Travel

Traveling to Sonoma Wine Country for the holidays? Or have folks coming to visit and they need a place to stay, play, and eat before the big Thanksgiving Dinner at your house? No worries. Several hotels, b&bs, and wineries are offering fabulous holiday offers to help you out!  See below:

WINE TASTING

B.R. Cohn Winery
Sip, Savor & Shop Thanksgiving Weekend - Visit the winery for holiday shopping, light hors'deourves, and there is a free drawing every hour to win something special! (Nov 27 -29th)

Toys for Tots Toy Drive - Receive a complimentary tasting when you bring in a new toy for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots. Also do some holiday shopping at the onsite store for the full line of B.R. Cohn olive oils, specialty vinegars, other gourmet products, wine, gadgets and much more! (Dec 1st - 6th)

Anaba Wines
Pie Sampling Saturdays - Sample a different holiday pie with our 2008 Late Harvest Viognier every Saturday in November so you can find the perfect pairing for your Thanksgiving feast! Receive 15% off this wine when you purchase 4+ bottles. www.anabawines.com

Mayo Family Winery - Reserve Room
Harvest 2009 wine and food pairing menu features delectable items like:
"Butter paochaed Loch Duart Salmon w/ Yuzu Zest ~ 2007 Chardonnay"
"Cherry Almond Empenada w/ Seared Chanterelle ~ 2006 Pinot Noir"
"Pumpkin Souffle w/ Macadamia Nute & Spiced Whipped Cream ~ 2008 Gewurtztraminer

From the Serengeti at Safari West, to the Heart of Sonoma, to a tractor parade, to a day with Santa...you're sure to find something that will keep you, your family and your friends happily entertained this holiday season. You may even decide to make a day, weekend or entire season of it!

In Sonoma, for instance, why not spend Thanksgiving day the fun and easy way by taking advantage of Safari Wests Thanksgiving feast. The following day, instead of braving "Black Friday", do something more festive....choose between a Holiday Open House at Kendall-Jackson Wine Center, a Holiday Party in Healdsburg, or Heart of Sonoma Valley's Annual Holiday Open House. And there are plenty more events to follow in the coming days and weeks!

In Napa, events begin as early as November 21st with Holiday in Carneros, Thanksgiving dinner at etoile Restaurant at Domaine Chandon  (just received Michelin star) and continue all the way up to Christmas Eve. This means, there are more days to fill with holiday cheer, beautiful lights and the kind of exhileration that comes only once a year. 

However you choose to enjoy this season, just make sure it's with the family and friends you cherish most. From all of us at WineCountry.com to you...Have a VERY happy holiday!

Napa has a rich history of supporting the arts and now from the Opera House to the Hess Collection, from public art installations to downtown gallery owners, Napa is fast becoming an art lover's destination. The many active studio artists in Napa are adding to the mix with their annual Open Studios self-guided tour organized by Arts Council Napa Valley.

Linda Cordair of Quent Cordair Gallery on First Street has been very happy with her move to Napa. Quent Cordair Gallery opened on July 4, 2008 after 13 years in Burlingame. The gallery specializes in "Romantic Realism" and has a very strong web presence. Ms. Cordair has found that moving to Napa has given her clientele a great excuse to travel here for their art-buying, particularly as Cordair has conveniently partnered with local hotels. "This is a world class destination more exciting for our clients to visit. They travel from as far away as Switzerland, New Zealand and China for our collections and with the completion of the River Front project we can really see a positive direction for downtown Napa. We want to do all we can to help fill the empty storefronts and bring more galleries here."

Long time public art champion, Harry Price, managing partner of CDI, developer of the Napa River Inn project and Napa Square on First Street, has this to say about the role of art in the community, "Art is an integral component of civilizations; we look back to them and look at what type of art they created. It is a measure of civilization and culture, so we honor our own culture by the art we leave behind."

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NAPA, Calif., - The Silverado Resort inNapa Valley is offering three-night Holiday Celebration packages for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays highlighted by dinners prepared by the resort's renowned executive chef.
 
