It's decided! We (two definite food and wine snobs) are heading to Napa Valley and San Francisco for our honeymoon, but internet research can be deceiving, so if you've been to wine country...Where did you stay? Where did you eat? What did you do? Share the good stuff!
OH Napa..how fun! Brix is a great restaurant and one of my favorite wineries is the v. Sattui..they have a great cute little deli where you can buy things and have a picnic! Robert Mondavi is very nice too, including the tour. Another fav restaurant is the Greystone Winery-Culinary Institute...pricey lunch but worth every cent...;-)
OH and then there's the winery that's really beautiful on top of a hill...you have to take a tram up there..very scenic.(sorry, I can't remember the name)
OH and one more HUGE tip...there's a place called COPIA center for the wine, food and arts...It's a restaurant, museum, garden...there's a great bookstore in there too, plus, of course wine tastings!
Unfortunately, I don't have any advice about hotels...I've heard of the Sonoma Mission Inn.
Napa is so much fun, even downtown Napa...what month are you going? Hopefully it's not the summer, it can get super hot and crowded....
Oh there is so much to see and do! Depending on where you're visiting, here's my "top lists" for Napa:
Eating: - French Laundry - so it's $$$$ but a great splurge for your honeymoon - Auberge du Soleil - Michelin-rated restaurant with a beautiful view - Bouchon - casual bistro by Thomas Keller (same chef from French Laundry) - CIA (Culinary Institute at Greystone) - Bistro Jeanty - french - Mustards Grille - fresh local food - Taylor's Refresher - delicious burgers and other diner food
For a delicious picnic lunch, stop by Oakville Grocery off the St. Helena Hwy and grab some gourmet sandwiches, cheese, etc. Take them to a nice winery with a picnic area like Monticello Vineyards or V. Sattui and enjoy
Wineries: - Domaine Chandon - always fun to enjoy some bubbly - Opus One - for true wine enthusiasts - Rubicon Estate - touristy, but beautiful - Sterling - tram tour
Where to stay: - Vintage Inn - Harvest Inn - Villagio Inn - Bed and Breakfasts!
And that's just Napa! I got married in Sonoma and my list can go on and on there... =)
Napa holds a special place in my heart...FI whisked me away here post-proposal! How fun for you! We stayed at the Meadowood Resort in Napa and LOVED it. The cabins are so lux and comfy, and the place is very laidback and quiet. He originally wanted to stay at Auberge but it was booked.
You MUST eat at Auberge (do lunch there and make sure you get a table on the terrace...the most amazing view of the Valley), and La Toque (FI says it is the best meal he has ever had in his life).
You will want to get a car service for the day to go around to the wineries...they usually have good recommendations (as will your hotel concierge). We visited many wineries so I don't recall every name, but Frog's Leap was SUPER fun. Feel free to message me if you want more info...I'm sure he has our actual trip itinerary saved somewhere!
we head to napa every two months or so and its really a special place! my recommendations:
eat:
tra vigne (this is michael chiarello's restaurant- he's on the food network)
bistro jeanty- my favorite french restaurant in the bay area. be daring, order the bone marrow.
martini house- a gorgeous old house with amazing rustic fair
french laundry- if you CAN get reservations and you dont mind paying $300+ pp
wineries:
napa is great. but i'm a huge fan of sonoma. its more quaint and not as touristy. i cannot remember the wineries because they're so small and off backroads. but if you like exploring sonoma rocks.
but in napa, i concur with domain chandon, v. sattui
sf: *rubbing hands together*
slanted door- cool, hip great vietnamese food.
aqua/michael mina/ gary danko/fleur de lys- all 4 star/1-2 michelin star restaurants. yum yum yum
ferry building- great place to just roam on a sat or sun morning.tons of specialty food shops and yummy restauratants.
and i know a ton of "hole in the wall" yet awesome restaurants. just let me know if you'd like recs!
in terms of where to stay in SF, i've been around to a lot of hotels looking for a wedding reception- so here's my take
Union Square- center of the shopping area/downtown
clift hotel- very *cool* hotel. along the lines of the W
westin st. francis- michael mina's restaurant is inside.
four seasons- my gym is inside here. great hotel right on market st near all the hubbub
westin at market- nice and near union square
the palace hotel- grand old hotel
nob hill
the fairmont/mark hopkins intercontinental/ritz- all on the top of the hill with amazing views. $$$ but prepared to walk very steep hills.
Financial District
Mandarin oriental- 5 star service in one of the tallest bldgs in sf
the omni- smaller and pretty affordable
Embarcadero- its quieter here but is right near the water and the ferry bldg
hotel vitale- great boutique hotel and has a great happy hour bar called the americano
my cousin came to visit and stayed in fisherman's wharf. i'd suggest not staying here. its the northern most part of the city and gets super windy. plus you can just go to the wharf during the day. at night, not much to do.
