Feeling Grounded 

There's something funny about spending a week in one of the most beautiful places in the country only to come home feeling even more grateful for the life waiting for you.

After a week of travel, I expected to come home inspired by the wineries, the restaurants, and the incredible scenery. While Northern California absolutely delivered on all of that, the biggest thing I brought home wasn't a bottle of wine or a new restaurant recommendation—it was perspective.

This trip reminded me that I don't actually crave a busier life. I crave an intentional one.

One filled with good food, meaningful conversations, people who are passionate about what they create, and friendships that are worth protecting.

The Best Trips Change You

For years, my friend Emily and I have made it a priority to take one wine trip together every year. We met more than a decade ago at Chico's, bonded over our love of food and wine, and somewhere along the way this annual tradition became something much bigger than a vacation.

It's our chance to slow down, learn something new, eat really well, and simply spend uninterrupted time together.

This year's trip felt different.

The best trips don't make you want to escape your life. They remind you how much you love the one you've built.

Instead of trying to see everything, we gave ourselves permission to go with the flow. We wandered into restaurants without reservations, lingered over espresso, spent afternoons talking in vineyards, and found ourselves around tables where complete strangers became friends by the end of dinner.

Ironically, slowing down made us experience more.

📍 Planning a wine country trip?

I'm putting together my complete Healdsburg + St. Helena guide with our favorite wineries, restaurants, hotels, and itinerary.

→ Read the Northern California Guide (Coming Soon)

AI Could Never

Lately I've seen the phrase "AI could never" floating around social media, and I kept thinking about it throughout this trip.

AI can recommend wineries, it can build the perfect itinerary, and it can summarize tasting notes.

But it could never replace sitting across from your best friend, drinking wine poured by the people who made it, sharing a table with strangers, or the feeling of realizing that the most memorable moments usually aren't the ones you planned.

Those moments have to be lived.

And this trip was full of them.

Places I'll Be Thinking About Long After We Left

Places are all about a feeling to me. Warm, welcoming, and relaxed is what I look for the most, and Faust, Cook, and Quail & Candor really left their mark on me. If you ask, yes it's worth flying across the country to visit.

🍽️ Want every recommendation in one place?

Restaurants, wineries, bakeries, coffee shops, and hotels are all going into one guide so you don't have to piece them together from Instagram.

→ My Favorite Food & Wine Stops in Northern California (Coming Soon)

What I'm Loving

Female friendships.

It's never about checking another destination off a list. It's about protecting the friendship. Some trips just need two girls with the same appreciation for good food, good wine, and slower mornings.

What I'm Drinking

Faust completely surprised me. Yes, they're known for Cabernet, but the Merlot completely stole the show for me. Beautiful wines, and a property that reminded me of Austria in the best ways possible. 

🍷 Wine Notes

I'm keeping a running list of wineries I've personally visited—including favorite bottles, tasting experiences, and who I think each winery is perfect for.

→ Explore My Wine Journal (Coming Soon)

What I'm Eating

When on vacation, carbs and suagr don't exist, and Emily and I don't hold back. We judge a bakery based on a few things, the espresso and the sweet treats to go along with them. In this case, Quail & Candor earned a permanent spot on our list. The quiche, pistachio croissant, and cinnamon roll were all worth flying across the country for. The real winner? Our espressos served on silver trays with a side of soda water (just how they do it in Europe), that sealed the deal for me. 

What I'm Wearing

Cool mornings and warm afternoons reminded me why layering is one of the smartest things you can pack for wine country.

Comfortable sandals, linen, simple gold jewelry, and pieces that work from tastings to dinner.

👗 Shop the Trip

I've linked everything I packed—from travel outfits to accessories and airport essentials.

→ Shop My Wine Country Packing List (Coming Soon / LTK)

Coming Home

The best surprise was how excited I was to come home. Northern California reminded me so much of SWFL, not because they look alike, but because they both feel similar. We befriended retirees, people who valued going home and relaxing after work, connected with hostesses, visited small businesses, appreciated local farms, and was connected with people who care about what they're doing and creating.

As I reflected on that it made me realize that Jeremy and I have built a life I am incredibly grateful for, a life that doesn't need escaping, just appreciating. 

This Week

Back home means:

• a private Grazing Haus pairing
• planning our media wall
• getting ready for our first scalloping trip
• loving on the dogs after they welcomed me home
• and settling back into the routines that make ordinary life feel really good.

Continue Reading (Coming Soon)

🍷 Northern California Food & Wine Guide
A complete itinerary for Healdsburg & St. Helena.

🥐 Everything I Packed for Wine Country
Travel outfits, accessories & LTK favorites.

🍽️ Outstanding in the Field
Why this dinner was the highlight of our trip.

🍷 My Personal Wine Journal
Favorite wineries, bottles and tasting notes from around the world.