I’ve shared a few photos from one of my favorite trips to Napa/Sonoma on my Instagram – my Bachelorette trip last March (2019), you know, back when we could take fun group trips. I was so excited to celebrate this exciting time in my life with my best friends, but I was even more excited for them to experience the magic of Wine Country since many of them had never been! I think it’s safe to say that this trip was one for the books and I look forward to sharing more photos from the trip (at least the ones that are safe to grace the internet). Hopefully once things are back to normal, you can plan a fun weekend in my favorite place using a few of these recommendations!

Let’s kick things off with the accommodations… We stayed in the CUTEST AirBNB in Sonoma! If you’re looking to plan a girls’ weekend – definitely check this one out! It was clean, cute, roomy, and my sister and friends made sure the decor was perfect.

One of my favorite ways to spend a weekend in Wine Country is to split the days – spending one day in Napa and the other in Sonoma. For this trip, we spent Friday in Napa which was perfect because it was a little quieter and less busy than Napa tends to be on Saturdays. We loaded up the bus in the morning and we were off! First stop: Mumm Napa! Fun fact – I always start my tasting days with sparkling wine if I can help it.

Mumm Napa

Mumm is truly a fantastic stop in Napa. I’ve been to this winery so many times and usually like to stop here first thing in the morning because sparkling wine is the perfect way to start wine tasting at an aggressive time (10 a.m.). Another plus – the scenery here is gorgeous. If it’s warm, it’s so nice to be able to take in the sunshine and views on the patio (we got lucky this trip – I mean, just look at that backdrop!)

Next up, we went about 10 min. SW to stop in at Turnbull Cellars – another one of my favorites!

Turnbull Cellars

I love this winery for a couple of reasons… first, no appointment is necessary, even for large groups. This makes it a super easy stop and one of the few where you don’t have to worry about getting to by a specific time. However – you CAN make a reservation if you would like for a more elevated experience. (Side note – we did this when we visited in October 2019 on a different trip and it was wonderful.) Secondly, I absolutely love the environment here. It’s so laid back and the staff are all so friendly. It truly feels like you are right at home and visiting some of your best friends (who just happen to have a lot of delicious wine on hand). No matter how busy they are, the staff are always so attentive. We had the best time with the staff member who led our tasting - especially when we found out he had a lot of South Carolina connections, which was so fun for this group of Carolina girls!

After such a relaxing time at Turnbull, we ventured just up the street to my favorite lunch spot – Gott’s! I legitimately will not eat lunch anywhere else when I’m wine tasting in Napa. I may have a problem. Go ahead and get the burger, don’t forget the fries (and maybe a little wine) and grab a picnic table for a fun, relaxing lunch.

This is how happy I am every time we have lunch at Gott’s.

Finally, we ended our day at a new stop for me, but a place I’ll certainly be returning to – Duckhorn Vineyards.

Duckhorn Vineyards

Looking for a spot where you can drink good wine and witness some serious glass stacking skills? Look no further than Duckhorn! From the second we walked in, we were greeted with warm smiles and compliments on our Southern accents (lol). Again, we were so lucky to have such nice weather, so we were led to a table on the beautiful porch overlooking the vineyards. This experience was so fun and relaxed, and the wines were DELICIOUS. Seriously, is there anything better than laughing with a group of your best girlfriends on a magnificent porch with a stunning view while drinking amazing wine? I’ll answer for you – NO. By this time, our group was pretty giggly and we really thought the glass stacking by the staff was impressive and something that I should obviously attempt myself. I managed to NOT actually spill any red wine on my all-white ensemble and we left with big smiles and no broken glassware (which I’m sure the staff appreciated). I can’t wait to go back!

We made it back to the house and after a little nap, everyone got ready for dinner at Oenotri. Another winner in my book, we had so much fun at this cute little Italian spot in Downtown Napa. We loved the atmosphere and the food. The staff were amazing and with some help from my sweet husband and friends, they made this such a special dinner for me, delivering a bottle of Champagne to the table along with the sweetest note from Jack (and Teddy)