Wine Country Weekend – Sonoma 2020

Overview

We recently visited Sonoma County for what feels like the hundredth time, but honestly, it never gets old. There’s always a new winery popping up, and there’s SO many wineries to explore that you’ll never be able to visit them all.

We like visiting in February because it’s a lot quieter than other times of the year. You get more personal attention during your wine tasting and you may even get a special experience or bonus pour. We lucked out and had amazing weather all weekend and were able to do a few tastings outside!

In this post I cover our three-day weekend in Sonoma County, what wineries we visited, where we ate and so much more. Take a look if you’re curious about our weekend or if you’ve been wanting to plan a trip of your own. At the very end of the post, I’ve included links to some of our previous trips to Sonoma. Cheers!

Where We Stayed

We stayed at The Lodge Renaissance Hotel in Sonoma the first night of our trip. I love this hotel because of its proximity to the Sonoma Square. It’s a Marriott property, so it’s a great way to either use or earn points. It’s a very nice hotel, and I’ve stayed here several times. They offer a complimentary wine tasting each day at 5 PM, and they have a restaurant on property. They also have a complimentary shuttle to the Sonoma Square.

We stayed at Bella Villa Messina the remainder of the trip and that is located further north in Healdsburg. This is a Bed and Breakfast with amazing views of the surrounding area. We stay here each time we visit Sonoma County because we love how close it is to Downtown Healdsburg. We also love the hospitality of the owner, Jerry. The breakfast is amazing and the rooms are cozy. There is a complimentary happy hour each day at 5:30 PM with amazing wine, cheese and crackers.

Where We Ate

There’s no shortage of amazing restaurants in Sonoma County, and it’s always hard to decide where to eat. Below are ALL the places we dined at over the course of the weekend and everything was incredible. Be sure to come hungry!

Lunch:

• El Molino Central (Sonoma)
• Dry Creek General Store (Dry Creek Valley)
• Diavola Pizzeria (Geyserville)

Dinner:

• El Dorado Kitchen* (Sonoma Square)
• Campo Fino* (Healdsburg)
• Sake’ O (Healdsburg)
• Chalkboard* (Healdsburg)

*Reservations Recommended

Wineries We Visited

• Auteur* (Sonoma)
  • Tasting Fee: $35 per person
• Dry Creek Vineyard (Dry Creek)
  • Tasting Fee: $15 per person
• Flowers Winery* (Russian River)
  • Tasting Fee: $55 per person (comes with food)
• MacRostie Winery** (Russian River)
  • Tasting Fee: $25-$25 per person
• Reeve* (Dry Creek)
  • Tasting Fee: $35-$50 per person
• Robert Young** (Alexander Valley)
  • Tasting Fee: $25-$50 per person
• Skipstone* (Alexander Valley)
  • Tasting Fee: $75 per person
• Twomey (Russian River)
  • Tasting Fee: $15 per person
• Zialena (Alexander Valley)
  • Tasting Fee: $15-$35 per person

*Reservations Required

**Reservations Recommended

Itinerary

Thursday

• 5:30 PM – Arrived in Sonoma – The Lodge Renaissance Hotel
• 6:00 PM – Drinks at SIGH
• 7:00 PM – Dinner at El Dorado Kitchen

Friday

• 10:00 AM – Auteur Winery
• 11:30 AM – Lunch at El Molino Central
• 1:00 PM – Twomey Winery
• 3:00 PM – Reeve Wines
• 5:00 PM – Checking in at Bella Villa Messina
• 5:30 PM – Cocktail Hour at Bella Villa Messina
• 7:00 PM – Dinner at Campo Fino

Saturday

• 10:00 AM – Flowers Winery
• 11:45 AM – MacRostie Winery
• 1:30 PM – Lunch at Dry Creek General Store
• 2:00 PM – Dry Creek Vineyard
• 4:00 PM – Drinks at Harmon Guest House Rooftop Bar
• 5:00 PM – Dinner at Sake’ O
• 6:30 PM – Jazz at Hotel Healdsburg

Sunday

• 10:00 AM – Robert Young Winery
• 11:30 AM – Lunch at Diavola Pizzeria
• 1:00 PM – Skipstone Winery
• 2:30 PM – Zialena Winery
• 4:30 PM – Cocktails at Duke’s
• 6:00 PM – Dinner at Chalkboard

The Details

Thursday

We arrived in Sonoma County around 5 PM on Thursday afternoon/evening, so we didn’t have time for any tastings. After we checked in at The Lodge Renaissance Hotel, we made our way over to SIGH.

