I will be helping plan/attending a big birthday celebration in the California wine country later this year. We will need 4-6 bedrooms, and want to be in a “good” location, with easy access to things to do.
Any suggestions for where to look/stay away from? Any suggestions other than VRBO for rentals?
I’m sure I will have more questions as the time gets closer.
Thanks
You might want to be more specific about where you want to be. California wine country is now bigger than many states. 
Thanks. I’m told near Napa. I have not been to the region in 35-40 years, and don’t know much about it.
If you want to be close to the party, you’ll need to find the specific town. Napa is a region, a county, a city. Yountville is nice, but expensive.
And we’ve largely given up on Napa/Sonoma. We find Paso Robles more fun and much cheaper, especially because the nice beach towns give some variation in things to do.
We are also big fans of Paso Robles and the central coast region. We love the area and their wines and feel it’s much more low key than Napa these days!
The city of Napa is fun and lively and has lots of dining and lodging options (used to be sleepier, but that’s changed a lot in the last 20 years), and could serve as a good jumping off point for wherever you want to go in Napa or Sonoma (accessed from the southern end). Calistoga (on the northern end of Napa Valley) has more of a western vibe, and is an old spa town, in case anyone in your group is interested in hot springs/mud baths/spa treatments, etc. There’s a road that goes through the hills from Calistoga to Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, in case you want to explore both regions. The driving distance between Napa and Calistoga is about 45 minutes (with normal traffic on Hwy. 29), so all areas of Napa Valley are easy to get to regardless of where you stay.
I have friends who recently went and loved Healdsburg in Sonoma county. They loved being able to also get out to the coast.
OP here. Looks like we will be staying near Sonoma Plaza.
Suggestions for preferred restaurants, activities, wine tours, etc?
We will be a group of 12ish, so I’m thinking some reservations should be made sooner rather than later?
Thanks
The Girl and the Fig (restaurant) is fantastic. Definitely reserve well in advance, because it’s popular. If you’re headed up and down Hwy. 12, Jack London State Historic Park is a scenic spot to stop to stretch your legs or have a picnic.
We enjoyed Sonoma Wine Shop for tastings. They have lots of obscure bottles, including their own label of wines that they’ve bought from various producers, and will customize to whatever types of wine you prefer in the hope (expectation) you’ll buy something to take for dinner (corkage fees are generally not too bad at local restaurants and a lot of people bring wines in).
We then went next door to eat at the Plaza Bistro. Good value but not spectacular.
Agree with hiking at Jack London SHP.
Layla at MacArthur Place brunch (nice bar, too!)
Cafe LaHaye dinner only
Wit and Wisdom
all walkable from the Square
A slight drive to El Molino…a very casual, counter service
but highest quality Mexican food…
And yes, Reservations a must for that size group.
If you still need accommodations, HIGHLY recommend https://sonomavalleyescapes.com
I’ve stayed in Auberge North and South units (1/2 block from Square and there is a penthouse unit. Wonderful accommodations.
Have also stayed at the Downtown Sonoma Farm house units. Was not disappointed!
Enjoy!
Another vote for the Girl and the Fig. I believe they have private dining room(s) to accommodate bigger parties (my husband’s co had a couple offsite dinners there).
And Jack London state park is a wonderful place with short walks (and longer hiking trails, too) and lots of history.
If you get up to Glen Ellen (not too far from Sonoma), Glen Ellen Star is a great restaurant (make reservations).
There are several restaurants on the Sonoma Plaza (including Girl and the Fig). You could do some shopping and visit the mission as well.
Girl and the Fig for lunch and Sonoma Grille for dinner.
Try Willi’s in Healdsburg for great seafood,
Speaking of the ocean, there is a great little restaurant called River’s End on Sonoma coast. Probably would not fit in the OP’s schedule, but posting here for those who are wondering what else to explore beyond Napa.
We’ve stayed at Indian Springs in Calistoga. They have a big mineral pool and some thermal pools. We loved it, especially H. H loves hot tubs and hot springs or I guess you can say he likes “taking the waters.” Anywho, this place is a lovely 4 star hotel as well. Definitely worth checking out!
Another place that I’ve never been to, but I’ve heard a lot about is Amador County wine country. Amador county is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada SE of Sacramento. My hairdresser had her wedding there (she’s from Sacramento) and I know some other people who’ve been there and they loved it. It’s a lot less crowded than Napa. Here’s some info:
Also, getting back to my hairdresser. She and her husband love wine (and they know wine) and they often go to Amador county when they’re visiting family in Sacramento and they’ve had nothing but great things to say about all the wineries they’ve visited.
H and I also love the Central Coast. I think it’s one of the best parts of the state. We haven’t been to any wineries near Paso Robles, but we have been to a couple of wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara…
In Paso we particularly like Austin Hope and Turley. We also go to Eberle, Cass and Opolo, the latter two are great for lunch, they also have accommodation onsite.