Wine Wednesday: Meet Sophie James

Entertaining

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.

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.

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!

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.

Wanderlust Wednesday: Top 5 Best Places to Stay in Wine Country

Gotta Getaway

Now that we’ve rounded the corner past Memorial Day, I can already feel my feet start to get the summer itch. You know what I’m talking about. The desire to go somewhere. Anywhere! While visions of tropical destinations and far-flung locations often dance in my head, I’m lucky that there are so many amazing travel destinations a stone’s throw from San Francisco. It is probably my favorite thing about living in the Bay Area (sorry Seattle – I still love you too). After a recent day trip to Sonoma, (did you see the gorgeousness on Instagram – I think I have to do a full recap for you on the blog – would you like that?) I’ve got serious wine country cravings. Thankfully, I already have at least one trip to wine country on the books this summer and I’m hoping to squeeze a weekend or two more in my happy place.

While it can be hard to pick an absolute favorite wine country locale, I thought I’d recap some of the best places I’ve visited through the years.

NAPA

Meadowood Napa Valley: Tucked into a canyon off the Silverado Trail, Meadowood Napa Valley is a hidden oasis. Under 100 guest rooms (many, including the one in which we stayed, are actually individual cabins) are tucked among 250 tree-covered acres. We stayed in a Treeline Suite. The room featured a fireplace, soaking tub, private decks and of course heavenly hotel beds. What is it about hotel beds – I usually hate a soft bed but when I sink into a plush feather-filled bed when I’m on vacation, wild horses have to drag me back out again. That’s a long-winded way of saying I found the whole hotel room very comfortable and highly recommend this destination to anyone looking for a little luxury – wine country style.

Solage Resort & Spa: If you love a slightly more modern look, then you’ll love Solage and their gorgeous spa. Its bathhouse has a clean, white minimal look. Rock pathways are lined with lavender and the mineral pool is surrounded by cabanas you can rent for the day. The spa has also recently partnered with green skincare line True Botanicals and offers a True Botanicals facial. I’ve been dying to try one!

Indian Springs: If you want to get a historic taste of wine country, head to Indian Springs Resort. Nestled in the charming little town of Calistoga, and built atop a 150-year old hot spring, this place feels simultaneously old school but also offer everything you want from a modern-day escape. Recently renovated, the 17-acre resort now offers a variety of guest rooms from cottages and bungalows to more traditional, though newly designed hotel rooms. The accommodations aren’t over the top, but totally comfortable. But the real stars of the show are the four thermal geysers that produce rich mineral water and a deposit of pure volcanic ash also runs through the property. The waters supply their Olympic-sized mineral pool and combined with the ash, create the special mud for their famous mud baths. The bathhouse is a one of a kind experience you should not miss. If you’re looking for a quick weekend away, this is probably the first thing I would go.

SONOMA

Farmhouse Inn: With only 25 rooms you’re going to get very personalized service. And of course, I swooned over the design. The rooms put the perfect modern spin on cottage chic. They feature soaking tubs, many of which open up onto patios with indoor/outdoor fireplaces. You’re given custom-made bath salts, sugar scrubs and homemade soaps at reception so you can make your own mini in-room spa kit. I don’t think I’ve bathed so much in one weekend. But I did drag myself back out of the room to give the Farmhouse Inn spa a test run. Set up in the Inn’s “barn,” I was equally impressed by the spa’s design. It was less modern zen and more country / rustic but I loved the vibe. It felt cozy and familiar. I’m also a sucker for any space that’s all white!

And of course there are always new spots popping up in Napa and Sonoma and I’m always looking for my next destination. First up on my must-try list is below.

Autocamp: Set in a stunning native Redwood forest about an hour and a half from San Francisco, AutoCamp is the perfect spot for outdoor lovers who may not love roughing it (me, me, me). AutoCamp offers a “camping” experience that blends beautiful design and luxury with nature. You can choose between your own private Airstream trailer complete with a bathroom, bed & shower (yas!) or select a glamping tent that shares communal facilities. Each campsite is equipped with its own cooking stove and some have firepits. You are in the woods so hiking, mountain biking and exploring the Russian River are at your fingertips. But there’s also amazing wine all around. So it’s kinda the best of both worlds. I’ve stalked many a friend on Instagram who has given AutoCamp a test run and rave, saying its both gorgeous and kid-friendly.

