Fab Weekend in the Wine Country

Way back in mid-November, we spent our 5-year anniversary weekend in the wine country, celebrating with two nights at our favorite reasonably priced, centrally located hotel - The Lodge at Sonoma Resort & Spa. There are definitely fancier places to stay, but not for $125, which is what we paid thanks to a friend who works for the Ritz and can get us discounted rooms. I love that they have an outdoor pool, hot tub and firepit surrounded by gardens, with a roaring fire in the lobby/wine bar and every time we've stayed there we've been upgraded to a cottage room with fireplace, terrace and soaking tub - with super comfy beds, and robes. Really all you need.

 

 

 

Plus there's a little general store right near the hotel so you can pick up vino, sparkling water and snacks for the room (very important) and its just a few blocks from the town square of Sonoma where cute little cafes and restaurants abound. After a relaxing swim and soak we had a delicious dinner of  local cheeses, fig & arugula salad and wild flounder with yukon potato puree, sauteed spinach & lemon-caper brown butter sauce with a fab sparkling wine at our favorite restaurant in Sonoma - The Girl and the Fig. 

 

 The next day we had lunch on the square at a little cafe and then headed to Napa to check out Frogs Leap Winery - being prego I could only taste wine at one or two wineries, so we had to choose carefully, and I'm glad that's the main spot we picked. I called ahead and learned you don't need a ressie to taste but they only offer tastings during certain hours, on their spacious patio overlooking the gorgeous grounds and farm. It was a perfect, sunny day and we spent hours just wandering around checking out the pomegrante trees, grape vines, olive trees and assorted farm animals, before and after the tasting, that they serve with some cheese, crackers and almonds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 On the way back from Napa to Sonoma we had to stop off at Domaine Carneros - I used to work on their PR account and its always one of my favorite stops in the wine country, due to their pink sparkling wine that is like the best thing ever. And they are open later than other wineries and located right in between Napa and Sonoma so you can stop there for a glass of bubbly outside overlooking the gorgeous valley below, or inside by the fire if its chilly.

 

 

 

 

We kept it simple for dinner that night and just hit a Mexican joint on the square in Sonoma and headed back to the hotel to soak in the tub and chill..pure relaxation. It's hard to be stressed in the wine country. The next day we slept in and spent some time at the pool/hot tub before heading back to the square for some fantastic BBQed burgers at a little outdoor cafe called The Cheese Factory and a little walk around town.

 

 

On the way out of town I had to make one more stop at the spa at Mac Arthur Place - another old PR hotel/spa client where they grow all their own herbs in the gardens on site to create some yummy smelling spa products that they use for even yummier treatments. I'm addicted to the grapeseed oil bath and shower gel and had to pop in to grab a couple of bottles - one for my bestie who also loves the stuff.

 

Ummm..I think I need to do this trip again as soon as possible. Can't beat the Cali wine country.