Sonoma Is Calling

For all of Napa’s fame and much-feted wines, it can’t compel me the way that Sonoma does. Casual, welcoming, and much less pretentious, Sonoma welcomes you with great, affordable wines, beautiful scenery, friendly people, and fabulous food.

Russian River Wineries:

• Belvedere – Belvedere is one of the best picnic spots in all of wine country. A small winery, they’ve invested time and care into a lovely deck and native plants garden. There’s several picnic areas clustered around the tasting room, with fountains and an aqueduct wending its way through the grounds. Belvedere also offers live Jazz on some Saturdays during the summer. Their wines are good; I especially like the Riesling, and you can buy chilled bottles to enjoy with your picnic. http://www.belvederewinery.com/
• Korbel – I love the champagne, so this is a big hit. Tasting is free, but technically limited to four tastes. They have really nice grounds and a tour that I haven't had time to take before. They carry a much wider variety of Korbel champagnes than you can usually find in the store. My favorite is Korbel Sec, which is their last dinner champagne before you get to a dessert champagne. They also have a deck where you can eat and a nice deli. It's very pretty and worth the drive. http://www.korbel.com/
• Hop Kiln - Free tasting. Very casual setting in an old barn, with a picnic area outside with a duck pond. They offer chocolate to taste with their port and have several good reds and whites. Their ‘Thousand Flowers’ is especially tasty. Hop Kiln is always a fun place to stop. http://www.hopkilnwinery.com/
• Rabbit Ridge - on the road between Hop Kiln and Healdsburg, this winery specializes in reds and does a very good job. One of the best things is that they have great case specials on a regular basis, which make their low-to-mid-range reds very doable for everyday family wine that can also double as a bottle you would take to a party. I like the Dolcetto and Nebbiolo especially, but their other reds are good too. http://www.rabbitridgewinery.com/healdsburg.html

Sonoma & Healdsburg Wineries

• Ledson - This winery is in a fabulous noveau-Gothic home with very nice grounds. They have a picnic area and a good deli. They have a good selection of wines; we enjoyed all of the varieties that we bought. The staff is very courteous and the $5 tasting fee goes toward any bottle that you buy. http://www.ledson.com/
• La Crema – Located in downtown Healdsburg, La Crema is a little more formal tasting environment. However, the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and the wines are excellent. The chardonnay is good and not your run-of-the-mill oaky, CA variety. I really liked (and bought) the Los Carneros Pinot Noir. The day we were there, they had hosted a wine club event and there were fabulous cheeses set out to enjoy with your tasting, as well as a sample of the pinot grapes. http://www.lacrema.com
• Ravenswood – Just northeast of the town of Sonoma, Ravenswood has a nice, fairly large tasting room and a patio overlooking their vineyards. The wines were good and affordable, and the staff was friendly even though we were tasting in the last half hour they were open. My one complaint is that they were busy and service was a little slow, but hey, the tasting is free, so we can’t complain. http://www.ravenswood-wine.com

Places to eat:

1. Dry Creek Kitchen - In Healdsburg, this restaurant is wonderful. It's a little posh, but they specialize in local ingredients. There are lots of nice touches, like soup between courses and petit fours with your check. If you go early, you can go pretty casual. http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/home.php
2. El Dorado Kitchen – Located on the corner of Sonoma’s town square in the El Dorado Hotel, EDK is a casually elegant dining experience. I had a lobster risotto that was fabulous, desserts were excellent, and they had very interesting and tasty cocktails. I highly recommend it. http://www.eldoradosonoma.com/kitchen.htm
3. The Girl and the Fig – Just opposite EDK in downtown Sonoma, The Girl and the Fig is warm and inviting. The service is friendly and casual, and the menu has great dishes made with local ingredients. Portions were large and everything was very good. They have a nice bar area and cozy patio seating in the back. http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/html-sonoma/index.html
4. Cafe de la Haye -- It's a small place just off of Sonoma’s town square and is associated with a gallery. They do a great and very affordable brunch. http://www.sterba.com/sonoma/lahaye/
5. On the way back to the Bay Area, there are several restaurants that I like:
• Guaymas – Located on the waterfront in Tiburon, Guaymas has one of the best views of the San Francisco skyline. Their food is upscale Mexican and very good. I love the Camarones Rellenos, tamales and grilled seafood. You can also ride the ferry directly between Guaymas and San Francisco. http://www.guaymas.com/
• Poggio – Nice California - Italian on the main street in Sausaltio. Lovely, spacious dining room and very tasty food. http://www.poggiotrattoria.com/
• Margaritaville – Mexican food right on the marina in Sausalito. Casual, but pretty good. And, they have deck seating if the weather is nice.

Spoil Me

• The Sonoma Mission Inn is a place I could run away from home to. Located in the town of Sonoma and tucked away behind some rather unassuming buildings, the Mission Inn offers one of the best spa retreats I’ve experienced. Staff members are welcoming and friendly, rooms are large and spacious, and the grounds are gorgeous. We were greeted with Gloria Ferrer champagne; there’s evening wine and cheese tasting, as well as an outdoor wood fire for all guests to enjoy. The spa is set up so that you can enjoy most of your experience with your entire party, or enjoy your treatment in solitude. http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma