Karen and I often extol the virtues of staying at a winery when visiting wine country. Nothing beats the ambience of waking up to a vineyard scene. But, maybe you are looking for more than what a typical winery may have to offer.
What about staying at a property modeled after a Southern Mediterranean village, with all the amenities you could ask for? And, yes, you will have that vineyard view all day long.
Welcome to Vintners Inn.
Located in Santa Rosa with easy access to local wineries as well as being able to jump on the freeway to expand your adventures – but Vintners Inn offers so much that you don’t need to leave the property if you don’t want to.
We spoke to Percy Brandon, General Manager of Vintners Inn. He’s been with Vintners Inn over 18 years as he has shepherded them through their master plan with the expansion of additional luxury rooms, bringing the total from 44 to 78 – all of the new rooms have tons of modern features as well as vineyard views. Percy emphasized that the Vintners Inn motto of “Celebrate Everything” is not just a catchy phrase but it truly applied to all aspects of the guests’ stay.
Acquired by Rhonda Carano and her late husband Don in 2000, it was a great addition to their existing ownership of Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery. Percy came on board initially to manage the onsite John Ash & Co restaurant but soon took over the entire property. His enthusiasm and clear love for what he does permeates all aspects of the Vintners Inn.
The elegant John Ash & Co restaurant is only the beginning of what this property has to offer. Other dining options include the The Front Room Bar & Lounge (its Happy Hour is a locals’ favorite) as well as the River Vine Café for breakfast and lunch. The recent additions not only include the luxurious new guest rooms but also the Vi La Vita Spa.
Being very environmental conscious, Vintners Inn has achieved the California Green Lodging Program’s Environmental Level. Not only is there an onsite 68 acre vineyard, but vegetable gardens and olive trees to supply the property’s restaurants. There are even beehives. Feel free to stroll among the vines and experience wine country firsthand.
With a total property size of 98 acres, Vintners Inn also boasts a meeting and event center – who wouldn’t want to hold a business or pleasure function in this paradise? Not to mention the outdoor Vineyard Pavilion. No wonder Vintners Inn is such a popular wedding site; I think we saw two during our last stay and Percy told us they host dozens of weddings annually.
Vintners Inn
4350 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.