SIGH is a really cute Champagne Bar located right off the Sonoma Square. You can do a flight of wines, wines by the glass or an entire bottle. I love the variety of sparkling wines they offer. This place is great for groups, as they have plenty of seating inside. They have cute little couches with fun pillows and the decor is amazing. If you’re a sparkling wine lover, you need to check this place out!

After enjoying a glass of bubbles, we walked over to El Dorado Kitchen for dinner. We’ve been here several times before, but we wanted to come back because we loved it so much. They have a wide variety of dishes including pastas, seafood, chicken and steak. They also offer several daily specials. Everything we ordered was incredible! I would highly recommend this restaurant if you’re looking for a good place to eat in Sonoma. They also serve breakfast and lunch.

Friday

We started off Friday morning with a tasting at Auteur Winery. This is a reservation only winery located right off the Sonoma Square. They specialize in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and they produce less than 2,000 cases a year. It’s super small, but everything we tasted was fantastic.

We tried six different wines in total including three Chardonnays and three Pinot Noirs. Their Chardonnay is not your typical California Chardonnay. They do not use malolactic fermentation, so you won’t taste that buttery flavor you may find in several Chardonnays. I found the Chardonnay to be more acidic and more mineral than many other Chardonnays I’ve had. It was very enjoyable.

All of the Pinots were fantastic and it was fun to compare and contrast those as well. I would say their style of Pinot Noir was very light and delicate. We ended up taking a couple bottles home with us because we loved it so much!

Be sure to book a tasting at Auteur Winery if you want more of an intimate experience. I love supporting these smaller producers.

After our first tasting of the day, we made our way over to El Molino Central for lunch. I think this is some of the best Mexican food in all of Sonoma County. It is extremely authentic, and I love everything we have ordered here.

Alex always gets the fish tacos, and I always order the enchiladas suizas. Their chips and guacamole are also fantastic. It’s the perfect stop to break up a day of wine tasting!

After lunch, we made our way to the Russian River Valley. We didn’t have any set tastings for the afternoon, but we figured we could walk-in to some wineries since it was a Friday in February.

We decided to stop in at Twomey Winery for a quick tasting. We’ve been here several times before, but we decided to come back because we love their wines and their view. It’s a great place to visit if you want to sit outside and have a nice view of wine country.

Twomey makes a few different wines including a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and a Merlot. All of these wines are fantastic, and I would not hesitate to purchase any of these. Another interesting thing to note is that Twomey is owned by Silver Oak! Both of these wineries are great places to visit when you’re in Sonoma.

Our final wine tasting of the day was at Reeve Wines. We visited Reeve for the first time in September of 2019 and fell in love. We loved the vibe, the wines and the atmosphere. They have a beautiful tasting room tucked away in Dry Creek Valley, and it’s hidden behind several trees. This is a great winery to visit if you want to be away from the crowds and the noise of the road.

The tasting experience they offer is amazing. You can choose from a couple of different flights, and they compliment the tasting with a little bite to eat. It’s a beautiful place to sit and relax amongst the trees. They have plenty of outdoor and indoor seating for tastings.

We tasted several amazing wines including Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sangiovese. I love that they offer wines that you don’t typically see in California! Our tasting was so relaxing and our host was very knowledgable about the wines and the vineyards. We ended up joining the club because we were so impressed with everything.

Reeve’s tasting room is gorgeous and the interiors are amazing. It is such a cozy little space. I love it when wineries have a nice atmosphere for a tasting. It makes the experience that much better!

