No joke, it was easier to plan a retreat to Marrakech & the Sahara then it was to figure out a bachelorette party to Napa (well, Healdsburg to be exact, but more on that later). But we did it. I did it. And it was absolutely perfect.
This itinerary is specifically for a bachelorette party in Healdsburg (Dry Creek) California. Just minutes from Santa Rosa airport, Healdsburg is home to dozens of world-class small batch vineyards, tasting rooms, and a quaint downtown square jammed with fun bars and farm to table restaurants. If you’re looking for a Napa itinerary, here’s an oldie but goodie with some not-to-miss vineyards. I digress…
okay, let’s break this down.
|| WHERE TO STAY ||
Since one of the girls in our brood of 12 is a member of Christopher Creek, we were able to book their rental home for a discounted rate. While the house is most definitely dated, the grounds are lovely. Picture gorgeous views of rolling hills of vineyards from nearly every room. There’s also a pool, hot tub, and an enormous dining table (in lieu of a living room) with an exceptional view. But the real seller for this property is that you can just stroll (stumble) next door to the tasting room whenever you need a new bottle of their superb (albeit pricey) reserves. Christopher Creek is available to non-members as well, but there are a million
|| FRIDAY ||
I went grocery shopping for the house to pick up some snacks, tequila, wine, dinner for Friday night and breakfast foods for Saturday and Sunday morning. I was able to keep costs below $500 by being thrifty and conservative. When I got to the house, I decorated for our bride-to-be (with this bundle of bachelorette party decor) then we spent the afternoon floating in the pool until the rest of our group arrived. Once all together, we walked to the Christopher Creek tasting room for a private experience in the barrel cellar. Back at the house, we made a taco bar and margaritas. The meal was easy, and so inexpensive: tacos with all the fixings, fiesta salad, rice, beans, spicy margaritas, watermelon for dessert, and, of course, wine.
After dinner, we called Ubers ($10ish for an uber x) into downtown Healdsburg to go for drinks at Duke’s.
|| Saturday ||
For brekkie, we made scrambled eggs,
I hired Pure Luxury Transportation because they came highly recommended, have pretty pimped out vans, and their pricing was competitive. Don’t quote me exactly, but the rates start at $90 per hour (not including tip). The service, from start to finish, was superb. My contact there is Simri, simri@pureluxury.com @pure_luxury_transportation
Our first stop was Macrostie, and when they rushed out to greet us with rosé, I knew I chose the right place. Their tasting room is chic, clean and industrial and the experience elevated. They also get bonus points for having a bunch of dogs roaming around their property while you taste. Tasting $35. The contact there is hospitality@macrostiewinery.com
Stop two was VML. We were escorted to a no-frills picnic table in their garden. The wine is delicious, the bottles beautiful, and again, the service was great. We chose to have our lunch picnic at VML and were offered a variety of sandwich options to chose from a few days before our visit. Tasting $25, Lunch picnic box $20. My contact there is Kelsey, kelsey@vml.com
Our last stop was
Instead of being dropped off at home, our driver took our request to be brought to downtown Healdsburg for another glass of wine (like we needed it) at La Crema. Some of the girls opted for yet another tasting in town (I know, savage), while others of us grabbed an outdoor table at a bar for some truffle fries and margaritas like adults.
Saturday Night we had a chef booked for the house. Cheyenne and Amber came very highly recommended and offered a great rate for our family style dinner. They also worked with me to curate a menu that would appease our picky group. We went with a salad, mushroom pasta (TO DIE FOR), salmon, chicken, and olive oil cake. It was all absolutely delicious. I seriously couldn’t recommend them more! Prices starting at $75 per person (not including tip). My main contact is Cheyenne, you can reach him at eat@winecountryfeasts.com
Instead of making it out to the bars for round two, we ended up in the hot tub with, you guessed it, more wine.
To make things easier, I tallied up everything I prepaid and what I planned on spending on food/drinks for the
other things:
-I would have loved to add Coppola Wine to the list for Saturday, but they were closed for an event
-Williamson Wines offers a free tasting + cheese pairing in their downtown tasting room
-I looooved my latte at Flying Goat coffee. Supposedly the
-On Sunday, there were two stragglers left behind and we checked out Medlock Ames. Their wine is crisp goals and I loved that they had dim sum!
-Babe Merch is from @drinkbabe – my new favorite bachelorette accessory
Shop my look & Bach decor essentials:
Leopard + Monkey Sweatpants set: All Things Fabulous
Floral high neck dress: Reformation by way of Rent the Runway
Rattan Purse: Adorne || Sunglasses: Quay
Boho Top: Free People by way of Rent the Runway
High waisted wide leg jeans: Hale on Amazon
Swim: Amazon Fashion
Bachelorette Party Shirts: Pineapple Bun Apparel Shop on Etsy
Slides: Carrie Forbes || Booties: Charlotte Russe
Amazon Inspo
Iconic Itineraries by Conde Nast Traveler: Luxury travel guide for California Wine Country, featuring hotel, nightlife, restaurant, sightseeing and tour recommendations in Napa Valley and Yountville. Reported by Brook Wilkinson, April 2008.