If I could step into a wormhole and go back to the precise moment before my soul met my body I would definitely reroute it into the body of a wine mom. I fear the only reason the universe didn’t bless me with that life is that I would have been too powerful. Too hot. Too funny. Too cozy. Perhaps next time around.

All of that to say, I was so excited to go to wine country.

The first time Matthew and I visited California’s wine country was in May of 2015, so, like, almost exactly nine years ago. I had just finished college and was scheduled to walk across the stage for graduation, but being perceived by so many strangers’ eyes didn’t sit well with me (a lot has changed since then) and I honestly kinda hated school anyway… why prolong my time there? So instead of going to my graduation, we took a celebratory roadtrip from San Francisco to Vancouver including several days in Sonoma and Anderson Valleys.

We had an incredible time and we’ve talked about going back ever since, but never made the plan—until a couple months ago when an email hit my inbox. Mazda had reached out to let us know they were sponsoring the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience and invited us to go cover it. We didn’t even have to think about it. Absolutely, yes, when do we leave???

If you’re not familiar, Healdsburg is a cute little town in Sonoma County about 90 minutes north of San Francisco.

We flew into Santa Rosa and were picked up in Mazda’s CX90 which is a gorgeous ride with a panoramic moon roof that let us take in the stunning landscape of all the rolling hills and vineyards in the Russian River Valley. We were dropped off at The Montage Healdsburg, which is probably the nicest resort we’ve ever stayed in. Like, “I didn’t know people lived like this” kind of nice. The resort is dotted with villas, so you have your own private space to yourself that feels like a home, not just a room. And the pathways to the villas are all lined with grape vines and beautifully gnarled, old trees—it was truly breathtaking.

My very specific totally biased tips for staying at The Montage:

Get a room with an outdoor shower (essential).

Buy extra bath salts from the spa so you can fully enjoy the ginormous bath tub.

Walk the property on day one to familiarize yourself. There are so many sweet birds and beautiful flora to take in!

Order all of the small bites from Scout Field Bar in the lobby. My personal favorites were the caesar tartine and the beef tartare. Matt loved the chicken sandwich so much he ordered it twice.

The resort has just started bottling their own estate-grown wine called Surveyor, so if there’s any of that available: drink it. The sauvignon blanc was one of the most unique and delicious we’d ever tasted.

Start your morning in the fitness center to break a little sweat, and then head to the on-site coffee shop, The Healdsburg Country Store, for a latte (the cold brew was only just ok but the espresso drinks were primo). Grab one of their baked goods too, they’re remarkable!

Ensure that somewhere in your busy schedule of wine tastings you build in time to enjoy the pool. This is when you switch to tequila and get a ranch water from Hudson Spring Bar & Grill, which is poolside with cabana service!

At sunset head to the lobby and sit outdoors to take in the vineyard. It’s the best view on the property at the best time of day.

If you need a ride into downtown Healdsburg, ask the front desk if there is a house car available. Apparently they just have like an on-site driver who does trips to and from downtown Healdsburg all day, and it’s a lot quicker and easier and cheaper (free) than getting an Uber.

***Take a look at sweet little Bacon, king of the pool and spa.***

Our stay at The Montage was remarkable but the real magic came with all of the wine and food we enjoyed. We were so blessed to connect with talented chefs and wine makers and food people who put their hearts and souls into their craft to create a truly premium experience.

Our first night at the resort we attended the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience welcome party and got to enjoy local wines from different nearby estates as well as a ton of incredible food from chefs and vendors. A highlight was cheese tasting with Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company and small plates by Iron Chef America winner Chef Viet Pham.

Point Reyes had some of the best blue cheese I’ve ever eaten and you can actually shop their online store for all of their cheese and gift packages—they ship overnight and it would make a fantastic housewarming gift or spread.

Chef Viet Pham was not only an incredible chef but also a complete joy to speak to, and you can try his culinary creations at his restaurant Pretty Bird in Downtown Salt Lake City.

On night two we met some lovely new friends—siblings Ewa Ko and Andrew Huang from the James Beard nominated food publication Nom Life. It was so inspiring to see the way they worked to cover the event and the creative way they captured their experience. We all instantly clicked!

From there we attended a coursed dinner by Chef Diego Oka at the beautiful Bricoleur Vineyards. The event space was stunning and I can’t imagine a more charismatic, kind, or talented chef for the evening. He was a delightful host and presented a menu that hit every single corner of my mouth. He has a Japanese Peruvian background and many of his dishes reflected both cuisines and as a result everything tasted like something I’d never experienced.

You can try his food at La Mar in Miami. The venue, Bricoleur Vineyards, is incredibly picturesque and I highly recommend you stop in for a tasting on your visit to wine country.

While we were at the dinner event we got to explore the 2025 Mazda CX-70, which was unveiled earlier this year. It’s a mid-size two-row crossover SUV and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The vehicle we saw had a red Napa leather interior which was incredibly sleek but also looked so unique, creating a premium car that I absolutely would’ve stolen right off the property if it wouldn’t have resulted in my arrest.

Also the cargo storage of the CX-70 is huge, like, way bigger than I would’ve expected and would be perfect for our summer hiking and rafting adventures!

***One of Chef Diego Oka’s many delicious dishes***

***The red Napa interior is gorgeous!***

Mazda wanted the event to reflect the principles of omotenashi, which at its core means to serve with one’s heart and soul and is tied intrinsically to hospitality via celebration and connection. Things like anticipating a guest’s needs and putting them before your own, while practicing sincerity and vulnerability. I’d say the team really nailed putting the concept of omotenashi into action for the entire evening. There was incredible food, inspiring wines, and a beautiful space that fostered wonderful conversation and connectivity. We felt so cared for!

We left the event with full hearts and headed back to the Montage for a night cap. It was a perfect evening.

***Pulled pork sandwich from Acme Burger***

On our final day we attended the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience’s Grand Tasting, a huge event packed with food and wine vendors serving up even more tasty dishes. Some of my favorite vendors were Acme Burger who had a pulled pork sandwich with cajun tater tots, and Gerard’s Paella, who, you guessed it, had paella!

You can try Acme Burger at their Santa Rosa location for an assortment of “good fast food” and you can check out the Gerard’s Paella Instagram for weekly pop-up schedules to see where they’ll be around wine country!

Chef Diego Oka was also in attendance at the Mazda tent serving up his delicious uni crudo which was a crowd favorite. Even though we’d had it the night before we couldn’t help but help ourselves to two servings of it!!!

We left the tasting and headed back to the resort for a little rest and relaxation and a sunset view of the vineyards before heading to a party hosted by Guy Fieri at The Matheson, a farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Healdsburg. While we were there we got to experience omakase sushi and I would absolutely love to go back for a dinner!

It was a late night of fun, and the perfect way to end an exceptional weekend. Thank you to Mazda and the Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience for making it all happen! You can learn more about Mazda’s line of premium vehicles at MazdaUSA.com.

xoxo

Beau