Destinations

The Carneros Inn, a small world class retreat with dramatic vineyard vistas. A perfect place to visit for a Bay Area Getaway. Located just inside the Napa County line off Highway 121, across from Tattinger Vineyards, a one hour drive from San Francisco.

Spacious accommodations in freestanding cottages with private furnished patios. Spectacular bathrooms with indoor/outdoor showers and heated slate floors. Beautiful Italian bed linens.

The Hilltop restaurant serves breakfast and lunch.The FARM is the signature dining room and for casual eating there is the Boon Fly Cafe. Two swimming pools, a whirlpool, gym, yoga studio, running trails and bocce courts. A wonderful spa with 15 treatment rooms.

Sonoma County Grape Camp, a behind-the-scenes three-day wine and food adventure, is designed to explore the fine craft of taking winegrapes from the vineyard to the bottle and more.

Produced by Sonoma County Winegrape Commission and Relish Culinary School, this event offers consumers hands-on experience harvesting grapes and blending wine to take home, as well as exclusive access to influential winemakers and chefs who help make Sonoma County Wine Country a world-class destination.

The second annual Sonoma County Grape Camp will take place during the exciting harvest season, Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. Camp highlights include an outdoor vineyard reception dinner overlooking the Dry Creek Valley at Frei Brothers Reserve Winery, featuring a kickoff toast by Gina Gallo, winemaker of Gallo Family Vineyards. Noted chefs Duskie Estes and John Stewart of zazu restaurant and farm will prepare dinner.

Campers will also enjoy a “Cooking with Sonoma Wine” workshop under the direction of renowned Chef/Author John Ash. Other camp activities include a private dinner feast in the Kunde wine caves, and a picnic lunch in Saralee’s Vineyard featuring a top Sonoma cheesemaker and premier coffee roaster, Andrew Barnett, of Ecco Caffe. There will also be visits to Jordan Winery, Tandem Winery, Valdez Family Winery and Francis Ford Coppola Presents Rosso and Bianco Winery.

Featuring a unique consortium of mountains and valleys, coastal breezes and oceanic fog, Sonoma County’s varied topography and climate make it one of the most diverse winegrowing regions in the world. Sonoma County Grape Camp embraces this distinction, offering campers memorable experiences in several growing regions within the county.

Tuition is $1,500 per person for each couple ($200 single supplement) and includes two nights hotel stay at the luxurious Vintners Inn, as well as all meals, seminars, transportation and activities listed on the camp schedule.

The Gaige House Inn has recently been taken over by the New York based Thompson Hotel Group . Located on Arnold Drive within a short distance of the “center” of Glen Ellen and a near some of the best wineries in Sonoma Valley, there is much to do if one can bear to leave the property.

We arrived at 12:30pm and asked for a tour of the property. We saw several of the guestrooms and a suite in the main Inn. Even the smallest of the rooms had a walk-in closet suited for every girl’s dream!

The “Zen-Suites” in which we were accommodated were fabulous. Large rooms and bathrooms with huge granite Japanese soaking tubs, walk-in showers with two rain-shower heads, outdoor private patios with two lounge chairs and the best part…a small private courtyard between bathroom and bedroom which can be utilized for spa treatments, which is where I enjoyed one of the best massages I’ve ever had. The masseuse was an independent contractor, but seamlessly integrated with the hotel.

Beautiful appointments, art work, water features, gardens. The outdoor swimming pool is open now but not heated until May.

They offer the best breakfast in their dining area which is open for 3 seatings at 8:30am, 9:30am and 10:15am. The Chef, Charles Holmes, trained with the likes of Gary Danko and Philip Jeanty and serves a multi-course gourmet breakfast that included mango and blue cheese, fritatta with a side of crispy bacon, home-made mustard (yum!) & asparagus, as well as the sweetest fresh orange juice and coffee or tea. Beautiful presentation, tasted as good as it looked.

Afternoon refreshments are available - fabulous homemade cookies are left in a box which I wish had been under lock & key.

The Inn has a ’spa’ which is one large treatment room where individual or couples massages are offered as well as facials, wraps, waxing etc. Screens divide the room into two areas, but there are no individual treatments rooms, other than the suites, if you have the pleasure to to stay in one of these I highly recommend taking advantage of the ability to have treatments in your own room.

Our itinerary included transportation in the area by a Hummer SUV rented by Limos America. Our driver, Jim, was very courteous and attentive.

We visited the award-winning Ledson Winery in Kenwood for an elegant wine tasting with Brandon, Assistant Tasting Room Manager. Brian is studying to be a Sommelier and really knows his stuff…very enthusiastic and charming. The building is referred to as the “Castle.” It is a new building in the style of the older chateau wineries.
It is available for special events and weddings, with a small deli/gift shop and picnic table outside. Ledson only sells their wine on property or via their website.

We also visited the historic Buena Vista Winery in Carneros and stopped off at Jack London village to visit the following artisanal shops for tastings of another kind:

• Figone’s of California - Olive oil company
• Raymond & Co. - Cheesemongers
• Wine Country Chocolate & Truffles

We returned to the Gaige House Inn in time to enjoy their evening wine tasting at which a local winery offers up a selection and hors d’oeuvres are served. Tuesday night was hosted by VJB Vineyards & Cellars and I highly recommend their Menocino Barbera.

Dinner was a short 5 minutes walk away at the Glen Ellen Inn. Excellent cuisine and oyster bar. Great desserts, superb service, casual, but not inexpensive.

After a dreamy night in comfy beds, we enjoyed breakfast at the 8:30am seating and followed this with our spa treatments prior to mid-day check out on Wednesday.

The Gaige House Inn is perfect for a romantic weekend getaway or luxurious escape to the wine country.