During the course of the COVID pandemic, the California wine mecca counties of Napa and Sonoma seem to have taken a cue from the grapes they grow so beautifully: strain and adversity have produced a bold bounty of new ventures. As tourism ground to a halt in so many places, vintners, chefs, designers and hospitality gurus nourished their creativity and worked magic. Some in Hollywood found solace there, too, including Phoebe Bridgers who spent time in Sonoma writing new music, and Elizabeth Olsen, who has said that the Sonoma town of St. Helena in Napa Valley was “our breathing space” during the pandemic. Here, all the new stays, eats, drinks and dos that make a pilgrimage north a must this spring. WHERE TO STAY The Madrona: Healdsburg will soon welcome The Madrona (from $650 per night). Vineyard views from The Madrona. Courtesy of Subject A sprawling 1881 residence, it has been reimagined by interior designer Jay Jeffers into a 24-room hotel, which includes a restaurant helmed by chef Jesse Mallgren (Michelin starred for 13 years running). Don’t expect typical luxury wine country aesthetics; Jeffers put a distinctive spin on Sonoma hospitality with surprises woven across eight lush acres that span…
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