Vacation Rentals by Owner

A great summer getaway

Guest: 5 Brits and a Californian (UK)
Date of Stay: 07/17/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

Six friends (2 couples and 2 singles) spent 3 nights at Fitch Mountain Lookout in July 2011. It was a great house, and worked well for the number of people. Though, it would have worked better for 3 couples. It's difficult to find, but once we found it, the house was in a location that made everything we wanted to do easily accessible: river rafting, wine tasting on bikes, and the Tuesday evening summer music festival on the plaza in Healdsburg. There was a nice man and his partner who greeted us and chatted with us as we went to explore the beach. The hot tub was well-used. The facilities in the house were great: Totally wired for sound, kitchen well-stocked, great gas grill and BBQ area. For me, the kitchen was particularly great, because all the non-perishable stuff from previous tenants was in the cupboards as if in my own home. It helped us be able to have more flexibility in our cooking, and we left spices and condiments for the next group! Our other two houses during this trip were stripped clean of anything like that, which was a disappointment. The only downside was that there were no laundry facilities and we paid $50 to have our laundry done in town. I can't think of anything else negative that my friends thought of the house! It was great!

Owner response:Ian, thank you for the review. I just wanted to follow up to let guests know that in March 2012 I installed a washer/dryer in Fitch Mountain Lookout.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

lovely

Guest: inneedofsun (seattle wa)
Date of Stay: 05/26/11 Review Submitted: 05/02/12

We traveled to Healdsburg with 8 adults for a wedding and had an amazing time at this home. The three levels made it nice to have some alone time and the decks were a lovely space for us all to gather in the sun!

Owner response:Meghan, thank you for the review. I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Fitch Mountain Lookout. Other guests have also commented on the fact that our home provides lots of private space that allows guests to spread out when they want to have time by themselves.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

wonderful, relaxing, unique home -- will definitely visit again

Guest: traveler (Walnut Creek)
Date of Stay: 10/09/10 Review Submitted: 02/17/11

We visited in Oct 2010, and we will be back! The house is on a hill overlooking the Russian River. The setting is gorgeous. We enjoyed the home's proximity to a swimming beach - we just walked down to the river and enjoyed a great swim. It's also a quick drive into town. The owners were helpful and accommodating. They let us check in early and put us in touch with a great babysitter! The house has a big front porch/deck with a nice grill, pretty lighting, and dining/lounging furniture. Inside, the kitchen had everything we needed in terms of cookware, dishes, etc. The dining area could fit around 6 people. The living space is large with a couches facing a huge window, and some couches on the other side of the room next to a fireplace and facing a big, flat-screen TV. The main floor is open and light with lots of windows. From the main level, you reach a spacious master bedroom by fairly steep stairs (with a railing). Below the main level are two smaller but comfortable bedrooms and two bathrooms. From the bedrooms, you can access a nice deck with a swing and hot tub. Also downstairs is an office with a big desk and books and games to borrow. The tri-level layout was great because our daughter gets up early. The couple who took the top-floor bedroom didn't hear a peep while she played on the lower level at 6 a.m.! Overall, we all found the house comfortable and relaxing. And it had everything -- extra towels, a baby gate, fans, and more. Even a lime tree with fresh limes! I saw two pack n' plays in the closet, but we had our own. The Fitch Mountain Lookout was like borrowing a beautiful, clean, lived-in house. The only slightly negative things about the house were the downstairs beds. The linens and mattresses were perfectly comfortable, but the beds were small. They are listed as "double bed" size, which I'm guessing is a "full" size. They are definitely not queen size, which is what most people are used to. My 5'11 husband's feet kept hitting the bed's footboard, so he slept diagonally (which didn't leave much room for me, so I retreated to the other bedroom where our toddler was sleeping). Also, a potential downside is that whoever is sleeping on the top floor has two flights to go down if they need to use the bathroom in the night. The stairs have built-in lighting, so it's safe. Just could be a turn-off for some people.

Owner response:Abby, Thank you for providing a detailed review of Fitch Mountain Lookout. We don't like to bother guests after their visit by asking them to write a review, so this is our first guest-entered review. We are currently typing up the reviews from our in-home guest book and putting those online - We have been hosting guests since 2006 and have over 200 positive reviews! Here's more information on the beds at Fitch Mountain Lookout. The upstairs bedroom has a standard Queen bed. One downstairs bedroom has a standard Queen bed, and the other downstairs bedroom has a standard Full bed. The Queen bed downstairs was an upgrade in 2010 from the previous Full bed, and may have happened after your visit. Steve and Jen, Fitch Mountain Lookout

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Enjoyed weeked of wine tasting, shopping, and fun

Guest: Katie, Amy, Alise, Nicki, Becca, Leticia, Judie,
Date of Stay: 03/26/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

We had a wonderful time staying in this beautiful house! We celebrated our amazing friend's bachelorette party and enjoyed a weekend of wine tasting, shopping, and fun! Thank you for sharing this beautiful home with us!