The packages feature acaccommodations for up to four people in a two-bedroom fireplace suite, the holiday buffet on either Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day and a 20 percent discount on golf at the resort's courses and select services at the Spa at Silverado.
 
The rate is $299 per suite per night and is based on at least a three-night consecutive stay during the periods of November 24-29, 2009 or December 23 - 28, 2009. The package does not include taxes, service charges or resort fee of $20 per night. Additional nights are available at a 25 percent discount off published rates.
 
The Holiday package can be booked by calling (1) 800-532-0500. Some other restrictions may apply.

Lane Morales booked Harry Connick, Jr., at her jazz supper club in Hartford, Connecticut before the Lincoln Center ever did. "That's my personal claim to fame...I got to heat up his prime rib that night," she says.

Now a veteran of the service industry, Morales is booking events for a different scene: the freshly remodeled Rooster Run Event Center in Petaluma. She oversees not only the event center, but anything having to do with food and beverage on the Rooster Run Golf Club property, including the pro shop café, beverage cart and tournament food events on the golf course.

The revamped event center is the culmination of a two-month, $500,000 remodeling project that converted part of the original pro shop into a full bar and café, and transformed the existing restaurant into additional banquet space.

"We've been thinking of doing something like this for two years and it finally came to fruition," Morales says. "We're quite pleased with it. Not only did we have a great designer involved who brought us up to date, but the remodeling increased our space, which enables us to host larger and more frequent events, because we can accommodate several functions at the same time."

The ultimate three day weekend in Carmel Valley (Monterey Wine Country) is at your fingertips. The Monterey County CVB offers a detailed itinerary for wine and food lovers alike. Recommendations for lodging, where to dine for some of the best, fresh foods, and of course wine tasting.

Below are is just snapshot of Friday -

1PM - Arrive early and pick from a myriad of inns, hotels or lodges for your first night's stay (Country Garden Inns is located within walking distance of Carmel Valley Village and known for their tasty breakfast buffet. They also are running a Wine Escape special - room rates are only $165 per person and your stay includes dinner and wine tasting tickets. Click here to view special ).

2 PM - Once your settled with accommodations, go on a horseback ride at Holman Ranch.

6PM -  End the night with dinner reservations at the "Dining Room" which features French cuisine with a California twist that highlights locally grown ingredients, and is the perfect spot for a memorable dinner.

Click here for the full three day itinerary.

River Terrace Inn was recently voted as 2009's Best Napa Hotel by the Bay List (SF Gate, The San Francisco Chronicle's website).

Popular among locals, the Bay List says "Discover an exclusive sanctuary nestled among lush, rolling hills, an ocean of vivid wildflowers and radiant vineyards. Set in the heart of California wine country, the River Terrace Inn features luxurious accommodations, personalized services, and a richly indulgent spa".

See for yourself what makes this hotel so special. Right now, River Terrace Inn is offering a Fall Foilage Package this November with room rates just starting at $129 available Sunday - Thursday. Your stay includes a complimentary glass of Napa Valley wine on their outdoor terrace overlooking the Nap River and eucalyptus grove.

River Terrace Inn
1600 Soscol Avenue
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 320.9000
(866) 627.2386
 

What's your Halloween tradition? Looking for things that go bump in the night, getting lost in a maze of maize, or celebrating the night in scary style? It's the season of fun and whether you're looking for kid friendly or grown up approved, we can certainly point you in the right direction for events near you!

Submitted by VirginiaWine.org

"Women Wild About Wine" October Weekend Package, by Alison Lundberg of The Tides Inn

Here in Virginia's Wine Country you'll have a fantastic wine tasting experience, with very little research required. The Women Wild About Wine Weekends at the Tides Inn returns in time for October's wine harvest and Virginia's wildly popular wine month. Virginia celebrates its 21st Virginia Wine Month with festivals, tours, concerts and more from the state's 150 wineries. October has become an eagerly awaited annual highlight as Virginia's wine production ranks fifth in the U.S.