After an amazing experience at Reeve, we made our way to our Bed and Breakfast to check-in. We always stay at Bella Villa Messina when we visit because we love the location and the proximity to Downtown Healdsburg. After getting settled, we were able to catch a beautiful sunset overlooking Alexander Valley.

After enjoying a little cocktail hour at the Bed and Breakfast, we made our way into Downtown Healdsburg for dinner. We made reservations for Campo Fino. This is a great place to grab dinner, especially if you like Italian food! They have a variety of dishes, but they do specialize in pizzas and pastas. We ordered some cocktails, a bottle of wine and two amazing pastas. It was a LOT of food, but everything was delicious. If you are going to dine at Campo Fina, be sure to make a reservation because this place is always crowded!

Saturday

We started off Saturday with a tasting at Flowers Winery. The winery has been around for awhile, but the tasting room was opened 8 months ago. Their new space is gorgeous, and I love the way they designed it.

If you want to taste at Flowers, you’ll need to make a reservation ahead of time. Their experience is more in-depth, and they pair each wine with a lite bite. I LOVE experiences like this because I feel like you get to appreciate and understand the wines better.

The food was wonderful and beautifully presented. The wines were even better! The staff was very knowledgeable when it came to explaining the wines and the vineyards.

The tasting was comprised of Chardonnay + Pinot Noir, and we had about 5-6 different wines in total. We started out with a couple different Chardonnays, and we ended with a bunch of different Pinots. We ended up joining the club because we loved the wines so much! It was a great experience overall, and I’m already looking forward to visiting again someday.

Our next tasting of the day was a few minutes away at MacRostie Winery. This winery is very similar to Flowers in that they offer Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. You’ll find a lot of that in the Russian River Valley!

We were welcomed with a sparkling wine before we even got to the front door. Talk about customer service! We opted to sit outside for our tasting since it was a nice day. They offer blankets if you get chilly, so it was a very comfortable environment. Also, the views looking out over the vineyards were incredible!

Our host customized a nice flight of wines for us based on our palate and preferences. I really appreciated that he was giving us more of what we wanted! I loved all of their Pinot Noir, but some of my favorites were from the Anderson Valley. This is a great place to visit if you are wanting to try a wide variety of Pinot Noir! I would definitely recommend this tasting experience, and it would be a good place to visit with a bigger group as well.

After our tasting at MacRostie, we made our way over to the Dry Creek General Store for a quick bite to eat. This is a great place to grab a quick lunch or snack in-between wine tastings. They have several grab and go items that you can purchase for a picnic. You can eat your food there or take it with you to eat at your next wine tasting. It’s a great place to visit regardless of whether or not you want to eat there.

Our final tasting of the day was at Dry Creek Vineyard for their club member barrel tasting experience. We joined the wine club back in 2016 because we fell in love with their Zinfandels, but they make a wide variety of wines. This would be a good winery to visit if you are wanting to try a little bit of everything. Also, you can walk-in to this tasting room without a reservation, so it’s a great place to visit if you didn’t plan ahead.

We had a really nice time at the barrel tasting event, and we were able to try several different samples of wine. I loved how they set it up because we were able to compare and contrast the same grape from different vineyards or the same wine from different years. They are always so generous, and we love tasting at Dry Creek!

After our barrel tasting at Dry Creek, went drove into Downtown Healdsburg to enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening. We started with drinks at the Harmon Guest House Rooftop Bar. It was a really nice place to relax with a cocktail before dinner. They also serve food at the rooftop bar, so you could eat dinner or have snacks. The food looked really good!

After having a couple cocktails at the rooftop bar, we made our way over to Sake’ O for a sushi dinner. We have been coming here for years, and I feel like the sushi keeps getting better and better. They have so many amazing rolls and the fish is so fresh. Be sure to try some of their special sashimi as well. We love the jalapeño yellowtail sashimi and the green spicy hamachi roll.

