The preview of this experience was sponsored by Alexander Valley Winegrowers.

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Imagine a wine country getaway full of activities you don’t get to be a part of everyday. The kinda experience that allows you to fully immerse yourself into everything that wine country has to offer. With wine in hand, you get to engage all your senses and discover the ins and outs of the wine region. Sounds intriguing? Then Experience Alexander Valley is for you.

Allow me to explain…

A couple weeks ago, I had a privilege to get together with my favorite bloggers to get a preview of a new wine country event in Alexander Valley. In fact, it was more like a wine festival full of exclusive and interactive activities and it’s up to you which ones you get to be a part of.

Want me to walk you through our day? Keep on reading!

Lodging

First things first. If you’re planning a getaway to Alexander Valley, you will most likely have to book some accommodations. Lucky for you, Healdsburg is filled with hidden gems, including this charming property. Honor Mansion is a place where you can both unwind and keep the party going. Each of the cozy cottages come with an outdoor bathtub/ jacuzzi, so you can enjoy your bubbles while getting some much needed R+R.

Besides the wonderful amenities, I was particularly impressed with the warm hospitality that you experience the second you step onto this property. Think freshly baked scones and cookies, bath bombs up for grasp, wine tasting happy hour or hot tea delivered right into your doorstep in the morning.

Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

Experience Alexander Valley

So what exactly can you get out of Experience Alexander Valley? Like I said before, think of it as a wine country festival. You have an option to purchase tickets for either a full weekend (June 22nd + 23rd) or just one day. During checkout, you can select your favorite experience for a morning (10 am) and afternoon (2 pm) session on Saturday and/or Sunday. The best part is that it’s up to you what unique, exclusive activity you choose to participate in. Each option is limited to 20 guests, and you’ll find everything from cooking classes, blending seminars with winemakers to barrel making demos and bocce in the vineyards.

Browse all of the experiences and purchase your tickets here.

Transportation

It’s important to note that for a full day of wine tasting, securing transportation is an absolute must! If you value comfort and convenience, I recommend booking Four 54 Tours to drive you around from one winery to another and in between different activities.

Wineries

Now on to experiences.

Our first stop of the day was Trione Winery. With a sparkling brut in hand, we toured the winery, learned more about their Russian River Pinot Noir, took part in a blending seminar and then played some bocce!

My favorite things about this winery was the gorgeous property (that you can rent for a wedding or a special event) and of course, the bocce ball court! I don’t think you can get a full wine country experience if you never played bocce while sipping on some vino! Big laughs and a sudden competitive edge guaranteed. 😉

Next, we headed to Hawkes Wines’ Red Winery Vineyard where we were blessed with a charming view overlooking Alexander Valley.

Hawkes is hosting two different experiences for you in June:

• Prime Steak and Single Vineyard Cabernet Tasting
• Barrel making demonstration with Master Cooper Yann Guiguenand

Can you imagine I’ve been living in the wine country for 3+ years and this was the first time I saw how the wine barrels are actually made? Mind blowing! I highly recommend taking part in this interactive experience – making barrels by hand is no easy task!

The last stop on our tour was the Robert Young Estate Winery. Did you know this amazing property has been around since 1858?! So rich in history (six generations) and the Young family were also the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Alexander Valley.

Our visit began with the tractor ride through the vineyards. Then, we got to tour the cave and learned more about what Robert Young Estate Winery will offer to everyone in June. Their Legacy Experience will include the barrel tasting in the caves with their winemaker and cheese tasting from local cheese producer, William Cofield Cheesemakers. Yum!

We ended our preview day at the new Scion House to enjoy an amazing four-course dinner cooked by Domenica Catelli. This local restaurateur (Catelli’s in Geyserville) author, and celebrity chef cooked for Oprah and Obama’s before and was such a pleasure to talk to! If you ever get a chance, do not miss an opportunity to try her amazing creations!

photography by Eric Michael Perez

As you can probably already tell, we had an amazing time discovering Alexander Valley one glass of wine at a time. Now it’s your turn!

Ready to Experience Alexander Valley yourself? Don’t forget to check out the full offer as some experiences sell out quickly!

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Have you been to the Alexander Valley wine country yet?

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