The wine, the art, the food, the views—there’s a reason why millions of people flock to the Sonoma and Napa areas. Wine country is about more than just the wine; it’s the home of an entire culture built around the land and the culinary experiences it makes possible. Whether you are looking for flavorful meals and drinks or a soothing getaway in a beautiful rural area, you’ll find it out here.
Every time I visit Sonoma and Napa Valley I come away with an unforgettable experience. I’ve been fortunate to visit many world-class wineries and restaurants in the region over the years, but it always feels like there’s still more to see, taste and experience.
If you’re planning a visit out to wine country sometime soon, here are several stops I recommend!
B.R. Cohn Winery & Olive Oil Company
Just outside the town of Sonoma you’ll find a true gem—B.R. Cohn Winery & Olive Oil Company in Glen Ellen.
B.R. Cohn has been developing small lot, vineyard-designated wines since 1984. It’s located right between Sonoma Mountain and the Mayacamas Mountains, which makes it a picturesque, relaxing environment for visitors to come and try out new wines, both inside at the wine bar or outside in the vineyards.
There is a clear feeling of history when you step on to the property that dates back far before the winery was established. The house in which the tasting room is located was built in 1920 and has been preserved in such a manner to keep its casual, old-style ranch feel. That connection between the land, the history and the wine is made even clearer thanks to this carefully preserved tasting environment.
The property also has a very clear musical influence. The founder, Bruce Cohn, moved west from Chicago, where his father sang Italian arias and his mother sang with Frank Sinatra around Chicago nightclubs. Bruce immersed himself in the San Francisco music scene and even managed the Doobie Brothers as they climbed the rock n roll charts. Memorabilia from his music days and other music-inspired elements can be seen throughout the tasting room and winery.
“The winery is special from a historical perspective in that it was a working dairy farm as well as a stagecoach stop for Wells Fargo on their way to and from Santa Rosa. From a cultural perspective, it is also special since it was home to a concert series for so many years,” said Michael Domer, Director of Operations. “The founder’s roots were in rock n roll and our memorabilia rooms pay homage to the many bands that have played on our grounds. Add to this, our estate wines are some of the best that Sonoma Valley has to offer and our ample grounds provide a perfect place for people to come and enjoy the wine, weekend music, and genuine hospitality.”
Wine and olive oil tastings are available daily and are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. B.R. Cohn’s 61 acres of vineyards are planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon, with small amounts planted to Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.The “Tastes of B.R. Cohn” food and wine pairing is created to highlight their own oils and vinegars while pairing them with estate wines.
“We imported 468 Picholine Olive Trees from France and offer five different Extra Virgin Blends, each with a different flavor profile. All are available for tasting and guests can pick the perfect match for their palate,” said Domer.
If you’re looking for some events:
June 24 – Sunday Music: Justin Brown 2pm – 4:30pm
July 7 – B.R. Cohn Farm to Table Dinner Series – Duck Sugo 6pm – 8:30pm
Italics Winegrowers
Italics Winegrowers is located in Coombsville in the Napa Valley, where grape growers have honed their craft for decades. The owners are farmers from Texas who have always been passionate about wine and are now living their dream of grape greatness. “As winegrowers, we’ve taken the name Italics because we believe the best wines are a revelation of place. A place that can be as small as a vineyard block or as large as an entire AVA. If that place has something to say − a nuance you can appreciate − we go to great lengths to draw it out. To italicize it,” said Taylor Martin, Managing Partner at Italics Winegrowers. With a tiny release of only 350 cases in its beginning, Italics has grown to around 4,500 cases per year. Staying true to their farming heritage, The Martin’s mantra remains that all great vintages start in the field, a concept learned long ago in their Ruby Red grapefruit orchards of South Texas.
When you enter Coombsville, you feel as if you’ve gone back in time. With vineyards, farm land, horse stalls, and rolling hills, it was a natural choice to select this site for Italics. “When my family purchased the winery, we had our work cut out for us but the vision was there. Most importantly, the vineyard was already producing top-quality fruit which fell in line with our family mantra; take care of business in the field, stay genuine, and treat your clients like family, said Martin.
Visitors to Italics can participate in the Cave Series Tasting sessions. These 75-minute tastings happen daily by appointment at 10 a.m., 12 pm., 2 pm. and 4 pm., and give visitors the opportunity to learn more about the wines and taste both wines and their components. “Cabernet Sauvignon is king in Napa Valley and grows unbelievably well on our estate site in Coombsville. With plantings from our old vine blocks and recently planted vines in 2010, we blend these two blocks together to produce our flagship wine, our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon,” said Martin.
