My appreciation for wine and my love of wine country has been well documented. But it’s rare to find a winery where you not only love the vino, but also get to meet and befriend the people who both grow the grapes & make the wine. It’s even rarer that their winery happens to sit atop one of the most beautiful vistas in all of Northern California wine country.

When those three things combine, you get what I call a little slice of wine country heaven otherwise known as Sophie James.

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Sophie James started as a dream in 2011 when founders Sophie & her husband James (pre-marriage and babes) stumbled upon an amazing piece of property atop Sonoma Mountain. While Sophie had long day-dreamed of making wine while she worked as a biochemist, she didn’t necessarily think their dream would become a reality. But after painstakingly organically farming five acres of Pinot Noir grapes over the last six years, Sophie and James released their first vintage of rosé and pinot noir this year.

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But I swear their wines taste even better when enjoyed upon the land from which they came. Sophie James has recently offered private vineyard dinners atop their mountain, catered by Michelin-star chefs, complete with the option to glamp overnight in tricked out Shelter Co tents. You can stroll their rolling hilltop property, rosé in hand, enjoying 360 degree views of the Bay Area. On a good day you can see the Pacific Ocean and all the way to San Francisco!

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But what really sets Sophie James apart is the opportunity to watch a young family realize their dreams (and not just because I might harbor a similar one!). Sophie and James have not only produced delicious wines but also cultivated an amazing community – their Tribe – of passionate wine lovers, but also just really cool people that you actually want to hang out with. Bonus. Every time you visit Sophie James you can see the passion and the joy Sophie and her entire family have poured into making this place come to life.

While the Tribe is currently at capacity, Sophie James will be accepting new members soon so I strongly recommend you get your name on their waitlist right here. Perhaps I’ll see you up on the mountaintop sometime soon!

For more of my wine country favorites, CLICK HERE.

The summer entertaining season is winding down, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze a few more fetes onto your social calendar. I’m the first to make an excuse to get girlfriends together for much needed mama time. You know it’s going to get sparse as we get deep into fall. So I recently gathered some of my blogger besties for a little rosé tasting party! It combined all of my loves – designing a gorgeous table, trading blogger (and mama!) tips and sipping on lots of yummy wine of course.

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To set a stunning scene, I turned to Shutterfly. Long known as the go-to site for personalized cards and photos, did you know you can also flex your creative muscle personalizing your home decor too? I had a ball creating a lovely tabletop for my wine tasting soirée.

I started with all the glassware. I decided to create wine glasses marked with ROSÉ. Too cute right? I also thought personalizing a lovely wine decanter for pouring would be fun too. To keep with my french theme, Salut seemed only fitting. I loved playing with all the fonts and styles on Shutterfly until I found the one that was picture perfect.

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I’m also rather obsessed with Shutterfly’s adorable packaging!

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But it’s not a proper wine party without lots of little nibbles. Shutterfly also offers gorgeous marble cheese boards and wood cutting boards so I scooped up a variety and marked them in different of ways – from noting whether a board was for fromage or charcuterie to simply designing one board with the words bon appêtit. I also couldn’t resist creating a bespoke APT34 breadboard too!

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But I really had fun creating place settings and wine tasting notebooks for my ladies. I chose a palette of black, gray, navy and gold. It kept the table from feeling overly feminine but these pieces also melted my heart – because they feature watercolor art my toddler painted! Turning my son’s art into plates and notebooks on Shutterfly was so easy. All I had to do was upload a scan of his artwork and voila! I had lovely glass dishes and cute notebooks for  each guest.

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For the party, I decided to set the event up as a blind wine tasting. That means you don’t know anything about what you’re drinking. Being a long-time wine geek, I love the process of tasting wine, having to describe what you’re having, comparing one wine to another and really thinking about what you like or don’t like. It’s a really fun exercise and quite educational if you’re a wine novice. While rosé is often referred to as the pink water of summer, there are actually very good rosés out there. You just have to know what you’re looking for.

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shop the post: glass plates / notebooks / wine glasses / marble cheese boards / wood cutting boards / glass wine decanter / table throw

Throughout lunch, we sipped on each wine, talking about the flavor profile (fruity or earthy?) how heavy or light it felt, how it paired with the food, which one we thought was the cheapest or the most expensive. Conversation may have also frequently wandered to toddler tantrums and what the heck is up with Instagram these days, but we tried to stay focused on the task at hand! Upon the final reveal, we discovered everyone actually liked the mid-tier, $16 bottle of rosé from California best.

