Napa & Sonoma

There are few places in the world like Napa and Sonoma. A unique microcosm of soils, climates, and geographies paired with their singular pursuit, the love of wine and good food, make it so compelling.

Just half a century ago, Napa emerged from a once-sleepy farming community to become a global leader in fine wine. The slim valley itself is only 30 miles long, and 5 miles across at its widest point and has some of the most diverse soils in the world. To the west, hugging the Pacific Coast, the larger, cooler sister county of Sonoma has remarkably diverse terrain that produces some of the most stellar Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in North America. Influenced Ruled by the fog and microclimates, it is a breath of fresh air to Napa’s robust, structured wines.

Yet Napa is more than wine. Locals adore the open-air farmers markets exploding with seasonal produce. Quaint mom-and-pop boutiques, food artisans, and charming local bistros are a way of life. With the sheer amount of wineries and options, though, tapping into Napa’s authenticity does require quite a lot of wine knowledge and a local point of view to astutely navigate.

Enter the Napa Capsule Journey ,. This is a distillation of three perfect days in Napa that dial into its terroir. A flexible itinerary where you choose to manage your lodging options and we take care of your excursions, it’s neither the beginning nor the end on Napa. It’s simply a beautiful overture. You can do it over a weekend or mid-week when you have the valley to yourself. We curate Napa’s essence down to a mixture of wine and food, high and low, rustic and chic, mom-and-pop and blue chip, sophisticated and undiscovered, old school and new school. It’s paced to be just right and most importantly, gives you the time to appreciate and savor and get to know each place’s soul, people, and yes, usually wine, too.

A Sunrise Meditation: Sunrise is a magical time in Napa and is best appreciated from above with a hot air balloon ride. As the engines fire up before the dawn, those brave aviators that rise above the whispers of the cloud are treated to a golden light embracing the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges with a sea of vines below. Floating silently only with the air currents, it’s a graceful, peaceful way to take in the beauty and majesty of this area.

Sonoma Seduction: Much of Sonoma is still a rural place. Here, curvy back roads are dotted with farms selling their own cheeses and pick-it-from-the-ground fresh produce. General stores and provision stops are a way of life. Charming villages seem frozen in time where you can stop to ‘antique’ and find local treasures. Like in Burgundy, it’s a landscape full of rolling verdant hills made by mostly small producers growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines that are shrouded nearly every morning by the cool fog that rushes in from the Pacific. The result? Complete, utter seduction.

The Great Pacific: Part of California’s allure and wild nature is the Pacific, a quiet giant marking the western limits of the North American continent. In Napa & Sonoma, there’s no place more stunning than to drive from the crab capital of fishing village Bodega Bay up Highway 1 hugging the coast to Jenner, where the Russian River opens into the sea and sea lions frolic in the waves. At Goat Rock, it’s the perfect picnic spot. Continue north up the craggy coastline towards Timber Cove and Sea Ranch where you can spot whales off the coast and some of the best cold climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the country where pioneering vintners blazed a trail. Inspiring? It feels like the edge of the world—it kind of is!

Each itinerary is fully customized to your dates, group, and interest. Please contact us to further discuss options. You can also click the ‘Make it Happen’ button to the right of this page to get in touch.