Sonoma Valley

Welcome to the final installment of my California trilogy!

Confession: I may have accidentally indulged in some false advertising, this week. My apologies. It was an honest mistake, I swear! I didn’t know beforehand that my Napa blog would turn out to be such a long one, and it wasn’t until during editing that I decided to split it… by which point, I had already started advertising Wednesday’s blog.

Oops.

Moving on. Saturday. Me and Rebecca. Sonoma Valley.

Our day in Sonoma started out much the same as the previous day. Breakfast al fresco. Shopping in a cute Californian town. Lots of enchanting little courtyards and plant-filled lanes. Chocolate. The accidental purchase of a hat… a typical Saturday, really. You know how it goes.

At one point, we stumbled across the mothership, AKA Williams-Sonoma, my all-time favourite kitchen supply shop. It was a come to Jesus moment for me, stepping into the flagship store where my hero, Chuck Williams, started his business. The fruits of which bring joy to my heart on a daily basis in my own kitchen.

My cup overflowethed as I walked with reverential awe around his former home, now filled with Williams-Sonoma furnishings and old photos of Chuck hanging on the walls.

Lunch was again al fresco, this time at the Cheese Factory on the Plaza. Rebecca and I each opted for their cheese platter. Rebecca got the meaty cheesy savory version; mine was a fantastic selection of goat cheeses, mixed with dried apricots, walnuts and Spanish almonds drizzled with honey *chef’s kiss*

Perfection on a hot sunny day, with a backdrop of lanky palm trees swaying in the wind.

Okay. Here goes. Another confession… Personally, dear reader, I prefer Sonoma over Napa. [Gasp!]

Don’t get me wrong: Napa itself is perfectly lovely. I’m not dissing it. Driving through the winding roads in the foothills of Napa Valley, admiring the distant vistas with my dear friend was a truly delightful mini-adventure.

It just felt to me like the town of Napa takes itself far more seriously than Sonoma, the latter of which has retained its small-town charm. Sonoma offers a more laid-back vibe. I was thoroughly enchanted.

After our cheesy lunch, we hit the road somewhat reluctantly for our next destination. We were headed toward a winery just outside Geyserville, which was almost an hour North, albeit still in Sonoma County.

The first inkling Rebecca and I got that we were about to experience something special was when we pulled into the bucolic driveway, leading us beneath the sun-dappled trees to the Ferrari-Carano villa. The lush grounds reminded me of the grand estates in England. Even the parking lot was beautifully landscaped.

After parking and taking a few pictures, we strolled up the gentle rise toward the front entrance of the villa. The forecourt was more formal than the rest of the grounds, with the obligatory fountain in the center; the entrance was classically formal, but not too imposing.

I find that any potential feelings of intimidation are lessened when one has actually been to some of the supremely splendid estates in England (I’m thinking along the lines of Chatsworth, Burghley, et al). Therefore the Ferrari-Carano villa merely felt comfortably grand to me.

The interior gave me the same feeling, as well: yes, it is large, there is a lot of marble, but none of it felt… vulgar or ostentatious? The artwork was more contemporary, the furnishings were modern. It was plush, tasteful, and really, really nice.

The hostess took us out to the terrace, where Rebecca and I were thrilled to be offered a quiet table with smashing views of the vineyard, cross-hatching its way before us, stretching up the hills into the distance. The rows of cypress trees added to the sense that we were in Italy, and the blue skies certainly emphasized the feeling that we were actually in Tuscany, not California. It was all a lovely dream.

Our personal “Wine Educator” was named Jeff, and he was terrific. It was refreshing to have someone assigned to us who happened to be fun, knowledgeable, and interesting. He gave us the perfect amount of attention, leaving us with enough time to acquaint ourselves with our wine within this picturesque environment.

In fact, the entire Foley Group hospitality team were terrific. After our more desultory experience the day before, Rebecca and I subconsciously paid attention to the Foley team when we were relaxing in the sunshine, people watching.

It helped that the wines Jeff brought us kept getting better and better! Rebecca preferred the sweeter wines, whereas I preferred the dry. But honestly, they were ALL excellent. My top favourite was the 2019 Prevail Lookout Tree. Delicious.

Also delicious were the rosemary crackers and Spanish almonds that Jeff served us. (Pay attention to how the Foley Group does things, Opus One!)

All I can say is this: the Ferrari-Carano Winery was simply DIVINE. Everything about it. The location. The villa. The grounds. And the wine was wow. Just… wow. We had the most amazing experience at Ferrari-Carano, and I recommend it 100%.

Also, as a side note, I would like to mention that their phenomenal wines are not absurdly priced.

Okay, I had better wrap this up. But before I sign off, a quick rundown of things I learned during my weekend in wine country:

My unsolicited advice is: book the tastings a couple weeks in advance
- Walk-ins may be welcome to taste the wines, but might not be able to tour the cellars
Don’t expect something to be of superior quality just because it costs more
Since many vintages can be purchased by the glass (not just the bottle), don’t be afraid to ask the hostess if you can split a glass with your partner; the winery will happily split one serving into two glasses
Join the wine club if it offers free membership
Read the small print in the membership package — make sure you choose one with no locked-in annual terms
Wine club members usually get the tastings for free, not to mention substantial discounts, among other benefits
Don’t wait 25 years before returning to wine country, like I did!!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend — I shall be back again with another [non-wine related!] blog on Monday!

Lots of love,

M xo