Thanks to all for your fabulous suggestions! I absolutely cannot wait to be married and celebrating in Cali! Missy Jenn, my wedding date is September 13, 2008, so hopefully mid-September won't be too hot or crowded, but I know we will love it regardless. Hopefully, it's not TOO cold either because we are planning an outdoor ceremony and dancing in Michigan.
We went to Napa on our honeymoon. We absolutely loved loved it. We stayed at the Wine Country Inn - it is a little pricey but is wonderful and I would highly recommend it. They have an excursion there (day wine tour) that is great for your first day there to get a feel of the place and then from there, we went ourselves to the different wineries. We made sure to pace ourselves so went to only 2/3 wineries a day. Also took a day trip to Armstrong woods and Sonoma valley. Would also recommend Robert Mondavi tour (you can pick the grapes off the vines and taste them) and also Delectus (can do barrel tasting)
I recently went to SF & Sonoma. My favorite winery was Moshin (sp?). Also, be aware the within an hour drive the temperatures can be very different. One minute I had goose bumps then the next I was "glowy". So, you may already be aware, but I would recommend layered outfits or planning where you will be each day.
We stayed in Napa for 2 nights during our honeymoon. We can't wait to go back!! Our favorite winery was the Franciscan. The front desk staff at our hotel gave us a lot of coupons for free tastings and/or buy one get one free. This saved us a ton!! I would check with the place you are staying before heading out. We drove up to the Geyser and then worked our way down. I second V.Sattui. It was crowded but the deli is fantastic! We got the best cheese and crackers there! You will have a blast!
I was recently in Napa and I would have to suggest the Sterling Winery and Alpha Omega. At Sterling, you ride an aerial tram to the actual winery, do a self tour, and have an amazing view of the surrounding area from their large patio. The Alpha Omega is still in the middle of being built, but their wine is wonderful, and the people are so nice. As far as food in Napa, I highly recomment the Rutherford Grill. One of the employees at Alpha Omega suggested it, and we were definitely not let down. The food and the service was A++.
I second dr.pepper's message about Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford. We are having our wedding there (Oct. 11, 2008) and the food and the view are unbeatable. It is pretty expensive so I would recommend lunch unless you really want to splurge on a dinner! Also, Rutherford Hill Vineyard is right next door and they have an amazing tour of their wine caves (and their wine is great too!). Have fun!
It's decided! We (two definite food and wine snobs) are heading to Napa Valley and San Francisco for our honeymoon, but internet research can be deceiving, so if you've been to wine country...Where did you stay? Where did you eat? What did you do? Share the good stuff!
posted by nicgac 25 posts 9 months agoHey that is what we finally decided too! We are excited!
I went on tripladvisor.com and there was a lot of info on there...they have a forum too!
I hope people respond to this one...I'm really interested too!
We know we want to check out St. Jean Chateau winery...possibly stay at the Mission Inn one or two nights of it as well!
I think it was Kenwood Inn that looked really nice too!
posted by karieck05 99 posts 9 months agoOH Napa..how fun! Brix is a great restaurant and one of my favorite wineries is the v. Sattui..they have a great cute little deli where you can buy things and have a picnic! Robert Mondavi is very nice too, including the tour. Another fav restaurant is the Greystone Winery-Culinary Institute...pricey lunch but worth every cent...;-)
OH and then there's the winery that's really beautiful on top of a hill...you have to take a tram up there..very scenic.(sorry, I can't remember the name)
OH and one more HUGE tip...there's a place called COPIA center for the wine, food and arts...It's a restaurant, museum, garden...there's a great bookstore in there too, plus, of course wine tastings!
Unfortunately, I don't have any advice about hotels...I've heard of the Sonoma Mission Inn.
Napa is so much fun, even downtown Napa...what month are you going? Hopefully it's not the summer, it can get super hot and crowded....
posted by MissyJenn 48 posts 9 months agoOh there is so much to see and do! Depending on where you're visiting, here's my "top lists" for Napa:
Eating:
- French Laundry - so it's $$$$ but a great splurge for your honeymoon
- Auberge du Soleil - Michelin-rated restaurant with a beautiful view
- Bouchon - casual bistro by Thomas Keller (same chef from French Laundry)
- CIA (Culinary Institute at Greystone)
- Bistro Jeanty - french
- Mustards Grille - fresh local food
- Taylor's Refresher - delicious burgers and other diner food
For a delicious picnic lunch, stop by Oakville Grocery off the St. Helena Hwy and grab some gourmet sandwiches, cheese, etc. Take them to a nice winery with a picnic area like Monticello Vineyards or V. Sattui and enjoy
Wineries:
- Domaine Chandon - always fun to enjoy some bubbly
- Opus One - for true wine enthusiasts
- Rubicon Estate - touristy, but beautiful
- Sterling - tram tour
Where to stay:
- Vintage Inn
- Harvest Inn
- Villagio Inn
- Bed and Breakfasts!
