Food has a unique power to evoke memories. The smells and tastes connect to some of our most deeply held emotions, including comfort, nostalgia, excitement, and love. Food is also one of the most easily accessible ways to get to know a place when travelling. Equity Estates invites you to immerse yourself in the unique flavors of your vacation, one destination at a time.
- Destination: California Wine Country
- Number of restaurants: 180+ (including several Michelin-starred eateries)
- Famous for: Farm-to-table cuisine, small plates, French-inspired dishes, and food/wine pairings
Located about an hour north of San Francisco, the Wine Country region of Northern California boasts beautiful landscapes and a mild Mediterranean-style climate that’s perfectly suited for year-round outdoor living and unforgettable dining experiences.
Home to lush vineyards, olive groves, and meandering country roads that lead to estate wineries, charming small towns, and fantastic restaurants (including a fair share of Michelin-starred and casually elegant eateries), the region is a food-lover’s paradise waiting to be explored.
A trip to Wine Country means fresh, farm-to-fork cuisine prepared to compliment rather than compete with local wines. Natural, simply prepared dishes provide a taste of European-inspired flavors mixed with the light, fresh ingredients of the coast.
Three regional favorites
Fresh fruits, vegetables, olive oils, and locally sourced meats take center stage in the Napa and Sonoma regions. And the seasonal bounties are reflected in the area’s most iconic dishes.
If you find yourself visiting California’s Wine Country, these are a few of the not-to-be-missed local favorites that are worth seeking out, as well as some of the best places to find them:
Duck Confit is one of Wine Country’s most popular dishes, featured on the menus of some of Napa and Sonoma’s top restaurants and wineries. Often served with a wine reduction sauce or seasonal fruits, its rich, savory flavor pairs perfectly with California’s Pinot Noirs, Merlots, and Zinfandels. Duck is also a locally sourced meat in Northern California, raised on several family-run farms in the area.
The French Laundry, Bouchon, and La Toque all offer Duck Confit on their seasonal menus, but for a simple, elegantly prepared version, pay a visit to Sonoma’s The Girl & the Fig where it’s served with French lentils, savoy cabbage, and pork belly.
Good Wood-fired pizza may be found in many places around the US, but in Wine Country, it’s an elevated gastronomical experience. Topped with local ingredients like wild mushrooms, arugula, heirloom tomatoes, and prosciutto—fresh from nearby farms—these thin-crust, wood-oven pies can be works of art, with local chefs using them as a canvas for both traditional and creative combinations.
Some of the best pies can be found at Life Fire Pizza at Oxbow Market in Napa or the cozy il Fuoco in Sonoma. Wood-fired pizzas are also served at many of the local wineries, as they are perfect for sharing and pair well with sparkling wines, whites, and lighter reds.
You can’t talk Wine Country food without mentioning wine-paired cheese and charcuterie boards. These regional staples can range from simple light-bite appetizer boards to cocktail-party noshes to full-on meals depending on what’s included. Typically, you’ll find a curated selection of local, artisanal cheeses and cured meats, nuts, fruits, breads, olives, and local honey—all selected to pair beautifully with the wines being served.
It’s not difficult to find wonderful charcuterie boards in restaurants and wineries throughout Wine Country, but one must-try option is The Board at Oenotri. With the chef’s selection of house-cured salumi, cheeses, and seasonal accompaniments such as marinated olives, pickles, and roasted almonds, plated with a classic focaccia and local olive oil, it provides a true taste of Napa.
Dining in Napa and Sonoma
Consistently ranked high on all of the annual “best of” dining lists from publications such as Condé Nast Traveler and Food & Wine, Napa and Sonoma beckon visitors with dozens of world-famous restaurants.
The three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry tops just about everyone’s must-do, Northern California dining list, with good reason. Utilizing the best local and seasonal ingredients to create an evolving menu of perfectly prepared, classic French dishes, Chef Thomas Keller and his team make every meal a special occasion.
