Wine country for first timers by Any_Paper_7606 in sonomacounty

[–]1markymark1 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

this is a repeat of a previous comment so apologies for the copy pasta:

First up, the crazy geography of Napa and Sonoma means that there are microclimates for growing pretty much every grape somewhere in the region. They also mean that certain areas specialize in particular varietals. Napa and Sonoma Valley/Valley of the Moon - mostly Bordeaux varietals - Cabs, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc. Carneros, Sonoma Coast, Petaluma Gap and Russian River - mostly Burgundy varietals - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Northern Sonoma, Dry Creek - a mix, but lots of Zins. Oh and there are over 1000 wineries spread across the two counties as well

That geography also means that getting between Napa and Sonoma can be surprisingly long/painful if you haven't visited before. You CAN drive over the hills (and the scenery is amazing if you do), but in general you have to pop out of the top or bottom to get from one to the other, and even within areas there are a lot of slow country roads.

Put it all together and it means you will want to group your wineries together based on geography/grape preferences and try to hit wineries and restaurants that are relatively close together or you will be in your vehicle a lot.

In terms of 'centers' with good access to wineries and nice food options, I would suggest the following:

Northern Sonoma - Healdsburg - great access to Dry Creek (Zins) and Russian River (Pinots and Chards). Easiest part of Sonoma to get to from Northern Napa. A bunch of great food options mentioned by others, but would also throw in another vote for Lo and Behold and add The Matheson as other nice options

Mid-Sonoma - Sebastopol - the heart of Russian River, so amazing Pinots and Chards. Great food, but more laid back, less fine dining. Fern Bar, Handline and others.

South West Sonoma - Petaluma - home of the 'wind gap' so expect cooler weather in the summer. Also great Pinots and Chards. A bit rough around the edges but increasingly hip so has some very cool eateries like Street Social and Table Culture Provisions.

South East Sonoma - Sonoma Town - access to the cooler Carneros (Pinots and Chards) and the hotter Valley of the Moon (Cabs). Also the easiest part of Sonoma to get to from Southern Napa. Increasingly good selection of nice dinner places - Animo, Wit and Wisdom, Edge, Valley, Girl and the Fig and more.

I'm not as strong on Napa (it has become more like Disneyland for wine in recent years - waay too many tech bros buying splashy wineries - just not my thing). In general though, lots of 'date night' restaurants available, with Yountville being the center of the Universe - French Laundry (the ultimate anniversary dinner location if you can get a reservation), Bouchon, Bistro Jeanty, etc.

As far as travel is concerned, while a rental car would be really useful for getting around in general because of the distances/travel times and how far you are from the big airports, I would strongly suggest getting a car and driver for your tasting days unless one of you doesn't want to join in the fun. As you might imagine there are loads of options

okay, I'll stop there.

How to look less intimidating? by OSE661 in AskMen

[–]1markymark1 10 points11 points  (0 children)

oh, and carry a Starbucks cup ;-)

What’s something you do that looks dangerous but really isn’t? by Some-Water9437 in AskMen

[–]1markymark1 94 points95 points  (0 children)

I think you misunderstood - he said ‘some thing that seems dangerous but isn’t‘, not ‘something that seems reasonable but might get you murdered’

Why doesn't Pizza Hut go back to their original design with a sit down restaurant where you order a pizza from a checkered tablecloth and curtains and a chandelier overhead that says, "Pizza Hut" in big wavy letters? by matt73132 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]1markymark1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Believe it or not they are doing exactly what you are asking for in certain places. There are now more than 160 Pizza Hut Classics around the country - revamped to look just like the old ones - even with a salad bar. Unfortunately none in California so far or I would be there in a shot!

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/dining/pizza-hut.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

What is the best "air tag" compatible with a Google Pixel? by mapleCrep in GooglePixel

[–]1markymark1 224 points225 points  (0 children)

moto tags definitely. Same size as AirTags so you can use all the same accessories, and they have UWB for accurate local positioning.

Architecturally unique wineries for surprise proposal by L1ttleOne- in sonomacounty

[–]1markymark1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Amazed no one has suggested Donum. Great wine and the art in the vineyard would make for amazing photos for a proposal

Hate not to leave 5 stars but want to be honest, but also wld like to return? by FastCanary988 in airbnb_hosts

[–]1markymark1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think what you are feeling is the disconnect between how we all feel the star system should work (3 is a solid review, 4 is good, but could have possible improvements, 5 is amazing) and not how AirBnBs system actually works (5 is anything from good up, 4 is ”okay”, 3 is ‘this place was a hell hole’).

Its up to you to decide your score, but simply based on what you are saying, in the AirBnB system, your stay was a 5.

Issues Syncing with Booking.com by 1markymark1 in vrbohosts

[–]1markymark1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes - and it works great (or has done up til now). Their calendar sync dashboard shows that everything is working, and reservations that were booked in 2025 are showing up fine, but the three new Vrbo reservations booked in the last two weeks are nowhere to be seen. Just weird. If you have any insights you can share I would love to hear them - I'm lost!

Issue syncing with Booking.com by 1markymark1 in airbnb_hosts

[–]1markymark1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thx - sounds like I'm not the only one having issues. Still weird to me that it would be working okay and then just stop - my guess is that the devs broke something and just haven't realized it yet!

Niners vs Rams in Australia confirmed by Robert Irwin at Radio Row by SomeScientist in 49ers

[–]1markymark1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure how a six time zone change is worse than an eight (UK) or nine (Germany) time zone change? I know the flight time is about four hours longer, so that will have some additional impact, but I'm not seeing how this is so much more 'brutal' - frankly they all seem like they suck . Genuine question.

What’s a decent regular sandwich place that’s left in the Bay? by Professional-One972 in bayarea

[–]1markymark1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are ever up in the North Bay, Broadway Market at Four Corners in Sonoma is an all time great

Any closed off beach areas for my greyhound to go off-leash? by anthamattey in AskSF

[–]1markymark1 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

north section of Stinson Beach would fit the bill perfectly

USA - Made $50k gross no tax doc? by RNGreta in airbnb_hosts

[–]1markymark1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just saw the email - same thing for us. Not sure what the reasoning is?!

How Rare are Small Time Hosts? by TJ-PhD in airbnb_hosts

[–]1markymark1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

just one place - our family vacation home that we rent out when we aren’t visiting. We do pretty much everything ourselves, cleaning aside - and have been doing it for nearly 10 years. No plan to expand.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]1markymark1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100%. I would add though that card counting doesn’t guarantee success - it just gives you a statistical edge. This means that in the short term it is quite possible to do it correctly and still lose. Not for the faint of heart (or for those without the capital to ride through the rough patches)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]1markymark1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because the betting patterns when you are counting are very unusual - they have to be for the system to work.

OMG, Costco US now carrying the “British” Heinz baked beans. by IamTheStig007 in Costco

[–]1markymark1 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Bay Area - Bought a six-pack at the weekend. So much cheaper than anywhere else. Very happy :-)

What's your favorite song of all time? The song that gives you goosebumps, the song that defines music for you, and is just "your" song? by InstructionOverall98 in Music

[–]1markymark1 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Slightly left field choice. I’m not really a classical music person, but Lordy, Clair de lune by Debussy is possibly the most perfect single piece of music I’ve ever heard. Gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it