Napa & Sonoma Black Book

I grew up, went to college and had my first jobs in the Bay Area, but somehow, the Napa Valley was always (or seemed to be) out of reach. I’d take a drive to Stinson Beach, maybe as far north as Point Reyes, but never to Napa. In my head, it was for people who were really into wine, or really wealthy—and both were intimidating to me. At some point in the mid-’90s, my dear friend Laura Cunningham started working at this restaurant called The French Laundry, and we went up to visit her and eat at the restaurant. That turned into a small story for Wallpaper* Magazine, and so we went another time, and then a couple more stories for other magazines meant more trips to the area. More friendships were made, the wine labels became more familiar, and I started to feel comfortable there. 

Over the last five years, I’ve been going at least 3 to 4 times a year, as I do some consulting out there. It has been such a gift—I get to be back in my beloved state, and I’ve gotten to know the year-round community. While Napa gets a lot of flack for being fancy and expensive (the phrase “adult Disney” gets thrown around), if you scratch the surface and spend some time there with the locals, you’ll find the nicest group of people who are passionate about and want to protect the farming community they live in, whether they work in wine, or agriculture, or neither. 

I’ve rounded up these nice people to tell you their favorites, alongside mine. It’s harvest season, after all, so it’s an exciting time to be out there! Directionally, we’ve divided it into two sections, Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Now, if you’re a Bay Area local, you’ll know how huge and unwieldy Sonoma County is. Don’t worry—we aren’t covering the whole of it, it’s just too big! If you’re feeling ambitious or want to make a longer road trip of it and head to the Sonoma Coast, we have this great list here). We’re sticking to a loop of sorts, from Napa to Calistoga and over to Healdsburg and down to Sonoma. Base yourself wherever suits, make some (but not too many) reservations, and build in some unscheduled/serendipity time so you’ll meet some locals, maybe make some friends, and be back soon! —Yolanda

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

Andrew Mariani – Co-founder and vintner of Scribe Winery in Sonoma, he and his brother, Adam, are also fourth-generation California farmers.

Annie Favia – The viticulturist of Favia Wines, which she co-founded with her husband, Andy Erickson, Annie also crafts a tea brand, Erda, offering beautiful organic whole leaf and flower herbal teas harvested in the Napa Valley.

April Gargiulo – The founder of cult natural skincare brand Vintner’s Daughter comes from a Napa winemaking family (Gargiulo Vineyards), and is based between San Francisco and Napa. 

Cristina Hudson, an alumna of Chez Panisse, is the co-owner of Hudson Ranch and Vineyards in Napa Valley, where she also opened the beloved Hudson Greens & Goods in Napa’s Oxbow Market. 

Dina Dwyer is an interior designer whose work has been featured in Vogue to Architectural Digest. In 2014, she undertook a 4-year restoration project in Calistoga listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Now a small luxury hotel called The Francis House, which she owns and operates, it has been named the Best Bed & Breakfast in Napa Valley.

Elizabeth Dye is the co-founder of the women’s fashion line Maxwell and Geraldine, who believes in dressing for the life you want, and lugging at least three bags while traveling. She lives between San Francisco and Napa. 

Ella Brooks – Born into a family of farmers and grape growers, Ella is director of operations at Favia Wines and loves investigating Napa Valley’s hidden corners in her free time.

Gigi Harlan lives in the Napa Valley with her husband, Will Harlan, daughter, Audrey, and Jack Russell, Berkeley. An avid traveler, she also hosts Women Wellness and Wine gatherings. 

Isabelle Smith is a Los Angeles-based marketing and creative consultant who grew up in Napa Valley. Through her brand, Archer Dean, she works across the fields of wine, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Her family founded and still operates Hourglass Estate in the Valley, where she continues to consult. 

Jay Jeffers is the designer and co-owner of the boutique hotel, The Madrona, in Healdsburg, and an interior designer on Elle Décor’s A-list who has authored two books, Collected Cool and Be Bold. He lives between San Francisco and wine country.

Kate Cunningham – Our friend Kate has worked with us for years, most recently at Condé Nast Traveler, and lives in Knight’s Valley north of Calistoga where she is a freelance photo researcher. 

Kyle Connaughton & Katina Connaughton – California native Katina and husband Kyle, co-owners of SingleThread in Healdsburg, have been together since they met at 15. Kyle, the restaurant-inn’s chef, worked in Japan and some of LA’s most storied kitchens including A.O.C and Lucques, while head farmer Katina trained in sustainable ag and oversees the SingleThread farm. 

Liddy Parlato – A Napa-based creative strategist and storyteller and SF advertising-agency veteran, she is currently director of marketing for Sonoma’s Flowers Vineyards & Winery.

Mai Errazuriz is the director of marketing at Paul Hobbs Winery in Sebastopol and co-founder of Far Mountain Wine.

Matt Morris is an Emmy-nominated director, photographer and vintner who splits his time between the Napa Valley and Los Angeles. 

Paul Coker has been in the wine industry for more than fifteen years, serving as a wine director and sommelier—he was a finalist in the Best USA Sommelier competition in 2019—before becoming assistant restaurant GM of Montage Healdsburg’s Hazel Hill. 

Scott Dadich is a founder of and CEO of GDP, a creative agency that builds story-driven brands. He is the former editor in chief of WIRED and the creator and executive producer of Netflix’s “Abstract: The Art of Design.” His list is a joint effort with his wife, Amy Dadich,

Tim Marvin – The founder of GLOR and GLOR Consulting, he dropped out of politics during the pandemic to focus on a clothing line and to help local Bay Area businesses build their brands and online presence. 

Other YOLO contributors: Alex Postman (deputy editor), Carly Shea (associate editor)

P.S. Pro tip from Cristina Hudson: “Organize your visit by area. You don’t want to be driving up and down the valley. Consider one, max two tastings a day…not more.” If you don’t want to drive, Ubers are hard to find, so she recommends Napa Valley Chauffeur car service. I also don’t always rent a car when I’m in town, and in the past have used Jim Adamson, an excellent driver with a 6-seater car, who took me from St. Helena to the airport in Santa Rosa, the Charles Schulz Sonoma County Airport (side note: a great airport to fly into if you’re just going to Napa or the Sonoma Coast). Jim charges $200 for a pickup or dropoff at SFO or Oakland, roughly $100 less than what an SF-based driver would charge, because he’s based in Napa. (707) 287-2306.