Brewery. They distribute some of their beers nationally (Racer 5 IPA), so that is how we heard of it.
We weren’t supposed to go to dinner until later that evening, but we decided to go early since we were already in the area. We went to dinner at Bravas, which is a cute little tapas bar in downtown Healdsburg. The place had a cute little feel and it was super packed! We ordered a paella, patatas bravas and some yummy olives. We were so stuffed! I would definitely go back again sometime.
Day 3 (Sunday)
- 10:00 AM – Dry Creek General Store
- 10:30 AM – Dry Creek Vineyard
- 11:30 AM – J Vineyards & Winery
- 1:00 PM – Lunch @ Healdsburg Bar and Grill
- 2:30 PM – Back to SFO to fly home 🙁
Sunday, our last day in wine country, was a much shorter day since we needed to get home. We started off the day by heading over to the Dry Creek General Store. It has been around since the 1800s and we always stop in to see what’s new. We typically eat lunch there, but we didn’t make time to do that on this particular visit.
Down the road from the General Store is Dry Creek Vineyard winery. We are wine club members, so we figured we might as well stop in for a free tasting! They are always so nice and hospitable, so I would highly recommend visiting. Dry Creek produces several amazing Zinfandels, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon. I like all of the variety they have, and I am always really impressed with their wine.
After spending a little bit of time at Dry Creek, we went to J Vineyards and Winery. This place has been on our list for awhile, so I am glad we finally made it. I knew that they produced several sparkling wines, so that was the main reason I wanted to go. Alex and I have been really into champagne lately, so we try to incorporate at least one bubbly stop on each visit!
They gave us a TON of champagne for $35! It was hard to finish it all. I would recommend splitting a tasting if you don’t want to get tipsy.
Our last stop before heading to the airport was Healdsburg Bar and Grill. We have been coming here for years and we love their burgers and fries. Alex and I decided that they really do make the best garlic fries! The weather was absolutely perfect while we sat outside to eat, and I knew it was going to be that much harder to leave. It was the perfect ending to our trip.
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