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Loved the attention to detail

Guest: Anne
Date of Stay: 03/17/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

Beautiful home and views! Loved all the attention to detail. Very relaxing and homey.

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The quiet of the mountain ...

Guest: Kelly, Sue, Laura, Sandra
Date of Stay: 03/07/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

We chose Fitch Mountain Lookout to spend our girls reunion retreat...and we are glad we did! The quiet of the mountain with birds chirping in the morning against a quietly moving river set against the greenery was awesome! Thank you,

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Exactly what we were looking for

Guest: Tracy and Nick Devine
Date of Stay: 02/02/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

Coming from New Jersey and Maryland, this week was the break we needed from the cold weather and snow back home. The place was great! We enjoyed all that Sonoma and Napa Valley had to offer. Visited wineries and tasting rooms all week. We shared diner with friends, cooked on the grill, and even made the best of a power outage--candlelight, fireplace, and lots of wine and cheese. The home is clean and comfortable. Exactly what we were looking for. Thanks for a great week.

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Enjoyed the peacefulness and atmosphere

Guest: The Hamiltons
Date of Stay: 01/21/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

We traveled here by car from Central Wyoming, and it was worth the drive. We enjoyed the peacefulness and relaxation of this great house. We also enjoyed a tour of John Tyler Wines vineyards, a trip down the coast to Bodega Bay, and a galloping dinner (appetizers at Willi's, dinner/dessert at Zin, drinks at Barndiva). What a fantastic tasting at Williamson Wines. Healdsburg is full of friendly, hospitable people and great shops. Thanks!!

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Beautiful house and location

Guest: Rose
Date of Stay: 01/17/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

We really enjoyed our stay and had a successful officer retreat this weekend. Thanks!

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Beautiful and comfortable base for vacation

Guest: - AL
Date of Stay: 01/10/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

Spent my last weekend ere before returning to law school with my family. What a beautiful and comfortable place to base a wine country vacation. The Lookout accommodated all of us nicely as we gathered to honor the memory of a beloved family member.

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Beautfiul base for 10-day exploration of Sonoma

Guest: Nathan, Avery, Jim, and Carolyn
Date of Stay: 08/24/09 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

Fitch Mountain Lookout was an endearing and beautiful base for a ten-day exploration of Sonoma County. With our two teenage boys we explored many hundreds of miles of extra-ordinary cycling routes: from high mountains (pant! pant!) to rampant redwood groves to bold ocean vistas. Your lovely home provided many comforts to our tired bodies after hours on the bike--from a cool swim in the river to a hot tub over looking the river valley. We finished off our evenings with clear reception of the Bejing Olympics and noodling on our computers with the convenient WIFI. As hobby photographers, we especially appreciated Stephen's artwork on display throughout the house. Warmly & with fond memories of our time here,

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Celebrating our 35th year together

Guest: The SGPP
Date of Stay: 09/28/08 Review Submitted: 05/06/10

5-girl Class of '95 College of Charleston celebrating our 35th birthdays. We had a wonderful time exploring over 3 days with your amazing house to call home. - Loved Robing at Kokomo Winery - Made a picnic from Oakville Grocery - Wonderful tasting at Dry Creek Olive Oil Co. - Loved the cheese puff and the wine at Everett Ridge - Finished the tasting tour with sparkling wine at J - ate at Scopa (homemade pasta - yum), Dry Creek Kitchen (gnocchi and scallops - yum), and Ravenous (banana creme tart) Thank you for the magnificent time. We really enjoyed your well-stocked kitchen and the beautiful view.

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Kitchen and supplies were superb

Guest: The Ellis'
Date of Stay: 07/05/08 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

Our family of seven met here from New Hampshire, Washington D.C., and Miami. We range in age from 18 months to 57 years. We all enjoyed this house. The kitchen & supplies were superb. The rooms & views were gorgeous. The hot tub was relaxing. We have a new appreciation for wine. We recommend the production tour at Rodney Strong Vineyards. See you again, Gordon, Diane, Ryan, Lyndsey, Ana, Leanne, & Christian Donaldson

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Wine tasting was great

Guest: Stacey & Crew
Date of Stay: 06/01/08 Review Submitted: 05/05/10

We came up from San Francisco and had a wonderful time lounging in the living room and relaxing pon the deck. Wine tasting was great--we vited Hop Kiln, Mill Creek, and Alderbrook then had a woonderful dinner with fresh homemade pasta at Cena Luna in town. We loved the stunning views from the house and the rambunctious blue jays that came to check out what we were doing through the picture window. What a great trip!

