Weekend trip to Bodega Bay from SF (with wine and Instagram Spots)

California is known for picturesque coastal view, especially Big Sur and Monterey. While Mendocino and Bodega Bay are not as well known, it offers similar amazing viewpoints and great food and lodging options. Because Bodega Bay is so much closer from SF (~1.5hr) , it’s quickly becoming my favorite weekend trip destination. Not to mention all the fun wine tasting options on the way. You can stop by Sebastopol to visit some of my favorite wineries or venture out to the Sonoma mountains for small family owned wineries. Here’s my quick and easy Bodega Bay itinerary idea for a weekend trip

Where to wine

  1. Sonoma Coast Winery: This winery is right on the HWY1 with the view of the coast. They offer wines by the glass, bottle, or tasting flight. Mostly Pinots and Chardonnay and all were enjoyable

  2. Halleck winery: I looked at Google maps to see different wineries on the way to the coast and this small family owned winery caught my eye

  3. Tasting by the Sea: If you drive a bit more north from Bodega Bay to the town of Jenner, there are cute cafe and this outdoor wine bar looking out the Russian River.

  4. Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery: This is technically a cheese shop and a cafe with food but when you get their cheese tasting flight, you can also bring (or buy) a bottle of wine. They have the cutest outdoor eating area and the vanilla soft serve is to die for. I would totally drive from SF just to get their soft serve 😂

Where to eat

  1. Fishetarian Fish Market: I had the BEST BBQ Oyster here! it was the most plump and flavorful oyster I’ve ever had. Quality might depend on the season but overall highly recommend stopping by for oysters, fish and chips, and tacos

  2. Spud Point Crab Company: We went during the Dungeness crab season so not sure how it is during the off season but their clam chowder was one of the bests I’ve had. Not too thick but creamy and garlicky, went perfect with their crab sandwich.

  3. Patrick’s Sea Water Taffy: Technically not a spot to eat but this place is so cute and you can snag a few bags of delicious Sea Water Taffy. You can choose from 50+ flavors!

Where to sleep

There are a few inns and lodging options in the area but we actually camped in our car right on the beach. There are two state parks where you can reserve a spot, and we love the Wright’s Beach because it’s really right on the beach. Some of the sites (1-10) are truly on the beach with unobstructed view but all other sites are worth it as you can walk right to the beach. Spots fill up months in advance but you can often snag last minute cancelation on Reserve California

Wineries to visit in Porto and Douro Valley and travel tips

Douro is approximately 3x the size of Napa Valley and there are no shortage of wineries “Quintas” to visit in the area. With only 2 days in the Valley (and having full itinerary outside of Douro), we definitely didn’t get to visit as many as I would have liked. However, it was also easy to visit port houses right in town of Porto within walking distance to Airbnbs and hotels. Here are some of the wineries we visited in Douro and Porto:



Douro Valley Wineries

Few things I had in mind when planning the Douro is 1) Mix of Port and still wines 2) Mix of small and large wineries 3) Include a winery with the Douro River view 4) Reasonable distance/route

  1. Wine and Soul - Small family owned winery with a long list of still white and red wines along with ports.

  2. Vintage Theory - We stopped here during lunch and did their lunch and tasting experience. Booking through our driver (more on this later) gave us a significant discount–€15 for a sit down lunch with wine and separate port tasting. Good traditional lunch and the port tasting was fun and educational

  3. Quinta do Popa - We wanted to include a winery with the iconic view of the Douro River and this was a great spot. You can choose to focus on their port or still wines for the tasting so we did a bit of both.

  4. Quinta da Pacheca - We tasted here as it was included with our stay (which we LOVED, you can read more about it here)

  5. Murganheira - This is technically not considered Douro Valley but in Távora-Varosa, about 30 minutes south of our hotel. We visited on our 2nd day before returning to Porto, separately from full day of tasting in Douro Valley. Loved the experience getting to tour the cave and seeing the entire traditional sparkling wine making process.

