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Top 10 Luxurious Adventures of 2010 -- And How to Perfect 'Em in 2011

When people ask me for luxury travel advice, usually along the lines of "I want to plan a perfect trip to XYZ," I have two responses: a) there ain't no such thing as perfect in this world, no matter how much money you spend; and, b) you always know exactly how to make a trip as perfect as possible after you get home.

Still, the following trips I made in 2010 pleased me greatly, which is basically what I count as sublime perfection -- and should you plan to follow in my footsteps in 2011, note the tips I've added for making terrific travel even better.

Tags: australia, BedAndBreakfast, bestof2010, chicago, cruise, FrenchPolynesia, melbourne, montreal, Morocco, NovaScotia, ontario, PaulGauguin, PuertoRico, shakespeare, sonoma, tasmania

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St. Francis Winery & Vineyards: CEO Chris Silva Talks to Luxist About Wine

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Chris Silva, CEO and president of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma

Luxist sat down with Christopher W. "Chris" Silva, president of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards to discuss the wine industry and what his Sonoma, Ca.-based winery is doing to beat the competition. St. Francis was a Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice finalist for Best Domestic Red Wine in June. (See Daily Finance's CEO Spotlight interview with Silva).

Luxist: What sets St. Francis apart from its peers?

Silva: Our commitment is to quality and to Sonoma. 100% of our grapes are hand-picked in Sonoma County, a place that we have always seen as one of farmers who make wine. We believe that we can grow and make wines here unlike anywhere else, and that our minimum intervention, maximum extraction approach to winemaking results in the kind of rich, complex, handcrafted wines that could only happen in Sonoma.

Luxist: Can you discuss how St. Francis only uses and buys hand-picked grapes from Sonoma growers? Why so?

Silva: I am a fifth generation native of Sonoma County. We see ourselves as farmers who make wine, and I think we have captured our passion for farming in each of our wines. Though most of our grapes come from our own estate vineyards, we revised our contracts for all purchased grapes to ensure that rigorous viticulture quality measures are adhered to, all at the Winery's direction, in every vineyard from which we buy grapes. For example, "when to pick" the grapes is now the Winemaker's decision and is no longer based exclusively upon degrees Brix (sugar levels), but instead upon several factors, including degrees Brix, but also including grape color, texture, flavor, aroma and sweetness, as well as the grapes being free from any kind of MOG (material other than grape).

Gallery: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

The dining room at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

Tags: awards-main, luxist-awards, Sonoma, sonoma county, St. Francis Winery Vineyards, wine, winery

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Wine-Loving Billionaire Picks Up Sonoma Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Billionaire WIlliam P Foley II has been on a worldwide buying spree lately. Just last month we mentioned that he had picked up a luxury New Zealand resort. This month he's back in the U.S. adding Sonoma's Les Mars hotel to his growing portfolio. This is far from his first purchase in the area, he bought the Chalk Hill Winery in August and purchased Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery in 2008. The purchase price for Les Mars was not disclosed but the deal should be finished next month.

The Les Mars is a well-regarded 16-room boutique hotel which is a secluded hideaway for the rich and famous. Rooms cost $575 to $725 a night. The Santa-Rosa Press Democrat reports that Les Mars also is home to the Cyrus Restaurant, one of the top restaurants in the foodie paradise of Healdsburg and holder of two Michelin stars. The Press-Democrat says that Foley is still looking at Sonoma County properties and wants to buy a flagship winery along Highway 29 in Napa County.

Tags: bill foley, cyrus restaurant, foley family wines, healdsburg, les mars hotels, sonoma, william p foley ii

Valle Vista, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's architecturally splendid home in Sonoma County had its moment in the design spotlight in a 2008 issue of Architectural Digest. This home is positioned on top of approximately 19 acres and is located minutes from Sonoma Plaza. This private three-bedroom home brings a little urban sexiness to the countryside. It was created by architects Harvey and Conrad in collaboration with renowned designer Ron Mann (check out more pictures on his website). Concrete and glass are warmed by the surrounding landscape and by the use of interesting textures in the furniture choices. The property also has an equally well-designed one-bedroom guest house. Pleasure-centered features include a pool with stunning bucolic views, hot tub, wine cave and a massive car barn. There's plenty of seating in this house and not much of it looks comfortable but beauty isn't always comfy. This home was listed at $12 million but recently had a price cut to $9.9 million.

