With dozens upon dozens of wineries in the region, it couldn’t be easier for planners holding an event in Napa or Sonoma counties to choose an appropriate take-home gift for attendees—bottles of wine, wine bottle openers and wine glasses are among the obvious choices.
Some less obvious but equally appreciated mementos range from stuffed Snoopy dolls to olive oil and chocolates.
Unique to Santa Rosa is the Charles M. Schultz Museum and Research Center. The Peanuts cartoonist called Santa Rosa home, so an outing to where he created beloved characters, including Charlie Brown and Lucy, is a favorite off-session activity for groups convening in the area. Even if a visit isn’t on the agenda, planners can visit SnoopyGift (707.546.3385; www.snoopygift.com) online, or ask the folks at the Santa Rosa CVB about gifting the group with Peanuts T-shirts, key chains, magnets and much more.
Jeff and Sally Manfredi at Calistoga Pottery (707.942.0216; www.calistogapottery.com) have been handcrafting pottery gems for more than 30 years. Planners can select from an array of items, including platters, vases, bowls and teapots. The couple also customizes special-order pottery for many of the area’s wineries, inns, resorts and restaurants, and is also available to customize pottery for corporate gatherings.
Also located in Calistoga are Dr. Wilkinson’s Hot Springs Resort (707.942.4102; www.drwilkinson.com), with its own line of lotions and creams that make for great gifts, and Lavender Hill Spa (707.942.4495; www.lavenderhillspa.com), which has developed its own line of bath and skin products that attendees could enjoy at home.
The Olive Press (707.939.8900; www.theolivepress.com), an award-winning purveyor of California extra-virgin olive oil, has two tasting rooms, one at Jacuzzi Family Winery in Sonoma and another at Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Planners could easily pair a visit with an Olive Press gift, including everything from bottles of olive oil and cruets to vinegar and tomato sauce.
At Wine Country Chocolates (707.996.1010; www.winecountrychocolates.com), located in Sonoma County’s Glen Ellen, just north of Sonoma, planners will find dark chocolates (to go with a nice bottle of red) or any number of other sweet cocoa treats for the group. Fun options include foil-wrapped Marzipan Corks (small dark chocolate corks with a rich marzipan filling); Chocolate Wine Bottles (two foil-wrapped, wine bottle-shaped dark chocolates presented in a cello bag with a ribbon); and a variety of truffles and assorted chocolate boxes.
It’s also worth noting that Wine Country Chocolates has a tasting room where visitors can indulge in chocolate and watch chocolatiers at work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.
—Carolyn Blackburn