And that's just Napa! I got married in Sonoma and my list can go on and on there... =)
posted by aha106 13 posts 9 months agoNapa holds a special place in my heart...FI whisked me away here post-proposal! How fun for you! We stayed at the Meadowood Resort in Napa and LOVED it. The cabins are so lux and comfy, and the place is very laidback and quiet. He originally wanted to stay at Auberge but it was booked.
You MUST eat at Auberge (do lunch there and make sure you get a table on the terrace...the most amazing view of the Valley), and La Toque (FI says it is the best meal he has ever had in his life).
You will want to get a car service for the day to go around to the wineries...they usually have good recommendations (as will your hotel concierge). We visited many wineries
so I don't recall every name, but Frog's Leap was SUPER fun. Feel free to message me if you want more info...I'm sure he has our actual trip itinerary saved somewhere!
posted by drprepper 56 posts 9 months agoI suggest staying at the Kenwood Inn and Spa. It's beautiful and boutique and has an italian feel.
Downtown Calistoga is really the sweetest place. There's so many options. It really just depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.
posted by glittergrl 320 posts 9 months agowe head to napa every two months or so and its really a special place! my recommendations:
eat:
wineries:
sf: *rubbing hands together*
- slanted door- cool, hip great vietnamese food.
- aqua/michael mina/ gary danko/fleur de lys- all 4 star/1-2 michelin star restaurants. yum yum yum
- ferry building- great place to just roam on a sat or sun morning.tons of specialty food shops and yummy restauratants.
- and i know a ton of "hole in the wall" yet awesome restaurants. just let me know if you'd like recs!
posted by bora 62 posts 9 months agoin terms of where to stay in SF, i've been around to a lot of hotels looking for a wedding reception- so here's my take
Union Square- center of the shopping area/downtown
nob hill
Financial District
Embarcadero- its quieter here but is right near the water and the ferry bldg
my cousin came to visit and stayed in fisherman's wharf. i'd suggest not staying here. its the northern most part of the city and gets super windy. plus you can just go to the wharf during the day. at night, not much to do.
g luck!
posted by bora 62 posts 9 months agoThanks to all for your fabulous suggestions! I absolutely cannot wait to be married and celebrating in Cali! Missy Jenn, my wedding date is September 13, 2008, so hopefully mid-September won't be too hot or crowded, but I know we will love it regardless. Hopefully, it's not TOO cold either because we are planning an outdoor ceremony and dancing in Michigan.
posted by nicgac 25 posts 9 months agoWe went to Napa on our honeymoon. We absolutely loved loved it. We stayed at the Wine Country Inn - it is a little pricey but is wonderful and I would highly recommend it. They have an excursion there (day wine tour) that is great for your first day there to get a feel of the place and then from there, we went ourselves to the different wineries. We made sure to pace ourselves so went to only 2/3 wineries a day. Also took a day trip to Armstrong woods and Sonoma valley. Would also recommend Robert Mondavi tour (you can pick the grapes off the vines and taste them) and also Delectus (can do barrel tasting)
posted by Oleander 5 posts 9 months agoI recently went to SF & Sonoma. My favorite winery was Moshin (sp?). Also, be aware the within an hour drive the temperatures can be very different. One minute I had goose bumps then the next I was "glowy". So, you may already be aware, but I would recommend layered outfits or planning where you will be each day.
posted by cannotwait 214 posts 5 months agoWe stayed in Napa for 2 nights during our honeymoon. We can't wait to go back!! Our favorite winery was the Franciscan. The front desk staff at our hotel gave us a lot of coupons for free tastings and/or buy one get one free. This saved us a ton!! I would check with the place you are staying before heading out. We drove up to the Geyser and then worked our way down. I second V.Sattui. It was crowded but the deli is fantastic! We got the best cheese and crackers there!
posted by harpersr 24 posts 5 months agoYou will have a blast!
I was recently in Napa and I would have to suggest the Sterling Winery and Alpha Omega. At Sterling, you ride an aerial tram to the actual winery, do a self tour, and have an amazing view of the surrounding area from their large patio. The Alpha Omega is still in the middle of being built, but their wine is wonderful, and the people are so nice. As far as food in Napa, I highly recomment the Rutherford Grill. One of the employees at Alpha Omega suggested it, and we were definitely not let down. The food and the service was A++.
posted by Sunflower16 5 posts 5 months agoI second dr.pepper's message about Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford. We are having our wedding there (Oct. 11, 2008) and the food and the view are unbeatable. It is pretty expensive so I would recommend lunch unless you really want to splurge on a dinner! Also, Rutherford Hill Vineyard is right next door and they have an amazing tour of their wine caves (and their wine is great too!). Have fun!
posted by kkj4630 5 posts 5 months ago