Gallery: Sonoma Contemporary

Tags: california real estate, estate of the day, sonoma, sonoma county, SonomaCalifornia, SonomaValley

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A New "Vintage" at Sonoma's Applewood Inn

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Wine country can be something of a scene these days, with enthusiasts trying fit in as many wineries as possible, swirling, spitting, purchasing -- realizing they've bought too many bottles to fit in their suitcase, frantically figuring out how to ship wine home, which sometimes requires an alcohol-soaked brain to figure out complicated interstate wine shipment regulations....

Really, it can cause more of a headache than a hangover.

One remedy for all of this is Applewood Inn in Guerneville, California -- which is in the midst of its first season under new ownership.

When you look at Sonoma County, Guerneville isn't really in the middle of it all. This chic-shabby town lies to the west of the where most of the county's wine action is, heading out towards Sonoma's (largely unappreciated) Pacific coast. Applewood is set among young redwood trees, and its award-winning restaurant and its 19 guest rooms are mostly arranged around a peaceful courtyard, complete with a fountain that trickles merrily.

Room décor is also not striving to be in the middle of anything like a current design trend, although there are flat-screen TVs, fireplaces, and so on. Think cozy country motifs, cabbage rose bed spreads, Tuscan stripe upholstered chairs, gleaming wood throughout. Indeed, new owners Carlos Pippa and Sylvia Ranyak envision something of a Tuscan theme for the property.

You'll get to know Carlos and Sylvia as they're gracious on-site managers as well as owners. Running an inn and a restaurant turns out to be their idea of retirement -- Carlos owned a business in Texas that sold parts related to industrial painting. Upon retiring, he and Sylvia loaded up their RV with motorcycles and went on a multiple-month adventure from Mexico to Rio de Janeiro. It was in the rural portions of this journey that they realized they wanted to be in a more bucolic environment than Plano. The Applewood Inn is their next act. Be sure to ask them about their South American sojourn if you go.

Gallery: Applewood Inn, Guerneville, California

Applewood's Peaceful Setting Among Young Redwood Trees

Tags: applewood inn, BedAndBreakfast, california, guerneville, sonoma, sonoma county, wine country, wine tasting, WineCountry

Attend Grape Camp in California Wine Country

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

What better way to indulge your love of great wine than by scheduling a vacation around it? At Grape Camp in Sonoma County you'll learn all about how wine is made through the hands on experience of picking grapes and blending your own wine, plus learning about wine, food, and cheese pairings during gourmet meals provided by master chefs. This year the camp runs from September 27 - 29 and costs $1750 per person per couple (or $1900 for a single) and includes two nights accommodations at the Vintners Inn plus all meals, tastings, and transportation.

Via Luxury Travel Advisor

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Tags: california wine, CaliforniaWine, grape camp, GrapeCamp, sonoma, sonoma county, SonomaCounty, wine

Will Sonoma's Slowness Drive Tourism?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

In this fast-paced world slow is becoming more and more of a virtue. The wine country town of Sonoma has received an official designation as a "slow city" by Cittaslow, an international group that advocates for a more relaxed way of life. Sonoma is the first place in the United States to win the title partly because the town has sought to create an old-fashioned small-town atmosphere. The Cittaslow network includes 129 towns spread across 29 nations. The town each have populations of less than 50,000 and are evaluated on criteria including environmental management, infrastructure, quality of local historic buildings, parks, local produce, products, craft, and availability of healthy eating.

While a recent NY Times article questioned whether or not the "slow city" label is a sign of a wealthy enclave stuck in a rut, it is hoped that the new title might attract more tourists. After all, these days one of the major reasons people go on vacation is to escape the pace of their hectic lives. Where better to do that than in a town celebrated for its quality of life? A bunch of hotels including the Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa are celebrating the news.

