With its boundless spirit of creativity and innovation, Northern California is home to arts and cultural treasures, an inimitable food and wine scene, and historic jewels, all of which makes for exceptional off-site venues. From north to south, we combed the region for some of the hottest options nowadays.
MacRostie Winery and Estate House, Healdsburg
The name MacRostie has long been famous for chardonnay and pinot noir, and it recently became renowned for one of Sonoma’s most idyllic tasting and event venues.
The MacRostie Estate House opened in early 2015 in the Russian River Valley, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, three outdoor decks and intimate seated tasting areas designed to feel like a home.
“What definitely sets us apart is the view. It’s pretty spectacular, and so are the wines,” says Lisamarie Kennedy, hospitality and events manager at the property. “And the level of hospitality is exceptional. We want people to walk away shaking their heads saying, ‘Wow, that was amazing.’ It’s contemporary, sophisticated and professional in a very warm environment.”
Private rooms and outdoor areas are available for customized events of up to 200 people.
diRosa, Napa
Wine may be the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Napa, but art is becoming an increasingly prominent buzz word. Culture buffs can thank places like diRosa, a 217-acre hive of creativity. It has roughly 2,000 works of art in various styles and media by 800 regional artists from the 1960s to the present.
“diRosa is truly an art ‘experience’ right in the middle of Carneros,” says Clay Gregory, CEO of Visit Napa Valley. “It is one of our most unique venues right now. They have spectacular outdoor spaces and several galleries.”
Planners can reserve the entire property, which has three galleries, a sculpture park, a 35-acre lake and a wildlife preserve, for exclusive events.
Julia Morgan House, Sacramento
History has become even more accessible in California’s state capital with the Julia Morgan House recently becoming available as a meeting and event venue. This elegant, Mediterranean-style treasure was designed by Julia Morgan, who also designed Hearst Castle.
“I’ve attended events at the Julia Morgan House, and it really feels like you’re in someone’s private home,” says Lucy Steffens, director of travel media/film commissioner for the Sacramento CVB. “It’s set on a residential street without a commercial building in sight. The interior is very warm and inviting, and the garden is spectacular.”
The garden accommodates roughly 200 people for events, while four state-of-the-art conference rooms can host up to 40 people.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), San Francisco
One of the most anticipated openings in the state this year is the newly expanded SFMOMA, which will debut in May. The bold new expansion nearly triples the museum’s gallery space while adding several new venues for a total of 460,000 square feet.
“We have a really spectacular building filled with exceptional art. This is a place where people definitely want to hold events,” says Jill Lynch, director of communications for SFMOMA. “Size-wise and collection-wise, we will be on par with institutions such as MOMA New York.”
Planners can rent out the entire museum for events or utilize new spaces such as a terrace that features Alexander Calder sculptures and the largest living wall in California. It is adjacent to a gallery solely dedicated to Calder’s work. Other new options include the White Box, a two-story “cube” overlooking the living wall, and Schwab Hall, a central piazza filled with art.
Vessel Gallery, Oakland
Set in downtown Oakland’s arts district, Vessel Gallery is a rare find for groups keen on culture. The two-story arts complex mainly spotlights the work of local and regional artists, as well as some international artists, and has an intriguing history.
“Aside from the compelling artists, the building was constructed in 1906 and was originally a livery where they kept the horses for the Oakland Fire Department,” says Ken Ehrhardt, managing partner and events director at Vessel Gallery. “So it still has a steep pitched roof with a tongue and groove ceiling. The main gallery on the second floor is the original hayloft.”
The gallery and urban garden can accommodate up to 150 people for events.
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KitchenTown, San Mateo
A cafe and high-end commercial kitchen with a community of foodmakers creating delicious products and exchanging ideas is an unlikely backdrop for events, but since launching in mid-2014, KitchenTown has become one of San Mateo County’s go-to spots for savory group settings.
The 11,000-square-foot venue is the former location of Anna’s Danish butter cookies, which was a local institution for 75 years and which KitchenTown co-founders Alberto Solis and Rusty Schwartz kept alive and well after purchasing the space to realize their dream of creating a food incubator for small-batch artisanal producers.
One of KitchenTown’s most popular group options is a paella-making event for up to 44 guests.
“People have a lot of fun because they socialize, learn about Spanish cooking techniques and dine on what they have prepared,” Solis says. “We split them into four groups in the main kitchen with prep tables and all the ingredients to make four different paellas, and we coach them along the way. Then they sit down to a nice dinner.”
Another new program, run by one of its producers, Cocina Milongo, teaches participants how to grill meat Argentinean style.
California Theatre, San Jose
One of the best-preserved examples of historic American motion picture houses has also served to unveil some of the greatest technology of our age.
“The California Theatre is one of the most important 1920s movie palaces in the Bay Area. It’s opulent and beautiful,” says Laura Chmielewski, vice president, marketing and communications for Team San Jose. “But interestingly, too, is that Steve Jobs chose it to launch two of the Apple products.”
The California Theatre originally opened in 1927 and was fully restored in 2001. It is now home to Opera San Jose and Symphony Silicon Valley, as well as other performing arts ensembles. The 1,122-seat theater is also one of the city’s most sought-after private event and conference venues.
The Wine Experience, Monterey
A new addition to Monterey’s Cannery Row, The Wine Experience is the creation of Brent Virgin, a longtime wine enthusiast who left a successful corporate career to pursue his dream.
The Wine Experience is a place to enjoy locally produced wines (including several on tap) and artisanal small plates, and to learn the art of wine tasting, blending and making.
“I wanted to design a place that would be entertaining, educational and engaging. We are a wine bar and an urban micro winery,” Virgin says, adding that groups of up to 65 can take advantage of several distinctive experiences. “We have blending sessions where they can take their creation home at the end, as well as wine-making classes with a two-hour session, and then they can get involved as much as they like over the next several months before the wine is ready to bottle.”
A graphic artist is on hand to create customized labels for the bottles.
