Many people spend years looking forward to their 21st birthday, but I’ve always been intimidated by mine. When people think of 21st birthdays, they think of all-night bar-hopping and parties that might also be called a “rager” by the Urban Dictionary — but personally, I hate large crowds and like to be in my pajamas with a book by 10 P.M. So, as my birthday approached earlier this month, I wasn’t sure of a fun way to celebrate the age of finally ordering drinks at restaurants and being able to check into a hotel. Then, my cousin came up with a brilliant idea: that we take a trip to California Wine Country and go wine tasting.
This idea checked all of the boxes for me: I’d get to spend my birthday in nature with a smaller group of loved ones, I could dress up cute and take Instagram pictures with a beautiful vineyard as a background, and I could be in bed as early as I wanted to recharge my social battery. It was every introvert’s dream.
After many Yelp searches, my cousins — who are basically my group of cooler, older girl best friends — and I chose Elliston Vineyards in Sunol, CA as our spot. In person, it lived up to its Yelp photos: it was lush and green, had outdoor dining tables that were both comfortable and cute enough to be photographed, and randomly had a yard full of ostriches running around, which was fun to watch. It was warm enough to take my jacket off and bask in the sun, which, after all of the recent LA rainstorms, was a birthday gift in itself. Being there made me feel like a classy, upscale, adult Hallie Parker, which is how everyone deserves to feel on their 21st.
We ordered a wine flight — a round of glasses with sample-sized amounts of wine — and a pitcher of the Elliston Mimosa, which was delicious. We snacked on several appetizers, too (the garlic fries and charcuterie board were the best!). Everything was reasonably priced and shareable, which gives wine tasting a leg up over the bar hopping experience, where you might spend more than you think on individual drinks. My cousins also surprised me with a birthday cake — another pro for wine tasting. You can’t take a birthday cake with you to crowded bars!
Between the great food, drinks, and scenery, you might be surprised to hear that the real highlight of the experience for me was a cat. Yep, a cat. The vineyard has a pet cat who wanders around, and I got the impression that they usually kept him from interacting with the guests. However, when he crawled onto my lap and took a nap beside me, my heart tripled in size. He was the sweetest little guy ever. Who knew cats make amazing wine-tasting buddies?
After finishing our food and drinks and exploring the vineyard for a while, my cousins and I drove back to our hotel and took a nap before going out again later for a nice birthday dinner. Yep, a nap. Recharging our social (and physical) batteries, remember?
A serene, warm afternoon of wine tasting isn’t how everyone envisions their 21st birthday — if you’re into the bar hopping or party idea, go for it! — but it was a perfect way to spend mine. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be much happier spending your birthday with only your close circle of best friends in a place that makes you feel beautiful and classy. Not every birthday has to look straight out of a college party movie scene. Don’t let the pressure of 21st birthdays stop you from trying something you’ll love. It is your birthday after all, and in the wise words of Taylor Swift, it’s supposed to be fun turning 21.