The end of this month might be a good time to visit. CittaSlow President Gianluca Marconi, director of CittaSlow International Pier Giorgio Oliveti and Dr. Paul Knox, professor and senior fellow from Virginia Tech will make an official visit to Sonoma beginning January 26 to tour Sonoma's many "slow" features like wineries, restaurants and community gardens and talk with the community about the slow" philosophy. Slow Food Sonoma Valley, led by Gary Edwards, will host a Slow Soup Supper featuring locally grown winter vegetables.

Tags: cittaslow, SlowFood, SlowFoodMovement, SlowFoods, sonoma

Artefact Design and Salvage

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Bowls made of drilled river rock, vines turned into sculpture and lighting salvaged from old factories around the world are just some of the unique treasures found at Artefact Design & Salvage in Sonoma, California. The showroom features antique architectural pieces, objects crafted from salvage, large-scale organic forms and all sorts of products that can't be found anywhere else. The products are collected around the world and include a growing line of furniture and objects designed by founder Dave Allen.

Allen's journey in salvage collection began in 1997 when he left his corporate job and started off on a new life specializing in architectural antiques. Over time he built his business from a series of yard sales to an international operation that sends him around the world scavenging for both salvaged items and new products from Borneo, Java, Bali and other parts of Malaysia and the Philippines. His blog on the Artefact Design & Salvage website is an informative and frequently amusing adventure. Check out the gallery below for a few of his treasures.

Gallery: Artefact Salvage and Design

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Tags: artefact design salvage, ArtefactDesignSalvage, decor, design, salvage, sonoma

Winery Offers $10,000 A Month Tasting and Talking Gig

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Love wine and want to move to Sonoma County, California? Have we got a job for you. The Murphy-Goode Winery is offering a "Really Goode Job" for the right person. They will pay $10,000 a month for a six-month contract that includes private housing in Healdsburg, California. The winery is seeking a web-savvy communicator who wants to learn about viticulture, winemaking, Sonoma County and Murphy-Goode wines and share what they have learned through social media tools such as Facebook, blogs, internet videos and Twitter.

Those in San Francisco can get a jump on the application process on April 28 at 11:30 a.m. at 120 Market Street near the Hyatt Regency. Visitors who arrive at the "A Really Goode Job's" purple and white kiosk can meet the boss and get a 24-hour head start in the application process by being provided with a code that will give them immediate access to the www.areallygoodejob.com website which launches on April 29 to the public at large.

The website will have an employment application and will ask applicants to submit a one-minute video. Applications close on June 5, 2009. Murphy-Goode Winery will then select 50 candidates then narrow the list down to the top 10 who will be interviewed from June 27 to July 1. The person chosen for the job will be announced on July 9 and begin work on August 1. As you might expect, all applicants must be at least 21 years old.
[via WKYC]

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Tags: murphy-goode, sonoma, wine, wine tasting, winery, WineTasting

The 2009 HGTV Dream Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

HGTV has announced their latest dream home, a Victorian-style home in Sonoma, California. The $2 million prize package also includes a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contest starts on January 1 and runs until February 19. Entrants may enter once per day on HGTV.com or as often as they wish by regular mail. This home marks the first time in 13 years the HGTV Dream Home has been in California. The home is being built by vintner and developer Steve Ledson and is part of his Armstrong Estates project (we previously covered one of his homes as an estate of the day). The HGTV website features video and details on every aspect of the home. I expect the competition will be fierce for this one, but be warned the taxes can be hign on these dream homes as one past winner found out.

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Tags: armstrong estates, ArmstrongEstates, dream home 2009, DreamHome2009, hgtv, sonoma, steve ledson, SteveLedson

Magnolia Farm, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Magnolia farm in Sonoma, California is the town's oldest East Side home and is a registered historical landmark. It has also been given a very modern rehabilitation that is a world away from its classic exterior). The home was built in the 1890s and has been owned by members of the Hearst family among other great California families. The property has a four-bedroom main house as well as a one-bedroom guest house. There is also a swimming pool, outdoor barbecue and a one acre lawn with room for croquet, bocce and horseshoes. The property is nearly ten acres total and includes magnolia, olive, fig and maple trees. An outdoor patio offers dining for eight. it is currently being used as a wine country rental that costs $12,000 a week (many more gorgeous pictures are available at the home's rental website). It is listed at $5.495 million.