Now, this isn’t a complete retrospective on where to stay in wine country. There are many a resort and of course tons of amazing rental houses out there too. I fully expect you to be reciprocal in your advice. Wineries, rental homes, hotels – I want to know it all because testing out new amazing spots is pretty much my job. So please comment away! Would you like a post on my favorite wineries too?!

Need more summer travel inspiration? CLICK HERE.

images via apartment 34 / glitter guide / hannah merrit

Wine Wednesday: A Hot Spot for the Cool Crowd

Food + Travel

If you live in the Bay Area, are under 35 and have ever worn a boho hat or sport a beard, then you’ve probably already heard of Scribe Winery. But there’s a reason all the cool kids go there and why Scribe is my current Wine Wednesday obsession. It’s just too dang pretty! We actually featured Scribe and their gorgeous property a few years back. But they’ve taken the cool factor to a whole new level with their recently renovated Hacienda.

One of the oldest buildings in Sonoma, the hacienda sat abandoned for more than 20 years. Even after Scribe opened it remained untouched. It was used for impromptu parties (and even I may have snuck into it for a photo shoot!), but after nearly two years the Hacienda has been reborn. It now features beautiful sitting rooms, a commercial kitchen and I hear three guest rooms that will house visiting chefs and possibly a writer in residence. Did I mention the coolness oooozes out of this place?? What I love most is that the renovation kept the original patina intact. From walls whose peeling paint revealed period wallpaper beneath to restoring original glass, built-ins, and fixtures, if you didn’t know better you might think the space hadn’t actually been renovated!

The day I visited, the property was abloom because Louesa Roebuck and Sara Londsdale were on hand to celebrate their new flower-focused tome, Foraged Flora. So gorgeous right?

You can now book wine tastings at the Hacienda that include a beautifully prepared lunch straight from that stunning kitchen. You’ll enjoy farm fresh salads (like fresh off their farm on the property), cheese boards, sandwiches – whatever the resident chef invents for that day. Food is served in bowls designed by artist and Scribe friend Jess Hirsch and you’ll dine on tables made of redwood trees that fell on the property a few years back. Again, does it get cooler? I think not. But as beautiful as the place is, the wines are also quite good too. Run by brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani, who are fourth-generation California farmers, the brothers decided it was time to breathe new life into not only into the property’s structures, but most importantly into the land for their sustainable winemaking.

Scribe is located on one of the older vineyards in Sonoma. It was shut down during prohibition, then turned into an orchard and at one time a turkey farm. But it is certainly back to life now. The brothers planted Reisling and Sylvaner (a german varietal) as that’s what had grown on the property since the turn of the last century. Scribe also produces Chardonnay, Rosés, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignons with grapes sourced from throughout the valley. Scribe uses old world, natural wine making processes like skin-fermentation and really focus on infusing the uniqueness of place into all of their wines. Having tasted at Scribe for a number of years now I think it’s fair to say that the wines vary a bit from year to year, but what they’re pouring now is particularly strong. The Rosés are exceptionally light and crisp; perfect for really hot days. The Pinot has a bit more body and structure than past years. It’s a lovely wine to sip on its own or enjoy with food. But I’m actually particularly loving their Cab right now. At over $70 a bottle, it’s certainly a special occasion wine but I’m finding it pretty special.

So the next time you’re planning a visit to wine country, make sure a visit to Scribe is on your list. Just make a point to call and book ahead. This place is cool remember, so of course, it’s nearly impossible to get in!

For more Wine Wednesday posts, CLICK HERE

For my favorite getaways, CLICK HERE

New Series: Wine Wednesday

Entertaining

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.

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 here, here, here 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.

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.

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.