Transportation to Douro from Porto

We typically opt to hire a private driver vs. renting a car when we are abroad and wine tasting because we are not familiar with the area and would rather enjoy the day without worrying about someone being a designated driver. We were spending the night in Douro so we hired a driver to pick us up from our place in Porto and drop us off in Douro instead of driving back to Porto. We compared a few options and chose a company that seemed like a good balance of being affordable and personable. Prior to the trip, I worked with the company to arrange the route based on my research and their recommendation. Highly recommend this if you want complete freedom in planning the day. Other options are

  1. Public transportation (Train to Douro then Taxi to wineries) which will take longer and could be limiting in terms of winery choices

  2. Group tours with a set itinerary (convenient but limiting in terms of winery choices). If you are ok with these limitations and want to do a quick day trip from Porto it’s a great option and more affordable. You can find some private and group options here.



Porto Wineries

There is an entire street/area dedicated to Port wine houses in Vila Nova de Gaia area of Porto and you can find all the popular names like Calem and Fonseca. We didn’t do much research prior and just stopped by while walking around. Two we ended up visiting were:

  1. Churchill Lodge: Bit further walk into the town from the main road but the walk was worth it! There are various flights you can choose from and we felt like we really got to taste different types of ports here. Ended up taking two bottles home!

  2. Porto Augusto: We wanted to check out a smaller producer/brand that is not as familiar to us and ended up here. They have a tour and tasting or you can just choose a tasting flight with a variety of ports. It was fun to taste the difference from Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage.


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Food and wine lovers travel guide to Porto, Portugal

Portugal is an amazing travel destination all year around and one of our favorite European destinations during the Thanksgiving holiday time. You get the holiday festivities with the decorations and even Christmas markets in the city, but the weather isn’t as cold compared to Paris or London. We first went in 2019, mostly in Lisbon, and went back this year to venture out to Porto and the Douro Valley wine region. Here’s a list of all the places we loved to eat and drink in Porto and Douro!

Where to Stay

Quinta da Pacheca in Douro: This was one of my favorite hotels I’ve ever stayed at! It was romantic, had amazing vineyard views, and was such a unique experience to stay inside a wine barrel. It is part of a winery so you get complimentary wine tasting during your stay. It is also ~5minutes taxi ride to the main town where lots of restaurants are located.

Stay in Apartment: We booked the Studio room at this budget friendly hotel with a great location right on the main road in Riveria. Porto is small enough to walk around and be able to visit main attractions and this location was perfect. Did not expect this but had a very cute window that opened up to the alley with a view of the river.

Airbnb with a view in Porto: Another great spot located next to the famous Luis I Bridge in the Riveria district. There were no shortages of restaurants and bars within minutes of this place. This particular place was spacious and had large windows with awesome view.

Where to Drink

I have a separate post for wineries here

Wine Quay Bar: This wine bar is such a gem! Great view of the iconic river and bridge with outdoor and indoor seating. Great selection of wines by the glass and bottle. We ended up getting ~6 different wines by the glass (😂 I know, we were only going to get 2 each) and liked all of them! They also serve tapas/snacks so stop by for sunset drinks and appetizers before dinner

Porto Cruz Rooftop: Rooftop bar with a beautiful view of Porto, Douro river, and the Luís I Bridge on the Vila Nova de Gaia side of the river along with all the port tasting rooms. They also had a DJ when we went mid-day so great stop to relax and have a glass or two.

Churchill’s Lodge: We ended up only doing 2 port tastings in Porto since we spent 2 days in Douro but this was a great add. You will need to walk a bit from the main road but it was worth it. Great selection of white, ruby, tawny, and vintage ports. Loved one of the vintages and ended up purchasing a bottle of it!

