I'm sitting on my couch next to Ender, huddled together under the blanket that my friend Andy's dad gave me before I left for college. It's black and white with fringe around the edges and a Norfolk Southern train weaved into the center. "So you don't get cold," he said with what I'm pretty sure was a tear in his eye. It's been ten years and I still break it out every winter, because Jim Ed doesn't want me to be cold and you just gotta listen to Jim Ed.

Can you believe December is here already? I know we moved at the end of September but I still keep telling people we've been here a month, as if time stood still the moment we turned the key of our Silicon Valley townhouse. But the holidays are upon us and our tree is up, decorated with lights and ornaments (including several hilarious ones with baby pictures of me and my brother); and our stockings are hung not on the mantle (we don't have one of those), but along the edge of our staircase.

We're finding our routines--it takes time usually, so I've tried to be patient about it. Sneaking out of bed in the dark for an early barre class, coffee at the computer as I start my workday, a mid-morning break to take Ender to the dog park to play. I joined a book club and am reading again for the first time in too long (and stocking the bar with Baileys for next weekend, when I'm hosting). Thanksgiving in Half Moon Bay with my side of the family was exactly the low-key, relaxing, and fun first west coast holiday we needed to really start feeling at home here. It takes time usually, so I've tried to be patient about it.

California still feels like a different world sometimes. But December feels like an old friend.

Photo by Oguz Uygur.

After our Autumn lunch and vineyard event at the La Crema Estate in Windsor, California a few weeks ago; my friend Annie and I stayed in Sonoma for another night to do some exploring. Healdsburg has always been one of my favorite places to go in wine country, so we headed that way. We figured that if we could make the most of 24 hours in Sonoma, then you could too--so we hit up a few tasting rooms, walked around a lot, and took a ton of photos to create a little travel guide for you if you ever find yourself in Sonoma without a lot of time to spend--you can still have a great experience with just one night.

Photo by Oguz Uygur.

Since we started in Windsor (and Kristan was still with us for a bit), we decided to have an early picnic at the La Crema Estate where we had the event the day before. The grounds are extensive and you can buy a bottle of wine and find a spot to sit and enjoy. We covered the picnic, as well as some tips and a recipe in this post.

Our first stop after the picnic was at Siduri's Healdsburg Wine Lounge, where we had a wonderful Pinot Noir tasting and ordered some food. The Pinot Noir was delicious (definitely my favorite wine, especially this time of year!), and we ate the Candy Cap Mushroom Kettle corn, which paired perfectly with the wine. We also ordered a fried seafood plate, which came with shrimp and scallops, some awesome tartar sauce, and a wedge of fresh lemon. It was really cool to taste all the Pinots from north to south and see how location and climate can really change the grapes.

Siduri is a great place to hang out because they serve food and have a lot of seating--Annie and I hung out on a comfy bench at one of the windows, so we could look out the open windows onto the sidewalk as people walked by. There's a record player and a collection of games on a bookshelf that make the place seem super approachable and comfy.

We stopped at Moustache Baked Goods for a cupcake on the way to another tasting at the La Crema Tasting Room, where Annie and I split the most delicious cupcake ever. It was filled with fig preserves and topped with some seriously beautiful almond frosting. I wanted to buy a dozen and bring them home.

Healdsburg Square is really small and super walkable, so after our cupcake break, we were practically already at the La Crema Tasting Room (a spot I've been to before and still love just as much). The service at La Crema is always impeccable--we tried a wide variety of wines and even took a few bottles with us (there are a few that are only available at their locations, not online).

The tasting room is really modern and chic--the front is set up with a bar for tastings, as well as a gift shop with lots of wine-related merchandise. In the back is a lounge with a bit more seating and lots of pillows for a more comfortable vibe.

There are more than enough restaurants to choose from for dinner, and lots of boutiques, gift shops, salons, and spas to keep you busy in between tastings. The hotel scene is also super luxurious and fun.

The next morning we walked around some more, even though it was raining. I love nothing more than a chilly grey morning, no matter where I am. My favorite spot for coffee is Flying Goat, a sweet little cafe near the square. Once we were properly caffeinated and had found a quick breakfast of egg sandwiches at one of the local delis, we hopped in the car and drove 10-15 minutes to Stonestreet Winery, still in Healdsburg.

Stonestreet is so beautiful--even in the rain! They have a gorgeous tasting room with a view of vineyard-covered mountains in the not-so-far-off distance. All of their wines are single-vineyard, which means the grapes come from one plot of land, and in the case of Stonestreet, it's the one you can see from your table. That's one of my favorite things about going to Sonoma--actually being able to see and explore where the grapes that make up your favorite wines are grown.

It was such a nice trip--our first day was sunny and warm and then we woke up to a chilly morning of dreamy, cozy rain. It just brought to light how amazing wine country is, no matter the weather or time of year. I still can't believe I'm just two hours from all of this magic! California may be far from "home" but it sure is special.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Jackson Family Wines.

For the past few months, Kristan and Annie and I have been working with La Crema to plan another event, kind of like the one we did in Seattle; only a little fancier and with some adventure thrown in.

This summer La Crema opened a new Estate that has so much to offer--Rob and I checked it out pretty much as soon as we moved (while our friends Tina and Michael were visiting). It's a gorgeous spot with lots of patio space to hang out with a bottle of wine, and you can also tour the vineyard which is kind of my new favorite thing. 

So for this event with La Crema, we couldn't think of a better place to host than at La Crema! We invited a handful of awesome food and lifestyle bloggers from the Bay Area to join us for a tour of the Estate and a three-course lunch, followed by a wine and cheese pairing and plenty of desserts. We had the best time.

The tour is so fun--I've done it twice and totally loved it each time. If you're ever in the area, you can make an appointment and do it, too! But call me first so I can go with you. (Just kidding--kind of.) The property has such a rich history and I love hearing about the people who owned it before La Crema. Their legacy is certainly being honored every day.

After the tour, we headed back inside for some food and (more) wine. I'm so happy with how the table turned out. We made a Pinterest board full of inspiration for flowers, linens, table settings, and candles and it was so fun setting up. Renate from La Crema took our ideas and ran with them and when the flowers showed up I knew we were really all on the same page. There were gorgeous white and crimson dahlias mixed with green succulents for a perfect balance of color and texture. Every little detail was perfectly autumnal.

Lunch was incredible. There were oysters, some of the best tuna I've ever had (pictured below), and some amazing duck. You can check out the full menu in today's post on the La Crema blog.

We followed it up with a wine and cheese pairing that made me want to study cheese--seriously, it was amazing. Chef Tracey was so thoughtful in her pairings and had such wonderful explanations for everything. I loved the three-course lunch, but the wine and cheese pairing was really something special. PSA: it's also available to the public if you make an appointment. 

I couldn't have asked for a better first big California project. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the timing of the event was incredible--I made so many new friends and they all live in my area! 

We sent everyone home with a swag bag full of treats that included awesome candles that Rewined was kind enough to send. And Minted knocked it out of the park as usual with our gorgeous rose gold menus. One of my favorite things about events like this is working with our favorite brands on all the small details that come together to make the big picture really lovely.

 Such a fun day. 

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema. 

Photos by Oguz Uygur.