An Unforgettable Bouchaine Experience!…read more My three girlfriends and I had the most amazing tasting experience at Bouchaine Vineyards. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and truly special. Our wine educator, Rob Fischer, was absolutely wonderful. He was warm, knowledgeable, funny and genuinely passionate about Bouchaine. He shared the winery's rich history in such an engaging way and made our tasting feel personal rather than rehearsed. Rob was a huge part of what made our visit so memorable. We especially loved learning that Bouchaine is the oldest continuously operating winery in Carneros and sits along the southern edge of Napa Valley, overlooking the beautiful vineyards near San Pablo Bay. We were also impressed to learn about the remarkable women helping lead the winery: proprietor and president Tatiana Copeland and president and winemaker Chris Kajani. The setting is gorgeous. We relaxed on the beautiful patio, surrounded by vineyards, and enjoyed the peaceful Carneros scenery while tasting some exceptional wines. It feels tucked away from the busier parts of Napa Valley, which makes the experience even more special. Rob also told us about the new wine cave currently being built into the hillside. It sounds incredible, and we are already looking forward to returning when it is finished! Bouchaine offers everything you hope for in a Napa Valley tasting: excellent wine, fascinating history, beautiful surroundings and personal hospitality. Thank you, Rob, for making four girlfriends feel so special. We will definitely be back!

ChatGPT recommended Bouchaine Vineyards based on my preference for a slower, quieter tasting…read moreexperience surrounded by vineyards and gardens--and it was exactly right. The entire experience was stellar, beginning with a welcome glass of Vin Gris, which counts as one of the five wines in the tasting. We settled into comfortable, spacious semicircular couches with panoramic views overlooking the vineyards, gardens, and mountains beyond. What truly elevated our visit was Dulce, our hostess, who has more than 20 years of wine experience. She described each wine with such knowledge and detail that we were able to choose wines we genuinely enjoyed. But it was more than expertise. She shared her knowledge and passion so freely and with such heart that she made the afternoon feel special. Dulce is truly a gift to Bouchaine. The hospitality began even before we arrived. When we realized we didn't need as much time between wineries, we called and asked whether we could move our 3:30 tasting to 2:30. They accommodated us with grace. We ended up staying more than 2 1/2 hours and never once felt hurried. I especially appreciated the generous spacing between the seating areas, which gave each group privacy and made the tasting feel peaceful rather than crowded. The grounds were lovely, with purple agapanthus and black-eyed Susans blooming against the vineyards and mountains. Even the modern wood architecture--from the tasting room and offices to the beautifully designed bathroom--made us feel as though we were somewhere thoughtfully created and genuinely special. Every member of the staff we encountered was warm and welcoming. Some wineries you visit once because you're curious to experience them. Bouchaine is the kind of place I would return to simply because of how wonderful it felt to be there. Although I would definitely be getting the Gewurztraminer, Merlot, and Pinot Noirs again too.

The locations and the views are mouth dropping! The olive oil is heaven (its the olive oil they…read moreserve at Don Giovanni) and the only place to purchase it is through visiting the property through Priority Wine Pass. Brian the host is a pure joy. He wears a bow tie and is an amazing entertainer. You can also combine the experience with a sourdough bread making chef and also enjoy some insanely delicious bread with the olive oil

From the owner: A private 50-acre estate in the southern tip of Napa, set on a knoll with 360 degree vineyard…read moreviews, and only 1-hour from San Francisco, Sacramento, or the East Bay, 90 minutes from Silicon Valley…. Olive Hill Estates features over 3,000 Italian varietal olive trees as part of its orchard, Napa Valley’s largest. We create custom labeled olive oil bottles for corporate gift programs, retail stores, weddings, any special order. Our own special product launch occurs this October 2026 as we release our new olive oil tasting kit experience and our premium extra virgin olive oil master blend. Call us for a shipment!

Fairview was an incredible venue. It's really a beautiful place to create your perfect aesthetic…read more The team was very helpful and available at all times highly recommend.

The wedding planning staff was very flexible, the staff during the wedding wonderful. iIt turned to…read morebe a carefree wonderful day thanks to Alex from Fairview. it took a lot of planning but everything was perfect.