Praia dos Ingleses Bar: If you venture ~20minutes west from Porto, you get an amazing coastal town vibe. If you are familiar with California, it felt like I was in Santa Monica/Malibu. We stopped at this bar/restaurant, which is right on the beach. Great view and vibe with drinks!

Pick any spot by the river: Get a bottle of wine or beer, sit by the Douro River or at Morro Garden to enjoy!

Where to Eat

Euskalduna studio: We had 4 dinners in Porto and was so glad we fit this one in! Amazing 10 course (+surprises) tasting menu (€105) with a lovely wine paring. Focused on seafood but the entire menu was innovative (think tuna sashimi with uni foam, grilled eel with beet sauce, and toro with persimmon 🤩) and wine pairing was so on point! One of the white wines was so good, I even saved it on Vivino so I can find it again. Highly recommend if you are trying to save a night for fine dining

Le Monument : We couldn’t decide between Euskalduna and Le Monument so decided to try both. The vibe is totally different here. Located inside one of the top hotels in Porto, they do a quick intro to the kitchen with a small bite and offer 10 or 14 different courses (€85 or €105) with wine pairing. Also focused on seafood and surprise desserts kept coming at the end. They sent us home with a bag of tea we had, which is such a fun gift to remember the night!

Taberna Dos Mercadores: Hidden in a small street behind the main Riveira street, was such a gem. Wanted to try everything on their menu, ended up getting a seafood rice (meant for 2) and grilled lamb chops between the 2 of us. If I had more nights, would have gone back to try other popular items on the menu (like octopus rice and fish). It’s a small place and by 1pm they were completely full so make a reservation or go early

Tapabento S.Bento: Seafood stew is the star menu here but their beef carpaccio was easily one of the bests I’ve had. Duck breast was also good so I’d imagine you really can’t go wrong with any menu here. Also, don’t forget to order a glass or pitcher of SPARKLING SANGRIA!

Curb: I almost feel weird recommending a burger place in Portugal (and I’m from California, love my In-n-out and Shake Shack 😂). But we actually went here twice during our stay, first for a mid-day snack to see if the hype is real and went back for a quick dinner the next day. I didn’t believe the reviews saying that it’s the best burger they’ve had but it was worth the hype. Please don’t pass on their fries!!

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Best wineries to visit in Healdsburg

Healdsburg is such a cute town and while it might seem much further up north, it’s only a few more minutes from Napa. I love the area for more relaxed vibes and different varieties of wines I can find at wineries there. Here are some of my favorite wineries to visit in Healdsburg:

  1. Reeve: One of my favorite wineries for Pinot and Sangiovese! Their wines tend to be light to medium bodied, fruity but complex. I don’t typically love Pinot but love all their wines. They also serve wood fire pizza on weekends.

  2. Lambert Bridge: They make one of my favorite Cab Francs. So smooth with depth and if you love Napa Cab Sauvignon, you will love this one! Ground is cute and the indoor tasting room set up is so cozy and worth the visit!

  3. Amista: Believe it’s the only winery in Healdsburg that specializes in sparkling wines. They have a separate sparkling flight and a red flight that focuses on Rhone varietals and blends. I really enjoyed tasting all of their wines and some of the bottles we brought home tasted even better than I remember it to be. Definitely worth a stop!

  4. De La Montoya: Their outdoor tasting area is super cute, surrounded by greens and the garden. They allow picnic and also sell small snack/food boxes so plenty of options for food to go with your tasting

  5. A Rafanelli: This small family owned winery is adorable with an amazing view of the vineyard and adorable cave. They typically have ~3 wines for you to taste and purchase (Cab, Zin, Red Blend) and they are all really good. Super friendly place that makes you feel like you are visiting a friend’s place!



Wine lovers travel itinerary for Italy's Amalfi Coast (Rome, Capri, Positano)

Typical wine trips in Italy involve Tuscany for scenic vineyard views and lots of wine. However, Amalfi coast has been on our travel list for so long and we decided September is probably the best season to enjoy the beach. While we saved Tuscany and other wine regions in Italy for our next trip, there were no shortage of food, wine, and drinks. Here’s a guide of few restaurants and hotels based on our 7 day itinerary that any travel or wine lovers can enjoy.