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What a great home to spend our Christmas in

Guest: Renee, Dennis, David, Susan
Date of Stay: 12/25/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Merry Christmas! What a great home to spend our Christmas in. We friends were away from family, but made ourselves at home for a wonderful Christmas meal. We travelled from Healdsburg to Medicino to Santa Rosa, and tried wines in Anderson Valley, the Russian River and Dry Creek areas. We laughed a lot, and credit that to our comfort in your house. Thanks.

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We will be sure to recommend the house

Guest: The Ricketts Family
Date of Stay: 11/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

The Ricketts Family Thanksgiving gathering was a great success thanks to the use of your beautiful home. It was so very fun hanging out with our family in such a beautiful place. Thank you so much and we will be sure to recommend the house to family and friends.

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Each night to return here was a pleasure

Guest: Bill and Sandy, Schenectady, New York
Date of Stay: 10/12/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Wonderful place. Wonderful time. Here in the area for our son and brother’s wedding weekend, and each night to return here was a pleasure. May peace continue to fill this house with love.

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Great place and awesome views

Guest: The Velas, Phoenix, AZ
Date of Stay: 10/10/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Great place and awesome views here at Fitch Mountain. Fun weekend had by all.

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Perfect ending to each day

Guest: Pam and Mitch Pastin, Bloomington, IL
Date of Stay: 10/10/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

What a great weekend! Even with the rain, we re-affirmed how much we love Sonoma County and Healdsburg is a wonderful town. Every day was an adventure for us discovering new wineries and beautiful countryside. Coming back here in the evenings to relax, enjoy a wonderful dinner and wine was the perfect ending to each day. Thanks for sharing your home.

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Beautiful, clean, comfortable and great décor

Guest: Anne
Date of Stay: 10/07/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Chico State Sigma Kappas were here circa 1975! But still hot! We loved your vacation home. Beautiful, clean, comfortable and great décor. You’ve done a great job. Thank you. We enjoyed ourselves. Visit Mont Claire Vineyard in Dry Creek. Phone for reservations. It’s the best.

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We really enjoyed your home

Guest: The four Beebe Boys and their wives
Date of Stay: 10/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thank you for a wonderful family experience. We really enjoyed your home and our wine-country experience. Thank you.

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Great vacation home

Guest: The Ohio Group Lodi and Nestfield Center
Date of Stay: 10/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Great vacation home—loved the views. Very peaceful and quiet. Thank you.

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We would love to come back here

Guest: Tim and Terry, PA
Date of Stay: 09/20/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Our stay at this house was wonderful and we’ll have a lot of great memories. The house was awesome and made it a great place to end our day after visiting all the wineries. We would love to come back here the next time we come to wine country. Thank you.

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Your lovely house made an excellent base

Guest: Bob and Linda, Columbus, OH
Date of Stay: 09/18/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Had a great time. Your lovely house made an excellent base for our travels throughout wine country.

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Your home made our trip a wonderful experience

Guest: Karen and Bill
Date of Stay: 09/15/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Your home made our trip a wonderful experience. It was truly relaxing.

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Great view!

Guest: Jan, Mandy, Eric, and Christine
Date of Stay: 09/12/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us. It made a nice resting place in between visiting the vineyards. Great view!

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Beautiful view. Nice house.

Guest: Julie, Helen, and Janice
Date of Stay: 09/10/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Beautiful view. Nice house. We loved our visit to wine country.

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It felt like being in a tree house staying here

Guest: Bob and Sue, Portland, OR
Date of Stay: 09/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

It felt like being in a tree house staying here resting above the beautiful Russian River. Our limo excursion through wine country was FUN TIMES! With our driver, Dotty, taking great care of us. We picnicked at one of the wineries and ended our evening at Zin’s. Yum. Delicious. The trip was a great memory-making time.

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We intend to come back many times

Guest: Eric
Date of Stay: 09/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thank you so much for allowing us to vacation in your beautiful home. We had a wonderful time enjoying the views and exploring wine country. We intend to come back many times over the years. Thanks again.

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It exceeded our expectations

Guest: The Latosha, Agate, and Vivenzios, Syracuse and Ro
Date of Stay: 08/22/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thank you for the opportunity to stay at your beautiful home. It exceeded our expectations. We truly were able to relax and enjoy the beauty of these lovely surroundings. As a family, we felt right at home here. Thank you again!

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Hope we will be able to return one day

Guest: The Sandavals
Date of Stay: 08/20/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thanks for the use of your house. We enjoyed ourselves greatly and made many treasured memories. Hope we will be able to return one day.

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Had a lovely stay here

Guest: Melanie, Nick, Jacob, Bryany, and Godic Wattenbach
Date of Stay: 08/16/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thanks for everything, especially help with our daughter when she was unwell. Had a lovely stay here. Beautiful area.

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Great place

Guest: Geems
Date of Stay: 08/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Great place, lovely town. Thanks.

