Sonoma, CA
Overview
Located an hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma is the less-traveled valley of the California Wine Country. As such, it allows you to escape from it all. The area maintains its low-key ambience while offering world-class wineries, beautiful views of the coastline and countryside, spectacular cuisine, elegant lodging, and rejuvenating spas.
Spanning 1,600 square miles, Sonoma encompasses numerous wine valleys — Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley — plus the Carneros district, where Sonoma and Napa join at their southern tips.
Sonoma has not been commercialized quite like the Napa Valley. Small, family-owned wineries are its mainstay. Tours and tasting in one of Sonoma's 35 wineries are usually low-key and often free. Buena Vista, California's first winery, is located in Sonoma and is among the wineries that have 13,000 acres of vineyards, producing 25 wine varieties and five million cases a year.
Sonoma visitors can fill their days with a wide range of activities. Enjoy tasting world-class wines during tours of the local wineries. Hike within the 13,000 acres of state and regional parkland. Take a hot air balloon ride and enjoy spectacular views of lush vineyards, redwood forests, mountain ranges, the Russian River, and the Pacific Coast. Pedal through the vineyards during a countryside afternoon ride. Horseback ride on trails winding through the redwood and douglas fir forests.