Last weekend, we were fortunate enough to spend another weekend in Sonoma. We frequent this area at least a couple of times a year, so it was good to be back. It honestly feels like our second home even though we don’t physically own property there!
I shared a vlog from the weekend over on YouTube, but if you prefer the written version, keep reading! I love to share what we did on each trip in wine country because every single trip is different. We love trying new wineries and restaurants, and it is always an adventure!
Friday
10 AM – Gloria Ferrer
- We started off the day with some bubbles at Gloria Ferrer. The views from their patio are absolutely breathtaking, so this is a great place to go if you want a good photo. We ended up joining their wine club, so I am looking forward to our first shipment!
11:30 AM – Scribe Winery
- Scribe was a new winery for us on this trip. I had heard good things about it from a few friends, so I thought we would check it out. Honestly, it was better than anything I could have imagined! The atmosphere was perfect and we had incredible food pairings with all of the wines. The weather could not have been better, so we really enjoyed our time on their patio. I probably could have sat here all day!
2:30 PM – Buena Vista
- We decided to check out one more winery before heading up to Healdsburg. Buena Vista is a very historical winery, so I thought it would be interesting to stop in. This winery was founded in 1857 and it is an official California Historical Landmark. I was really impressed with their wines – they were more bold than I thought they would be. Most of the stuff we tried reminded me more of Napa than Sonoma, so it was a nice change of pace after drinking lighter wines at Scribe. It was definitely worth a quick stop in!
5 PM – Check-In @ Bella Villa Messina
- We always stay at a Bed & Breakfast in Healdsburg called ‘Bella Villa Messina.’ This was probably our 5th or 6th time staying here, and we love it! The hosts are so hospitable and they always give us the best recommendations for wineries and restaurants. They also have two cute dogs, so we love visiting with the pets as well.
5:30 PM – Happy Hour at Bella Villa Messina
- One of the nice things about this Bed & Breakfast is that they provide a daily happy hour. Every night, they have cheese, crackers and complimentary wine. They are very generous! They also make a killer breakfast each morning, so you will not be left hungry if you stay here.
7:30 PM – Dinner @ Valette
- If you are looking for an amazing dinner in downtown Healdsburg, look no further. Valette is your place! Dustin Valette is the head chef and opened this restaurant after working for Charlie Palmer at the Dry Creek Kitchen. All of the dishes are phenomenal and the service is outstanding. We always do the tasting menu because you get to try a little bit of everything. You can bring in a bottle of wine for a small corkage fee, which is nice.
Saturday
11:00 AM – Gustafson Family Vineyards
- We started off Saturday a little hungover, but we picked ourselves back up pretty quickly. We had a reservation to do a tour, tasting and lunch at Gustafson Family Vineyards out near Lake Sonoma. I was really looking forward to this because I knew it would be a unique experience.
- It was really fun because we were the only ones on the tour, so it made it more personal. We got to ride on an ATV through the vineyard and see almost all of the property. It was unlike anything I had ever done before! After roaming around the vineyard and learning about their wine, we sat down for a picnic lunch at their beautiful lookout point. The view will take your breath away! It was the perfect experience and the perfect way to start our day.
1:30 PM – Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves
- After leaving Gustafson, we headed back down Dry Creek Road to check out a couple more wineries. We have been to several wineries in this region, but we wanted to find some new ones. We decided that we would try Bella, as it came highly recommended from several folks in the area.
- Bella was a cute little winery and had a very laid back vibe. There were tons of families that brought their children, so I thought that was interesting. Lots of people brought food to picnic out on the grass, so it seemed like this was the place all of the locals went. I found a few hula hoops laying around, so I decided to pick one up and see if I could still do it. Turns out, I can drink wine and hula hoop at the same time!
3:00 PM – Preston Farm and Winery
- Just down the street from Bella is another winery called Preston. We decided to give this one a try as well since our Bed & Breakfast host kept recommending it. Preston is not only a winery, but they also have a ton of land they use for farming. They grow a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, and they actually sell some of their produce to the general public!
- We did a quick wine tasting inside the tasting room, and I was really surprised at how different the wines were. They didn’t make the typical California wines that you often hear of like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or cabernet. They actually grew a lot of different French varietals that we had never heard of before. I basically left here thinking that I knew nothing about wine! I need to brush up on my knowledge of grape varietals.
4:00 PM – Bear Republic Brewing
- After all the wine, we were ready for a different kind of beverage. We decided we needed a refreshing, cold beer from the local brewery in downtown Healdsburg. We have been to the Bear Republic Brewery a few times, so it is always fun to stop in for a quick brew. They make several different kinds of beer and they have a wide variety of IPAs.
5:30 PM – Dinner @ Healdsburg Bar and Grill
- We decided to do an early dinner on Saturday night because we were exhausted from the day! We walked on over to HBG for some burgers and garlic fries. Healdsburg Bar & Grill is located in downtown Healdsburg, and they have a great patio. We have eaten here numerous times, and we keep coming back for more. I think they make some of the best garlic fries in California! You really can’t go wrong with garlic fries.
6:30 PM – Jazz @ Hotel Healdsburg
- We thought it was too early to go to bed at 7 PM, so we decided to listen to the live jazz music at Hotel Healdsburg for a couple of hours. They will often do these live performances on the weekend, so it is nice to sit in the lobby bar and listen to the amazing music. It was the perfect way to end the day.
Sunday
10:30 AM – Dry Creek Vineyard
- For our last day in Sonoma, we started off by going to a winery we are very familiar with – Dry Creek Vineyard. We joined as club members back in April of 2016, and we love it more every time we come back! They have a wide variety of wines including zinfandels, red blends, cabernet, and sauvignon blanc. I love that they have so much to offer. I personally love their bordeaux blends because they aren’t too heavy and they pair well with almost any meal!
11:30 AM – J Winery Bubble Room
- Our main experience on Sunday was J Winery’s Bubble Room. We actually went to J earlier in the year for a normal tasting, but we wanted to go back for a different experience. I had heard good things about the bubble room, so I figured we would give it a try.
- In the Bubble Room, you get a unique food pairing with 5 different wines. It was way more fancy than I thought it would be, but it was fun! I definitely wasn’t prepared to eat all of that food – it kept me stuffed the remainder of the day. All of the wines were absolutely incredible, and the service was outstanding. They did a great job of explaining the wines and presenting the food. If you are looking for a fancier wine tasting experience, this would be the perfect option!
2:30 PM – Lagunitas Brewing Company
- We were totally wiped after the Bubble Room experience, and I knew I couldn’t possibly do another glass of wine. We saw that the traffic was really bad heading south to the airport, so we decided to start heading in that direction. We made a pit stop in Petaluma at Lagunitas for a quick IPA, so that was a nice treat. I would highly recommend a visit to Lagunitas if you have never been. They have tons of outdoor seating, live music, good food, and most importantly…….good beer!
4 PM – Leave for airport
Overall, it was another great weekend out in Sonoma. I love experiencing new places, new food, and most importantly new wine! If you’ve never been to Sonoma, I would highly recommend a visit sometime soon. It’s one of the most beautiful destinations in the United States with so much to offer.
If you need more Sonoma recommendations and tips, please see my other blog posts below:
What are some of your favorite places to visit in Sonoma? Do you have a favorite winery or restaurant? Let me know in the comments below!
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