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Wonderful house

Guest: Mumsies
Date of Stay: 07/10/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Wonderful house, wonderful location! Many thanks.

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Great time with old friends and new ones

Guest: Brett Carliss, Asheville, NC
Date of Stay: 07/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Great time with old friends and new ones. This is a wonderful town with friendly people who made us feel at home. Thank you.

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What a lovely place

Guest: The clan of Swatties (Swathmore Class of 1999)
Date of Stay: 07/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

We had a wonderful time here enjoying the river, the wine, and time spent with friends. The fireworks in town on the 4th were excellent. What a lovely place!

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Thank you for sharing this gorgeous place

Guest: Julie Asbridge, TX
Date of Stay: 06/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

We had our annual Asbridge Women’s Weekend at your home and had a perfect time. ..Good food, good wine, great company, and a beautiful location. Thank you for sharing this gorgeous place! The chocolate walk tour is totally worth it—especially if you pair it with the wine. Darla who runs the tour is great. We loved our girls weekend.

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Such a lovely, heavenly, relaxing place

Guest: Rose and Neil, Silicon Valley, CA
Date of Stay: 06/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Such a lovely, heavenly, relaxing place. Thank you for sharing your home. Some tips: * Restaurants: o Zazu- Forestville area. Comfortable and delicious. o Willi’s—in town. Insane tasty seafood. o Cyrus—in town. Food lover’s nirvana, great bar. o Dry Creek—also luscious and very friendly—nice place to eat at the bar. * Wineries: o J- champagne and pinot noir! o De La Montoya – fun stuff o Anything on Westside Road * Drives : o Dry Creek Road, East and especially West side Be wonderful.

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We all loved the house and the river

Guest: The Jammers (Marine Women’s Soccer)
Date of Stay: 05/15/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thanks so much for sharing your home. We had a great time celebrating two birthdays here—a 40 and a 50—a 90th!! We all loved the house and the river.

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We loved your house and the river was wonderful

Guest: Gin and Colin
Date of Stay: 05/10/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

We loved your house and the river was wonderful. Healdsburg is a lovely little town. Hope to be back soon.

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Your home was lovely and so comfortable

Guest: Nancy and Tom Klein, TX
Date of Stay: 05/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Your home was lovely and so comfortable. Thanks for letting us stay in this place you love so much. All of this made the wedding so enjoyable. We will return to Fitch Mountain.

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Wonderful memories!!!

Guest: Chaz and Karen, TX
Date of Stay: 05/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

We enjoyed your wonderful home on Fitch Mountain. We felt very much at home and loved the shopping in Healdsburg. The wedding we attended at Madrona Manor was incredible. Wonderful memories!!!

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Perfect setting for our five-year anniversary

Guest: Jeff and Laurie Brown, Oklahoma City, AK
Date of Stay: 04/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Thanks so much for the great “home-away-from-home”. Perfect setting for our five-year anniversary. Thanks again, we look forward to a return trip!

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Wonderful accommodations!

Guest: Jackie and Tom Morrow, OH
Date of Stay: 04/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Wonderful accommodations! Thank you.

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Wonderful view

Guest: Mark, Kathy, and Cole, Chicago
Date of Stay: 03/07/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Wonderful view- great wine…many thanks!!!

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We really enjoyed your wonderful house

Guest: Art and Gitte Turnbull, CT
Date of Stay: 03/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

We really enjoyed your wonderful house and had a great stay. Thank you for sharing!

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What a beautiful home you have

Guest: Chris, Sarah, Angie, Jenina, Vanessa, Dipesh, Phoe
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

What a beautiful home you have! Thanks so much for sharing it with us! We can’t wait to come back—Thank you.

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What a place to remember how beautiful life can be

Guest: The Fentons, The Gutierrezs, and The Todd
Date of Stay: 02/01/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Celebration was the name of the game. Engagement and birthday. What a place to remember how beautiful life can be. We enjoyed the picture window, the fireplace, and the Aladdin pillow. The wine was the icing on the cake. We will be back hopefully soon. Thank you for the gorgeous surroundings.

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Your home is warm, cozy and comfortable

Guest: Barbare and Duane, Yosemite , www.indianpeakranch.
Date of Stay: 01/20/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

What a fun house and getaway! Since we also have a vacation hideaway near Yosemite, it is always interesting to see how others do it. We particularly enjoyed the great bottle of wine - Nice touch! Your home is warm, cozy and comfortable. But most of all, it is so convenient - 5-10 minutes to town and within walking distance to the river. Wonderful views as well!. Thanks for sharing.

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Great house!

Guest: Ken and Lisa, Kennesaw, GA
Date of Stay: 01/15/07 Review Submitted: 12/28/10

Great friends. Great wine. Great house! We had a blast during Winter Wineland.

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