Once upon a time, less than five years ago, I was still an alcoholic. I would have planned a trip to Napa to get bombed every day, starting at 10 am Wine Tours. When my husband (who is still a wine lover) and I had an opportunity to make a couple’s weekend escape in Napa, I was excited. It was such an iconic trip that was on my bucket list! I was curious about how difficult it would be sober but not too worried. Our honeymoon in New Zealand also had some wine touring involved, and I was much more ‘newly’ sober back then.
I was going with vast excitement and curiosity as to what non-alcoholic, fun options I would encounter. I know that where there are fine wines and wineries, there is fine food, chocolate, cheeses, incredible views, and the great outdoors. So here is the breakdown with all my recommendations!
We went with only a reservation for a rental car, our boutique hotel and a wanderlust desire to have ‘no actual plans. It all worked out perfectly. However, specifically in the Napa Valley, they told us *that technically you need a reservation because of unique regulations there. Once we were asked to call from the front gate to do so and were met with open arms 2 minutes later.
Day 1: Sonoma + Glen Ellen
We are early birds at the best of times, but we also live in Central Standard Time.
Our bodies were awake at 4 am local time. We made ‘good use of the time in bed. We then set out to find a place to enjoy the sunrise. I was so glad we did! Being able to see hot air balloons rising over the valley with a pink sky was spectacular! I was so excited we had another opportunity to go hot air balloon riding!!
Jose was game due to his confidence that his ‘Mayan gods of wind and rain’ would keep him safe like last time. We had one booked on our honeymoon to go over Queensland, NZ, and he cheered when it was canceled because of the weather. This was the first moment he let on that he didn’t want to go! He tried to brave it out for me. The booking process was seamless at Sonoma Ballooning. I loved their logo. The service was highly professional and easy going.! We booked for Sunday, our 3rd day. Wouldn’t you know it; those Mayan gods brought rain,after 180 days of drought! So, it is still on my bucket list!!
After the sunrise drive, we arrived in the little town of Sonoma. It had a picturesque all-American town square with a beautiful park and many cute little shops. We had breakfast at the highly acclaimed Sunflower Café. It was delicious. However, it was freezing because we are used to tropical climates. We didn’t have enough layers for breakfast outside. There is only the patio garden as an option, so dress accordingly!). It was a cool morning in September when we were there. The Summer Scramble was delicious. My husband loved his Smoked Duck Sandwich.
Next, we looked up a winery to head to for a 10 am opening. While en route, I started to read the tourism brochure we picked up in Sonoma square for free. It had the ten things you don’t want to miss…one of which was the 2000-year-old ancient redwood. I immediately put Jack London Historical Park into google maps. We rerouted to go for a morning hike and look for the “grandmother” tree. It was so incredible! It is probably one of the trip’s highlights. This was not because of ‘the’ oldest tree which was cool. More impressive to me were the various circles of ancient but not quite 2000-year-old redwoods along the hiking trail. They were awe-inspiring. The energy in the forest was incredible. I was in love.
After an hour of hiking, we were back in the car and, on the first route, headed back through Glen Ellen to the Dry Creek region of Sonoma. Jose chose a top-ranked one-off Trip Advisor called Dry Creek Vineyard. I loved the tall trees and outdoor picnic tables in the grass with relaxed seating. We poked around the little shop until someone greeted us warmly. I noticed all the ‘bean-to-bar chocolate options and an array of flavored sparkling water, and he noticed the wine suitcase of his dreams, built to hold a case of wine. We got seated and got tasting, him vino, my chocolate! It was a beautiful day, and a hedge of wildflowers was behind us with butterflies. My favorite chocolate was the “Brika” Peanut Butter Crunch by Volo!
Next, we wanted to hit up the Coppola Vineyard because, you know, The Godfather, and I used to enjoy it back in my wino days; they make good wine. The vineyard was epic, with a sort of classic European vibe with a fountain, pool, and villa at the top of a hill. It is also chock-full of all types of movie memorabilia. We got seated for a tasting and ordered the cheese and charcuterie board, which was PHENOMENAL. There were only two cheeses and three salamis, but each had a small family and farm-to-table story. It was quite simply a quality that was meant to be savored. The view was spectacular, and the service was warm and laid back.
We decided to not eat lunch there, although there is an excellent Italian restaurant, we wanted to keep changing up the scenery. Oh, by the way, as of the first wine tasting, I was now the DD, one of the advantages of having someone sober in your couplehood in regards to wine touring. So anyway I wanted to check out the other top rated Italian restaurant close by which is Catelli’s. The garlic bread, salad, NA local beer and the “pasta of the moment” were all top notch. Sit in the back garden patio for the full vibe.
We were packed and tired then, so we returned to our cute hotel room to watch the Devil Wears Prada in bed. Our hotel was recommended by family friends that live in the area. We decided to stay close to them because we were at a birthday party at their vineyard in Marin County on the 3rd day. The nearest town to them is Petaluma. It is a lovely place, with many incredible restaurants and very family friendly (we saw kids biking and skateboarding on their own!)
