What a totally beautiful and wonderful day!!!
It started with an in-flight nap for 45 minutes with all of the following –
I woke up and got a TON done!!! 3 MNT review articles, a 480 project half done and a freelance article!
VIDEOS
Lunch on the flight was anticlimactic – a bagel + cheese sandwich around 1:30PM. My airport choices were Quiznos (with limited selections and no whole wheat bread), a Chicken + Cranberry salad or a Veggie Sandwich.
I chose a Multigrain bagel with Swiss cheese, cucs, tomatoes and lettuce. I waited until 1PM to eat it – until I was really hungry. It felt good to be done and enjoy this for the last hour of the flight –
I got this HUGE apple but didn’t dig in
After landing we met up with BethT, who is totally awesome (remember when I met her for a Golden Gate Run!?) Beth packed us East Coasters snacks for the ride to wine country!
Zucchini bread, cheesy bens + scones!
I had a bite of each 
And herbed nuts for me! Thanks Beth!!!
PLUS chocolates from SF to totally suit my taste. Beth know me so well 🙂
Bourbon Pecan + Bananas Foster – two of my very favorite flavors!! Saving these for later 🙂
Tina got cookie Friday!
Beth’s neighborhood is so hip 🙂
We climbed over the Golden Gate!
Beth packed such great snacks for us! In addition to the baked goods, she had carrots + hummus + cheese + apples!
Nibbled on these for wine fuel.
Then we were in Wine Country!
The Dry Creek Region 🙂 Just gorgeous!
And then we arrived at Eden-
The winery was GORGEOUS!!
I couldn’t believe we had flown 3000 miles to get here in one day
Jenna will be working for Michel Schlunberger – SO JEALOUS! Here she is with the president Judd Wallenbrock, who was super cool and fed us 3 of their wines.
We made friends with this fun doggie!
We tried the Pinot Blanc and then the Chardonnay – both totally impressed me.
Wheeee!
More tastes!
We embarked on a tour of the property. I was seriously so impressed with what I saw. All organic. Crops. Animals. Wines. Totally impressed by the diversity of this farm. What a hidden gem! It is clear that the owners here care about more than just the taste of their wines. All of their grapes come from the soil of the earth, something that is truly commendable here in Wine Country. And an Eden here on earth.
While on our tour we witnessed the most amazing thing – a bee swarm!
The natives were not concerned for their safety
After swarming for 10 minutes, the bees formed a clump around the queen
I was a little scared!
But then the tour moved into the organic garden
I ate one of these off the wine vine
And a vine-ripened California fig!
We ventured to the rose garden
And then the vineyards
We got the awesome opportunity to watch grapes be crushed by our hands and taste the fresh juice
Fresh dipped
It tasted like pure antioxidant. SO pure and fresh.
Barrels
After our tour we ended up meeting Jenna’s friends for cheese + baguette + wine for some Michel Shulemburger wines
This cheese was a coffee + lavender blend. OMG goodness!!
The MS logo –
We got the opportunity to sample Humanitas wines, a winery founded by Judd Wallenbrock. All profits of The Humanitas wines are donated to charity. Humantias stands for philanthropy, character and human nature. Needless to say I was impressed with both the mission and the delicious cab + merlot blend.
The live music was relaxing and fun
So was the cheese that I had many bites of –
And wine samples
And gorgeous flowers. I was seriously in Eden all day. SO thankful.
For dinner we headed to Healdsburg to try out Zin Restaurant.
More wine!!! It’s wine country after all!
We tried one of each of the starters –
Fried Green Beans in a Mango Sauce
Ravoili with Corn + Ricotta
Shrimp with Peppers and Grilled Lemon
FIGS IN A BLANKET!! Blue cheese, prosciutto and figs in puff pastry. Highlight of the evening.
Bruschetta
More wine…
Some of Beth’s chicken + grits
And my Butternut Squash + Apple Soup with Lemon Creme Fresche and Bacon, which I shared with Tina
Woo hoo, welcome to CA! Can’t wait for the meetup Sunday morning 🙂 I love wine country.
welcome to cali! i’m not up there but i’m glad you like our state….
