My enthusiasm heading up to San Jose for the Executive Council’s Value-Based Sustainability Summit last week was definitely rewarded by the caliber of speakers and intimate size of the conference (about 80 people attended by invitation only). The editorial content was excellent and the moderators did a good job engaging the audience throughout the day. The summit opened with a compelling keynote from Adam Werbach and featured timely conversations with sustainability executives from leading corporations including IBM, Microsoft, UPS, e-Bay, Coca-Cola, SAP, and PG&E. They announced a Twitter hashtag (#ecvbs) and some really good tweets emerged from the event.

I didn’t intend to stay at the hotel Domain but, when I arrived at my original hotel — the Avatar — I was told that they were overbooked and that I was being relocated, gratis, to the nearby Domain. It was 8:45 p.m. and I was ready to kick back and relax so I was not happy being kicked down the road.

However, once I walked into the lobby of the Domain, I was so thrilled with the lobby and then my room that I forgot all about it. Plus, they comped the room because of the inconvenience, a $139 value for an extra seven-minute drive to Sunnyvale.

My original reservations were for the Avatar hotel, which has a retro theme and a collection of vintage toy figurines in the lobby and shag carpet, but the Domain, part of the same Joie de Vivre chain, was even cooler with an oversized theme, from the giant sheer curtains covering the wall-sized window in the lobby to the oversized desk lamp next to the bed that reached the ceiling. I really loved the layout of the room and the blue walls – it was tranquil and cozy.

If I was staying there longer than one night I would have spent some time writing in the lobby, which had nice tables set up, good natural daylight and the soothing sound of running water from a fountain. A great place to compose some prose.

The room also had one of those sleep number beds, which I experimented with but honestly didn’t notice any differences from one setting to the next when I tried it. I liked the bamboo shampoo, conditioner and facial soap they provided and was so tempted to take the cute little aqua-colored soap holder…but of course I didn’t. The only problem (well aside from too-soft pillows) was that my room was right in the heavy traffic area of the hall outside the elevator. I jumped a couple of times at first because I thought people were trying to get in my room but soon realized they were just rattling by.

Overall, the trip was great. I made excellent connections with people, traveled comfortably and returned to LA feeling inspired and refreshed! I definitely recommend Executive Council events and the Domain hotel in Sunnyvale.

I stayed at the Fairmont as that was where the event was held (with a 7 a.m. call time, I wasn’t going to look farther afield). It was, well, the Fairmont: lovely if not inspiring. The room and bathroom were both spacious and featured all of the amenities that you’d expect. The service was  friendly and courteous throughout my stay. Internet service was a bit spotty as they were having issues with the system (though I was happy that it came free of charge as I am a President’s Club member — that alone makes it worthwhile to join this frequent guest program). I was in the tower building which made each walk to the lobby rather a long one. As chains go, I find Fairmont a step above the Hiltons and Westins of the world yet generally priced well below the Ritz and Four Seasons and this is a well cared for property. It’s old-school, not hip but they know what they do and they do it well. My biggest complaint is that the two options for printing one’s boarding pass — a lobby kiosk and the business center — both come with a charge. It felt like nickel-and-diming. I simply checked in online from my room and waited until the airport to print my documents.

Alas I have no great scoops on dining either. One dinner was at the hotel (a function related to the event) and the filet-and-lobster offering was quite tasty (have your cardiologist on speed dial). The other, an early informal dinner with a colleague took us to Gordon-Birsch: decent steak frites and other bistro pub fare but nothing remarkable.

So did I come home empty-handed from this trip? Of course not. The big scoop is the nearby wineries. I visited two: Windy Oaks and Jason Stephens.  Windy Oaks co-owner Judy Schultze was kind enough to open the winery for my visit. The drive took about 45 minutes and brought me up winding mountain roads through lush redwood forests. The winery is in the perfect setting for pinot noir — cool and moist with a long growing season — though they also cultivate about an acre of chardonnay. All of their wines are made from the grapes produced on the estate in the Burgundian tradition. I left with bottle of two wonderful pinots: Henry’s Block (made from a single clone, 1 acre vineyard block) and Whole Cluster (which, as the name implies, are whole cluster fermentations). The wines were rich, complex, and well-structured without being heavy. In other words, they showed off the quality of the grapes and the skill of the winemaker. Truly exceptional.

Heading back to San Jose I had a number of wineries from which to choose but time for just one (and I did need to arrive at the event function “business ready” and not showing too much evidence from my afternoon’s activities). Would it be Clos La Chance — the “best tasting room in Silicon Valley” and recommended by colleagues? Perhaps Kirigin Cellars? There were two or three others but I chose Jason-Stephens simply because I liked their logo and I’m glad that I stopped in. While wine has been grown here for some time, they have only been making and selling their own wine for under two years. The tasting room is still under construction (and a bit chilly) but Angela, responsible for the tastings that day, was a charming and knowledgeable guide to the five wines currently on offer (two cabs, a syrah, a merlot, and a chardonnay). While all were rewarding, I left with the chardonnay and the syrah. The chard was crisp and smooth, only lightly oaked in the French style. I bought it as something to  look forward to when spring finally arrives back in the northeast. The syrah, a double gold medal winner, was silky and elegant; full of flavor without being heavy-handed in the delivery. I’ve already consumed that bottle and can’t wait to have an excuse to go back for more.

The flights both ways on United left on time and arrived early (hooray!). I appreciate the reasonably priced upgrades to Economy Plus that are offered as it is the only way that I can be comfortable enough to work in coach. Everything on United is a la carte these days: upgrades, priority security/boarding, Red Carpet Club, etc. so you really can tailor your ticket.

