The reopening of Wine Country (San Francisco, Napa: weddings, versus, delivery)

[DeanoSF]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

We’re driving up to Glen Ellen Sunday to celebrate my father in law’s birthday. The fun part about wine country opening up is discovering all the things to do for those of us that are still kinda new to the BA...like me.^^

My husband arranged for the 4 of us to have a “wine tasting & bocce” for something totally unique.

Glen Ellen is one of my favorite little towns (villages, really) in Wine Country. It's really just 4-5 shops and restaurants on one main street. Not even sure if there's a traffic signal--is it just a stop sign at the main intersection? LOL.

It's been awhile since I've been, but Glen Ellen Star is a great restaurant/bistro--casual, yet refined--California Wine Country food without (most of) the pretense and price.

The little inn a couple doors down also has an awesome bar with a courtyard and nice cocktails.

There's a Girl and the Fig outpost nearby, too (at least there was)

All good stops in this tiny town.

As for bocce at a winery--lots of fun, but not really "unique," as you can hardly swing a dead cat in wine country without hitting a winery with a bocce court.

Perhaps listing some suggested things to see that you have come across in your past or upcoming visits would be of interest to people reading the thread (and in keeping with the spirit of the thread).

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by DeanoSF

As for bocce at a winery--lots of fun, but not really "unique," as you can hardly swing a dead cat in wine country without hitting a winery with a bocce court.

It’s the 1st time I’ll be playing Bocce...ever...AND I think it will be fun, tho the point of it is the wine tasting ofc & celebrating his dad’s birthday.

edit: It will be our 1st family gathering since before the pandemic AND my 1st as part of the family. That’s unique.^^

[DeanoSF]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

It’s the 1st time I’ll be playing Bocce...ever...AND I think it will be fun, tho the point of it is the wine tasting ofc & celebrating his dad’s birthday.

edit: It will be our 1st family gathering since before the pandemic AND my 1st as part of the family. That’s unique.^^

Yes, absolutely. Congrats! Sounds like a great day in store.

[DeanoSF]

Back on topic:

The weather, particularly down-valley in Sonoma and Napa has been spectacular. Bit of fog in the mornings (burns off by 10:00) for chilly starts in the low 60s that warm up the high 70s-low 80s by mid afternoon. Then by 5-6, it's already cooling off to the mid 70s, headed for chilly overnight lows in the 50s-60s.

Up-valley, it gets noticeably hotter in the peak of the afternoon sun, but it's still low humidity and there's often a nice breeze.

Warm days and cool nights are great for enjoying this area. Come check it out!

[DeanoSF]

Oops. Just saw this:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...a-16320597.php

Sonoma is included. Napa is not, for now.

For clarity, this is a RECOMMENDATION, not a mandate and it mainly references indoor workplaces... again, for now. Businesses can still set their own policy. As we've seen in the past, this could be only the start of more restrictions.

****Bottom line: get vaccinated****

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by DeanoSF

As we've seen in the past, this could be only the start of more restrictions.

I don’t think it’s going to get like before tho because so many ppl are vaccinated...but it was sad to see a small plane crashed at a vineyard in Napa County. edit: It happened yesterday morning & killed 3 ppl.

[DeanoSF]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

I don’t think it’s going to get like before tho because so many ppl are vaccinated...but it was sad to see a small plane crashed at a vineyard in Napa County. edit: It happened yesterday morning & killed 3 ppl.

Not sure what this has to do with reopening Wine Country. Again, I think people would appreciate links to places you like and experiences you've discovered, rather than personal itineraries with no names of destinations.

Here's a guide to wineries (a few I've never heard of) from today's Chronicle:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects...-wine-country/

[TashaPosh]

^^Tho I have talked about my experiences. When I talked about the picnic my husband & I went on in wine country in another thread before the pandemic, a poster was rude to me about that too. Tho I would never be so stupid to post the destination of where my husband & I are meeting his dad & wife tomorrow for the Bocce tasting to celebrate his dad’s birthday.

AND I also talked about planning a sort of late bachelorette party tasting by limo....because we just got married in April...AND I got rude replies about that too by a poster that said wineries don’t accept that because of the noise. Limo wine tasting is super popular with the locals in the BA for all kinds of celebrations...especially where we live in Marin....so I was only trying to encourage locals to “go back” now that it has opened again.

IMO a new mask recommendation indoors doesn’t mean it will get like it did before because there are so many ppl in the BA who are vaccinated. \o/ Ofc that has to do with the reopening of wine country...because fear is still on a lot of ppl’s minds.

[DeanoSF]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

^^Tho I have talked about my experiences. When I talked about the picnic my husband & I went on in wine country in another thread before the pandemic, a poster was rude to me about that too. Tho I would never be so stupid to post the destination of where my husband & I are meeting his dad & wife tomorrow for the Bocce tasting to celebrate his dad’s birthday.

AND I also talked about planning a sort of late bachelorette party tasting by limo....because we just got married in April...AND I got rude replies about that too by a poster that said wineries don’t accept that because of the noise. Limo wine tasting is super popular with the locals in the BA for all kinds of celebrations...especially where we live in Marin....so I was only trying to encourage locals to “go back” now that it has opened again.

IMO a new mask recommendation indoors doesn’t mean it will get like it did before because there are so many ppl in the BA who are vaccinated. \o/ Ofc that has to do with the reopening of wine country...because fear is still on a lot of ppl’s minds.

I didn't read about your previous picnic.

I also wasn't suggesting that you post your destination today, only that it would be nice to post something specific with links to destinations you like, to participate in this thread, which you claim to like, for some reason.

But, your agenda keeps creeping back, I see. Perhaps that's what you like about it--disrupting it. Your purpose now seems to be to bury any information posted in this thread in inane details about your personal life--no doubt because you are clinging to the absurd notion that I am a pack of older women obsessed with your husband and your breast augmentation (as you have directly accused me of being).

Again, I am male, straight and have been married for 20 years. I am not interested in you, your husband or your in-laws.

You came close to being on-topic noting that you were headed for Glen Ellen today. My wife and I were at a paired tasting a few miles north of there just off the highway. It was an indoor, seated tasting with food served and no masks were required of us at any point, though all the servers did wear them. We were all also seated, in some instances, less than 6 feet away from others.

So, it would seem the "recommendation" for Sonoma County is not being heeded where we were. How about where you went?

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by likealady

I am already fully vaccinated. Have been since May. I have other things in my life going on and prefer going to wine country in the fall. Is that a problem?

Late summer to October is a beautiful time to go. Grape harvesting is like August to October. There is grape stomping at Grgich Hills. I’ve never done it...neither has my husband...but it sounds super fun IMO. Two of my friends have t shirts about stomping at Grgich Hills.