The Metro Hotel is a quaint French-inspired hotel with airstreams in the garden. Unfortunately, the airstreams were all booked, but our room was quiet and funky with a cool goose lamp and a tub with feet. The rooms are spacious, and after looking at other options in the region, it made more sense to me to stay there all four nights and drive to Napa and Sonoma. Petaluma is in Sonoma County, and there is also a town called Sonoma, 20 minutes away. The service at the hotel was amiable; even from the moment I booked on the website, the contact was hot and personable. We did eventually venture out for a light dinner at Seared. Everything was delicious, but my favorite part was dessert (surprise!), the donut holes with dark chocolate sauce to dip, coffee ice cream, and berry coulis.
Day 2: Napa Valley + Yountville
We did some more ‘killing time’ activities in the morning and then headed to the Sunshine Café in Napa for breakfast. The food was good, but I think the atmosphere of hanging out with the locals and the superhero-themed all-gender bathrooms might have been the highlight!
Then we were going to try to get a wine tour in for Jose before my Sober Curator Elvis Movie Review Call. The first place we went to, I won’t mention because the guy was very arrogant; the second place we tried, the warm lady also told us it was ‘reservation only’ but then paused a moment and said, wait right here, I’ll make one for you and kindly sat us down anyway. She very kindly explained that Napa’s strict policy is that wine tastings are by appointment only – no walk-ins. I found Judd’s Hill with a quick google in this article because we wanted to focus on small family-owned places in the region. The welcome was warm, even by the family dog. We sat on a stone patio with a view of the vineyard and old barn in the distance.
The Judd’s Hill host explained why winemakers don’t want rain and why the microclimate in the small valley of Napa produces such unique vines. The answer, I thought, is a beautiful metaphor for survival and blossoming as your purest, most authentic self: they don’t want the rain to water the roots; they want the sources to be forced to fight to get down to the water table, through the soil and rocks. In other words, the best vines are the most grounded, nurtured, and hydrated by the purest water on earth. The same goes for humans, I’d say, and we all know how much getting through recovery made us better humans and more authentic versions of ourselves.
After the Sober Curator call, we set off to find the famous Yountville town with 5 Michelin Star Restaurants, all I believe, by the same chef, Thomas Keller, who started it all off when he opened French Laundry. We probably couldn’t have gotten in without notice, although it was also outside our budget for the trip. We hoped to get into Bouchon without reservation. I booked a lesser-known place just in case we couldn’t work our magic at the door, but we did get into Bouchon after a 30 min wait. (I just asked if there was, by any chance, a waiting list for the no-shows. We are only two…smile, smile, wink, wink…).
We took those 30 minutes to visit Hope & Grace, where I enjoyed the house music, unique art, and atmosphere. Jose tried a few more wines, and we wandered back to Bouchon, where we had the most spectacular lunch. I had the saffron mussels with frites, and Jose had the lamb chop. The lemon tart and espresso were to die for; everything I ordered transported me back to living in Belgium and visiting Paris on a whim 20 years ago.
Everywhere I went, I asked if they had any non-alcoholic wine. Almost always, I was met with a firm no, but we have a non-alcoholic beer. All the restaurants had a mocktail menu or were happy to whip one up.
Oh, we also stopped into the V Marketplace, with incredible gifts and a whole section of ‘bean to bar chocolate. So naturally, I bought a selection to nibble on. Omnom is the coolest from Iceland, and Markham & Fitz, with cacao sourced in Nicaragua and produced in small batches in Louisiana, is also exceptional.
We rewound our way on the scenic roads to do a quick CVS pit stop (we live in Mexico, and I wanted to get the kids some Halloween-themed goodies, fun activity books, and kids band-aids). We got to thinking after realizing Google had sent us a different way than the way back…maybe there are some monkeys at google deciding how many tipsy winos we need on a given highway at a time. They send them on all different micro routes to minimize the damage. I don’t think the majority have a DD for the day.
Also, there are bikes to rent in so many places, but we stuck to the road tripping this time around. I would go back in a heartbeat and even bring the kids. The parks, conservation efforts and warm small town vibes all around are good for the soul and perfect for a weekend getaway.
Other places I have to mention:
On Sunday, we woke up early again in need of coffee (I was sad about the hot air balloon, Jose was happy to see the rain) and set out walking to Starbucks in the center of Petaluma but noticed there was a 50s Diner that was open across the street called Sax’s Joint. There was a peach cobbler, giant mugs of coffee, and oatmeal. Jose loves his eggs for breakfast; it was his favorite breakfast of the trip. PLUS, there was an Elvis booth after our Sober Curator Movie Review Call the day before; it was a good omen.
MOVIE NIGHT WITH THE SOBER CURATOR: Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS (2022)
Our all-time favorite meal of the trip was when we flew in and ate at a slow food restaurant in Petaluma called The Market. Everything we ordered, and believe me, we ordered a lot because we hadn’t eaten all day, was delicious. I would drive an hour from San Francisco to have dinner there. The perfect combination of lovingly prepared food, charming service, and attention to detail atmosphere.
Thanks Petaluma. We fell in love with the region, and a little more with each other too.
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