Wine country may just be my favorite perk that California has to offer. Driving through rolling green hills blanketed with endless rows of grapes, farmhouse-style homes and charming little Western eateries, it is so easy to leave the world behind and enter a place (literally and figuratively) where time does not exist, and life feels light and easy and joyful.
My sister J, her husband C, my husband D, and I were so excited to begin our Saturday last weekend in Sonoma with brunch at The Boonfly Cafe, a restaurant that is part of the rustic-chic and luxurious Carneros Inn.
We ordered a sticky bun and homemade cinnamon donuts to share, you know, to wet the appetite. Spicy Bacon Bloody Mary’s and Watermelon Mimosas were must-haves. For my main dish, a smoked salmon flatbread with fresh lemon juice and capers pretty much made all of my culinary dreams come true.
We followed up brunch with a chilled bottle of white and a competitive game of bocce ball on the hotel grounds (as bocce ball courts are the norm here… and we love it!). For the record, despite the boys’ immediate lead in the game, the girls came back strong in the end and won! Girls rule. Especially when wine is involved.
We then headed to two of our favorite wineries, Benziger first, followed by Imagery, both of which J and C are members (lucky ducks). Benziger is bigger, more commercial and with gorgeous sprawling grounds perfect for wine tours and large parties.
Imagery is smaller, more intimate, and has a beautiful green lawn with picnic tables, a bocce ball court, horse shoes, and dogs are allowed inside, where they are treated to yummy biscuits!
Picture from 2013 at Imagery
Before we knew it, 5pm had arrived, prompting us to wrap up our fun and head home just in time to set the babysitter free and settle down for the evening. We realized that having some adult fun after having kids can still happen! The key is to simply move the adult schedule forward so that the fun happens during the day and not late into the night like it used to. That way, when S woke up the following morning at 6am, all was back to normal and the day before felt like nothing more than a surreal, wine-and-sun soaked dream.
Thankfully, wine country is a dream that actually does come true. I already can’t wait for our next visit!
Ingrid x
Our Day in Wine Country Wine country may just be my favorite perk that California has to offer. Driving through rolling green hills blanketed with endless rows of grapes, farmhouse-style homes and charming little Western eateries, it is so easy to leave the world behind and enter a place (literally and figuratively) where time does not exist, and life feels light and easy and joyful.
