Wine Country

This is my heaven!!!!  There really is no way of describing the beauty of Sonoma and Napa.  It's just something you have to see for yourself.  We went during October which was especially great because the foliage was just spectacular.  The trees and grapevines were all shades of beautiful fall colors, and the grapevines were everywhere!!

We did a full day in Sonoma and a half day in Napa which we were both happy with as we enjoyed Sonoma more, and it's also where we decided to stay the night.  We booked The Sonoma Valley Inn which was a recommendation from several clients. The location is perfect!  It's walking distance to the square, and there are little firepits outside to wind down after a day full of wine tasting.  Speaking of the square, this is where we found The Sonoma Cheese Factory.  Ummm... all I can say is this is just a little store of perfection.  Seriously!  Cheeses you've never even heard of are at that place.  We stocked up on a plate for a picnic, and it was divine.

The wineries we visited in Sonoma include: Viansa, Jacuzzi, (which were our favs) Kenwood, Schug Carneros, Enkidu, and Valley of the Moon. Viansa and Jacuzzi both had stunning views and olive oil tasting too which was neat! 

The wineries we visited in Napa were Cakebread and Peju.  At Cakebread, we did a whole tour with the tasting since it's such a big name.  It was okay, but we did enjoy the smaller name places more.  Peju has amazing gardens to walk around as well.  This was one of Joshua's favorite places.  Our lunch in Napa is also worth mentioning.  Rutherford Grill was one of the best meals ever!  Be sure to check it out if you visit Napa.

But back to Sonoma and why we loved it more than Napa..  It's got such a cozy, down to earth feel to it.  While I was getting ready in the morning, Joshua went driving around on some country roads then took me around to show me what all he found.  It was really neat to see how the locals live amongst glorious grapevines and stroll the small roads with their dogs.  Sonoma really is quite heavenly.