All in all, the party was a total success. Thanks to Shutterfly, I was able to design a unique, personally meaningful way to bring friends together. The pieces I designed on Shutterfly made what could have been any old lunch feel a little more extraordinary. But in the end, the afternoon wasn’t really about the wine.  It was about the company, the conversation – the bringing together of friends that we’ll all remember.

I highly recommend checking out Shutterfly to help make your next gathering a little more special.

 

original photography for apartment 34 by stephanie russo, florals by lambert studio 

This post is in partnership with Shutterfly. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting posts that have kept apartment 34’s doors open.

Have you had a warm day in your neighborhood yet? That means it’s almost rosé season people! For this edition of Wine Wednesday, I wanted to introduce you to a lovely bottle of blush that you need to add to your wine rotation this summer (and not just because the label is rurl pretty too).

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Tank Garage Winery in Calistoga, CA (my favorite little corner of the Napa Valley) produces small collections of “one off,” uniquely-crafted wines to celebrate the unique characteristics of vintage California culture. Their annual collection includes rosé, delicious red blends and aromatic chardonnays all with unique flavor profiles. But the rosé had me at hello. Crisp, light, but with a nice body that’ll stand up to some tasty treats – a good bright goat cheese and crackers is a personal fave – this rosé is the perfect summer accessory.

A beautiful rosé on Apartment34

I also love that Tank thinks about design outside of the bottle too. A lover of labels, Tank partners with artists and illustrators to create unique label designs for each bottle to showcase the stories and embody the taste of their wine blends. Along with the rosé I’m really into the 2015 All or Nothing red blend, and not just for both the name and the kickass label design. But it sure is fun to have a good lookin’ wine bottle on your table.

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While you can’t get Tank everywhere, you can order it online. I can confidently say the entire family of Tank wines is a yummy and rather cool option to add to your summer wine collection. I am curious. What do you struggle with when it comes to wine? Good values? How to pair with food? How to figure out what you like? I’d love to help dive into more questions so let me know in comments below!

For more of my Wine Wednesday picks, click here.

For my favorite wine country escapes, click here.

Oh and PS: this is a sneak peek of a pretty little afternoon coming to the blog tomorrow so be sure to check back!

 

photography for apartment 34 by jen kay

While I typically reserve Wednesday to talk about wine, there’s nothing wrong with indulging a day early – especially on Valentine’s Day! I must admit, the contrived Valentine’s romance isn’t really my jam, but an excuse to bring some of my girls together – that I can get into.

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Since I haven’t seen a happy hour in I can’t remember how long, hosting a ladies lunch is a lot more mom-friendly. A few friends, a pretty table and some light bites are all you need to feed your need for girl-time.

Even though my table was Valentine-inspired, I didn’t want it to feel saccharin. With a dark gray tablecloth as a ground, all of the warm neutrals stand out. To make place settings a little more special, the secret is to layer. A charger, dinner and salad plate all stacked together create texture. I wrapped a set of printed napkins (designed by Erica Tanov – a major design crush), with a bit of rose-colored suede. Brass flatware and a little gold dish on each place add a hint of glam without getting overly girly. A floral centerpiece with creamy ranunculus, anemones, sweatpeas and jasmine soften the entire scene.

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But it wouldn’t be a proper party without a little wine! While rosé is my summer staple, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy it even when there’s snow on the ground. Elouan Rosé is the perfect light, bright and delicious addition to some quality time with your girls. Elouan’s name literally means “good light.” Fitting, no?

I really quite like this wine. Created with Oregon-grown pinot noir, it has real depth of flavor and some good body. So many rosés are rather insipid. This one is lovely whether you’re enjoying a glass all on its own, or pairing it with food. It’s the perfect all-year-round wine. It also always settles the divide between those who want to drink white and those who want to drink red. Rosé always satisfies.

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I also like giving my guests a little favor to take home – in this case pieces of tangerine quartz. It has properties of strength and tenacity, but is also calming and centering. Exactly what all moms need, especially in these trying times!

