VII:// Bulletin Survey Seven
Mixing the three weekend series in one! 🩵
Hey y’all!
Doing something a little different this weekend and blending all three series in one!
I went to the spa on Friday morning and took a full analog day. The last thing I wanted to do was get on my devices afterwards, so I took a mini device-free break! After such a relaxing day, why not take a pre Summer Friday?
That said, I am reeling from my first Hydrafacial appointment of the year! This was a new procedure I started last year. It’s a medspa treatment, so it feels half wellness and half spa pampering. I fell off it this year, but getting back into it!!
Boy, did my skin need it! Everything feels softer and more radiant than ever. I have a post-procedure routine that I love. It’s extremely simple and consists of four products: Vanicream face wash, Coq10, antioxodant sunscreen serum, and cicalfate+. I use this and ONLY this for four full days — no other skincare, no makeup, etc.
I also want to try both lymphatic massage and cupping! I see those offered at many spas lately and really want to try. I have only had one massage in my life, and feel like it’s something my body could use, especially as I get older. I am especially intrigued by body treatments that are more wellness-focused vs just luxurious.
Speaking of Spas, Hotel Healdsburg has some of the BEST Spa amenities. The products are seriously incredible. I always love how my hair looks and feels in Healdsburg, and it’s 100% because of these products. They are lightweight yet effective and smell amazing. My personal favorites are the conditioner and body wash. Plus, y’all know how I feel about bringing Healdsburg into Houston. In between trips, I actually order direct from them. And whenever I stay with them in person, I ship new amenities with whatever wine we are shipping.
PS - if you ever go to Healdsburg and stay at Hotel Healdsburg, you can ship whatever you want back home. This is SO helpful, especially if you are bringing home lots of wine. It is a supplementary charge (which we felt was fair for everything we shipped), but not having to bring everything to any shipping places in town or on the way to the airport is a huge plus.
One thing I’m personally focusing on is doing more work away from my computer and office. I’ve been working a lot lately from my bedroom, lobbies, or hotel rooms and weening from the devices / screens. Everything always starts analog before it makes it online. Not to mention, getting it online is the easy part!
All right, let’s get into the survey! <3
How to Dress for California Wine Country?
It depends on where and when you are going in wine country. That said, I find many similarities despite the different terroirs! (& for this post I’ll focus on Northern California)
No matter what time of year, it’s generally chilly in the morning and again in the evening. I always recommend layers because the days go from cold to hot to cold. Wine tasting will likely take up the whole day.
If I were packing for wine country at this time of year, here’s what I’d bring.
Comfortable, closed-toe shoes — tbh, my cowboy boots are my new go-to because they can be worn any season… and at the end of the day, they are work boots! Many wineries have tours that take you through the facilities, and closed-toe shoes are generally best for this. I don’t recc high heels for wine tasting, as they are hard to walk through the vineyards. If you bring heels, save them for the fancy dinners! If you want them for photos (hey I’ve been there!!!), then pack them in your bag and change into it for the photo only!
Espadrille platforms — for a more dressier look or some height but still closed toe. Take care when walking on the soil!
Jeans / denim / linen / cotton / poplin pants &/or shorts
Any basic tee, tank, mockneck in the same fabrics
Any oversized knit &/or sweatshirt — crewneck, cardigan, etc
Any sundress, tank dress or slip dress — this tank dress in both black and blue are on my radar!!
Denim jacket — I like oversized denim jackets as they are a good fabric for the warmer weather. The oversized fit can handle any layers but also feels nice and breezy. This jacket & this jacket (size up) is seriously perfect for wine country
Large tote bag — I like to bring my journals and pens! Also handy for holding water bottles (stay hydrated!! you will be tasting wine in the sun for much of it!!!! always have water on you!!). I also like to purchase totes at wineries.
No perfume — don’t wear perfume wine tasting, as it will interfere with your palate and experience. Crazy, but true! If you bring perfume, save it for going out on the town or the Plaza!
…also I love wine merch!!! I buy so much wine (& region/restaruant/hospitality/etc) merch when I am in wine country, so something to consider to leave room in your bag for? If you forget something, you can always buy a sweatshirt or sweater from a winery you enjoy!
As a reference frame, Sonoma is known for Pinot Noir and cool climate Chardonnay, whereas Napa is known for full, oaky, buttery Chardonnay and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. That alone can tell you a lot about both the weather and the vibe!
And as far as the vibe, I find Napa much dressier than Sonoma (where Healdsburg/RRV is). Healdsburg is very casual, as is the Sonoma Coast, but there’s def some glamour to Napa. I love them both, but I definitely pack differently when going to Napa vs. Sonoma. I bring more dresses and even heels to Napa. Napa will also be much warmer though it still gets the cool nights.
