Destination Wedding: Sonoma County
A wedding in wine country
By Phyllis SteinbergThe bride was from St. Louis. The groom was from
Toronto. The bride and groom had jobs in San Francisco. Where was the
wedding?
Not in St. Louis. Not in Toronto. Not in San Francisco.
The bride and groom, Julie Selhorst and Mike Paul both 32, are part of a
nationwide trend of young couples who decide to plan their own wedding.
“Young couples are getting married at an older age than
in previous years. That’s the biggest change we see in the catering
business. Parents used to plan the whole wedding for their children. Now
the children want to be involved in the planning of the wedding, right
down to the selection of the menu to what type of music and what song is
played as they walk down the aisle,” said Eric Kaufman, one of the owners
of Executive Caterers, a catering company who has been in business for 30
years in South Florida.
| This young couple decided
wine country in the fall was the most beautiful season to be married
and they traveled to Sonoma County, about an 90 minute ride from San
Francisco, to do some research on the subject.
What they learned was there were more than 60 wineries
in the area and many of them had banquet halls where they routinely
held weddings. |
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They chose the Trentadue Winery in Geyserville, a short
distance from the blossoming Sonoma town of Healdsburg, that is tucked
between three lush valleys, in the heart of wine country, 65 miles north
of the Golden Gate Bridge on highway 101.
Since there was no hotel big enough to accommodate the
more than 150 guests, the young couple went on a site inspection of the
various lodgings in the area and nailed down the prices of each, obtaining
special prices for guests attending the wedding.
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Then, they did some sightseeing and
compiled a list of activities for wedding guests to do while in the
area. And for the community savvy guests
invited to the wedding, the couple set up a web site for guests
listing all kinds of helpful information for those planning to attend.
The destination wedding plans for guests came when
they received their invitation in the mail. The wedding invitation
contained all the various types of lodging, activities in Sonoma
County and directions to the winery.
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The groom and his parents stayed at the Hotel
Healdsburg, built in 2001, with rates from $305 for a deluxe king to $725
for a one-bedroom suite. The ultra modern 55-room hotel is built in the
heart of Healdsburg in the town square. Everything about the hotel is
understated. Even the entrance is quietly tucked away on the side in a
courtyard.
| One of the Hotel’s biggest claims to
fame is Charlie Palmer, Executive Chef, who opened the Dry Creek
Kitchen Restaurant in the hotel. Palmer is the
executive chef and owner of Aureole, a Manhattan classic restaurant
with a worldwide reputation. In fact, Zagat chose Aureole, as the
number one restaurant in New York for American cuisine. Following his
phenomenal success at Auerole in New York, Palmer opened Astra and
Kitchen 22 and 82, Metrazur in the city and then opened Charlie Palmer
Steak in Washington D.C. and Las Vegas.
The Dry Creek Kitchen focuses on great and simple
foods highlighting Sonoma County’s fresh ingredients with an
ever-changing menu and in-depth wine list of exclusive Sonoma
bottlings. |
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The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and provides
catering for Hotel Healdsburg’s groups and events. I enjoyed my meal at
the Dry Creek Kitchen, especially the Butternut Squash Soup.
Another type of eatery I enjoyed with modest prices was
the Bear Republic Brewing Company, located just across the courtyard from
the Hotel Healdsburg. The brewery has huge tasty salads, a complete menu
of burgers, pastas and great beers plus a children’s menu.
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There were many other choices of
lodging in Healdsburg as described in detail by the bride and groom. I
chose the Camellia Inn, a Victorian Inn at 211 North Street, located
about four blocks from the town square. The Camellia Inn, Bed and
Breakfast, was built in 1869 and was purchased in 1981 by Ray and Del
Lewand, left their native home in Los Angeles and gave up the freeways
for a more secluded life in the country.
The Camellia Inn with its inlaid hardwood floors,
graceful chandeliers and decorative friezes were simply papered and
painted by the Lewands, retaining the character of the period in which
the house was built. The Lewands used tones and shades of salmon,
reminiscent of the camellias blooming below the tall windows.
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| Continuing with the theme, each room is
named for a variety of the camellia. All the furnishings are antiques,
true to the era, with Oriental rugs throughout the home. There are
nine rooms, all with private baths. I enjoyed my stay in the Tiffany
room, which rents for $229 per night. The room had a Queen sized four
poster bed, gas fireplace, wicker loveseat, and whirlpool tub for two.
Also included in the price was a delicious buffet breakfast served
from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. |
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While in Healdsburg, I strolled around
the town square with a beautiful park in the center of the square. I
visited the unique antique shops, boutique clothing stores and
bakeries. |
| I also enjoyed a visit to the
Healdsburg Museum which contains an impressive range of artifacts and
documents related to northern Sonoma County history. Some outstanding
examples are Pomo Indian basketry, 19th century weapons, tools,
textiles and crafts.
Another fascinating point of interest is the
Healdsburg Sonoma County Wine Library where there are more than 5,000
volumes, including rare and out of print works, some dating back to
500 years on the wine industry and the heritage of grape growing and
winemaking in Northern California.
The drive in the countryside was a scenic one, with
beautiful vineyards and wineries located everywhere I went. Wineries
invite visitors in for a tasting and employees at the wineries are
quite well-informed about the various varieties of wine. |
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There were also vineyard
tours, wine seminars, picnics in the park and at wineries and seminars
in food and wine parings for those who were interested in learning
more about wine. The Russian River meanders
through Healdsburg and offers opportunities for boating and swimming.
There is also a 9-hole, 60-acre municipal golf course, bicycles for
rent and hot-air balloon rides.
Healdsburg is a turn-of-the century American town
where wedding guests as well as vacationers can enjoy a delightful
vacation away from the hustle and bustle of big city life.
Photos by Phyllis Steinberg
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For more information, contact;
Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce
1-800-648-9922
Hotel Healdsburg 800-889-7188
Camellia Inn 800-727-8182
You can reach Phyllis Steinberg at:
PhyllisSteinberg@cs.com
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