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Since I’m often stuffing leftovers from a child’s tray into my mouth and calling it lunch, this is a refreshing respite from day-to-day mom life. Hopefully we don’t have to invent another holiday before doing this again.

For more table top and entertaining ideas CLICK HERE

Fore more Wine Wednesday posts, CLICK HERE

 

dishware via mrs.peasy / florals by lambert floral studio

photography for apartment 34 by delbarr moradi

This post is in partnership with Elouan wine. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations we’re excited about and that have kept apt34’s doors open.

As we begin a new year, I’ve been thinking about my passions. What do I truly love? What do I truly enjoy? It’s those things that I feel I can bring to you with the most enthusiasm and authenticity. Upon examining the world of my favorite things, one quickly bubbled to the top: wine.

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I love my wine. It’s my probably my biggest indulgence. And not just because I’m now a mom. My passion for wine has developed over many years. A semester in Italy sparked my initial interest, living in Santa Barbara and taking wine classes in college (perks of going to UCSB) only helped it grow. And my love of wine and fascination with the entire wine making process has only intensified since moving a stone’s throw from California wine country. I visit Napa and Sonoma as often as I can, have joined more wine clubs than I’d like to admit and drink wine…pretty much every day of the week. True story. It’s good for you thought right?

In all seriousness, I’ve blogged about wine in the past (like hereherehere and here), but I thought it might be fun to start a series dedicated to what I’m drinking right now. Because I know one of the hardest things about wine is figuring out what the heck to try in the first place. Everyone wants to drink “good wine,” but what does that even mean?

Some wines are daily drinkers. Some are best savored on very special occasions. And then there are those that fall somewhere in the middle. I’m hoping to bring you options across the entire spectrum, but I’m kicking off this Wine Wednesday series with a newly discovered wine and the winery that goes with it. It always helps when I love the winery as much as I love the wine.

Turnbull Wine Cellars is just one such place.

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Turnball Winery is tucked in the heart of Napa, but if you blink while driving up Hwy 29, you might miss it. Surrounded by some pretty ostentatious neighbors, Turnbull is an unassuming space that maintains a welcoming, old-school winery feel. Family owned and operated, everything happens at the original barn-like structure built in 1979. And while it may appear understated, the property actually comes with quite the design pedigree. The winery was designed by famed architect William Turnbull, Jr., whose architectural style can be spotted throughout California, the Sea Ranch community on the Northern California coast being one of his most famous. When the O’Dell family bought the winery in 1993, they kept the name Turnbull in William’s honor.

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Today, Turnbull is run by daughter Zoe Johns. A former retail buyer and director of merchandising, Zoe has a great eye. She brought a cool, modern perspective to the entire Turnbull environment. I shouldn’t be surprised – you can sneak a peek at Zoe’s own San Francisco home on D*S from a few years back – it’s dang good.

Today, Turnbull’s private tasting room is modeled after Zoe’s childhood living room, the tasting gallery holds the country’s largest private collection of Ansel Adams photography and the outdoor space features beautiful gardens, a wood-fired pizza oven, bocce court and an edible pairing garden with a fire pit. It really is a beautiful place to drink away an afternoon.

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But let’s get down to the important stuff – the wine! Turnbull is well known for incredibly fine wines. In fact, two wines have garnered a perfect 100 points and 14 wines have been rated at 95 points or more by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. But again, what does that actually mean? On our visit to Turnbull we sampled a bit everything, but what caught my attention is their 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is smooth, silky and complex. If you read its description  you’ll see phrases like bright Rainier cherries, fall spice and grain tea tannins. But again, what does that actually mean? Really it means very little. You don’t have to know esoteric descriptions to decide if you like a wine. You know if you relish every sip. You know if you intentionally take your time to enjoy your glass. I find the harder time I have describing a wine, the more I like it. Because it’s not straightforward. It’s not one note. It brought brings you back wanting more.

Now the Turnbull 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t one of those wines you bust open on any random Tuesday. This is definitely one of the bottles you want to invest in and take your time to enjoy. But it is definitely well worth it.

I hope you enjoyed our first Wine Wednesday post. If there are any wines you’re currently loving, please share in the comments! I’m always looking to add to my collection.

 

images kassie borreson & taylor brown