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

How to Make a Dream Day Come True

Gotta Getaway

Have you ever been steamrolling through your days, weeks, even months, only to feel like you’ve hit a wall? Like you wish you could check out of your responsibilities even for just one day? I think we can all relate to that feeling. But it can often be nearly impossible to squeeze a break into life’s daily grind.

But this being #TheYearOfErin (reminder on what the heck I’m talking about here), I was determined to carve out a little recharge time this summer – even if only for 24 hours. Thankfully, my friends at American Express Platinum challenged me to craft a dream experience relying on all of their amazing Platinum Card benefits and the idea for the ultimate Lady-Boss Day Off was born.

The mission? To treat some really amazing lady-boss friends who inspire me daily with their creativity, generous spirit, and all around bad-assness (it’s a word, I swear) to a well-deserved escape – in the middle of a work week! Playing hookie is the ultimate luxury after all. Thankfully, being based in San Francisco makes an escape relatively easy as we have a veritable playground right in the city’s backyard. It’s called Napa.

This very special day off needed to include three things – major pampering, seriously good eats and something truly unique. Thankfully, the American Express Platinum Card makes travel easy. The American Express Platinum Concierge – the amazing service you enjoy as a Card Member where you can call and have almost any travel planning need taken care of – came to my rescue. With the help of the concierge I was able to put together a pitch perfect 24 hours in Napa. Our stay included wine tasting, a night at a beautiful wine country hotel, dinner at a leading Napa restaurant and…a hot air balloon ride! Don’t worry, we took a lot of snaps of it all for you.

one of my favorite places to enjoy amazing wine in a picture perfect setting – Frog’s Leap Winery

We kicked our escape off right – with a private wine tasting in the stunning gardens of Frogs Leap Winery. An organic, dry farmed winery, Frog’s Leap takes an old world approach to wine making with stellar results. And lounging in lush gardens, crisp rosé in hand is really the perfect way to begin to unwind.

After enjoying the fruits of Frogs Leap’s labor, it was time to check the second to-do off our agenda: Pool time! We were lucky enough to stay at the ultimate Napa escape – the Meadowood Resort (I’ve shared my obsession with the property before here). There’s certainly no better way to feel like a princess for a day then to stay there. The Meadowood also happens to be part of American Express Platinum FINE HOTELS & RESORTS which, when booked through American Express Platinum, offers Card Members perks like complimentary room upgrades or a spa credit! Hello massage, come to mama.

Meadowood has less than 100 rooms, really more like private cabins tucked into the hills

The newly renovated Meadowood Spa is a must visit. The gorgeous design is equaled by the knowledgable staff and fantastic treatments. I treated myself to an oxygen facial. I swear my skin glowed for days

To cap off a lovely day, we put on our fancy shoes and headed to dinner, Solbar at the Solage Resort. Seated at the chef’s table – which the American Express concierge also arranged – we enjoyed a stellar menu. It was one of those top 10 dinners you’ll remember for quite some time!

hamachi crudo that was almost too pretty to eat

a stunning salad of peaches, arugula, grilled walla walla sweet onion and burrata

But the ladies still had to get their rest because we had to get up at the crack of dawn – well before it actually. It was the first time I’d seen 4:30am since my kiddo started sleeping through the night, but it was well worth it because we took a hot air balloon ride! It was as magical as I always thought it would be.

photos thanks to my fellow lady bosses who you should all follow on instagram @caitlinflemming @honestlywtf @margaretelizabeth @aubriepick @shopsweetthings @nataliebdesigns @emthegem

We really couldn’t have packed more into one day. I didn’t even mention all the great conversation, laughter and trading of entrepreneurial war stories that went on. And while I loved the amazing wine, the cushy hotel bed and the luxury spa treatment, what I really enjoyed most was the company. I’ve come to cherish the women I’ve met through this crazy world of blogging more than most of them would ever realize. These fellow women makers, doers, dreamers and all around ass-kickers are such a continual inspiration.

