{"id":7617,"date":"2015-05-14T16:00:57","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T16:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/?p=7617"},"modified":"2015-05-14T16:00:57","modified_gmt":"2015-05-14T16:00:57","slug":"booker-butler-napa-and-sonoma-concierge-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/winecountrygetaways.com\/booker-butler-napa-and-sonoma-concierge-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Booker & Butler Napa and Sonoma Concierge Services"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a guest article on the Wine Country Getaways’ Blog by Melanie Schwartz, the founder\u00a0of Booker & Butler Napa and Sonoma Concierge Services<\/a>. We receive many emails throughout the year asking us for tour guide recommendations. Since we do not use tour guides, we hesitate to make recommendations. A better alternative for us is to have tour companies \u00a0like Booker & Butler tell us about their services through these blog posts:<\/p>\n

I own and run a private concierge business called Booker & Butler that creates custom itineraries for discerning clients in Napa and Sonoma Wine Country. One of my favorite aspects of the job is discovery. Last time I counted there were some 600-plus wineries between Napa and Sonoma. They run the gamut from boutique to behemoth. Some are known for their varietal focus, some for their hospitality, and others for their spectacular vistas. Visiting these wineries has taken me from the valley floor to the highest peaks. Often, the best experiences have been well off the beaten path. I\u2019ve visited wineries whose production is so small every drop of it is allocated to their mailing list. So small that sometimes they don\u2019t even have a bottle to sell at a tasting. I\u2019ve also visited properties that are more residence than business. Where I\u2019ve sat in the owner\u2019s kitchen or living room and whiled away the afternoon. Many of these places are unsigned and impossible to find on your own. The owners don\u2019t want folks showing up on their doorstep so they do everything they can to screen guests and limit the number of visitors they take. Having a personal connection is key to getting in. So when Joe & Janelle asked me to write a guest post, I figured these were the sort of places their readers would be most interested in. With that as an introduction, here are a few special places in and around St. Helena that I had the privilege of visiting recently . . .<\/p>\n

\"anomaly<\/a>
Anomaly Winery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ANOMALY<\/h3>\n

The definition of the word \u201canomaly\u201d is something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. It also aptly describes the beginnings of this small, family-run winery in St Helena. The owners left their corporate lives in Berkeley for this quaint residential neighborhood on the west side of town. The property had a modest house and a quarter acre under vine \u2013 a mere six rows. At the time they didn\u2019t plan to do anything with the vines other than enjoy them as landscaping. It wasn\u2019t until a neighbor dropped by and explained to them just how extraordinary the soil and the vines were that they dipped their toe into winemaking. With a book borrowed from the local library and rudimentary equipment purchased from a local supplier, they made their first vintage. That was 1997. Over the years they had the good fortune to buy another vineyard contiguous to their property. They now have 8\u00bc acres of vines planted mostly to Cabernet. The farming is all-organic and feels almost garden-like. Everything is perfectly manicured. The wines are made on-premise in a 26 foot by 26 foot stone building. They say it\u2019s the second smallest production facility in all of Napa. After our tour around the vineyards, we went down into the cellar under the winery for our tasting. Genevieve, my very friendly host, tasted me through 3 vintages of their superb Cab, from 2010, 2011 and 2012. I loved them all but savored the 2010 which I was lucky enough to leave with a bottle of, which I will definitely be laying down for a special occasion.<\/p>\n

SEVEN STONES<\/h3>\n