Why A Sonoma County Wine Country Road Trip is Trending this Spring
Spend Your Spring Days in Sonoma County
The year 2021 is shaping up to be the “Year of the Road Trip,” an opportunity to depart our homes and travel in a way that is within our control. A day trip feels like a weekend these days, and after a weekend getaway, we return home as refreshed as if we've taken a week off. With all the changes we’ve had to make lately, spring’s promise of renewal has never been more welcome. Spring always launches brilliantly in Sonoma County where mustard and buttercups lay blankets of blooms across the verdant hills. Sunshine joins a gentle breeze to cast a brilliant canvas of comfortable temperatures best encountered from the terraces of myriad wineries set within 18 distinct appellations.
From Sugarloaf Ridge to the Russian River and westward to the Pacific Ocean, Sonoma County is one of the most geographically diverse wine regions, not only in California, but in America. Its variety means visitors can float on the river, hike in the hills, and nap on the beach all in the same day. Of course, every adventure should include wine tasting, an opportunity to experience more than 60 different grape varietals, a benefit from Sonoma County having more soil varieties than in all of France. An agricultural region at heart, the county’s winemakers remain pioneers. The area’s grapes are 99 percent sustainably grown.
April is Sonoma County Wine Month, an excellent time to meet and greet the county’s talented winemakers. Sonoma County’s first grapes were grown over two centuries ago and the county’s vibrant history has remained entwined with viticulture ever since. The diverse landscape, comprised of ridges, river valleys, and distinct soil types, means that winemakers have to think like grape growers first, farmers who must study each terroir, microclimate, and other ambient factors to produce quality vintages. Like many varied environments, this one produces a hard-earned process that leads to brilliance. Producers are proud of their harvest and happy to share the stories that go into each vintage they bottle.
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A Road Trip of a Lifetime
Given Sonoma County’s diverse landscape, going anywhere is part of the fun. Cycle through the Green Valley to sip Chardonnay. Stop by a farm stand to fill a picnic basket in the Petaluma Gap. Located just 25 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Petaluma Gap is among the newest AVAs in California. If you find that your day is running out of hours, book a night or two in one of the dozens of inns, B&Bs, and hotels.
The renowned Carneros region, a cool climate celebrity across the wine-drinking world, is also close to home, only 40 minutes from the city and East Bay. This appellation is considered the first wine region designated by its climate and not physical geography boundaries. Once you taste a Carneros Chardonnay on a perfect spring day it will be hard to leave the local labels again.
The Dry Creek Valley reveals this diverse landscape’s grape growing potential along 16-miles of benches, gentle slopes rising above the valley floor. The valley is famous for its Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, hardy grapes grown on some of the oldest vines in the region. Picnic areas abound here, so pick up something delicious in nearby Healdsburg and make an afternoon of it. Make sure to ask about their sustainable growing techniques and possible wine cave tours when you reserve your visit. Sonoma County vineyards are 99% sustainable, the first region to obtain such a feat.
This geography of valleys, mountain plateaus, rivers, forests, and ridgelines abutting the ocean remains, at its foundation, a wild country that cannot be surmised with one survey. Borne of an inland seabed and volcanic ash, the soil, complemented by temperatures that course between the 70s by day and 40s by night, nurtures more varietals than most places on earth.
A road trip here brings one to coastal redwood forests and ridgeline trails within view of the Golden Gate, lush river valleys, and austere peaks. Head to Sonoma County this April to Celebrate Sonoma County Wine Month and add your tale of discovery to a winemaking mosaic that spans two hundred years.
Visit the Sonoma County Vintners website to learn more.
Celebrate Sonoma County Wine
Sonoma County’s agricultural legacy also invites appreciation from different types of visitors. Wine enthusiasts learn from the winemakers themselves while standing on the very soil that produces world-renowned Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, among others. Parents wish to show their children that food comes from somewhere other than the produce aisle of their neighborhood supermarket. Famously down-to-earth, Sonoma County is also a dog lover's paradise, where pooches can be found curled up on many a winery patio while their people sample flights above.
Even a visitor’s road trip itinerary comes in a spectrum of directions here. Travelers who prefer to park and toss the keys away can settle into Healdsburg, Sonoma Valley, Sebastopol or one of several other villages for a few days of tasting room visits, cruiser bike pedals, and romantic catch-ups over dinner on patios and in parklets of highly-regarded, independent restaurants.
You can take a private tour of wineries in a specific region like the Dry Creek, Russian River, or Alexander Valley. There are myriad directions to also follow your personal a la carte vineyard path, whether you choose to sip Chardonnay on a mountaintop, experience what cheeses go best with Pinot Noir, or learn how to blend Grenache grapes from the winemaker herself.
Perhaps you prefer your palate to plot your tasting plan. Alexander Valley is considered Cab Country, where complex reds are harvested from the rich soils of the valley floor to the Mayacamas Mountains. Over 40 wineries produce vintages in what one master sommelier considers “one of the legendary appellations for superb Cabernet Sauvignon.”
Many of Sonoma County's 18 wine-growing regions await your discovery. Consider the Russian River Valley, a fascinating growing region where the cool Pacific air nurtures outstanding Pinot Noir. Tasting terraces are nestled in this wooded area, where you can sip Chardonnay while enjoying local charcuterie within a tossed moonstone of the Pacific.
Known as the laidback wine county of Northern California, Sonoma County’s winemakers are equally known for their approachability and often colorful back stories. Add a layer and make a day out of hearing tales along the coastal ridges of Sonoma.
EXPLORE THE WINERIES
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Plan your visit to Sonoma County for a world-class wine tasting adventure you won't forget.
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Raise a Glass to Sonoma County Wine Month
Explore the Wineries
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400 Aviation Blvd, Suite 500 Santa Rosa, California
SONOMA COUNTY VINTNERS
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707-522-5840
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Question
What excites you the most about wine tasting:
A: Hearing the story behind the wine
B: Meeting the winemaker
C: Learning to pick up flavor notes
uS TOO!
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Question
What excites you the most about wine tasting:
A: Hearing the story behind the wine
B: Meeting the winemaker
C: Learning to pick up flavor notes
uS TOO!
tHANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR SURVEY.