A friend of mine wants to propose to his girlfriend Nov or Dec in San Francisco or Wine Country. Any suggestion for a romantic place to do it...somewhere with a beautiful view.

He is leaning towards proposing in a venue with sweeping views of the vineyard and maybe have a romantic dinner nearby. Any thoughs. He is very open to suggestions.

Althought it may be a tad chilly and rainy, it can still be quite romantic here. Armida Winery near Healdsburg has the view he wants,www.armida.com and he could have a very romantic dinner in Healdsburg at Cyrus. He may want to add a night at the Honor Mansion or another lovely B&B.
R5


R5

In Dec (not so much in early Nov) no matter where he picks -- that terrific view could easily be totally obliterated by rain/fog. And the hillsides in the Napa Valley are not especially scenic in the dead of winter. It is a lovely area to visit - but do not count on any views.

I'd pick a place in SF . . . .

Ah, me, SF will just be cold and rainy,
though the hustle and bustle of Union Square can be fun if you like holiday crowds.
Because of the hills and the Mayacamas mountains it's not true about the fog in Nov & Dec. (With the exception of Petaluma and Rohnert Park) You may experience patches of ground fog in the winter. Kind of a neat pocket of mist that will hang in a vineyard in the early morning.
It would be quite rare to have a
"totally obliterated" view. I live in Sonoma County and find it quite scenic in the winter. It is THE time of year to
explore here as the crowds and tour buses are nearly gone. Oh, and don't forget the lure of a cozy fire and snuggling up at a cozy inn after she,of course says yes.

R5
PS. We dress up quite nicely for the holidays, as well.

razzle - I totally agree w/ you about it being a great time of year to visit your area. But - just not to count on an amazing view. The vines are bare and in a rain storm all you will see are mist/fog shrouded hillsides. Nothing wrong w/ that at all - just not the beautiful view our romantic fellow might have in mind.

(BTW - if it were me I'd probably choose a beachside inn along the Marin or Sonoma coast to pop the question, and then add a day or two in the wine country afterwards.)

Thanks to all those who responded. All your inputs are very helpful. Keep them coming.

Wow, lots of great choices. Top of Coit Tower? A nice boat ride in the Bay? Or one of the beautiful wineries in Napa or Sonoma? Tough to choose. I think it kind of depends on what they like and what appeals to him. There are lots of beautiful wineries to choose from and oftentimes -- especially during the week -- you have them to yourself. I have been to wine country that time of year and while the vines are "bare," I found the sight beautiful -- the hundreds of dark vines against the verdant green of the hillside and the touch of fog in the morning.

I thhink R5's ideas are great. Sonoma in the early winter is beautiful. If the dinner is at Cyrus, she'll think she's marrying into wealth

Lake Sonoma is beautiful- have a glass of wine at Lake Sonoma Winery- or take a picnic, then drive over to the observation tower and pop the question!

Ferrari-Carrano is a beautiful locale.

Please, please, please, DO NOT propose at SFO! I don't think your bride will be in the mood to say "yes" if you propose in the airport!

Ok, I'm probably way out in fantasyland - but I think a private hot air balloon ride in Napa would be very romantic.

I haven't been to Napa that late in the year, though - so I'm not sure how great the view would be, or if you can even balloon that time of year.

If he really wants to propose in the valley- since the vines will be bare, as many have pointed out, I second the vote for a picnic at Armida Winery. Or, how about arranging for a romantic dinner at 1 of so many amazing restaurants like Cyrus (already mentioned) or LaToque, General's Daughter, or Terra... The list is truly endless. Tell your friend to research the boards on Chowhound.
JUST PLEASE- NOT THE AIRPORT!!!!!!