Sounds like Eden to me! Definitely would have enjoyed myself if I had been there! 🙂
Simply stunning! I love the pictures of the grapes. Dinner looks amazing, too. Lovely pictures!! Definitely paradise. 🙂
Jenn
food looks so delish.. have a great night!
Wow that winery looks amazing, what a lovely work atmosphere for Jenna.
Good food, Good wine. Good friends. Nothing could be better!
Looks like the start to an incredible trip! ALL your wine photos turned out AMAZING! I’m loving the new camera shots! 🙂
Wow, what a beautiful recap, Kath. Your photos are simply stunning!
I hope you have a wonderful time!
That looks gorgeous- and dinner looks so amazing!
WOW! What gorgeous pictures! Looks like you ladies are having a blast!
Looks like such a good time!! Lots of great photos… must have taken ages to upload! haha.
I LOVE The Time Travelers Wife…. one of my fav books to add to my list!
Have fun!
everything looks incredible!! I love California!
Amazing! That place looks gorgeous. Enjoy your weekend!
WOW! That sounds like a wonderful day!! Your pictures look so great!
Beautiful photos!
HOLY MOLY!!! What a trip! Thanks for sharing and have a WONDERFUL time. Can’t wait to hear more!!!
What a gorgeous adventure you’re on right now! Enjoy every single minute of the beauty!
holy amazing! i cannot wait to read more – this all looks SO FRIGGIN’ FABULOUS!
So glad you made it safe! I am so jealous–I’ve always wanted to visit San Fran! Love all your travels 🙂 Have fun!
Fabulous pictures! Wineries are always so gorgeous. Love to see that you guys are having fun!
LOL @ “It tasted like pure antioxidant” Too funny.
Looks like so much fun…drink up and enjoy Blog Her too!
I read all three of your blogs and it’s so fun to see you all together!
Your pictures are beautiful! The food, wine, and company all look amazing, and also make me wonder if I can make figs in a blanket at home…
Wow looks like you’re having an amazing time!! I’m so sad I couldn’t make it to BlogHer food this year but really looking forward to FoodBuzz!
AMAZING recap Kath! Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together. You ladies are all so gorgeous, and the scenery there in SF looks stunning! Sounds like you’re having a fabulous time, so enjoy your weekend!!!
Lovely pictures!
Why does the apple look like it is floating?~ Weird
What a gorgeous vineyard! I love wine country. Your pictures from dinner are also gorgeous, especially that bruschetta- look so fresh!
Your pics look as if they are straight from a mag! Lovely. 🙂
That trip looks ridiculously amazing. I’m pretty sure northern California is my idea of heaven. Hope your trip goes wonderfully!
Wow, what a trip! I am dying to go to wine country. So pretty! (and the wine of course!)
Yeah, Eden seems like a pretty fitting name!
Looks like all of you are having an amazing trip! Wish I could be there with you 🙁 BTW – that apple was HUGE! But it probably should be huge for how much airports charge for them.
wow, everything looks crazy pretty!
i think wineries are some of the prettiest places you can find…
Oh my! What an amazing day! Glad you enjoyed yourself.
As I read this post, each photo got better and better. Definitely Eden! Now I am begging my boyfriend for a trip to San Fran with wines included. Haha.
Can’t wait to read about the rest of your whirlwind vacation!
You LUCKY DUCK!!! What an amazing day!! 🙂 Figs in a blanket sounds like heaven in a blanket!
So jealous of your day!!! Everything looks amazing!
Oh man, I need to go there someday because it look spectacular! Your camera has some pretty remarkable definition
That really does look like Eden. I would have died and gone to heaven with those figs.
Beautiful.
So, so beautiful Kath! Thanks so much for putting up all of those pictures, that must have taken you ages to write that posting.
Are you still going back to SF in Nov. for FoodBuzz? I’ll be there already for a wedding and I’m hoping to squeeze in some wine country that Friday!
