INN AT LE VIN ESTATE WINERY

While reading back over my review I realized that I mistakenly wrote that the property was 40 min from Healdsburg. It is actually only a 30 min drive. Don't let that discourage you if you are planning on spending some time in the area. It's really a quick, lovely drive. We had no problem getting everywhere we wanted to visit. We had dinner in surrounding towns more than once then drove back and enjoyed some wine outside for some great sunsets and a beautiful vista. We much preferred this to spending our nights in a hotel room.

This lovely property is about a 15min drive outside of Cloverdale on twisty roads. The "ranch" is at the top of a hill and provides amazing views of the surrounding valleys and wine fields. The apartment is located in the upper part of the wine tasting barn. It is clean, quaint, private and the bed is very comfortable. Wine tastings are by appt so there isn't the traffic/noise that you might expect. Be sure to schedule a tasting for yourselves! We hiked the grounds, sat outside in the evenings with wine and enjoyed the views, the sunsets, the stars, the sound of crickets and occasionally guitars. Holly and Eric have an small, extended family of "ranch hands" who were friendly and helpful. They were playing guitars and singing somewhere on the property one night. We found them and joined the group. Everyone was so welcoming. Holly and Eric arrived that night just after sunset and we were invited to join everyone for dinner on the deck under a sky of stars. We had an amazing time. We felt so fortunate to share this- wine, food, laughter, music... You don't get this kind of experience at a hotel.

The location is central to where we explored. We didn't go further south than Healdsburg (40 min) but we could have. We visited wineries mainly on Dry Creek Rd. We highly recommend Truett Hurst- lovely grounds to explore and great wines. We also visited the coast- out hwy 128 to Mendocino. There are many wineries along this route also. Mendocino is a beautiful town on the coast and worth a visit. We had dinner in Healdsburg (Willi's), Cloverdale (Piacere-nice atmosphere) and cooked our own at the Inn. We were also invited to a party across the road one night but we were tired and flying out the next day so we missed out.

We love to have a good time and we enjoy real, down to earth people.Staying here worked well for us. We missed all the traffic of Napa but did not miss out on quality wineries and great experiences. I glad we didn't spend our evenings in a hotel watching TV. That is not what traveling is about.Thank you Eric and Holly!

My husband and I stayed at Le Vin for our 6 day visit to wine country. While we usually stay in Guerneville, we decided to branch out this time and try Le Vin - so glad that we did!

First, I will say that if you are looking for granite counter tops and Egyptian cotton everything, Le Vin will not be the place for you. It is not brand new and it does not have 'everything' that you would find at a luxury hotel. In addition, some of the amenities are a short walk from your living space - pool, sauna, hot tub. However, none of that bothered us a bit. If you are looking for a thoughtful, clean, well-equipped place to stay that will provide you with some solitude, this is the place for you.

We spent a lot of our time out on the patio that is behind the living space. It was so peaceful to see the fog roll in every morning as we sipped our gourmet coffee that is provided by Eric and Holly. Returning from the wineries each day, we chose our favorite bottle from that day's outing and enjoyed the picturesque views with some snacks. We also took the time to walk the property - majestic oaks at the top of the winery make the effort worthwhile!

We found the location of Le Vin did not limit us at all. Indeed, we visited the Fort Bragg coast (Botanical Gardens were fantastic!), Napa, Sonoma, Guerneville, Kenwood, Yorkville, etc. While we did try to make it back in time each day to enjoy the views, we also decided that cooking dinner at home would help us to avoid the windy roads after dark/dinner drinks! There is a grocery store relatively close by, as well as take-out from various spots along the way home.

I was nervous after I initially booked the property because I thought my husband might think it was too rustic and off the beaten path. However, in the end, we were both thrilled with our week of solitude and plan to return to Le Vin in the future. :)