Because some days it can be hard to feel like you’re good enough to make it. You begin to question your own ideas, abilities or compare yourself to the success of others. But when you surround yourself with other female entrepreneurs whose drive is as strong as their desire to uplift, collaborate and help those around them, it’s a wonderful reminder that we are, in fact, all in this together. Everyone succeeds when we lift one another up. It’s what made me fall in love with the unique challenge of carving out your place in the world and it’s what has kept me here for so long.

I cannot thank Caitlin, Erica, Aubrie, Natalie, Jeanne, Meg, Emily & Kristin enough for reminding me the true value of building connections that go far beyond business and for going on a crazy adventure with me.

Here’s to making the Lady-Boss Day Off an annual celebration! Be sure to take a peek at #ladybossdayoff on Instagram for the amazing pics from the most epic of 24 hours.

Gotta Getaway: The Ultimate Wine Country Escape

Gotta Getaway

So sorry this post is a bit delayed. Nothing like a touch of food poisoning to throw you off your blogging game. But I’m on the mend and I wanted to make sure to share my most recent wine country escape with you – because it might be my favorite ones to date and very little wine was actually involved!

This escape was focused less on new wineries and instead on new spas. Seemed like a fair trade off. We hit the road from the city (driving under the Golden Gate will never ever get old) and headed first for Meadowood Napa Valley.

Tucked into a canyon off the Silverado Trail, Meadowood Napa Valley is a hidden oasis. Under 100 guest rooms (many, including the one we stayed in are actually individual little cabins) dot the 250 hundred acre property. We stayed in a Treeline Suite. The room featured a fireplace, soaking tub, private decks and of course heavenly hotel beds. What is it about hotel beds – I usually hate a soft bed but when I sink into a plush feather-filled bed when I’m on vacation, wild horses have to drag me back out again. That’s a long-winded way of saying I found the whole hotel room very comfortable.

Also hidden amongst the trees are swimming pools, tennis courts, golf and hiking trails. We enjoyed dinner at the resort’s restaurant The Grill. The only disappointment is that the 3 Michelin starred Restaurant at Meadowood was closed for the weekend. But what I was really excited to test out was the resort’s newly opened holistic spa. I’m a sucker for a good spa treatment but my experience at Meadowood was exceptional.

Their brand new all-inclusive spa facility is gorgeous. Think solid oak floors, beautiful linens and pillows and I wanted to stash in my luggage to take home with me. But it was their treatment suite that really blew me away. You were taken into your own private treatment room that included a steam shower and private bathroom, private sitting room and of course the treatment room. You met with your therapist in the sitting room to discuss your personalized needs and then a custom treatment of essential oils and aroma therapy is made right in front of you to enjoy during your massage. The entire experience was tranquil and lovely.

The spa also features a chic garden area with saunas, lounge chairs and plunge pool you can enjoy for the day – either before or after your treatment. But if you’re digging the privacy thing, there’s also a private “tree house suite” featuring a soaking tub, fireplace and that stunning bed that you can rent out – for the entire day if you like! Genius.

Everything at the Meadowood spa was understated, minimalist, modern but a touch wabi-sabi at the same time. I wanted to stay forever.

But we had to go. We were scheduled to hop across the valley from Napa into Sonoma – driving through stunning vistas of vineyards blooming with mustard btw – to stay at Sonoma’s famed Farmhouse Inn. Farmhouse Inn takes boutique to another level. Tucked into an open and backed up upon a forrest, the four yellow guest buildings pop against the see of green. We were greeted at reception by very nice staff and two resident cats who were eager to escort us to our room. The staff, not the cats though we were warned they’d try to snuggle with any cat enthusiast. With only 25 rooms you’re going to get very personalized service. And of course I swooned over the design. The rooms put the perfect modern spin on cottage chic.

The rooms also feature soaking tubs which I made liberal use of, especially since they offer bath salts, sugar scrubs and homemade soaps at reception so you can make your own mini-spa kit. I don’t think I’ve bathed so much in one weekend. But I did drag myself back out of the room to give the Farmhouse Inn spa a test run. Set up in the Inn’s “barn,” I was equally impressed by the spa’s design. It was less modern zen and more down home – like you were walking into someplace immediately familiar and welcoming. I’m also a sucker for any space that’s all white!

