For almost 15 years my wife and I have visited the town of Winters located off Interstate 505 for dinner at the Buckhorn Grill.
We fell in the love in with the town and before the many occasions we met my in-laws from Roseville for dinner at the Buckhorn, we found ourselves coming in town early to enjoy some wine or cheese at one of the shops.
It is only a 90-minute drive from Pleasanton, but there was one lingering thought we had – if Winters had a big lodging property it could easily become a destination location.
That day has come!
With the opening of the Hotel Winters – a 78-room boutique hotel right in the downtown area – Winters is now the perfect place to get away for 1-2 nights, whether you are coming up from the Bay Area or down from Sacramento.
Located in Yolo County, Winters offers restaurants, wine, cheese and even live entertainment in a quaint downtown area to make it the perfect escape as all are located an easy walk from the hotel.
Fancy golf? You’ve got that as well as the Yocha Dehe course at Cache Creek is a short drive up 505.
Looking for a wedding location? Winters is making noise in that and it’s only going to get bigger.
The hotel is located right in the vibrant downtown area, making for the perfect location. And when it opened, it became the centerpiece for the town and indeed has turned Winters into a destination location.
The feeling of luxury begins the minute you enter the lobby. Spacious and well anointed, the theme if the property is set with check-in desks where the guests are seated as opposed to traditional check-in counters.
Through the lobby is an outside lounge area with plenty of comfortable seating, as well as a wood-fired pizza over and a BBQ smoker.
The theme of the property seems to be space and it’s true not just in the lobby, but in the hallways of each floor as well as the guest rooms themselves.
We had plenty of space in our room as the over-sized design of the room gives the feeling of class and comfort all in one without feeling confined in a traditional hotel room.
One of the awesome features of the property is the outdoor rooftop bar, a space not yet open for our visit, but one we were lucky enough to tour during our stay. Located on the fourth/top fourth floor, the views of the area surrounding Winters are great, including a wonderful vista of the mountains that separate the region from the Napa Valley.
During the summer months, the views of the sunsets should be special while sipping some local wines in comfortable seating.
There is plenty of meeting space be it for corporate business or for what figures to be the bread and butter wedding business.
Although still under construction during our stay, Carboni’s Ristorante Bar and Marketplace will be a first-rate dining experience, featuring an exhibition kitchen, where you can witness the pasta being made fresh daily and observe the creation of farm-to-fork cuisine.
For your time not spent in the hotel there are several dining or entertaining options.
There are restaurants such as the Putah Creek Café, named after the creek, that runs through the town. It’s an establishment featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. There is also the legendary Buckhorn, as well as Pueblo, offering authentic Mexican fare, as well as a deli.
Steady Eddies is a great place to start the day with some breakfast or just a good cup of coffee.
There are two wine tasting rooms in the town – Turkovich and Berryessa Gap. Both are enjoyable experiences with tasty wines. Turkovich also offers the Winters Cheese Company which offers a variety of cheeses for tasting or purchase.
I would highly advise making the getaway to Winters for a day or two. It’s becoming a destination location and it’s only going to get more popular as time goes on!
For more information visit www.visityolo.com.
By Dennis Miller