Winners of the Golden Grape Awards

Wine Country inspires passion in people. They visit and fall in love with the landscape, the architecture, the food and, of course, the wine! That passion is what fuels our show, “In Wine Country” on NBC and it’s what inspired us to ask you to share your favorite things about Wine Country with us, from where you go to relax to where you splurge on an unforgettable meal. We call it The Golden Grape Awards and I’m excited to report the results of this year’s voting are in!
There are almost as many spas in Wine Country as wineries, so naturally we had to include a Golden Grape for Best Wine Country Spa. Our winner has claimed the prize three years running: The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa. What makes this spot a favorite? Besides the gracious grounds and oasis-like setting, it may be the sheer variety of treatments offered. The spa menu is chockfull of ways to relax and feel good. There are more than a dozen kinds of massages alone, both traditional and exotic. For instance, during the water-based watsu massage, a masseuse leads your body through a series of relaxing stretches and poses, sort of like yoga in the pool. It’s unusual, but really relaxing and part of what makes The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa a longtime Wine Country favorite.
For some, accommodations are as important as winery or spa appointments, so we asked for your favorite place to lay your head down in Wine Country. The Golden Grape for Best Bed and Breakfast goes to Honor Mansion in Healdsburg. The lovely and luxurious Honor Mansion offers the intimacy of a B & B with the luxury of a boutique hotel. There are thirteen beautifully appointed rooms with luxury linens and private bathrooms, starting at $300 a night. The grounds offer bocce ball, tennis, croquet, basketball, a PGA putting green and, of course, a pool. Guests enjoy gourmet breakfasts and an afternoon wine hour with appetizers. With so many creature comforts, it’s easy to see why the Honor Mansion gets top honors.
The Golden Grape for Best Wine Country Resort goes to The Carneros Inn in Napa Valley, a PlumpJack property. Instead of rooms, The Carneros Inn features individual cottages, complete with front porches and rocking chairs. The cottages, which are surrounded by vineyards and apple orchards, combine country comfort with modern amenities and stylish design. Rooms have soaking tubs and both indoor and outdoor showers. There’s an onsite spa with pampering treats like a mustard seed massage or a warm goat’s milk manicure and pedicure. Rooms start at $480 a night. It’s not a bargain resort, but a splurge and a Wine Country favorite.
You might not save money on the rooms at The Carneros Inn, but one of the on-site restaurants collected a Golden Grape Award for Best Bargain Bites. You don’t have to be a guest to enjoy the good eats at The Boon Fly Café. This “gourmet roadhouse” is a local hangout where people gather around the community table to relax and catch up with friends. On the menu, you’ll find comfort food raised to new levels, like Kobe beef burgers and wood-fired pizzas. There’s great coffee and the signature Boon Fly donuts in the morning, lunches to enjoy on-site or packed to go, and a wine bar for hanging out in the afternoon, plus a full dinner menu. Gourmet food at reasonable prices makes The Boon Fly Café a popular place to fill up without breaking the bank.
If it’s a culinary splurge you’re looking for, Wine Country is full of restaurants ready to oblige. This year, the Golden Grape for Best Restaurant Splurge went to a winery restaurant in Livermore Valley. The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards is a standout for its gracious décor and executive chef Jerry Regester’s amazing meals. The award-winning menu features produce grown in the organic Wente garden. The restaurant even has beehives so they can use their own honey in recipes. The focus is on American dishes influenced by Italian, French and California cuisine. Many of the more than 600 bottles on the wine list hail from the Livermore Valley. We loved the Thursday night “Stump the Sommelier” game where diners can bring in a bottle of wine, hide the label and then see if sommelier Jorge Tinoco can identify the varietal and appellation. If Jorge fails to guess correctly, you get to take home a bottle of current release Wente Vineyards Estate Grown wine.
There are so many great spas, hotels and restaurants, you might overlook the real reason to go to Wine Country… the wine! Our Golden Grape Award for Best Winery to Visit went to a family-owned winery that will make you feel like you’ve discovered a wonderful Wine Country secret. Passalaqua Winery in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley is owned and operated by Jason and Noelle Passalacqua, the fourth generation in a family of growers and vintners. It only takes a visit to feel like you’re part of the family, too. Stop by and you’re likely to find Jason or Noelle pouring their award-winning wine while chasing after their young daughter or cradling their infant son. Wine club members are passionate about Passalacqua because the club offers a true connection to the winery. When we visited with “In Wine Country” wine club members were helping drop fruit from vines (a process that helps concentrate flavors in the grapes). After the vineyard work, they were treated to a lovely luncheon out on the Passalacqua deck, which offers amazing views of the Dry Creek Valley. It’s a special place that has many fans among our “In Wine Country” viewers.
Congratulations to the Golden Grape Award winners! While we’re on the subject of accolades, allow me to brag a bit for the “In Wine Country” team. NBC Network has picked up our show, which is produced locally at NBC 11, and now airs on NBC affiliates across the country. We couldn’t be more thrilled and we thank you for supporting us. We’re excited to continue sharing all the wonderful things wine country has to offer with you and new fans around the country.