For my treatment at Farmhouse I got to test out their new treatment app which let me use Numerology to determine the best essential oils for my system. I love that kind of stuff so was totally into it. The massage also featured the use of herbal compress balls that are applied warm to your back to help further ease tension. And feel amazing. I wouldn’t have left the spa if it weren’t for the lovely three course breakfast that was awaiting me in the restaurant (which is also Michelin starred). The food, the ambience, everything at the Farmhouse Inn was stunning.

I was so focused on relaxing on this trip, I actually failed to do any wine tasting – though plenty of wine was consumed to be sure. That only means I have to get back up to the Valley sooner rather than later. I truly love experiencing it during every season, whether it’s blazing in oranges and reds during harvest, stark and leafless but striking during winter, or tinted by the golden light of early spring. I’d never seen the mustard blooming before. It was gorgeous. I’ve always thought of myself as a beach person but wine country has this hold on me now that won’t let go. I’m already counting down the days until I go back again.

Right now the Farmhouse Inn and Meadowood Napa Valley are offering a “Best of Both Valleys” Getaway package. It includes two nights at each property, breakfasts, spa treatments and custom wine tasting itineraries. If you’re looking for the ultimate luxurious escape, it doesn’t really get any better than that.

Need more convincing? Check out some of my other adventures in wine country here and here and here.

A Monday Morning Moment of Zen

Gotta Getaway

You know those Sunday nights where your workload is stacked high and you have plans to be oh so productive. And then suddenly 11pm is staring you in the face and you know the alarm clock will go off too early. I know you feel my pain.

So while I have a recap of my recent wine country getaway headed your way, for now I give you a quiet moment of tranquil perfection to start your day.

PS – you can actually stay in this room! Check back later today to find out how…

And if you need a little escape to tide you over you can check out the rest of our travel recaps right here.

Gotta Getaway: Escaping to Wine Country with a Newborn

Gotta Getaway

People ask me what I was looking forward to the most post-pregnancy. Sushi? Unpasteurized cheese? Oysters?? Yeah, sure I do love all those things, but for my entire 10 months of growing that human, I was most looking forward to wine – and finally getting to enjoy wine country again! It was pretty tough for me to have some of the best wines in the world less than an hour’s drive away and all I could do was give it all a longing stare. That’s why I was determined to get my butt back to wine country after Carter was born. It was also a wonderful excuse to get my butt out of our house! So at four weeks old, we loaded Carter up in the car {and all his gear – our station wagon has never been so full!} and headed for Alexander Valley.

Nestled 90 minutes north of San Francisco just north of Healdsburg, Alexander Valley is a wine lovers sweet spot. While the region is known for its amazing Cabernet, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, in all our adventures in wine country we’d never ventured that far north. Needless to say I was very excited to get out among the vineyards, but the first step was finding a place to stay. Thankfully, I discovered a picture perfect rental home on Homeaway.com. This spot had my name written all over it!

This modern take on a farmhouse had everything my design-loving heart could ask for in a vacation home. The architecture and design are stunning. Think vaulted ceilings, beautiful hardwood floors and pitch perfect finishes in every space. The house is split into two sections with an adjoining deck…that leads out to a heated pool! Um, yes and yes. We would slide open the oversized glass doors and just sit in the kitchen letting the warm wine country air waft in. The minimalist decor and neutral color palette was so relaxing. The spa-like bathrooms and gourmet kitchen were another major plus. And Carter got to take his first dip in a pool. He was less than amused but he loved the shower we took after getting out!

And while I was temped to sit on that deck all day erry’day, we did manage to get out and about. That was made particularly simple because there were wineries and the cute Jimtown Store literally steps from our front door. That took care of my need for cappuccino and my return to wine tasting – no driving required! But wine country is too beautiful not to venture a bit further so we did hop in the car and head to Dry Creek – a whole 20 minutes away and discovered some of our favorite wines to date.

