There is nothing like celebrating a dear friend's milestone birthday in a place he's never been, a place that I love dearly! In fact, the Hubs and I totaled up the number of visits, and this was big number 8! Unfortunately, the threat of Hurricane Dorian on Florida threw a wrench into a bit of our initial planning and then extended our trip by a day - we ended up with a bonus day relaxing in northern Sonoma.
Wineries
Terraces - As always, the small but mighty crew that runs Terraces reminded us why we keep our membership there. The wines are all exceptionally drinkable this year, which is a feat because it's rare that you like and appreciate ALL of the wine offered in a tasting. We stayed there in the guesthouse so we had run of the property and could really enjoy the scenery and nice walks.
Peju - Peju is usually pretty solid for a visit, but the wines seemed a bit lacking this year. I was also turned off a bit by the guy leading our tasting. He was knowledgeable and affable but joked a couple times too many regarding his tip. We have been members at Peju for years and learned some new information about the Peju family as well as grape varietals, but I'd prefer not to have Dan again.
Rombauer - Oh, Rombauer, how we love your Chards and Zins! It was actually very crowded at the winery, both inside and out on the picnic grounds so it wasn't a quiet, relaxing tasting. The wines are solid but the crowd itself was a bit fussy and loud. They do require reservations, which will make sense when you see how small the tasting room is. Our wine guide, Garrek (definitely not spelled correctly) was awesome.
CADE - OK, so here's the deal. Cade is located on a large mountainside property with AMAZING views and plenty of room to roam. The tasting room is also very nice. We had comped passes from friends who are club members, which the winery managed to screw up. Honestly, I think it was the young lady who led our tour just not knowing what to do. We finally did get refunded the two tastings that were covered by passes, but it took a couple weeks for the staff to figure out how to do it. After the Chimney Rock experience from several years ago where our group (which included a member) was forgotten about twice, this was easily the next most frustrating wine tasting experience. The wine is good, but they think a lot of themselves there. I'll just leave it at that.
Conn Creek - Our tasting guide was a bit too chatty considering we were on a schedule and kept repeating himself with personal information about himself. That aside, the wine at Conn Creek is quite good, and I'd recommend scheduling a visit here.
Jarvis - Wow, what an experience! We had comped passes here, which was great, because I'd have had a next-to-impossible time justifying the amount you pay for a tour and tasting. When we go to wine country, we like to spend our money on wine for the most part, and maybe a cool experience or two. If you are thinking about visiting but are a bit put-off from the high charge for touring, it is still worth it as a "once in a lifetime" kind of thing. Honestly, though, the wine is incredible. The underground waterfall and river running through is really cool to see in person.
Burgess - What a cute little winery with beautiful views. I'd go here again over Cade ANY day! Good one, small and intimate tasting, and very picturesque.
Honig - We had wanted to try Honig for several years and finally had the chance to do so this year. Our friends joined. The outside patio is pleasant and the guide was friendly and knowledgeable. After our friends joined the club, one of the family members who manages the club, Rapha, came out to introduce himself. It was a great experience, BUT that Reserve Sauv Blanc - HOLY COW! In general, I am picky about my Sauv Blancs, but this one blew me away. It was the first time that I have experienced a full-bodied blanc - ever. Great price, too!
Schramsberg - Birthday boy wanted to go, and I'd been looking at it as an option for years but just couldn't justify it before. What a nice experience it was. The cave is incredible, and we've seen a lot of them. The number of bottles, though? Whoa!!! It's a wine gold mine in there, with rows upon rows upon rows of stacked bottles. It was a site to see for sure, and the bubbles are good. I'm really glad we splurged and visited. Our tasting host was funny and friendly. Overall good experience.
Buena Vista - Had to take advantage of our club benefits! We did our once annually experience for 4 people (I chose the barrel tasting and tour). As always, BV feels so commercial to me whenever we go, but dang that wine - keeps us hooked! Just a fun place to go if you are in Sonoma.
DeLoach - Showed up right when DeLoach opened, again. Oops. It's apparently becoming a habit there. Kelly came right out to greet us warmly and asked us where we'd like to do our tasting (included in our Buena Vista membership). We chose outside on the patio under the umbrellas as the weather was just lovely. She was charming and talkative in just the right away, and we really enjoyed our time there. She made a recommendation to visit the JCB Lounge if we had time (we did). Very nice visit and good wine.
JCB Tasting Salon (Healdsburg) - As with all of Jean-Charles Boisset's properties, the JCB salon that sits on the corner of Center & Plaza is eccentric and kitchy. Great wine, though. It's a fun place to visit, sip, and people watch. Also included with our Buena Vista membership.
