While I love restaurants, good food, fine wines, and beautiful places to drink them in, I have never travelled for ‘the best’ meals, nor have I spent days touring vineyards on a pilgrimage of tastings. With a few days to spare when visiting San Francisco, Napa was suggested by a friend as the perfect spot to indulge in all of the above. However, I acquiesced to visit Napa and Sonoma more for the vast vineyards and rolling hills, the craggy cliffs and tree lines that form a picturesque panoply of angular silhouettes, the farms andthe beaches, the shoreline that stretches majestically as far as the eye can see, the red- woods and the wild bushels of flora that erupt along the faces of rocks, windswept dunesand ocean sunsets and yes...I was delightedly coaxed into the occasional amazing meal and bottle of local Cabernet.
A glimpse into the six blissful days I spent in the Napa Valley and along the Sonoma coastline:
Drive into Napa past the fields and farms, and soon the vineyards start to appear. The valley itself is divided into a few small regions (St. Helena, Oakville, Calistoga, Napa, Rutherford, Yountville, amongst others). There are sixteen distinct appellations, each with its own microclimate, which make the various wines from various regions so delightfully distinctive. Our first stop was the Auberge Du Soliel - a hotel I had long wanted to visit. Driving up through lush olive groves and oak trees, past dappled fields and stretches of undulat- ing hills, I was transported back to picturesque Provence. Set amongst the rolling hills of Rutherford with stunning views into the valley - it is, frankly, exactly the kind of country luxe one needs to wind down from days of exploration, wine tasting and biking.
Set on thirty-three acres of land, the rooms at the hotel are named after towns in the South of France. A Michelin-star restaurant sits within it, three pools and a spa calmly call your name and a sculpture garden with over a hundred pieces of art from local artists completes the picture. I was touched by the detail of my name on the letterbox outside my room and even more thrilled by the beautiful suite overlooking lush gardens, a roaring fireplace, floor to ceiling windows leading out to my private balcony and chic design details.
Hard as it was to leave for a biking tour of the valley, I promised myself an afternoon by their pool with a chilled bottle of Rosé upon my return. Exploring Napa by bike is a pleasure and comes with a few choices and interesting combinations of renting bikes and ped- alling off, or signing up for a bike and wine tasting tour with a small group, inspiring a song in every heart and a smile on every face. Our group tour left early to cycle through vineyards and fields, stopped at Stags Leap Wine Cellars and the Clos du Val Winery for tastings, leisurely admired the vistas and then rode back to our lovely hotel in time for a well-deserved lunch. All the wineries have tastings; most must be booked in advance. There are many that pair the tastings with lunch, which is an extra delight.
The next morning, we awoke before dawn to head to the highlight of the trip: the sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride over the valley. ‘A first time for everything’ was my motivationand the fact that it was my birthday made me want to start my new year with something majestic. It was still dark as we drove to Yountville (home to Napa’s most famous restaurants) and were greeted by the team of Napa Valley Balloons. As the light began to streak the sky, the balloons slowly came alive. Above the roar of the burners was a palpable sense of slightly nervous excitement. We rose with the sun, high above the Napa Valley, gently floating over the mist, that dissipated the higher we floated. As far as the eye could see were vineyards, rows upon rows of grapes and the Napa River winding through it all. Far in the distance: the bay of San Francisco.
Timber Cove shot by The Nomadic People
To say it was soul stirring would be an understatement. There were moments the pilot drifted just above the vineyards, enough to recognise the men tending to the vines and at other moments we levitated well above the sun. As we entered our second hour of the typically four-hour ride, we saw the other balloons ascend. Watching these colourful creatures rising against the brilliant blue of the sky, with the valley spread out below us, felt like witnessing something magical. As the flight came to an end, and we slowly drifted down- wards toward terra firma, feeling pure adrenaline and joy, I could not hold back my tears.
