Here’s something we’ve been thinking about a lot lately: extraordinary travel doesn’t always require a passport.
Some of the most transformative experiences, the most soul-stirring landscapes, the meals you’ll remember for years—they’re right here. In our own backyard. And we’ve been so busy looking abroad that we’ve almost forgotten to really see them.
So we’re launching something new: the America the Beautiful series. A celebration of the places across the United States that deserve the same careful curation, the same thoughtful exploration, the same luxury and intention we bring to trips to Europe or Africa or Asia.
We’re starting with a place that’s close to home for me in more ways than one: California’s Wine Country.
Why This Place Matters
I’ve lived in Northern California and the Bay Area for most of my adult life. Which means I’ve spent… let’s just say a lot of time in Wine Country. Early trips when I was young and broke and just happy to be drinking wine on a hillside. Client trips when I was in corporate life, trying to impress people with fancy dinners in Yountville. Weekend escapes when I needed to remember what quiet felt like.
And here’s what I know: Wine Country is one of those rare places that can be whatever you need it to be.
You can do the big-name Napa thing—the famous estates, the Michelin stars, the architectural showpieces where the tasting room is as much art installation as it is winery. And that can be incredible.
Or you can go deeper. Quieter. More intimate.
That’s the version I love.
Sonoma Over Napa (Most of the Time)
Napa is beautiful. Napa has world-class wines and restaurants that deserve every accolade they’ve received. But Napa also has tour buses and bachelorette parties and tasting rooms that feel more like theme parks than wineries.
Sonoma is different.
Sonoma still feels like actual wine country—rolling hills, old oak trees, family-owned vineyards where the person pouring your wine might be the same person who grew the grapes. Or their daughter. Or their grandson who just came back from studying viticulture in France and is now experimenting with natural fermentation techniques.
These are wineries that require advance reservations, not because they’re trying to be exclusive, but because they’re small. They can only host a handful of visitors per day. And when you show up, you’re not just tasting wine—you’re hearing stories. Meeting people whose families have been making wine on this land for generations.
That’s the kind of experience you can’t Google your way into. It requires knowing who to call, which estates actually welcome visitors (many don’t), and how to approach Wine Country in a way that honors the place and the people.
What Makes Wine Country Special
The wines are obviously world-class. Sonoma alone has more than a dozen distinct growing regions—everything from cool-climate Pinot Noirs that could rival Burgundy to big, bold Cabernets that hold their own against anything from Napa.
But it’s not just about the wine.
It’s the food. Farm-to-table isn’t a buzzword here—it’s just how things work. Restaurants source from the farms and ranches and gardens literally down the road. The olive oil on your table was pressed ten miles away. The cheese came from a creamery you drove past on the way to the restaurant.
It’s the weather. Those endless blue-sky days in spring when everything is green and blooming. The golden light of autumn during harvest when the air smells like fermenting grapes and wood smoke from restaurant fire pits.
It’s the pace. Wine Country forces you to slow down. To sit on a terrace and watch the afternoon light move across the vineyards. To linger over a lunch that turns into three hours without anyone rushing you along.
When to Go
Spring—roughly March through May—is magical. The vines are in budbreak, everything is lush and green, and you’ll avoid the summer crowds. The weather is perfect for outdoor dining, and the wineries haven’t hit their busy season yet.
Fall—September through October—is harvest time. Crush season. It’s chaotic and energetic and a little bit wild. The wineries are working around the clock, and there’s this palpable excitement in the air. You might see workers bringing in bins of just-picked grapes. You’ll smell fermentation happening in the cellars. It’s Wine Country at its most alive.
And honestly? Even winter has its charm. Fewer visitors, cozy tasting rooms with fireplaces, restaurants that shift into hearty, warming menus. If you don’t mind cooler weather and a bit of rain, winter Wine Country is deeply underrated.
A Few Places Worth Knowing About
Auberge du Soleil in Napa is one of those properties that’s been around forever and still manages to feel special. The views alone—acres of terraced olive groves overlooking the valley—are worth the visit. The restaurant is exceptional. And if you’re going to splurge on one luxury stay in Wine Country, this is a strong contender.
In Sonoma, the Farmhouse Inn gets it right. It’s intimate, the food is Michelin-starred but not fussy, and it feels more like staying at an incredibly elegant friend’s country house than a hotel.
Healdsburg (on of my favorite places) has quietly become one of Wine Country’s most sophisticated small towns. Great restaurants, beautiful boutiques, and easy access to some of Sonoma’s best growing regions—Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley—all within a 15-minute drive.
But here’s the thing: the best experiences in Wine Country aren’t about where you stay or which famous restaurant you book. They’re about the small, family-owned wineries you’d never find on your own. The ones that don’t have websites or Instagram accounts. The ones where you need an introduction.
That’s where real connection happens.
What We Lost (And What Remains)
The Glass Fire in 2020 devastated parts of Wine Country. Calistoga Ranch—one of my favorite properties, a place I’d sent countless clients over the years—burned to the ground. Whole vineyards were destroyed. Families lost not just their businesses but their histories.
But Wine Country is resilient. New wineries have opened. Historic estates have rebuilt. And the community that makes this place what it is—the winemakers, the chefs, the people who’ve dedicated their lives to this land—they’re still here. Still making extraordinary wine. Still welcoming visitors who want to slow down and really experience this place.
Why It Still Matters
Wine Country isn’t going anywhere. It’ll be here next year and the year after that, quietly making some of the best wine in the world while the rest of us rush around looking for the next big thing.
But here’s what I’ve learned after all these years: the best version of Wine Country—the one that actually changes you, that makes you rethink what luxury means, that you remember long after you’ve forgotten which vintage you drank—that version requires knowing where to look.
If you want to explore California’s Wine Country beyond the guidebook version, we can help with that. We know the estates worth visiting. The winemakers worth meeting. The experiences that actually matter.
Let’s talk!