Rome

Rome was a transit city for us as we flew in and out of the city and we only stayed 1 nights when we flew in and another night before we flew out. However, we still got the enjoy the city with plenty of culture, food, and wine.

Roscioli: There are actually a number of wine tasting rooms/shops in Rome and we ended up trying Roscioli. They do food and wine pairing with advanced reservation. We ended up ordering a la carte but loved the wines and dishes we tried.

St. Regis: For our last night, decided to splurge and stayed at the St. Regis which was so worth it. Their bar/restaurant was so adorable and perfect to enjoy cocktails any time of the day. They even have Champagne sabering every evening which was a fun bonus and reminded us of our dream trip in St Regis Maldives (where they had sunset Champagne sabering every day).

Mimi e Coco: Small restaurant near Navona great for traditional pastas. I LOVED their lasagna and the carbonara was also to die for, went so well with red wine.


Capri

Capri Wine Hotel: This hotel was absolutely lovely and amazing for wine lovers but also for anyone looking for hotels in Capri besides the luxury options. Hotel is built on an old winery and you can see traces on the vineyard and barrels throughout. You can choose rooms with an ocean view and the breakfast buffet is to die for! Amazing spread of fruits, freshly baked goods, meats, cheese, made to order eggs, and the view was all such a treat.

Da Paolino: This restaurant and a bar is popular with tourists and locals for its lemon trees that surround the dining area. We didn’t end up eating here but went for an evening drink (Aperitivo) before dinner and I’d recommend the same! It was not as crowded (we were the only party there for the first 20 minutes or so) and you still get to enjoy the vibe

Il Riccio: This is a cliff side restaurant on the Anacapri side of the island located next to the famous Blue Grotto. We went for drinks at their adorably decorated rooftop bar then had lunch. Slightly pricey but the vibe, drinks, and food were all worth it!


Positano

Casa Mele: We had a food and wine pairing dinner here and the entire experience was amazing. We sat at the table with the view of the kitchen and went through innovative food menu with awesome wines.

Villa Rosa: This hotel has the best location (right next to the famous La Sirenuse) and if you get the ocean view rooms, you have the same $$$$ view you get from Bar Franco/La Sirenuse. Our balcony was HUGE and we loved getting breakfast delivered to the balcony every morning (included with the room rate).

Maestro’s at Villa Treville: Maestro is a restaurant of the Villa Treville hotel (which seems like an amazing place to stay). It is a little outside the main town so best to take a taxi but the trip is worth the ambiance and view. We had drinks and dinner here and would say it’s one of the top romantic dinner spots!


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Where to taste sparkling wines in California

I’ve been a red wine drinker for a long time but recently have been appreciating sparkling wines a lot. I’m actually a seafood lover and even though it’s not a hard rule to pair seafood with red wine, I do feel weird about opening a bottle of a cab with sushi. Ever since learning that sparkling wine actually goes well with all kinds of food (think how you can drink soda or beer with any meal 😂), I’ve been stocking up on more sparkling wines. Also random side tip, ordering a bottle of brut sparkling wine also is an easy choice at a restaurant if there are both seafood and meat dishes on the table. This being said, I’ve enjoyed adding more sparkling wines to my wine tasting itinerary. Here’s some you can try if you are looking to taste a flight of sparkling wines in California

Napa

  • Domaine Carneros: Such a classic Napa stop with its iconic mansion with a beautiful view of the vineyards. Located in Carneros so great to start or end the day here. Worth putting on the list anyone in Napa!

