Category: All Things Sonoma

Domaine Carneros

8 Sparkling Wineries in Napa and Sonoma

Domaine Carneros

Photo courtesy of Domaine Carneros

It’s the Holiday season, which means over the next several weeks, we’ll all be popping lots of sparkling, clinking glasses with our loved ones and eventually, ringing in a new year. It’s a celebratory period of reflection—upon the last year and then our hopes, dreams and goals for the next.

Such a special time demands a special kind of wine, and in wine country, we understand better than anyone why bubbly is the drink of choice. We can’t think of a better time to explore the champagne of Napa Valley and Sonoma than sparkling season, so we’ve rounded up seven sparkling wineries spread across both regions for you to consider on a winter wine country vacation.

But we also know that sparkling warrants more than the standard wine tasting experience. Something this special deserves VIP treatment, and that’s exactly what Booker & Butler can give you when planning your trip.

Read on…

Why You Should Hire a Concierge for Your Next Trip to Wine Country

There is no shortage of ideas on “What To Do in Wine Country.”  Thousands of articles have been written on the subject. Half a million instagrams have a #winecountry tag. And Facebook posts . . . there isn’t enough time in a day. What could a concierge possibly tell you about Wine Country that all these other sources might have missed?

Therein lies the rub. Because everyone who writes or posts or tweets about Wine Country does so from their own perspective. As inspiring as their personal adventures might be – as constructive as their must-sees might seem – they’re all particular to that person. No more useful to planning a trip around your needs and desires than if you simply Googled it. To wit: Google yields 19,200,000 results on the subject.

That’s where working with a concierge comes in. Not a hotel concierge – though they can certainly be of help if you’re staying at their hotel – but a private concierge who can plan an itinerary for specifically for you. Someone local who knows the lay of the land, who has connections and, most importantly, who listens to what you want. Read on…

What’s a Boutique Winery?

As a Wine Country concierge, it’s my job to match clients with the best wineries for their palate and their purse. It’s no easy task. There are literally hundreds of wineries — 390 in Napa and 450 in Sonoma — with new brands popping up all the time. Way more than you could visit in a year’s worth of weekends. While I am actively trying to see them all, I don’t foresee the day when I will have every last one crossed off my list. Read on…

Everything’s Coming Up Roses

I love Rosé. I love everything it stands for, everything it reminds me of. I love how it tastes. I love how it pairs. I love how uncomplicated it makes things.

So it was with great anticipation that my husband and I took a Sunday drive to Healdsburg for their first annual Pink Party. (OK, the anticipation obviously wasn’t that great because I never got the hint to dress in pink. However, I was sporting some spring pastels on this unseasonably warm day.)

Read on…

Visit Stone Edge Farm - Booker and Butler Concierges

The Farms: Stone Edge Farm and Long Meadow Ranch in Sonoma

California Wine Country is as much about “country” as it is about wine. Today we set out to prove it. So with my husband, my father and my stepmom in tow, we headed down the hill in Sonoma to Stone Edge Farm.

Stone Edge Farm, as the name implies, is literally surrounded by stone. A magnificent block-long dry stack wall borders the property. I’ve walked my dogs past it for 10+ years but I never quite knew what was up on the inside. Holy cow! Read on…

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Napa Girls Getaway Weekend - Booker and Butler Concierges

Girls Weekend in Sonoma

January can be a dreary time of year to visit wine country. The vines are all dormant, nothing for spring is in bloom yet and it can be down right rainy and cold. But when my best college girlfriends from Texas wanted to come to Wine Country for a visit, this particular weekend in January was what worked best for everyone. And the timing of this reunion couldn’t have come at a better time as I was just about to launch Booker & Butler. Read on…

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