Napa and Sonoma: The toast of California vacations

By Whit Honea

Rockpile grapes over Lake Sonoma. Credit: dwolfgra.

For wine lovers, traveling to Napa Valley and Sonoma ranks high on the list of perfect California vacations. California’s premier wine country is roughly 30 minutes outside the hustle of San Francisco, but visitors making the drive will enjoy the  rolling hills, endless vineyards, and a rustic air of romance and relaxation.

For the full-blown wine country experience, nothing beats a trip to Napa Valley or Sonoma for a splurge on a complete California vacation package. Leave the details to the experts and you’ll enjoy package deals that include airfare, multiple-night stays in participating hotels and B & Bs, local activities, and most important of all, deluxe wine tasting tours with all the stops.

The following hotels offer a series of vacation packages, and each is located right in the heart of wine country:

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa

• The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa is tranquil and sophisticated, yet it maintains an informal atmosphere that complements its rustic surroundings. The Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar features local wines paired with gourmet Mediterranean meals.

• The Sonoma Valley Inn, aka, The Inn Place, features recently-renovated large rooms, with some rooms featuring balconies, patios and/or fireplaces for ultimate relaxation.

• The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa is one of the only luxury spa resorts in the country to have its own natural source of thermal mineral water. The Sonoma Mission Inn offers tours that share the history and appreciation of wine as well as an award-winning setting in which to enjoy it: their signature restaurant, Sante.

• AVIA Napa is a new boutique hotel that’s put a lot of love in lush amenities like oversized showers with waterfall shower heads, and hickory hardwood floors.The AVIA Kitchen and Wine Bar offers plates featuring fresh, local ingredients paired with premier local wines and craft beers.

Whit Honea is a travel writer living in Seattle with his wife and two children. He packs light and travels often to far-away places, exotic lands and more than a few theme parks.

Tagged: California