And there you have it. I always find San Jose a bit less interesting than I think it should be — sort of a giant corporate campus rather than a bustling city. But now that I am more familiar with the wineries less than an hour away, I know I’ll always have something interesting to do.

What have your experiences been in San Jose? Any insider tips to share?

I won’t have time to get all of the way to Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz. Ridge, in Cupertino, would be a logical choice but they are closed on Monday. They actually offer mid-week custom tastings but are booked on the 25th. Also recommended by fellow Nomads are Clos LaChance and Picchetti Winery.

South of San Jose is the town of Gilroy, better known for garlic than wine but with several vineyards that have potential: Sarah’S Vineyard, Kirigin Cellars, and Thomas Kruse. In Corralitos, are Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards and Alfaro Family Vineyards — both recommended for their pinot noirs. I’ve been corresponding with Jim Schlutze who, with his wife Judy, is proprietor of Windy Oaks, a specialty producer of Burgundian wines and it looks like that may well be my primary stop. I’m a big fan of Rhones and the Rhone Rangers of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Windy Oaks produces only pinot noirs and chardonnays — and that’s fine by me.

There is wine right in San Jose itself, too. Coeterie Cellars in South San Jose also offers small production specialty wines.

What is your experience in the Santa Cruz area? Do you have any favorites to share? If so, send them in before I take to the air on Monday morning. Cheers!

I was happy to find a Kimpton hotel, The Argonaut, there and it was quite satisfactory. It is in an old cannery building with large wooden beams that give it a vintage industrial feel. The decor is a bit sailor kitsch but it was comfortable overall. As a member of Kimpton InTouch (their frequent guest program), I had free Wifi during my stay — the perfect amenity for any business trip. Their restaurant, The Blue Mermaid, was a bit bright but offered a fabulous Dungeness crab and corn chowder and the bar staff was friendly and helpful. It’s a good option for dining solo if you need one.

The real find, also in the hotel building but not otherwise linked to the hotel, was The Winery Collective tasting room. I don’t generally go for tasting rooms as I find the wines are usually not that special and the staff not particularly knowledgeable. The Winery Collective was just the opposite: some lovely small production wines from throughout California such as Sol Rouge and Skylark and a staff full of information without being overbearing about it. I had the Red Reserve flight one evening and the All Whites flight the next. Both were delightful.

When venturing a bit further afield for evening dining, I was pleased to find Luella on Russian Hill. It is a modern neighborhood restaurant (the kind that always makes me want to live in the neighborhood) with house made pasta, intriguing salads (mine was grilled peach and ricotta), and a nice list of wines by the glass. It had an airy, open feel that was quite welcoming to me as a solo diner.  It would also be a great setting for a quiet client dinner. If you are brave enough to walk up from Fisherman’s Wharf, take Larkin for a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and then cut back over to Hyde.

I also recommend The Plant Cafe Organic at Pier 3 on the Embarcadero. This is a small organic restaurant just a few blocks from ferry Terminal 1 with its more renowned restaurants. However, the Pier 1 eateries settle down shortly after the evening commute. The Plant is not as large and so feels cozier even when not overly crowded. The oysters were delicate and flavorful; the pasta with shrimp and herbs a light and satisfying treat.

Finally, at Fort Mason Center itself check out Greens, a haute veggie eatery featuring the creations of chef Annie Somerville as you look out over the marina toward the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a bit out of the way but well worth the trip. If you don’t mind the walk, you can head along the water by the recently restored aquatic park — an art deco wonder with stellar tile work (pictured above) — at the San Francisco National Historic Park and then up over the hill in Fort Mason Park and down to Fort Mason Center.

P.S. I can’t forget to give some Fog City sweet treat shout outs: I tried (and loved) LaLoo’s goat’s milk ice cream — the founder attended the BeDo event; indulged in sumptuous house-made chocolates from Recchiuti at the Ferry Building Marketplace; and then I dipped myself in chocolate once again with XOX Truffles for the plane ride home (citron and champagne were my two faves).

If you’ve always wanted to be a food critic, book reviewer, or travel writer, here’s your chance. We welcome a single suggestion or a full guest post for the blog (you can get me at nomadinchief@executivenomad.com).

Let us hear from you.

“Academic evidence backs up what many of us already suspect: face-to-face meetings offer something that video conferences and e-mails don’t.

Mark Mortensen of the MIT Sloan School of Management and Tsedal Beyene of Harvard Business School have produced a paper not so catchily entitled, “Firsthand Experience and The Subsequent Role of Reflected Knowledge in Cultivating Trust in Global Collaboration”. The two writers used 47 semi-structured interviews and 140 web-based survey responses in their research, which focuses on a multinational chemical company and tries to explain, in essence, why should we continue to travel to meet distant colleagues and customers.”

Guess what? You learn more, build deeper relationships, and become more attuned to cultural differences that can be essential to building trust.  In more academic terms, Mortensen and Beyene state, “…while global collaboration is a necessary strategic choice for an ever increasing number of organizations, the literature indicates that socio-demographic, contextual and spatio-temporal barriers engender many interpersonal challenges for distant co-workers and are likely to adversely affect trust between sites.”

They continue, “A key argument often made by distributed work scholars (see Hinds & Keisler, 2002) is that firsthand experience — time spent onsite directly observing the people, places, and norms of a distant locale — with a distant site and its members provides a means to effectively bridge gaps, thereby fostering intersite trust. The literature suggests that firsthand experience across sites can provide workers with a better understanding of the other location and its members, resulting in enhanced mutual understanding among geographically distant workers.”

Not to mention, we hasten to add, the value of sampling new cuisine, delving into a different culture, and collecting experiences that will build your personal and professional value.

We did find it both funny and odd that the ad accompanying this story at The Economist was for a video conferencing service. Oh, never mind — pack the bags: we’re on our way!