Sonoma B&B Recommendations

Hi all,

Getting ready to finally book my first trip to the Cali Wine Valley. I've done some research on Sonoma Bed and Breakfasts and am trying to decide between the Applewood Inn and Vintners Inn. Anyone have any thoughts on either?

Thanks! Frank

Reply to
fsa3
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Reply to
stephentimko

Thanks for the information thats exactly the type of information I need.

My plans right now are to just do Sonoma, I only have 2 nights to spend and really only 1 full day. One of the things I'm looking for in a bed and breakfast is for them to be able to help me setup a tour for the 1 full day I'm there (something with a limo or a van or something). It would also be nice if they were real close to a winery for the 1/2 day I can spend the next morning.

If you have any other B&B recommendations I'm all ears.

Reply to
fsa3

Reply to
Joseph B. Rosenberg

Well, I've stayed at the Motel 6 in Santa Rosa and, er, let's move on. A bed and breakfast near Sonoma's town square would put you close to the girl & the fig, which is where I discovered Rhone-style wines. Great food and if you eat there, get the fig salad. Great.

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Can't offer advice on tours because I always drive.

Reply to
Steve Timko

Do you know the name of the BB in the town square?

Reply to
fsa3

You might stay in Glen Ellen, between Sonoma and Kenwood/Santa Rosa. It's a very small town, but there are a number of vineyards and good restaurants.

To Stay: One B&B that looks nice (I haven't stayed there, since I live here!) is the Glen Elly Inn. It's about 1/3-mile from Glen Ellen town:

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A short drive from town is Beltane Ranch:

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In town, but a bit pricey is The Gaige House:

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To Eat: I also like The Girl and The Fig on The Plaza in Sonoma. Sondra's "other" restaurant is The Fig Cafe in Glen Ellen, which is our favorite. They also serve the excellent fig salad, but the best thing for my money is NO CORKAGE. So, you can bring that bottle of whatever-you-just-bought and quaff it up for free.

The Glen Ellen Inn used to be tops in town, but has been variable lately. They have a B&B also.

I like the Kenwood Restaurant on Highway 12 in Kenwood. You'll probably need a reservation.

On the Plaza in Sonoma, another favorite is The Swiss Hotel. If you like steak, try Saddles off Broadway.

To visit: My favorite winery is Benziger in Glen Ellen. Upon arrival, you might get tickets for the Tram Tour (there's usually a wait), and then leave and go up the road to visit the ruins of Jack London's Wolf House. Return, and do the Tram Tour and tasting. Splurge for the reserve room.

Other favorites are Gundlach-Bundschu (Hard to spell and harder to find). Bring a picnic or a snack.

Gloria Ferrer (a few miles south of Sonoma). Great bubbles.

Buena Vista (Haraszthy), possibly the oldest winery in California. Nice tour and art galleries.

A picnic or afternoon snack on the Sonoma Plaza is always nice. Free music in the amphitheatre some weekends and Tuesday nights. September 23-25 is the Vintage Festival on The Plaza. Lots of wine, food, art, music, and fun.

Enjoy you stay!

B

On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 17:40:40 -0700, fsa3 wrote (in article ):

Reply to
no

There are no B&Bs right on The Sonoma Plaza. There are a couple hotels, though. Within 3 blocks of The Plaza, there are lots of B&B choices:

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Bob

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 11:12:19 -0700, fsa3 wrote (in article ):

Reply to
no

I think it was the Sonoma Inn--it was on a corner lot. to the left of Vella Cheese--we're talking 1984 here---I ate at John Ash about 4 years ago and the origonal in Mendicino in 1983.

While Route 29 in Napa is about the same as it was in 1984--but much more devoloped then on 1st trip in 1977. The Road to Santa Rosa(12) from either Sonoma or Healdsburg is littered with strip malls, making it look like Route

46 in New Jersey.
Reply to
Joseph B. Rosenberg

I took my adult niece to Buena Vista last year because of a recommendation in a travel book. The grounds are pretty and the building is nice, but the wine was bad. We each paid $15 for the historical tour and tasting both of us felt it wasn't worth the money. I understand that they changed hands in the last few years and my sense is that they are in a serious profit-taking mode.

Reply to
Steve Timko

On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 15:28:46 -0700, Steve Timko wrote (in article ):

Eh! That's a shame. $15 to take the tour?! I'll take them off my list of recommendations.

B
Reply to
no

It's what they call their Heritage Tour:

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It says it includes three library tastings. They started us off with a pinot noir that I now believe they had opened the day before. It was easily the worst pinot noir I've ever had that was labeled pinot noir (as opposed to jug wine labelled something like "burgundy."). The savories they describe are literally a few berries, a few nuts and some cheese and crackers. It was educational but it was also a fairly hard sell on Buena Vista wines. More education and discussion and less sales may have salvaged it. I don't like paying $15 to hear a sales pitch.

Reply to
Steve Timko

Reply to
Joseph B. Rosenberg

Reply to
Lawrence Leichtman

Racke. The are into spirits.

M.

Reply to
Michael Pronay

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