  • Schramsberg: Tasting room is located in Calistoga but you can also get their sparkling slight at the sister winery, Davies, in St. Helena. They make high quality traditional method sparkling wines and I love the variety here

  • Chandon: Well-known and widely distributed wines with a beautiful view on the hillside

  • Mumm: Another well-known brand with a beautiful outdoor patio and terrace

Sonoma

  • Iron Horse: Located up the hills in Sebastopol, they specialize in sparkling wines, Chardonnays, and Pinots. Beautiful view of the Sebastopol vineyard area

  • Amista: Small family winery in Healdsburg with a sparkling flight in addition to the regular white/red wine flight. They have interesting Rhone varietals and it’s a fun stop.

  • Gloria Ferrer: I personally have not been but included on the list as it’s one of the popular spot south of Sonoma downtown

  • Roederer: Technically located in Anderson Valley so need to drive further north from Sonoma but worth a stop if you are heading there. They make the famous Louis Roederer Cristal!

New boutique wineries in Paso Robles

I first learned about and visited Paso in 2013 when I was working for a company that owns a winery out there and it’s been so fun and cool to see how Paso has evolved with more and more new amazing wineries. They say the barrier to entry is a bit lower compared to Napa, enabling more young up and coming wine makers to create and build their own brand.

I’ve previously shared a list of Paso wineries to visit if you are looking for dark and bold Napa style red wines, but Paso also is great for Rhone style varietals (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) and blends. and some of the new boutique wineries are making excellent wines across various varietals.

  • Torrin: Super friendly tasting room started by the wine maker from Law just a few minutes down the road. They focus on Pinots and GSM and was overall a great experience if you are looking for an intimate small winery

  • Clos Soléne: Tasting room in a romantic setting with a romantic story behind it! Wine maker and his wife met in France and moved to Paso to start their own winery. Lovely french style wines

  • TOP: They often sell out of wines because of their small production but also because the wines are really good! Tasting room is slightly off the main vineyard/tasting area but close to town. If they happen to have a few different bottles open for tasting, definitely a good stop

Paso has an industrial park Tin City where wine makers host tastings before they build their own tasting room. Worth stopping by to taste wines from different producers in one spot!

Anderson Valley wineries to visit during your trip to Mendocino

Mendocino is about 3 hours drive from San Francisco and is a great weekend trip! It’s not as well known as Big Sur but I think the coast is equally beautiful and, mostly importantly, home of amazing wineries!

Anderson Valley is a perfect stop to break up the drive to the coast from SF. Mostly family owned and operated, tasting rooms tend to be smaller with more affordable tasting fees ($10-30) compared to Napa and Sonoma. During my 3 different Mendocino trips in the last few years, I’ve visited more than 15 wineries and below are my top picks!

  • Goldeneye: Part of the Duckhorn family, they focus on Pinot Noirs. Love their expansive backyard vineyard, one of the most picturesque wineries in the area! Tasting fee is only $10 and waived with purchase

  • Twomey: Part of the Silver Oak Family, this location focuses on Pinot but you can also taste Silver Oak wines here as well. Setting here is also beautiful with an adorable flower tunnel and wall in to the tasting area. Tasting fee is cheaper than the Sonoma and Napa location, $15 for Twomey only and $40 for Twomey + Silver Oak, and waived with purchase

  • Navarro: Great place to picnic and stop by for a casual tasting. View is great, tasting fee at the bar is free, wines are great and affordable!

  • Roederer Estate: Yes, the same Roederer of the Cristal Champagne. Great flight of sparkling wines ($20) and you can also order food.