Eating
Goose & Gander - This place had been on my radar for a while, and wow, was I let down! My dinner was good, but rich. Three of the burgers ordered by our table were undercooked. One of us sent his back while the other two people just dealt with it. The burger came back out of the kitchen looking exactly the same and no more cooked than when it went back. He didn't eat it. Service was slow, the restaurant loud, the drinks expensive. The manager FINALLY came over and comped the burger that wasn't eaten and gave the table a dessert to share. Overall, bad experience and would not go back.
Wineries
Terraces - As always, the small but mighty crew that runs Terraces reminded us why we keep our membership there. The wines are all exceptionally drinkable this year, which is a feat because it's rare that you like and appreciate ALL of the wine offered in a tasting. We stayed there in the guesthouse so we had run of the property and could really enjoy the scenery and nice walks.
 |
| Terraces - Balsamic House |
Peju - Peju is usually pretty solid for a visit, but the wines seemed a bit lacking this year. I was also turned off a bit by the guy leading our tasting. He was knowledgeable and affable but joked a couple times too many regarding his tip. We have been members at Peju for years and learned some new information about the Peju family as well as grape varietals, but I'd prefer not to have Dan again.
 |
| Peju |
CADE - OK, so here's the deal. Cade is located on a large mountainside property with AMAZING views and plenty of room to roam. The tasting room is also very nice. We had comped passes from friends who are club members, which the winery managed to screw up. Honestly, I think it was the young lady who led our tour just not knowing what to do. We finally did get refunded the two tastings that were covered by passes, but it took a couple weeks for the staff to figure out how to do it. After the Chimney Rock experience from several years ago where our group (which included a member) was forgotten about twice, this was easily the next most frustrating wine tasting experience. The wine is good, but they think a lot of themselves there. I'll just leave it at that.
Conn Creek - Our tasting guide was a bit too chatty considering we were on a schedule and kept repeating himself with personal information about himself. That aside, the wine at Conn Creek is quite good, and I'd recommend scheduling a visit here.
Jarvis - Wow, what an experience! We had comped passes here, which was great, because I'd have had a next-to-impossible time justifying the amount you pay for a tour and tasting. When we go to wine country, we like to spend our money on wine for the most part, and maybe a cool experience or two. If you are thinking about visiting but are a bit put-off from the high charge for touring, it is still worth it as a "once in a lifetime" kind of thing. Honestly, though, the wine is incredible. The underground waterfall and river running through is really cool to see in person.
 |
| Jarvis - Walking into the tasting room |
Burgess - What a cute little winery with beautiful views. I'd go here again over Cade ANY day! Good one, small and intimate tasting, and very picturesque.
Honig - We had wanted to try Honig for several years and finally had the chance to do so this year. Our friends joined. The outside patio is pleasant and the guide was friendly and knowledgeable. After our friends joined the club, one of the family members who manages the club, Rapha, came out to introduce himself. It was a great experience, BUT that Reserve Sauv Blanc - HOLY COW! In general, I am picky about my Sauv Blancs, but this one blew me away. It was the first time that I have experienced a full-bodied blanc - ever. Great price, too!
Schramsberg - Birthday boy wanted to go, and I'd been looking at it as an option for years but just couldn't justify it before. What a nice experience it was. The cave is incredible, and we've seen a lot of them. The number of bottles, though? Whoa!!! It's a wine gold mine in there, with rows upon rows upon rows of stacked bottles. It was a site to see for sure, and the bubbles are good. I'm really glad we splurged and visited. Our tasting host was funny and friendly. Overall good experience.
 |
| Schramsberg Cave Tasting |
Buena Vista - Had to take advantage of our club benefits! We did our once annually experience for 4 people (I chose the barrel tasting and tour). As always, BV feels so commercial to me whenever we go, but dang that wine - keeps us hooked! Just a fun place to go if you are in Sonoma.
DeLoach - Showed up right when DeLoach opened, again. Oops. It's apparently becoming a habit there. Kelly came right out to greet us warmly and asked us where we'd like to do our tasting (included in our Buena Vista membership). We chose outside on the patio under the umbrellas as the weather was just lovely. She was charming and talkative in just the right away, and we really enjoyed our time there. She made a recommendation to visit the JCB Lounge if we had time (we did). Very nice visit and good wine.
 |
| DeLoach Patio |
JCB Tasting Salon (Healdsburg) - As with all of Jean-Charles Boisset's properties, the JCB salon that sits on the corner of Center & Plaza is eccentric and kitchy. Great wine, though. It's a fun place to visit, sip, and people watch. Also included with our Buena Vista membership.
Eating
Goose & Gander - This place had been on my radar for a while, and wow, was I let down! My dinner was good, but rich. Three of the burgers ordered by our table were undercooked. One of us sent his back while the other two people just dealt with it. The burger came back out of the kitchen looking exactly the same and no more cooked than when it went back. He didn't eat it. Service was slow, the restaurant loud, the drinks expensive. The manager FINALLY came over and comped the burger that wasn't eaten and gave the table a dessert to share. Overall, bad experience and would not go back.
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