We ended the night with jazz at Hotel Healdsburg. They have jazz every Saturday night from 6:30-9:30 PM. We have been going for 5+ years now and we love it. If you’re going to attend, be sure to snag a spot early! We often have a hard time finding a spot if we get there a little after 6:30 PM. It’s a really nice place to unwind and relax after a day of wine tasting. The jazz takes place in the lobby area of the hotel, and they serve drinks and food throughout the night. Some people do eat dinner here so they can snag a spot earlier in the evening!

Sunday

We started off Sunday in Alexander Valley at Robert Young Winery. We are club members at this winery and we love how it’s a small, family-owned winery. We opted for their Scion Experience which involves a nice charcuterie pairing with the wines.

If you want a more in-depth review of the winery, check out my blog post linked here. I wrote that post when we visited last year, and it goes into more detail on the experience.

Below is a picture of the amazing view from Robert Young’s tasting room. It overlooks the vineyards of Alexander Valley, which are well-known for growing incredible Cabernet Sauvignon.

Robert Young is a great winery to visit if you are looking for amazing hospitality and amazing wine. Be sure to try to their Bob’s Burn Pile Cabernet and ask for the story behind it. Overall, they are one of my favorite wineries to visit in Sonoma County.

After our tasting at Robert Young we decided to go to lunch at Diavola Pizzeria in Geyserville. We had never been there before, but it was recommended to us several times. We ordered a couple different pizzas and they were delicious. The pizzas are definitely splittable, but you could always take some home for leftovers! It wasn’t too crowded around lunchtime, but I would probably make a reservation if I was going for dinner.

Right after lunch, we drove back into Alexander Valley for our tasting at Skipstone Winery. This is a super small boutique winery known for their Cabernet Sauvignon. I had never heard of this place before, and I actually stumbled upon it while I was researching our trip via Google Maps. With a little more research, I decided it would be a good fit for us to visit.

This was a completely private wine tasting experience where we got to taste a few different wines – one Viognier and two Cabernet Sauvignons. Our tasting was done inside because it was extremely windy outside, but they usually host people outside overlooking their vineyards. I’m hoping to come back someday and do the tasting experience outside!

The tasting itself was incredible, and I fell in love with all of their wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted to perfection and was so smooth. To be honest, it was some of the best Cabernet I’ve ever had!

I’d highly recommend giving this place a try if you love Cabernet Sauvignon or if you like to cellar your wine for 10+ years. We bought a couple of bottles, and I’m hoping to hold on to these wines for several years.

Our final tasting of the day was just down the road at Zialena Winery. We didn’t make a reservation here, and they gladly accepted us as walk-ins. Again, we sat inside since it was super windy, but they have a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking several vineyards. We did sneak outside for a quick photo because it was so pretty.

Zialena had some really nice Zinfandel and we also tried a little bit of their Cabernet. It was all really good wine, but I was most impressed by the Zinfandel. It was a pretty basic tasting experience, but I would definitely go back sometime. It would be incredible to do this tasting experience on their patio!

We ended the day by going back into Healdsburg for drinks and dinner. We started off the evening with cocktails at Duke’s. This is a great place to grab a craft cocktail or a beer after a day of wine tasting. They have TONS of creative concoctions on their list, but they can pretty much make any drink you want. They also have a small food menu if you need a little snack with your cocktail.

After enjoying a beverage at Duke’s, we made our way over to Chalkboard for dinner. I’m obsessed with this restaurant, and I think the best thing on the menu is the fried chicken. It pretty much melts in your mouth and the flavor is incredible.

Everything we’ve ordered has always been good, so you really can’t go wrong. Be sure to try some of their pastas as well! This is a great restaurant to dine at, especially if you have a bigger group. Everything on the menu is meant to be shared family-style.

If you’re looking for more information on Sonoma, be sure to check out my other blog posts linked below:

• Sonoma Weekend – September 2019
• Sonoma Weekend – February 2019
• Sonoma Weekend – July 2018
• A Weekend in Sonoma – The Vlog
• Sonoma With No Reservations
• Two Perfect Days in Sonoma
• Sonoma Weekend – April 2016
• Hamel Wine Tasting Experience
• Robert Young Scion Tasting Experience

As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about traveling to Sonoma County. Cheers!