  • Lichen: Small family owned winery with an adorable tasting area and a unique view of the open road and mountains! Great Pinot (both red and white!) and sparkling wines. $15 to taste

  • Pacific Star Winery: This is technically not in Anderson Valley but if you are staying or visiting the Mendocino Coast/Fort Bragg area, amazing place to visit. It’s a winery right on the Pacific coast! The ground is expansive and the view is to die for. Casual wines, good to go with a group and picnic. $12 to taste

Wineries for Cabernet Franc lovers (or for Cab Sauv lovers looking for something different)

Cabernet Franc tends to get less attention while its child grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, is a crowd favorite for big bold red wine drinkers. It’s one of my favorite varietals for that exact reason. I started buying more Cab Francs because you usually get more bang for the buck compared to Cab Sauv. However, I’ve actually come to like Cab Francs more than Cab Sauv on most occasions. It is still bold but isn’t as heavy as Cab Sauvs and usually so drinkable without food. I still love a good Cab Sauvignon but can’t grill ribeyes everyday!

Cab Francs are harder to come by at wine shops and retail stores and same when it comes to wineries. Although it is becoming more popular these days, you don’t typically expect to find a bottle of Cab Franc at any winery. Here’s the list of wineries that make Cab Francs I like!

  1. Titus: One of my favorites, love all their reds. Cab Franc is $58/bottle but personally think it drinks like a much more expensive wine

  2. Amizetta: New found favorite! $80/bottle

  3. Black Cat Vineyards: Wine maker describes her Cab Franc as cooking wine, it’s that smooth and I totally agree. Wines tastings are mostly only reserved for members, contact me if you want to visit!

  4. Gibbs: Gibbs’ Cab Franc has to be my favorite considering their price point. I can’t believe it’s only $32/bottle. No official tasting program but take referrals, contact me if you are interested!

  5. Terraces: This one is a recent find, overall tour/tasting experience is fun and all their wines are great! Cab Franc is one of their premium offerings at $85/bottle

  6. Ballentine: Another great value in St Helena near Titus. $55/bottle

  7. Ehlers: Their profits go to cardiovascular research foundation and wines are amazing. $65/bottle

  8. Kenzo: More $$$ compared to others but can’t go wrong with any of their wines. Believe it was close to $300 but they do sell half bottles for exactly half the price

  9. Paradigm: Same wine maker as Kenzo, Heidi Barrett. Sold out online but believe it was around $60/bottle

  10. Delectus: They are known for their Cab “French Wedding” but Cab Franc is also excellent (and less expensive) $78

  11. Chappellet: Chappellet is known for their Pritchard Hill Cab Franc, $85/bottle

Wineries to visit in Southern Oregon

My husband and I typically fly out of town for most long weekends but with Covid, ended up doing more distanced road trips in 2020. One of our favorite finds was Medford and Ashland in Southern Oregon. It is about ~6hr drive from SF but we broke it up by staying in Shasta and we LOVED it. Of course the wineries in the area motivated us to drive further north and we ended up visiting 6 wineries and 1 tasting room in 24 hours 😂. We’ve always loved Willamette Valley wines but was surprised to find interesting varietals other than Pinot in Southern Oregon. Tasting fees and bottles were all so affordable compared to Napa so we kept making stops during our drive.

Here’s the list of places we visited, tasting fees were around $10-15 for all of these wineries and waived with a bottle purchase.

  1. Dancin Vineyard: Great stop for lunch! and also the only winery that was focused on Pinot during our trip. Tasted 3-4 different Pinots and left with a few bottles

  2. Quady North: Cute tasting rooms in downtown Jacksonville. Variety of whites and reds but have 3 different Cab Francs + a sparkling Cab Franc. We ended up joining their club!

  3. EdenVale: Super cute ground and great view of the vineyard. They have a long list of white and red wines for you to choose from

  4. LongSword Vineyard: Good whites, had an interesting Chardonnay with a slight fizz/sparkle

  5. Red Lily Vineyards: Great Spanish style red wines. You can also choose to taste/drink wine with the view of Applegate River

  6. Devitt Winery: This was more like a house with a vineyard! We love small wineries but I would say this one was a micro. Owner/winemaker poured us wines that you probably won’t get to taste anywhere else

  7. Wine Garden Tasting Room: Super cute tasting room where you can taste wines from 3-5 different wineries. Selections vary and we enjoyed the variety!