For the popular Chef’s Tasting, guests can expect creative favorites such as wildflower-honeyed Pekin duck, hand-cut mac-and-cheese with shaved truffles, charcoal-grilled wagyu beef, and seasonal salads made from garden and wild, foraged greens.
The rustic American cuisine at Goose & Gander is seasonally driven (with produce picked from their own two-acre farm) and perfectly paired with local wines as well as the restaurant’s creative cocktails. Located in the historic 1923 Martini House in downtown St. Helena, the setting is cool and cozy, with dark wood, low-lighting, and rich colors highlighting Chef Ignacio Beltran’s filling comfort food.
The seared scallop risotto with braised kale and New Zealand lamb chops are favorites, while the eclectic starts and bar bites menu offer an opportunity to sample a variety of interesting dishes—from pig ears and wood-grilled octopus to fried olives, corn croquettes, and mushroom and burrata toast.
Another iconic, Michelin-starred restaurant, Auberge du Soleil, was founded in 1981 by Claude Rouas, as Napa’s first fine-dining establishment—and it’s still going strong today. Using fresh ingredients from local farms and seafood from the California coast to create light, French-inspired dishes, it’s quintessential wine country dining at its best. Visit for the lunchtime prix fixe menu, and enjoy a perfect mid-day indulgence of oysters and pork belly, sautéed black bass, and Cabernet-braised short ribs. Pair it with wine from the restaurant’s extensive list, of course, then follow up with one of the amazing house-made desserts.
Private chef experiences
In addition to the fantastic dining options available in restaurants throughout Napa and Sonoma, a stay in an Equity Estates home also comes with access to unforgettable private chef experiences and a fully stocked kitchen with your choice of food and beverages (including local specialties, if you’d like).
Your Destination Manager will arrange for a private chef to come in during any part of your stay to create a meal experience of your dreams. In our Napa and Sonoma homes, Chef Omar has been cooking for Equity Estates investors for over three years—for intimate meals, large dinners, and special occasions.
His specialty is creating unforgettable gourmet pizza nights at the St. Helena residence, making excellent use of the home’s wood-fired pizza oven and outdoor dining space. He also offers private cooking lessons for those who want to try their hand at making California cuisine.
“People say Chef Omar is fun,” says Destination Manager, Megan Block. “He has a great sense about him and is engaging, especially during pizza nights.”
According to Megan, once an investor expresses interest in booking a private in-home dining experience with Chef Omar, they’ll get a menu and pricing options. Meals are planned around guests’ preferences and dietary needs and customized to fit the occasion. Then, “once the dates, time, and menu options are selected, I confirm everything with Chef Omar and get it scheduled,” she says.
Before, during, and after the dinner you can sit back and relax with cocktails, appetizers, or a bottle of local wine while your private chef preps, cooks, serves, and cleans up.
Investors rave about the in-home private meals in their Equity Estates residences, with many recommending starting the trip with a private chef dinner so that you can enjoy the leftovers during the rest of your stay.
About the local Equity Estates homes:
Dramatic gardens and beautiful views of vineyards and the hills beyond create the perfect setting for Wine Country I, our 4,000-square-foot classic European, country-style residence. Convenient to some of the area’s best wineries and restaurants, and boasting an extraordinary chef-quality kitchen, stunning backyard with pool, covered patio with fireplace, and wood-fired pizza oven, it’s an ideal home for entertaining friends or enjoying a more low-key food-and-wine-centered vacation.
Our four-bedroom Wine Country II home is an exquisite, modern estate set on 2.8 beautifully landscaped acres surrounded by vineyards and rolling green hills. Huge floor-to-ceiling doors and windows warm the home with natural light and stunning views. An open floor plan, gourmet kitchen, outdoor living space, and private pool invite guests to settle in and relax during their stay, while the home’s proximity to local wineries and restaurants make it easy to get out and explore—the epitome of a leisurely getaway in Wine Country.