Other tasting and tour options include a VIP cave tour and tasting (90 minutes long, by appointment only), a cave tour and tasting with a picnic lunch (120 minutes, by appointment only) and other private events and group options for 10 people or more. “A key ingredient aside from their exceptional wines that makes Italics so special is its ability to make our guests feel welcome as if they are part of the family,” said Todd Seidman, Business Development Manager of Beau Wine Tours. “Hospitality is everything and we always get rave reviews from our guests who experience Italics tours”.
Charles Krug Winery
Charles Krug is the oldest winery in Napa Valley, which grants it a certain level of prestige, considering just how many wineries are located in the region. It’s also home to the very first tasting room in California, opened to the public in 1882 by Charles Krug himself. Today, that tasting room is a world-class hospitality center known just as much for its beautiful design and heritage as it is for its splendid wines.
“Charles Krug was an innovator being the first vintner to use a cider press for wine production, but his story is but the first chapter in the rich history of this incredible estate. In 1943 the Mondavi family purchased the winery, and they have proudly managed this great estate now for 75 years,” said Scott Black, Brand Manager. “The family is now into its fourth generation and everything we do at the winery is aimed at building a lasting legacy for the generations to come, and cementing our position as one of the great family wine estates of the world.”
Charles Krug’s long history of winemaking makes it a must-visit stop on your Napa trip. The winery owns more than 700 acres of gorgeous land in Napa Valley.
“We draw upon extensive vineyard holdings spread throughout the Napa Valley—from our Cold Springs Vineyard on Howell Mountain in the North, to our mid-valley estate vineyards in St. Helena, and our Southern valley vineyards in Yountville and Carneros. We have many decades of experience of growing grapes and crafting wines in this very special place. Under the attentive eye of our exceptional winemaker Stacy Clark, our wines have become widely known for their incredible balance and finesse,” said Black.
The Charles Krug tasting room is open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are a variety of options for tours and private events, including an intimate 90-minute tour and tasting in which you can learn all about Charles Krug and the Mondavi family, who are pioneers of winemaking in the Napa Valley region. The tour allows you to explore the Redwood Cellar and the estate. “Our spectacular property has the feeling of a very private oasis just a stone’s throw from Napa Valley’s bustling Highway 29 corridor. The property is covered in heritage Valley Oaks and meticulously manicured with hundreds of rose bushes everywhere you look,” said Jim Morris, Guest Relations Vice President.
On the south side of the Redwood Cellar is their outdoor Pizza Kitchen where wood fired pizzas are offered daily in the old Italian tradition. The lawn has a number of picnic tables and Adirondack chairs for large and small groups to relax, share a bottle of wine, order artisan salumi /cheese plates and more.
“This property is a cultural and historical icon. This is where the wine industry in Napa began in 1861. Two of the original building are still used in tours, tastings, and events to this day. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by places of historical relevance and beauty. And the wines are superb as well. If you want to see and experience the true history of this valley, this is a must see winery,” said Morris.
In addition to enjoying bites and wine – public event offerings are growing weekly and include:
July 14 from 6 – 9 p.m. – Pig Roast with Marc & Janice Mondavi at Charles Krug Winery
June 29, July 14, August 17, September 8 at 6:30 p.m. – Charles Krug Comedy Nights in the Carriage house
Long Meadow Ranch Winery and Farmstead
If you’re looking for a single stop at which you can experience the very best of Napa Valley food, wine and scenery all together, you can do no better than Long Meadow Ranch.
The ranch was built in the 1800s and began to flourish in the late part of the century, when it featured vineyards, apple orchards, olive groves, dairy farms and hay. The ranch fell dormant during the era of Prohibition, and began to be overtaken by the forests in the area. But in 1989, the Hall family purchased the property and slowly brought the land back to life, restoring it to its 19thcentury glory and replanting the vineyards and orchards. Today it is a representation of the pinnacle of wine country and an encapsulation of what makes the region so magical for visitors and residents alike.
Long Meadow Ranch is perhaps best known for its farm-to-table style dining in it’s restaurant, Farmstead. Its celebrated cuisine is based on the Hall family’s love of showcasing local ingredients, straight from the ranch’s own farmlands and vineyards.
