Napa Archives - A Side of Sweet

Sonoma Wine Country Travel Guide

My Sonoma Wine Country Travel Guide. Here are all of my favorite restaurants, bakeries, and wineries for this charming city in one place!

Living in San Francisco, one of the most frequent things I get asked is for recommendations for what to do in wine country. My San Francisco friends, as well as people visiting, assume that I have a list of great things to do in Napa Valley ready to share! I actually do have a list that I send to people when they ask, and today I’m going to share it here.

Today I’m going to focus on things to do in Sonoma. Sonoma is super charming and slightly less touristy than Napa. The city itself is absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous roses everywhere, cute cafes and amazing wineries. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re planning a trip to wine country…. Read More »

Viansa Sonoma Winery, California Wine Country

An exclusive wine tasting at Viansa Sonoma Winery in California Wine Country. Make sure to upgrade to a pavilion tasting and try their wood fired pizzas.

On our recent wine country weekend, Ally and I stopped at Viansa Sonoma Winery in Sonoma, California for a wine tasting. Always looking for a photo opportunity, we reserved one of their beautiful pavilions overlooking the grape fields in advance…. Read More »

White House Inn Napa

White House Inn in Napa is a gem in California wine country. It’s a gorgeous boutique hotel with a great location. It’s perfect for a romantic getaway.

A few weeks ago, Ally and I decided to get out of town for a girls’ weekend. What better place than wine country? We checked into the White House Inn in Napa which was the perfect home base for exploring the area.

The recently-renovated White House Inn is one of the most beautifully-decorated hotels I’ve ever stayed at. Every detail is completely thought out. From agate coasters to colorful coffee table books, it’s a design haven. It’s small, with only seventeen rooms, which make it feel really cozy…. Read More »

How to Taste Wine Like a Pro + Video Tutorial!

Even though it shouldn’t be, learning how to taste wine can be pretty intimidating. It seems like there are so many steps and so many things to think about! I remember when I was first learning how to taste wine I would try to do the wine tasting steps like the people I was with, but I didn’t really know why I was doing them.

I thought it would be fun to break down wine tasting into just a few easy steps, and also talk through why each step is important. I also made a video on how to taste wine like a pro to go with the post so you can see just how to do each step!

Click through for more details about each wine tasting step…

A Perfect Day in Sonoma :: Sonoma-Cutrer Winery

This post brought to you by Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards. The content and opinions are my own.

Pat and I had day free last weekend and we took the opportunity to sneak away to wine country for the day. We’re not much for hopping from winery to winery. We much prefer to pick one place, explore it and relax. This time, we chose Sonoma-Cutrer to explore. We’ve actually been one time before in the past, but it was for an event to benefit the Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. (Side note: This year’s event raised almost $100,000!)… Read More »

Fig & Chevre Bites with Candied Lemon

Fig bites are easy and so delicious. Make this version with candied lemon and goat cheese. It’s the perfect gluten-free and vegetarian appetizer recipe!

Pat and I recently took a trip to Napa to do a little wine tasting. It’s so nice to get out of the city for a day trip and we love exploring new wineries! For this trip, we chose William Hill Estate. We decided to up our game a bit with their Collector’s Experience…. Read More »