Have a lovely weekend… and if you have the time to enter during your busy schedule, I’m having a Vegetarian Times mag. (1 year subscription) giveaway, if you are interested 🙂
What an amazingly beautiful place!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Welcome to Northern California!
Your pictures are awesome! I don’t live too far from wine country, but reading your post makes me want to visit more often.
You’ve picked a great time to be there because its harvest time for most wineries. But I’m sure that was by design. 🙂
PS – I love your blog!!
What a fabulous trip! That cheese looks RIDICULOUSLY good!!! 🙂
What a fabulous trip. Enjoy every moment!
Looks like you girls are already having so much fun!! I love SF, and lived there for a year when I was 23. Such a fun city, and I’m totally jealous that Jenna will be working and living in wine country!
Have a great time at BlogHer!
What a phenomenal day, the pictures are absolutely gorgeous!!!
No lie…your pics are amazing. You did a great job with them.
i am SO jealous kath!
looks like you and the girls are having a fab time in wine country 🙂
can’t wait to hear more about the trip!
jenna
Looks like an awesome time!
Great shot! IMG_3470427x640.jpg
Wow! It looks so beautiful, and sounds like you’re having loads of fun! Hope the rest of the weekend is just as awesome 🙂
It looks as though you ladies had such a great time. I have to admit that I am v. jealous!
I’m also loving your new camera- all the shots looks amazing. I love the crisp/clean look of the photos. It’s crazy how much of a difference the type of camera you have can make when taking photos- especially of food.
Have a lovely weekend Kath!
Wow. Those are some amazing eats and some amazing wine. I’m seriously craving a glass of my fave pinot gris right now! Have lots and lots of fun!
i love all the pictures, so fun! you look like you’re having an amazing time with good food and drink. and friends! cute black dress by the way too.
The photos with your new camera are AMAZING! I can tell such a difference.
What are cheesy bens?? I’ve never heard of them. Are they a southern thing?
Holy crap! That guy holding the wine glass is my husband’s friend! What a coincidence! It’s so beautiful out there. Someday…
The cheesy buns were actually gougères from Tartine bakery.
Welcome to Cali! That was one heck of a post. I love wine-tasting. Y’all should come down to Santa Barbara wine country some day.
I love the Dry Creek region. Tasted at Dry Creek vineyard at the recommendation of a friend once on a road trip.
I like Beth’s ‘hood. I have a friend who lives in San Fran in a similar looking ‘hood.
That food is making my mouth water. Alas, I ran 8 miles today, which suppresses my appetite…but makes me only hungry for raw fruits and veggies (strange?) Have a great trip!
What beautiful, beautiful pictures! I love wine, I am so jealous!!
xo
K
I LOVES that photo of the three of you lovely bloggers hiding in the leaves!
Wine country truly is eden. No question.
Your photos are getting more and more amazing. Plus whoever took the shots of you- they look like Portfolio shots!
Was there a cute boy at your table at Zin?? 🙂
I see where the hangover might have crept up on you- wine tasting all day is a very dangerous proposition- I know because I’ve been there!
Three Things:
1) Did you love Time Traveler’s Wife?
2)Jenna and Michel look like father and daughter
3) The photo of your three in the vines with the sun spots is spectacular. All of these shots are gorgeous but that’s my fave. Such a fun weekend!
You picked a good time to visit here, it was quite toasty yesterday, and fall is one of my favorite seasons. Next time you visit you are welcom to join us on one of our weekend bike rides in the wine country(it will be shorter than 65 miles :-))
Kath —
I am SO thrilled you enjoyed the visit to Michel-Schlumberger. Come back any time & bring ALL of your friends, readers, & wine lovers. Great to meet you!
Kath,
Wearing my other hat as proprietor of Humanitas — I can’t thank you enough for the kind words of both my winery, Humanitas & the concept of drinking charitably. Spread the word – drinking well & doing good – I founded Humanitas to do both!
Judd,
Thanks so much for hosting us! I can’t wait to come back 🙂
And d’oh for spelling your name wrong!! Just fixed it! So sorry!
Kath