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Tags: california, estate of the day, magnolia farm, MagnoliaFarm, sonoma, wine country real estate

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MooBuzz Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The folks at Don Sebastiani & Sons always think up clever names for their wines. From the same guys that brought us Used Automobile Parts wine comes MooBuzz, a new brand that will focus on super-premium Burgundy grape varieties grown in the Sonoma Coast appellation. The brand will focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals. Why MooBuzz? it is a tribute to Sonoma Sebastiani calls the land of milk and honey (moo for cows, buzz for bees). The suggested retail price for the 2006 MooBuzz Pinot Noir is $25 and the 2006 MooBuzz Chardonnay will retail for $20.

[via Avenue Vine]

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Tags: chardonnay, moobuzz, pinot noir, sonoma, wine

Sonoma Grape Camp

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events

It's harvest time for California wineries. If you'd like to get in on the fun (and just a little of the hard work) you can check it out at the Sonoma County Grape Camp. The camp is scheduled for September 24 to 26 at the Vintners Inn. The weekend costs $1,500 per person, per couple ($200 single supplement) and includes two nights at the hotel, all meals and seminars. The weekend includes the "The Marriage of Food and Wine" seminar by chef and author John Ash, a dinner feast in the vineyards by Chef Mark Stark of Willi's Wine Bar, and a Paella party along the banks of the Russian River. The weekend also includes participating in the harvest, tasting freshly crushed grape juice at Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards and a trip to Ferrari-Carano to blend wine under the guidance of Red Wine Winemaker Aaron Piotter.

[via Avenue Vine]

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Tags: california, grape camp, sonoma, sonoma grape camp, SonomaGrapeCamp, wine, wine camp

Blackstone Launches New Sonoma-Based Wines

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Like Kendall-Jackson, Blackstone winery is seeking to seek the next level of the wine market with a new line that appeal to a different price point than their main line which is generally under $10. The Blackstone Sonoma Reserve is produced at Blackstone's Kenwood Winery in the heart of Sonoma Valley and includes a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Bordeaux-inspired red blend, Rubric. The wines use grapes sourced from premium vineyards found upon the hillsides, benchlands and coastline of Sonoma County and are made by winemaker Gary Sitton.

The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay uses grapes from the cool climate areas of Russian River Valley and Carneros, with small percentages drawn from the Sonoma Coast and sells for $16.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Merlot uses grapes from the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Sonoma Valley and also sells for $16.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir uses fruit from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley region and is aged for 12 months in French oak. It sells for $18.99. The 2005 Sonoma Reserve "Rubric" is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah. It is matured in a combination of French and American oak barrels and sells for $18.99.

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Tags: blacstone wines, BlacstoneWines, chardonnay, grapes, merlot, pinot noir, PinotNoir, red wine, RedWine, sonoma, white wine, wine

Chandelle Winery Celebrates Lindbergh

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Wings

Giving a new meaning to the words wine flight, the Chandelle Winery specializes in wines with aviation art. The Sonoma winery takes its name from an aviation term used to describe a 180-degree change in direction and an increase in altitude. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's New York-to-Paris flight, the winery is offering a special limited edition labeled wine called The 19th Hour, The Spirit of St Louis. The 2004 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and 2005 Chardonnay Sonoma County wines have a label created by aviation artist Keith Ferris as well as a special 80th anniversary medallion. A portion of the sales will go to the Lindbergh Foundation, which supports technological solutions to improve the environment for a sustainable future. A three bottle box of two 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and one 2005 Chardonnay Spirit of St Louis 80th Anniversary Edition sells for $70.

[via General Aviation News]

Tags: aviation, california wine, chandelle, lindberg, sonoma, wine, winery

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