Also, I don’t recc doing both unless you’re there for a good while (like a week+ good while) and can split full days between both. What you definitely don’t want to do is make reservations for a tasting in Napa and one in Sonoma on the same day. I bring this up because it’s easy to think they are the same place or close, but they’re, at the very least, over an hour from each other, and much of it are country roads and one-lane highways. Not to mention California traffic 🫠
Also also! I only recc doing two tastings MAX a day. Three is really pushing it, and four don’t even think about it. It may not seem like a lot, but even just one winery is. Most winery appointments will be about 90 minutes, and you will have plenty to drink at each (and many pour tons of additional pours and “revisits”). It can really sneak up on you. Not to mention, commuting to each winery can take some time, even wineries in the same region.
These days, we like to do only one wine tasting a day and make a full day out of it. But less is definitely more when you are in wine country! You will need to make reservations in advance, especially if you are visiting over the weekend!
& as far as reccs? 019 Wine will be your best future source for that :-)
What is your favorite Wine?
This is a loaded question. :-)
But over the years, I’ve learned that I really, really, really love California Wine. It has such a special place in my heart.
The Sonoma Coast is my favorite AVA, and my favorite Chardonnay (probably my favorite varietal) is Fort Ross, Mother of Pearl Chardonnay. Fort Ross Vineyards is one of my forever favorites!
My other fav AVAs are the Russian River Valley (Healdsburg/Windsor/Guerneville/Forestville) and the Anderson Valley (Mendocino). Favorite wineries there include: Joseph Swan, Kistler, Williams Selyem, Arista, Twomey, & Gary Farrell.
So, as you can see, I love Chardonnays and Pinots. :)
I’m also having a major moment with Italian Wines right now! I’m finding so many complexities in them lately. In fact, I’m actually getting pretty good at blinding them and calling Italy! So that’s fun!
Other varietals I love: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Gewürztraminer, Trousseau, Zweigelt, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano, Pinot Blanc, and honestly I love a good Pinot Gris/Grigio.
I also much prefer dry wines over sweet wines. Much of my wine taste is dry or bone dry (aka less than .5% residual sugar) and either high acid or balanced in acidity.
& ofc 019 Wine will be THE source for all this <3
What are your favorite offline activities?
Cooking & baking; going for walks; organizing my closet (honestly I love to curate and rearrange my closet SO much, it gives me SO much joy); cleaning in general; journaling; working out — honestly this helps so much whenever dealing with digital burnout; reading; going for a drive; and I also love to meal plan!
My biggest offline hobby is probably my journals! I have so many different ones, and each has a job. It brings me a lot of joy and keeps me offline! Journals include Cooking, closet, Recipe Book (aka JUST recipes and recipes only), wellness/spa, Beauty, and various agendas.
Favorite Tea or Kind of Tea?
So fun fact, but I love tea. Tea is the first beverage I fell in love with. When I was a teenager, I got REALLY into tea. Right before I got into wine at 20, I was actually on the cusp of getting really, REALLY into tea. Sometimes, I wonder if my love for tea was my gateway to wine. It’s also so crazy to think how close I was to my teens before becoming a sommelier - it was literally just months!
My favorite teas are peppermint, white, or green. I especially love a mix of all three. I also enjoy black tea or any tea with tropical flavors!
I use this green tea for my morning drink (two bags of green tea served with juice of two oranges).
On my tea rack currently, I have:
Harney & Sons Peppermint Tea (I love to cold brew overnight in these; it reminds me of metromint!)
Numi Rose White Tea (I literally call this “Beauty Tea” it is SO GOOD for your skin!)
What are some of your go-to Dinners?
My absolute go-to is Spa Chicken. I make this so much, but it is so easy and versatile. This is such a vintage c@s recipe and one of my first blog posts in 2014. It’s just a poached chicken recipe that I adapted from Cooks Illustrated. I make a whole package of chicken at once and treat it the way I would a rotisserie chicken. I usually shred it and then keep it for whatever through the week. I love to make a salad out of it (with my rendition of spa ranch! basically ranch dressing made out of Greek yogurt, meyer lemon, and TONS of herbs) or save it for items like tacos, quesadillas, or over a salad. I use this thing to shred it!
Another go-to is a Soy, Sherry, and Ginger Chicken that I affectionately call Plaza Chicken. I marinate it with soy, sherry, and ginger overnight, pat it dry, coat it with cornstarch, and then cook it on the stovetop. This is my variation on a recipe from Cafe Pacific (one of my fav Dallas restaurants), and it is SO good! I also make a ton in advance to have throughout the week. It’s lovely chilled and tossed in a salad the next day.
Another is a simple steak! Seriously, THE easiest thing in the world to make. All you do is season the steak and either grill or pan-fry it for about ~5 mins/side.
As far as sides: I’ll usually make rice or turmeric cauliflower rice, steamed greens, and vegetables like broccoli &/or sweet potato. My current rice fixation is Saffron Jasmine Rice, and it’s made with saffron, rice, butter, and sea salt, and finished with Meyer lemon and cilantro. Delicious!
