A Sonoma day trip to visit our two favorite neighboring wineries

I want the Gundlach-Bundschus (or Scribe family) to adopt me :)

What we did

First stop - Scribe. Important note: you can only visit if you’re a member :-/ I finally caved and became a member a few months ago, mostly because I love their hillside/knoll views and also happen to really like their Pet Nat, one of the first ones I ever tasted years ago. A lot of people hate on Scribe (my past self included) - yes, it sometimes feels like the Marina neighborhood in SF was just transplanted to Sonoma, but it also has an impeccable relaxed vibe that makes you wish you could come back reincarnated as Lia Ices (singer married to one of the Scribe owners) and live your best bohemian vineyard life.

Second stop - Gundlach Bundschu. The oldest family-run winery in CA (I think) has a very special place in my heart. When I first moved to SF in 2016, I came very close to moving back to the east coast in my first year. I remember a magical trip to Gundlach in May 2017 as a turning point where I thought “maybe living here isn’t so bad after all” :) I also have super fond memories of their music festival Huichica, which sadly seems to have been discontinued. Really hope they bring that one back! What I love about Gundlach: very very laidback family vibes, you really don’t need a reservation (although they have a nice members-only spot), and can just grab a bottle and sit on the hillside somewhere. My only wish is that they had slightly better food options - it’s mostly just light snacks, charcuterie, cheese and that type of thing.

Scribe vibes ✨

What we ate

On this trip, we just did the knoll picnic at Scribe and then some light snacks at Gundlach. If you’re looking for non-winery options, a few of my favorites in Sonoma Square: Valley , Sunflower Caffe, or El Dorado.

What else?

While we usually optimize for being outside, Gundlach also has a super cute tasting room with LOTS of Gundlach merch - I’m always a sucker and end up spending $$$ after a few glasses of wine. This time: ended up with a baby onesie, sweatshirt, and a hat, whoops!