My wife and I took two short getaways to Northern California?s wine country last month ? first to the Vintage Inn in Yountville and then to The Lodge at Sonoma (a Renaissance property).
Visiting wine country during winter has its advantages, including avoidance of the crowds of tourists that sometimes jam local roads during the warmer months. Although the chilly December weather we encountered may not provide the California experience sought by visitors from out-of-state, Northern California?s climate remains fairly temperate year-round, especially when compared to winters elsewhere.
Both properties offered large, well-appointed rooms with nice extras like in-room fireplaces and large bathrooms. Both also had heated outdoor pools, which didn?t tempt us because of the unusually cold weather we encountered during our trips. Most important for us were these properties? central locations in Yountville and Sonoma, two towns with great restaurants and plenty of wine country character. On our Yountville trip, we had dinner at Brix Restaurant just north of town. Our reservations were for a late seating on a Sunday night, and perhaps as a result the service was a little slow. Still, the meal was very good, and it was topped off with excellent desserts. My wife is still talking about the Banana Cream Éclair that is fried, tempura style. During our stay in Sonoma, we had a nice dinner at the El Dorado Kitchen, located right on the town square in the town of Sonoma.
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