I’ve mentioned previously in this post about our postponed riverboat journey to explore the wine country of France. Although we planned the trip with two other couples in June of 2019 for sailing in May of 2020, the pandemic had other ideas. We’re now scheduled to make the journey in May of next year! Feeling rather “cooped up” in the interim, we all decided to travel together to the wine country of California’s Sonoma and Napa Valleys in September. We had a good time planning the trip and decided we'd spend most of our time exploring some of the area's world-class wineries. We booked travel on Delta Air Lines, starting the journey on a Sunday morning from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
For some reason, my Trusted Traveler number didn’t appear on my boarding pass and I failed to notice the discrepancy until we arrived at the TSA checkpoint. You guessed it, I was sent back to the back of the regular line. It took quite some time to work my way to the front where I then had to unpack liquids and a tablet from my carryon as well as remove my shoes and sports jacket in order to safely pass through the x-ray machine. I learned an important lesson that day. If you have TSA PreCheck, always download your boarding pass a day ahead to ensure the designation appears in order to avoid the delay I experienced that morning. If it doesn’t, correct it with the airline before your day of travel. We were the last of our group to arrive at the Sky Club (my wife patiently waited for me to clear security) and had just enough time to meet up with our friends and enjoy a cup of coffee before our 8:30 AM departure to Atlanta.
We were flying aboard a B737-900ER aircraft with twenty seats in First Class in five rows in a 2x2 configuration separated by the aisle. Our assigned seats were 2C and 2D on the starboard side and they had a width of nearly 21 inches and a pitch of about 37 inches. A beverage and snack service was offered on this relatively short flight and we landed on time around 10:00 AM. Atlanta is Delta’s headquarters and its largest hub city serving the United States, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. There are no less than nine Delta Sky Clubs in Atlanta so we had no problem locating one close to our departure gate where we found some time to relax before our connecting flight.
That one left for San Francisco at Noon and we traveled on a B757-300 with six rows in First Class with the same 2x2 configuration across the aisle. Our seats in 2C and 2D featured similar width and pith as those on our earlier flight. Since this one took place over meal time, we were served a pre-packaged lunch after the initial beverage service. Unfortunately, the flight attendant assigned to our forward cabin performed a perfunctory service with little to no warmth and was “missing in action” for most of the journey. But it didn’t make much difference to us as we were excited to begin our adventure!
After collecting our bags in San Francisco we went to the Rental Car Center directly from Terminal 2 via the AirTrain Blue Line, a fully-automated people mover system which operates 24 hours a day, providing frequent service throughout the airport. We had made several reservations with different companies for a van large enough to transport six persons and all our luggage. We’d heard all-too-many horror stories from other travelers about their showing up to rent a vehicle to discover that there were none to be had as the companies had unloaded so many cars during the pandemic-induced travel lull. We had no problems at the Budget counter and proceeded to find and load what we thought was our rental only to discover at the exit station that we’d taken the wrong vehicle! There was no turning back at that point since we were “locked and loaded” so we agreed to pay the extra charges they quoted.
Once on the road, we proceeded north to our VRBO rental located nearby the town of Forestville in Sonoma. After stocking up on groceries in Santa Rosa, we followed the directions up a steep and winding hill only to discover we couldn’t access the correct code to open the gate. Finally, we figured it out and soon settled into what was to be our new home for the next four days. This spacious 3,500 square foot Mediterranean home had casual elegance with expansive grounds, beautiful decks and patios, and a solar heated swimming pool. It featured a fully equipped kitchen, a rather spacious living space, and a wood burning fireplace. The four large king bedroom suites were secluded from each other and the common living spaces, and each featured its own bathroom. We had a few issues with the property but they were either resolved by the nearby property manager or made right financially by the owner who resided in San Francisco.
On Monday morning we headed to Healdsburg for an exclusive Estate Tour and Tasting at the Jordan Winery. I’ve written about our journeys to Jordan in this post before, but this tour was completely different and very special. It began in their charming Bacchus Courtyard with a continental breakfast of croissants, estate-grown fruits and a tasting of the Jordan Cuvée by Champagne AR Lenoble, during which we learned about the history of Jordan and their iconic chateau After breakfast, we stepped aboard their Mercedes Sprinter and rode in style through the open spaces and sustainable vineyards of Jordan’s 1,200-acre estate. Our first stop was the Jordan Gardens. Here, we were encouraged to try anything we wanted, including delicious pomegranates, tomatoes, sweet peppers, figs, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. They raise chickens, donkeys and goats here and, not surprisingly, the donkeys, who were named Maverick and Goose, particularly enjoyed those tasty garden carrots.
We later stopped at several picturesque and remote destinations that offered a true sense of place in Sonoma County’s diverse wine country. The small, private tour concluded at a beautiful hilltop venue with window walls overlooking the estate. Here, we enjoyed alfresco wine tastings of Jordan Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, along with a library vintage of each as well as a Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil tasting. Featured wines were complemented by an array of mouthwatering food pairing delicacies created by Executive Chef Todd Knoll. Throughout this Healdsburg wine tour, we saw rolling hills, forests, distant mountains, grapevines and animals - both wild and tame. We also visited their newly planted pollinator sanctuaries in their infancy. It was a truly unique way to experience the best the Jordan Estate had to offer.
With some time to “kill” in the afternoon while traveling back to the house, we made a stop at the Thomas George Estate in Healdsburg for a walk-in tasting. We all agreed it would be tough to beat the Jordan wines we enjoyed on that morning tour but appreciated the friendly service. They did sell some logo clothing items and I purchased one of the softest t-shirts I’ve ever owned! That evening we had dinner at the family-owned Baci Cafe and Wine Bar, an Italian restaurant favored by locals and tourists alike. Our adventures continued for several additional days and I’ll tell you all about them in a future post.
Until next time…safe travels.
I hope that the rest of the trip turned out to be less problematic for you, but at least the wines sound as though they hit the mark! 🍷