When you visit Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch for a meal, you can expect a complete dining experience, from ambiance to the food itself, carefully curated by the Halls and their team of chefs, farmers, ranchers and winemakers to represent the best of wine country. The menu will vary widely depending on the season, as the restaurant emphasizes the use of locally grown and sourced ingredients.Some of the “can’t miss” dishes include their Deviled Eggs, Roasted beet salad,Grass fed beef tartare, St louis ribs and Chocolate cream pie. (made with Scharffenberger chocolate and the perfect way to end any meal) For the ultimate experience, you can join them at their Chef’s Table for an elegant five-course dinner paired with estate wines, a walk through the culinary garden, and a chef curated set menu. “Each course is thoughtfully paired with award-winning wines. Our chef’s table at Long Meadow Ranch sets the bar high for farm to table establishments. We are the farm so we are motivated to not waste anything! It’s full-circle organic farming, an organic, sustainable, integrated farming system that relies on each part of the ranch to contribute to the health of the whole,” said Kipp Ramsey, Farm to Table manager.
If you’re passing by and don’t have time for a lunch or dinner, stick with a tasting. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy Long Meadow’s wines. The Anderson Valley Tasting Room allows you to sample a selection of Long Meadow Ranch wines grown and made at the Anderson Valley Estate and the Tanbark Mill Vineyard, with complimentary samples of three Napa Valley estate organic extra virgin olive oils. You can also participate in the brand new exclusive Anderson Valley Estate Experience, which features a journey through the estate, which spreads across 69 acres. Guides take you through the vineyards and to the Anderson Valley Tasting Room, where you can enjoy some samples after learning about how Long Meadow grows its grapes and makes its wine.
“Vineyards are the backbone of Long Meadow Ranch. All of our vineyards, over 150 planted acres in Napa and Anderson Valleys, are farmed using organic practices certified by California Certified Organic Farmers. We farm Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris,” said Chris Hall, Proprietor.
Your visit to Long Meadow Ranch is elevated by the gorgeous backdrop that is the scenery around the Ranch. The Mayacamas Estate is a rugged 650-acre landscape nestled in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains which then transitions out to a long, beautiful meadow (hence the Long Meadow Ranch name). It is a beautiful example of the scenery that makes northern California’s wine country so special. Be sure to tour their garden as well. “We have a 1⁄4 acre planted at our Farmstead property in St Helena. Guests are able to see what’s in season and take time to enjoy the bounty of Northern CA. It is very special for guests to make the connection with the gardens and it is also very inspiring for our employees to have access,” said Hall. Long Meadow Ranch also uses the gardens to test new seeds and varieties of vegetables that they might not have grown before. Everyone that visits has access to stroll through the gardens and is free to ask questions about anything they might want to know more about.
If you’re looking for some events:
June 23rd – At 6:30 PM, Chef Laurence Jossel of San Francisco’s NOPA will be the guest chef as part of the Live Fire series at Farmstead.
July 4th – Doors 5:00 PM, Show 7:00 – Watch the St. Helena city fireworks display and live music from the Dead Winter Carpenters on the lawn at Farmstead
“The Summer season is a wonderful time to visit the wine country. Lush green leaves now cover those once bare vines and wine country again transforms into a picturesque scene out of a movie. The warm weather brings out wine enthusiasts from all over the country and abroad,” said Seidman. Local businesses like Beau Wine Tours are excited again to feel the buzz that tourism brings to wine country after a long Fall and Winter.
We were lucky to enjoy this unforgettable trip in one of Beau’s Mercedes Sprinter Limousine. You can’t help but to feel a little special as you make your winery rounds. Their 12 passenger Sprinter Limousine shows just how luxurious a visit to wine country can be. With leather wrap around seating, headroom to stand, elegant lighting, premium sound system and a built in bar you will be hard pressed to find another vehicle that can match its prestige.
“Booking transportation is a top way to experience wine country. From the moment you step into one of our luxury touring vehicles, you won’t need to worry about a thing. It’s time to sit back, relax, and take in the awe and beauty of this truly unique part of the world, said Seidman.
If you only have a few days to spend in wine country, it can be understandably difficult to pick your stops. After all, a lifetime here is hardly enough to take in all of the beautiful scenery, delicious foods and wines and breathtaking experiences the region and its people have to offer.
But I highly recommend these four wineries as great places to start your Sonoma and Napa Valley experience, especially if you’re a first-time visitor. After you have made your first trip, you’ll be counting down the days until you can come back and experience it all over again.