Later that day we headed to lunch at the Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena. St Helena is one of the appellations in Napa and as it is protected by the western hills,it tends to be warmer. Home to a hundred and fifty wineries amongst which Beringer, Charles Krug and Hall Wines are the most famous, it is a stunning landscape. Napa and Sonoma are unique in their natural geographical richness. Thus, the food is always fresh and local, the wine is always superb and the weather is magnificent. It is no wonder so many families move from the Bay area to live there and real estate is getting close to impossible to find.
The next day, our challenge was to bid goodbye to the Auberge Du Soliel but found comfort in checking into its sister property, Solage. Located in Calistoga. Solage is a more family friendly version of its elder sibling that allows adults and children over sixteen years of age. Having recently undergone a thirty million dollar refurbishment, the hotel is spread out majestically over acres of verdant gardens. Each room emulates a cottage with its own porch or garden along with winding paths under ancient oaks that connect the entire hotel. My favourite spot was the Solbar, the indoor and outdoor restaurant by the massive pool, shaded by trees, with fire pits scattered around for warmth, a delicious farm to table menu and a relaxed but glam vibe.
I began my mornings with a swim at just about dawn or 6.30 am, in the almost Olympic-sized heated pool, a fine steam dancing just above the water and the Palisades and Mayacamas mountains in the distance. A walk through their grounds and a hike in the surrounding hills followed suit, after which I booked a session in their crown jewel, The Spa Solage. With over twenty thousand square feet of wellness space, it has its own heated pools and private gardens, yoga studios and restaurant. A few hours there clarified why many visit here for a long weekend of treatments. The hotel is also situated in an area known for its mineral waters and restorative mud baths, living up to its reputation for natural restorative wellness. Calistoga also boasts of some of the valley’s finest wineries, Bennet Lane and Chateau Montelena in particular.
Three to four days are certainly not enough to enjoy Napa, given its legendary restaurants. While I did not visit the much-fabled French Laundry, I did have a few great meals: Press, Ad hoc, Bouchon, and Celadon amongst others. All this in a few days, imagine what one could do with a week here!
Onwards to Sonoma we went, but not before one last stop at the lovely Faust Winery, located in St. Helena with its vineyards in Coombsville. The soil of Coombsville is volcanic and the weather cooler, which give the grapes a spicier fullness and the colour a richer deeper red. Faust Haus itself (where the tastings take place) is a dramatic Victorian gothic structure with a beautiful garden vista and a chic interior with a serious art collection. The wine itself was delicious, as was the design of the labels (the one thing that I find incredibly important on a good bottle of wine). Succumbing to their delicious Pact Cabernet Sauvignon, we packed a case of it into our car and made our way to the rugged coastline of Sonoma.
Nothing could have prepared me for how absolutely stunning this part of the world is: with rolling farmland to the right and sheer drops to the Pacific Ocean to the left. Windswept beaches, majestic trees, craggy rocks, redwood forests and incredible views are everywhere. There are approximately eleven State Parks and fifty regional parks in Sonoma and for anyone who likes to spend any time in the outdoors, it is a slice of heaven.
We drove as the afternoon light was fading into a pink evening hue and watched the sun set across the ocean. Passing many quaint little towns along the way, we arrived at our destination, the Frank Lloyd inspired Timber Cove Hotel, a chic, rustic luxurious lodge-esque hotel that sits directly on the bluffs above the Pacific, set between the forest and ocean. Walking along the two-mile hiking trail set all along twenty-five acres of coastline is the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Every day took us to a new park: the Armstrong Redwoods Natural Preserve for its two hundred and fifty foot tall and over a thousand years old redwood Sequoia trees, Sea Ranch Coastal trail, from which one can meander down to the beach for some whale watching and Trione Arandel State Park, the perfect place for biking, hiking and fishing. This almost week-long trip, felt like a wish fulfilled. The great outdoors was so stunning, I cannot believe I had never visited before and it has been so captivating, I cannot imagine not returning.
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Text Rymn Massand
Date 22-01-2022