The CIA is such a wonderful place to celebrate food and wine in Napa. We did a four day Italian…read morecooking Bootcamp and it was an incredible experience. Chef Avia took us on a daily journey through Italy through food, and we made so many amazing recipes. We loved learning all kinds of tips and tricks and celebrating not just Italy, but all the wonderful bounty of the CIA garden. I don't think I've ever eaten so well! Our culinary coordinator Michelle was so helpful getting us our ingredients and keeping us on track all day. And Lupe took great care of us when it was time to eat, drink and celebrate our creations! As part of our class we got to eat together at the Grove and it was incredible. All the dishes were spectacular but in particular the Lions Mane mushroom was unforgettable. We all kept asking ourselves if it was steak. The building itself is so beautiful with an outside lawn/amphitheater, huge well-equipped kitchens, and a great little shop. We had fun looking at all the collections of kitchen equipment too. Any time you visit Downtown Napa the CIA is worth a stop!

RESTAURANT (The Grove)-- Lunch was fantastic!…read moreSat outside under the Olive Tree canopy : ) Peaceful Service was perfect. Salads, starters, and main dishes were great. Smoked fish Benedict :0 Wine selection was a bit limited and they were out of our preferred wine : ( Also....walkaround the garden and go upstairs to see the old kitchen ware!!!

Such a charming little farm! We stopped by recently after a short Napa trip and we were greeted by…read morea staffer right after we parked in their lot. There is clear signage for parking, but it wasn't clear right off the bat where the shop entrance was so it was so nice to be greeted and taken around by the staffer! I am horrible for not remembering her name, but she was lovely and very informative. We had a memorable stop here because of her :) The shop is small but cute. I really loved their strawberry lavender lemonade and shortbread thumbprint cookies! The cookies have a strawberry lavender jam center. The lemonade had a great balance of flavor and is so refreshing on a hot day. Turns out we visited when most of the lavender was harvested. I will try to make it back again next time in May or June so I can catch a glimpse of the lavender farm when it's full! It was cool to learn that there were many varieties including white lavender. There was still a section with plenty of purple lavender where we got to take some pictures and my friend trimmed her own little bouquet of lavender for her mom. I highly recommend visiting this farm if you're in the area.

So worth the trip over! From the moment you come to farm your greet by friendly, kind, and inviting…read morestaff ready to teach you about the farm and their varieties of lavender. The Shop has a lot of lavender products, I ended up getting the cookies, honey, hydrosol, and Lemonade. All of which were great products I have really been enjoying. The shop is so cute with drying lavender hanging overhead. Definitely look forward to coming back again.

We asked our hotel to recommend a tasting room in downtown Napa and they both suggested this place…read moreand I'm glad they did. It's in a historic building downtown, right across from the river park. The owner/winemaker is from the Caymus family and our server Reagan filled us in on all of the history behind what we were tasting. They have a very nice rooftop patio but we chose to stay outside at street level. I did the 3 wine tasting and got to do all reds. My favorite was the Key to Building 1 Red Blend and I got another glass. My husband had two glasses of the cab and really loved it, especially paired with the cabernet chocolate truffle bar. Who knew wine could make chocolate taste so good? Reagan took great care of us and made our afternoon so enjoyable. Highly recommended.

Such a cute spot! I stumbled upon by chance, and I'm so happy I did!…read more We didn't have a reservation, but Peter checked us in and was incredibly friendly and welcoming. We were able to grab a spot on the lovely front patio, which ended up being perfect. Patrick, the GM, also came over and chatted with us for a while about all sorts of things. He is such a lovely person - bright, personable, and genuinely passionate about what he does. You can tell he really cares about the experience people have here, and he does it so well. The charcuterie board was incredibly generous and absolutely delicious! I had a glass of bubbles, and my husband had one of the Cabs, which was SO good. Next time, I'll definitely make a reservation for the rooftop since I hear it books up quickly. I also really want to come back for one of their wax-dipping classes - it sounds like such a fun experience, and you can find the details on their website. Such a great little find with wonderful food, drinks, atmosphere, and genuinely kind people. We'll definitely be back! Hopefully sooner than later :)

Perfect weekend getaway if you want some peaceful and romantic time…read more I just love the place

Devine place for Thai food tucked away in Napa located on the Oak Knoll Hotel property. A dear…read morefriend secured holiday brunch reservations for us, and the special entrees, tea and cappuccino pairings were decadent and enjoyable. The service was top notch! We hope to return and stay at Oak Knoll next time around. Thank you for a memorable experience! Note: Shared ownership with Osha Thai in San Francisco.

I highly recommend this BEAUTIFUL venue along the Carquinez Strait in Vallejo. It is a hidden gem…read morethat's serene and refreshing.

"There is a light that shines special for you and me..." - The Light by Common…read more ~ THE AMBIANCE ~ Are we in the Bay or are we in Hawaii? Newport Beach? Is this even Vallejo? Karlo and I toured two other venues before visiting the Lighthouse well over a year ago and immediately fell in love with the lush greenery, the palm trees, and the view overlooking the water. The Lighthouse felt like a destination even though it's in the Bay Area. It truly is a hidden gem and we got a lot of questions from our guests as to how we found this place. As a kid, I would often go to Suisun for the weekends with my Lola (Grandma) to visit family. The Carquinez bridge was pretty much the halfway point to getting home or to my Aunt's place - Crossing the Bridge and seeing the C&H Sugar factory served as a marker and indicator for me that I was almost home or almost there. At the venue, there is a pathway that leads to a lookout point where you'll see both the bridge and the sugar factory, and it was then we knew that we were going to get married here. ~ THE VENUE ~ The venue has two lawn areas which naturally lend themselves to a ceremony or cocktail hour space. It's absolutely beautiful. We had our ceremony on the East Lawn (smaller lawn area to the left when facing the Lighthouse from the parking lot). It has a downward slope which made for an amphitheater like setting. We used the green palms as a backdrop for our ceremony and to be honest - it's beautiful as is even without decor. The bigger lawn area is where we had our Cocktail hour and it was the perfect setting and large enough to host 92 guests. We wanted an all in one space where we could have the ceremony and reception at one place, and the Lighthouse offered that. The indoor banquet hall fit our guest count and the windows all around gave a spectacular view to the marina and the sun set. The only downside is the four pillars that hold up the Lighthouse as it does block the view in certain angles especially when my husband and I had our first dance; however, guests got out of their seats to have a closer look. The kitchen also isn't a full kitchen so be aware of this. There's no stove to cook on or to keep food warm, and there is no ice machine. This one didn't really affect us as we had paella catered and everything was done outside on the paella pans and burners. The biggest selling point is the inn upstairs which accommodates up to 8 guests. Our brothers have younger children and we knew that this would be most convenient for them as the kids nap/are in need of a diaper change/need an area to pump. We had two guests who needed to pump and it was nice to be able to offer a comfortable place for them to do so in privacy without having to take up a bathroom stall in the hall. The inn is well equipped, the beds were comfortable, and the decor is tasteful and we loved how history was incorporated in the small touches. It really made for beautiful getting ready photos and was such a pleasure to wake up to a view like that. ~ THE PEOPLE ~ As if the venue is not enough, the people behind the Lighthouse are truly the heart of it all. Crystal, Maggie and Alma like a what lighthouse does, guided us throughout the planning process, checked-in and made sure we were okay throughout the evening. They were so kind through it all and even made sure that my elderly parents were comfortable as mobility is an issue. We booked our vendors based on two things: kindness & connection, and we will never take for granted the hospitality they have offered us both leading up to our Wedding day and on the day-of. Thank you for everything! All in all, if you're looking for a one-of-a-kind, intimate venue, the Lighthouse is it. My husband and I are already looking forward to planning another event here in the near future!

We could not have dreamed of a more perfect place to hold our wedding last May. It almost feels…read moreunreal that a place as beautiful as Garden Valley Ranch exists. The entire property is breathtaking and there is nothing better than the sight and smell of fresh roses everywhere! Our guests raved (and even a year out they're still dropping us compliments) about how gorgeous the Belvedere lawn area and Secret Garden were, which is where we held our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. The koi pond is a hidden gem that we loved doing our first look at. Working with Jessica made planning our vision for the day feel so easy. She is so kind, responsive, generous, and professional. She and the team had also worked with many of our other vendors who were local to the area, so we felt at ease knowing everything would go just as planned on such a busy day. Garden Valley Ranch is a stunning place and we cannot recommend it enough. Our wedding day flew by so fast and we wished we had gotten more time to enjoy this beautiful space!

Great facility. Love the emense rose garden. Luckily there was a southerly breeze the day we were…read morethere...due to neighboring property with all the cattle.

Tons of options for the whole family. This particular weekend my mother and I went on an overnight…read morehorseback riding trip event hosted by the ranch. Breakfast and Dinner included. Outside of all the great amenities such as cabins, trailer hook ups, pool, hiking, lodge, regular horseback riding, boat storage, etc. there are a bunch of special events for the whole family. Golf cart parades, pool competitions, bingo, movie nights on the lawn, pancake breakfasts, and cookout nights, just to name a few. Perfect getaway spot for anyone and everyone to enjoy!

We were invited as guests to the R Ranch this weekend and we had the best time. We had a cute…read morelittle cabin with a great view of the mountains. We spent all day Saturday at the pool. Cindy Lombardi the pool lady was especially nice and informative definitely a great asset to the R Ranch. Thank you for a wonderful weekend.