An Afternoon at Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma

AN AFTERNOON AT CHATEAU ST. JEAN IN SONOMA

 

When planning this trip to San Francisco and Napa, some of the first people I reached out to for travel suggestions were my parents. They traveled to San Francisco and Napa a couple years ago, and had the most amazing time. One of the wineries my dad recommended immediately was Chateau St. Jean, which is located in Sonoma. He immediately told me about how beautiful the grounds of the estate and winery were and how it had been their favorite winery they visited.

Although it took us about 45 minutes to get there from Napa, the stretch of road to get there seemed like it was out of a movie. The sun was shining and there were grapevines as far as the eye could see. It was a beautiful California afternoon, so we definitely didn’t end up minding the drive there.

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After arriving to the winery and walking through the archway of the entrance, I was immediately blown away by the beauty of the gardens on the grounds of Chateau St. Jean. There are beautiful walk ways, sparkling fountains, lime plants, and exquisite doorways. Since we arrived early for our “appointment” (an appointment to sample wine is totally an appointment I’m down with haha) we spent time walking around the grounds and admiring every last corner. I loved the lush green ivy that scales up the walls and the catenary lights that lined much of the gardens. Side note: A woman there thought we had just gotten married, offered to take our photo, and kept directing us into all of these different poses… One being us sitting behind the fountain (we both totally knew it would be out of focus and couldn’t stop laughing). Hey, it’s the thought that counts right?!

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Chateau St. Jean is nestled in front of the mountains and is considered a quintessential Sonoma winery. After visiting it for myself, I can definitely vouch for this description. The winery was founded in 1973, however, the Chateau has been there since the 1920’s and was originally built as a summer home for a wealthy family from the Michigan area who made their fortune in the iron mining business. Decades later, the surrounding land was used for planting white wine grapes, however then Prohibition came and the property was then lined with prune and walnut plants.

When Chateau St. Jean was founded in 1973, the decision was made to preserve the Chateau, and it was completely restored and became open to the public. Today, the land is preserved in the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

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chateau st. jean, wine country, sonoma, napa valley wineries, sonoma wineries, chateau st. jean winery, california wineries, The stunning doorway leading to the Chateau, where you can sample Chateau St. Jean’s reserve wines.

Tip #1: You need a reservation for almost all of the wineries in Sonoma and/or Napa. Some of them can be pricy ($75/person). Make sure to check to see what’s included for your price (full glass of wine, how many wines are you tasting, food, tour? etc.)

Tip #2: However, we did regret not stopping by some of the wineries that were “fully booked” just to see if we could sneak in a sampling. If there are only a couple of you in your party, it’s definitely worth at least calling to see if you can stop by/they can fit you in, or just stopping by (if it’s near where you’re staying).

Tip #3: We didn’t realize how far this winery would be from our hotel. If you go into Google Maps on your phone and type in “wineries near….. (then type in wherever you’re staying)” you can find specific wineries near your desired location, complete with reviews! You can then click the star and favorite/save the location for easy access later. We also did this frequently throughout our trip for finding restaurants.

chateau st. jean, wine country, sonoma, napa valley wineries, sonoma wineries, chateau st. jean winery, california wineries, I had never seen lime plants before, so I found this so cool!

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Sleeveless Sweater: Uniqlo (similar here & here) || Denim Jacket: Gap (old) almost identical here || Jeans: Old Navy || Sunglasses: Karen Walker Super Strength || Hat: Forever 21 (old) similar here & here || Handbag: J. Crew Factory ||

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ABOUT

Hi there! My name is Mackenzie. I live in Portland, Maine with my husband and was born and raised in Maine. After spending 7 years in Boston, MA to build my career and venture outside of my home state, I realized that it felt time to move back home, and here I am! I enjoy romanticizing where I'm from and teaching others to do the same. For sponsorship opportunities, please email Mackenzienoelmurphy@gmail.com

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29 Comments

  1. 10.17.16
    Nataly said:

    That looks like so much fun! I love your outfit too!

    Nataly || http://www.beautifullyelegantblog.com

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks so much Nataly!! It was such a dream. Thanks for stopping by xo

  2. 10.17.16
    megan said:

    Gorgeous pics! So jealous!!

  3. 10.17.16
    Leah said:

    How pretty, love your outfit too!

    x – L e a h

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks so much Leah!! It was amazing! xo

  4. 10.17.16
    Anna said:

    Sounds like such a magical place to visit!! Your pictures a gorgeous and they make me want to go visit next time I go to Napa. Xo ~Anna http://www.pepperedinstyle.com

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks Anna!!! I didn’t want to leave it was so perfect!! Thanks for stopping by xoxo

  5. 10.17.16
    Lauren said:

    Wow, these photos are amazing! That winery sounds so great. Love your outfit for this trip too! Obsessed with the sleeveless sweater!

    -Lauren
    http://www.ivorytowerchic.com

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks so much Lauren!! It was such an amazing time xoxo

  6. 10.17.16
    Jen said:

    Wow!! It looks so beautiful love there! Hope you had so much happiness fun!

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks Jen!!! Thanks for reading 🙂

  7. 10.17.16
    Ruthie said:

    This looks like a dreamy getaway!! I would love to visit and your outfit is so cute!! XO

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks Ruthie!!! You would absolutely love it there!! xo

  8. 10.17.16
    April said:

    Wow! So gorgeous! That sounds like such a fun and relaxing day.

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thank you April!! It really was. Now I just wish I could go back right now haha! Thanks for reading.

  9. 10.17.16
    jackie said:

    what an absolutely gorgeous place! I love your sweater! Such a great color!

  10. 10.17.16
    Amanda said:

    Love your blush top! We just got married in Napa, so I know ALL about how expensive the tastings have gotten. It’s a little crazy. Hope you had a blast!

    xo, Amanda
    http://www.aglamlifestyle.com

    • 10.17.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks Amanda!! WOW, that must have been an amazing wedding!!! Do you have any of the photos on your blog? I’d love to see if so!!! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  11. 10.17.16
    Belle said:

    The pictures are beautiful. Love your sweater!

    One Awesome Momma

  12. 10.17.16

    This sounds SO amazing!! I definitely need to visit this place once I convince my boyfriend that a 6 hour drive to Napa is worth it! haha I absolutely love your outfit, too! You are SO GORGEOUS!! <3

    xo Abby
    http://www.marblelouslypetite.com

    • 10.18.16
      Mackenzie said:

      You have to go sometime Abby!!! You would love it so much. Thanks babe xoxo

  13. 10.18.16
    Jessica said:

    These photos are gorgeous! I want to hop on a plane and go now!
    xo Jessica
    http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com

  14. 10.18.16
    Emily said:

    You think if I email this to my husband, he might pick up on the hint;)? I didn’t know the tips you gave, so that was very beneficial to have. And I can only imagine how beautiful it was in person!
    Emily
    http://darlingdearestblog.com

  15. 10.19.16

    Such a wonderful place, I hope you cherished that moment. :* Btw, I love your outfit. :*

    xoxo,
    Katrina | https://katrinaisha.wordpress.com/2016/10/15/denim-jumpsuit/

    • 10.19.16
      Mackenzie said:

      Thanks Katrina! I absolutely did. Wishing I could go back to this moment now. It was truly amazing there. Thanks for reading 🙂 xo