Traveling to Wine Country after 50!

My husband and I lived in the SF Bay Area in our late 20s, and we went to Napa and Sonoma Counties (Wine Country) a lot. Like really a lot (more times than I can count!) I have many great memories of lazy sunny afternoons with friends, drinking wine and having picnics, while learning about oak barrels, tannens, the chemistry of fermentation, etc.

But honestly, I think a lot of what we did was just visiting as many wineries as possible, while tasting as many wines as possible! And while we did discover some wineries and varietals that we really liked, I also promptly forgot a lot of what I’d learned😬

In early June we returned to Sonoma County for the first time in many years. Our close friends were celebrating their 30th anniversary and invited us to come along! A lot has changed in 20 years; many wineries have come and gone, or been bought out by larger businesses, and there seem to be a lot more smaller labels that are actually unavailable to purchase in most of the US. Finally, due to Covid, reservations are required for tastings and tours, as well as a fee (typically $50pp minimum)

While things have progressed in Wine Country, I think that my understanding of wine has progressed as well. We visited fewer, mostly smaller wineries, and often spoke to the owners who gave a more personal perspective about their wines. And, although I’m far from a connoisseur, this time I felt like I could really smell the flavor notes and could taste the complexities of the wines. Whereas in my younger days, each time I was told about the wine characteristics, I did an internal eye roll, because I thought it sounded pretentious. This time I also enjoyed tasting red wines and chardonnays and found a few that I actually liked, although normally I don’t like either!

We had an amazing week celebrating with our friends. Because it was a special occasion we paid for some “luxuries” that we might not normally have. However, we were also still mindful of our budget and saved money in other ways. I’m going to share many things that we did and that we highly recommend (some inexpensive and others not).

Arrival: We flew in and out of SFO. Although the drive to the town of Sonoma is only about 60 miles, you should plan on a drive time of 1.5 – 2.5 hours. Getting in/out of Wine Country has always been slow.

Stay: We rented a 3 bedroom house, which was ½ mile from the town square in Sonoma. The location was perfect! This was a beautiful, Spanish-style, one-story house, which was well-equipped and had a pool. I highly recommend staying in a house, as it provides a lot of flexibility and is also less expensive. If at all possible, renting a house with a pool is really a plus, because the weather in Wine Country is spectacular.

Meals in Sonoma: For breakfasts and a few other meals throughout the week we ate in, using the grill for dinner. There are several nearby grocery stores (Safeway, Whole Foods, etc) as well as some great specialty shops (see below) where we picked up fresh produce, meats to grill, salads and sandwiches.

Sonoma Market: delicious sandwiches and gourmet items for charcuterie.

Sonoma’s Best Wine Merchant: great sandwiches, homemade baked goods and salads.

Basque Boulangerie Cafe: perfect place on Sonoma Town Square if you need a coffee or treat for an afternoon pick-me-up while shopping.

B and V Whiskey Bar: Fun bar/restaurant with extensive drink menu and delicious food. The Italian chef makes yummy homemade pasta, as well as burgers and steaks.

Meals in Healdsburg

Campo Fino – sandwiches, salads, apps, pizzas, etc

And now for the important part – wineries😊

Tips and recommendations for wine tasting:

• Try to choose wineries that are not too far apart. When you Google locations, it might not seem like driving is a big deal, but when you’re on vacation, an 1.5 hour drive had better be worth it! Gas is also very expensive in CA, so you’ll be saving money.
• Only visit 1-2 wineries in a day! We are not in our 20s anymore, and this will hit you quickly (see below) Everyday we ended up napping by the pool after tastings!
• Make reservations in advance. 
• Designated Driver – make sure you have one! You probably aren’t planning to treat this like a keg party back in college, but even these small amounts of wine can have an affect on you. Add in the heat and possibly an empty stomach, and yikes!

Our top winery picks near the town of Sonoma:

Gundlach Bundschu – oldest family-owned winery in CA. Tastings include a cave tour. Our top choices of wines: Dry Gewurztraminer, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir

Maclaren – small winery run by Scotsman Andrew Maclaren. Top choice: Pinot Noir

Donum – larger winery with incredible sculpture collection and gardens included in the tour. Our top choices: Chardonnay (very light and not oaky/buttery) and Pinot Noir

Aperture – smaller winery. Our top choices: Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc