I’ve been lucky enough to visit Sonoma not once but twice this fall. It’s a magical place that I will never grow tired of: the views are stunning, the wines are incredible, and the locals are incredibly friendly!
Last month, I was invited on the most incredible wellness girls getaway hosted by the kind folks at Vintners Resort, a four-diamond resort located in Santa Rosa, CA, and Ferrari-Carano Vineyards, their sister vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. It was the perfect wine country wellness experience and a trip for the books!
If you’re looking to plan a girl’s trip to Sonoma in the future, here’s why Vintners Resort is the perfect place to host it!
Vintners Resort: Getting There & Getting Around
If you’re traveling from afar, you have the option to fly into either the Sonoma County Airport (STS), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Oakland International Airport (OAK). If you can get a flight into STS, that’s your best bet: Vintners Resort is only minutes away from the Sonoma County Airport. There are nonstop flights to STS available from Los Angeles, Portland, Las Vegas, and Seattle.
It can be a bit tricky flying into STS from the East Coast. Most of the options I had coming from DC to STS involved either 3+ flights or crazy long layovers, so I opted to fly into SFO and take a Lyft to the resort instead. It is about a 1-1.5 hour drive from SFO to Vintners Resort, depending on traffic.
We mostly hung around the resort, and we didn’t have much reason to leave, so renting a car isn’t super necessary, IMO! To get to Ferrari Carano in Dry Creek Valley, we used Pure Luxury Transportation, which offers wine tours, private tours, wedding transportation, and more throughout the Bay Area. We loved the experience — our driver was very timely, professional, and the ride was incredibly smooth! There was even a console in the back of the vehicle where we could link via Bluetooth, and we got to set our playlist. How amazing is that?
If you want to venture into Downtown Santa Rosa, it’s very easy to get a Lyft/Uber from Vintners Resort as well. All in all, with all of the transportation options available, I didn’t feel the need to rent a car during our trip.
Vintners Resort: The Property & Rooms
When I first stepped foot onto the property, I felt like I was transported to Tuscany. Vintners is an intimate, 78-guestroom resort that’s situated on 92 acres of vineyards in the Russian River Valley. It is truly one of the most stunning wine country resorts I’ve ever stayed at!
Each room on the property has a king-size bed, and the rooms are ideal for either couples or double occupancy. I stayed in the Vineyard View Fireplace King Room and enjoyed gorgeous views of the vineyard from my balcony. I thought it was incredibly luxe and spacious — and I got some of the best sleep of my life here! Upon my arrival, there was a complimentary bottle of wine in the room which I enjoyed. Plus, the fireplace was the perfect thing to curl up next to in the evenings.
Vintners Resort is also committed to sustainability. They were awarded the Environmentalist Level in the California Green Lodging Program by the State of California’s Department of General Services. It was incredible to stay at a resort that is so committed to reducing their carbon footprint!
Vintners Resort: The Spa
The Vi La Vita Spa at Vinters Resort is a little slice of heaven. It is the most recent addition to Vintners Resort: it opened in Fall 2018, and they offer a variety of treatments. I opted for their signature Deep Tissue Restorative Massage, and it is exactly what I needed after a long month of travel! If you’re not into deep tissue, they offer eight types of massages, facials, polishes, scrubs, and more. You can also opt for couples treatments, and they can accommodate private parties and groups as well. The spa also has an outdoor heated plunge pool, indoor Caldarium with a heated soaking pool, steam sauna, and a fitness room.
After our massages, we took a yoga class at the resort, which was great for beginners but also provided the stretch and flow that I desperately needed. It was the perfect start to our day and a great group activity!
Vintners Resort: Dining
Vintners Resort is home to John Ash & Co., The Front Room Bar & Lounge, and River Vine. John Ash & Co. was the first Sonoma restaurant to introduce the “farm to table” concept, and they only prepare their dishes with the finest, seasonal ingredients. River Vine is a restaurant on the property that offers more casual breakfast and lunch options, and The Front Room Bar & Lounge is the hotspot of Santa Rosa: it was very lively for happy hour, and adored by locals and visitors alike.
We also enjoyed some private dining events during our girls’ getaway. The staff at Vintners Resort prepared a special dinner in the vineyard for us, and it was an absolutely magical experience. Anyone can book this experience, and they can accommodate various group sizes — just make sure to contact the concierge to get the ball rolling!
Ferrari Carano: The Vineyard
Vintners Resort also has a sister vineyard located in Dry Creek Valley: Ferrari Carano. I’ve been to almost 100 wineries in my life in 5 different countries, and it’s safe to say that Ferrari Carano is one of the most stunning vineyards I’ve ever visited!
Their tasting room is open to the public daily, and if you wanted to drop in for a quick tasting or to grab a glass, it’s pretty laid back and would not require a reservation. They also offer winery tours and private wine tastings for groups up to 6, which I would highly recommend. Any winery tours or private tastings would need to be booked at least seven days in advance. All five of Ferrari-Carano’s winemakers are female, which I also thought was incredible!
We did a food and wine tasting, and it was out of this world: Ferrari Carano’s incredible wines paired with some of the best seasonal dishes from Rhonda’s Kitchen. I loved all of the wines we tried, but their 2017 Zinfandel and 2014 PreVail West Face were my favorites!
The best part about Ferrari Carano wines? They’re also served at every restaurant at Vintners Resort. If you can’t make it out to the winery, you can still order a glass (or a bottle!) of Ferrari Carano wines right at the resort. It’s safe to say that I will be shipping some of this wine over to Virginia in the near future, and the next time I’m in Dry Creek Valley, I’ll be paying Ferrari Carano another visit!
