This was my second trip to Napa and first time in Sonoma, this time with my two best friends Kate and Melissa. I was so excited to go back and check out some new places as well as return to one absolute favorite!
Kate is a member at most of the wineries we went to, so we got most tastings for free. This is important intel, because tastings can be expensive and add up quickly! Definitely ask around your friend group to see if anyone is a member at any wineries, because they can also gift guests their tastings, too! Bear with me. Everyone is so how excited to teach you about wine, so passionate about the region, and we felt so welcomed. You always hear about the wineβwhich of course, is lovelyβbut what really wowed us were the people and the FOOD.
I will say the second time around, our focus was really more on the wineries, and our food experiences were less exciting than the first time I wentβbut all those details and more in my updated guide below! Please bear in mind, I am no expert.
I know a lot of people do bachelorette parties here but I cannot fathom how or why. Plan on paying for a rental car and Ubers because everything is very spread out. Sonoma is definitely less expensive than Napa, so highly recommend comparing lodging between the two! That being said, in my opinion it is absolutely money well-spent. You will want to rent a car to get to and from the airport and also to have for driving around. You pick the car up in short term parking at SFO and return it to the same place.
We rented this Bronco convertible and it was SO. Absolute highlight of the trip! If you get carsick: Definitely come prepared with some motion sickness bands. Some of the roads are super windy! Luckily, Denise reassured us there was a different way to take, and we were totally fine! Napa valley is HUGE. I would recommend planning your days, wineries, and restaurants with geographic location in mind!
