The last time Karen and I visited Vintners Resort in Santa Rosa was in 2019. At that time, the additions of the modern luxury suites and rooms and amenities such as the new spa and pool were in place and the transition from Vintners Inn to Resort was complete.
My plan was to write about this for your reading pleasure late last year or early this one. Delays on my part pushed this farther out than anticipated, and then the world changed. Trying to tell you about the place we visited late last summer seemed perhaps a little irrelevant. What is relevant is what they are doing now and going forward.
Don’t get the wrong idea. The changes made last year are pretty exciting, completing the vision of a property modeled as a modern Mediterranean village, including a harvest table in the onsite vineyard for celebratory meals. And with Vintners Resort now in its 40th year, there is a lot to celebrate.
It’s just that celebrating is a little different right now.
Vintners Resort, in addition to being our favorite place to stay, is known for hosting amazing events, both indoor and out. Those are currently on hold, but staying at the resort certainly isn’t. They’ve indicated that guests are not put in adjoining rooms in order to maximize social distancing, and rooms are given extra sanitizing as well as 24 hours of non-occupancy between guests. So, capacity is reduced accordingly.
Meals are as great as ever, just a little different too. With the River Vine café temporarily closed until next spring, in-room dining is the next best thing. Admittedly, I was a little worried about how my poached eggs would weather the journey across the property, but they were perfect. [Yes, poached eggs are a thing for me.]
Late afternoon and evening dining are available at The Front Room and of course, at John Ash & Co., either dining on the patio or to-go back to your room. Both options are stellar [we know because we tried both] but I highly recommend you don’t miss the opportunity to dine at John Ash under the stars.
When I asked General Manager Percy Brandon what he would like people to know, he responded: “We’re open. We’re ready. And we are following protocols.”
Their website lists in detail what all these protocols are:
https://www.vintnersresort.com/experience/covid-19-policy/
We always love our visits to Vintners Resort. This one was no exception. For as long as I can remember, the property has always had the slogan “Celebrate Everything” but that can easily be augmented with the mantra of “Be Respectful” and the staff has really taken this to heart as well.
Not only is the property itself beautiful and quite peaceful, but it is also ideally located for day trips to the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, the Sonoma Coast and more. I can’t imagine a better place to stay in Sonoma County Wine Country.
Be sure to sign up on their website and follow them on Facebook. Now is the time to get great deals.
Vintners Resort
https://www.vintnersresort.com/
4350 Barnes Road
Santa Rosa CA 95403
Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 30 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 President of MCP Financial, which provides outsourced controller services. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or mcpfinancial@aol.com.
