CALIFORNIA: PART 2

Part 2 of our trip to California was by far my favorite part of the trip! Don't get me wrong...I enjoyed spending time in Yountville and Napa, but there was just something different about our time in Sonoma that I just loved! Sonoma definitely has more of a laid-back atmosphere. Many of the wineries in Sonoma are family owned and full of friendly people! We learned that Sonoma is now the second most popular destination for wine next to Tuscany. Maybe someday we can visit there. :-)

Although we stayed in Sonoma, our first full day spent there was our wedding anniversary. In a way, two years has flown by but it also seems like Dan and I have been married forever. I seriously can't imagine my life without him. By far God's greatest blessing upon my life. I love life with you, babe! :-) We decided to spend the day relaxing and enjoying time together. We started off the morning at Chateau St Jean Winery. Since we were there early enough we enjoyed some wonderful private time tasting delicious wines and taking in the beautiful scenery. If you ever go to Sonoma, this place is a must! From there we drove to Kenwood Inn & Spa where we enjoyed a day of R&R. For Dan's birthday-versary present I surprised him with a couple's massage (this was my first ever). After that we spent time by the pool and ended the evening with a delicious dinner at the Inn. Again...absolutely beautiful place to visit! Tip: We weren't able to stay there (it's a little pricey), but if you book any spa appointment they allow you to use the pool and the grounds for the day. We took full advantage of that! 

Day three in wine country was by far the busiest. We visited three wineries, all good! First up was Matanzas Creek. This winery is known for their lavender gardens and they just happened to be in full bloom during our visit. The entire vineyard smelled amazing! We did a tour and a tasting and then visited the lavender shop to bring home some goodies. Our second stop of the day was Benziger Family Winery. We did a tram tour and were the only ones on our tour, so we basically got a private tour of the place! We even got to go underground to the cellars and see where they store the barrels - something I've always pictured doing in wine country. Third and final stop was Kunde Family Estate, which ended up being one of my favorites. We splurged on this one and did the Mountaintop Tasting (highly recommend). The views are incredible and the wine is delicious! Our favorite was the Red Dirt Red. We also found out they do a lot of weddings on the estate and I decided I might move there and work as their wedding planner. :-) 

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in wine country and I am already trying to get Dan to take us back. If only it were a weekend road trip away, right? It is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Even if you don't think you're a wine drinker I suggest going and trying it out. You will learn a lot about wine and who knows, you might end up loving it! If not, at least you'll enjoy the scenery. Tip: To save money, ask about shared tastings when booking. Dan and I shared at some wineries and only had to pay for one tasting. Of course there are always some that don't allow shared tastings or are too good to share - we did our own at each of those!