Wine tasting with a newborn was actually a breeze. Sure I overpacked swaddle blankets and under packed diapers. Sure, we had blowouts and spitups that required me to do laundry {thank you rental house with laundy room}. But none of it mattered because I was dealing with those things in such a beautiful space! Carter also basically slept the whole time we were out and about, really boosting our parental confidence. In fact our confidence was boosted so much that we even braved a dinner in downtown Healdsburg. Sadly, that experiment was less successful. Carter did not take to bustling restaurant noise, so we were forced to enjoy our entrees solo while the other parent circled the block with the stroller. But since we ate at the new-parent dinner hour of 5:30pm, we were able to return to our gorgeous rental home, that stunning deck, the fine bottle of wine we’d picked up in the Valley that day and this sunset:

And I couldn’t have been happier.

I’m already counting down the days until we can return. While I’m hesitant to give up this gorgeous find, you can check it out for yourself on Homeaway.com right here. Below are a few of the spots we uncovered during our mini-adventure, but I know they are only the tip of the Alexander Valley iceberg. If you have any recommendations for wine tasting, dining or really anything fabulous in northern Sonoma/Russian River/Alexander Valley, please leave them in the comments!

FAVORITE ALEXANDER VALLEY DISCOVERIES:

Wineries
> Hawkes
> Truitt-Hearst
> Preston
> Medlock Ames

Food
> Healdsburg SHED
> Scopa
> Noble Folk
> Flying Goat Coffee
> Jimtown Store

For more of our favorite wine country finds click here, here and here!

Still have wanderlust? Check out the rest of our Gotta Getaway series HERE including trips to Santa Barbara, Hawaii and Washington, DC.

Retail Therapy: {SHED, Healdsburg}

Gotta Getaway

It’s not everyday that an incredibly well designed and gorgeous space opens up in most cities, let alone in the teeny tiny Northern California town of Healdsburg. You may have remembered spying our vist to ‘The ‘Burg’ on Instagram a few weeks back and while we were there, we certainly weren’t going to miss our opportunity to check out the much talked about open-space market/resaurant/coffee shop/bar/general awesome hangout, SHED!

Word of Shed spread rapidly and it’s tempting us city dwellers to drive past the likes of Napa and Sonoma and take the extra 30 minutes it takes to get there! Focusing on quality artisan-made goods, Shed’s shelves are filled with tried and true pieces for your home and garden. It’s all the stuff that makes us swoon. Everything from artisanal brooms {yes they exist!} to oversized marble pestles and mortars can be found here. You can stock your pantry with locally made jams and gourmet olive oils as well as come home with something from the in-house larder! No matter what you’re in the market for, you definitely won’t leave empty handed- even if you do just walk away with some fresh blooms!

In the middle of the market, you’ll also find a cafe to sit and enjoy a cup of jo, as well as some crave-worthy bites. We couldn’t get enough of their gorgeous toasts {we do love a good tartine afterall}! Goat cheese and pickled watermelon radish toast called our name, but the herbed artichoke toast made us go back for seconds. Yumm.

Our absolute favorite thing had to be Shed’s fermentation bar! Never heard of such a thing? We hadn’t either.

Turns out, it’s a bar that serves all kinds of naturally cultured and fermented drinks that are made in-house or by local brewers. Kombucha, Kefir, natural sodas and beers are on tap, as well as local wines. And you can even have the bartender mix up a house-made Shrub. What’s a Shrub you ask? Let us explain.

Shrubs are drinks that actually date back to the 17th century. They’re made by combining fermented vinegar with fruit and sparkling water. There’s a reason they’ve stayed around this long- they’re a refreshing treat in your mouth! They’re sweet-tart, effervescent and really quite lovely. We ordered the Carrot + Coriander and the Grapefruit Shrub and could have easily kept on going through the entire menu!

If you’re making your way up to wine country this summer, take a well worth it detour to Shed! Who’s already snuck away from the city and enjoyed a glass of wine there? Better question, who’s ready to do it again?! We are!

For more fabulous things to do and see round the Bay Area this summer head here.

original photography for apartment 34 by Aubrie Pick

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