Sonoma Wine Tasting: Sip, Stay and Explore

Swirl, sip, savor. Repeat. We love wine tasting!

We’ve taken several mini-vacays to tour wineries in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia (where we live).

And when in Cape Town, we had a fabulous day wine tasting in Stellenbosch.

Now, after enjoying some unique San Francisco activities, we tack on a visit to Sonoma for a few days of Sonoma wine tasting.

Sonoma wine region

About an hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma’s wine-growing region is more laid-back and less visited than neighboring Napa.

In Napa, you may rub shoulders with up to 25 people at a time, compared to only six to ten visitors in Sonoma’s wine tasting rooms.

Still, Sonoma’s more than 400 wineries pack an intoxicating punch.

Sonoma wine tour by bicycle

In red-earth vineyards, our guide explains how the small bonsai-style tree vines – which produce the rich jammy Zinfandel wines for which Dry Creek is famous – are from 30 to 100 years old.

They’ll yield fewer grapes than young vines, but the wine will be finer and more focused.

Sonoma wine tasting on our bicycle tour

We taste-test different Zinfandels and other varietals at several wineries this day and also the next, when we go bicycling on our own.

At Zichichi Family Winery, we love the mouth-burst explosion of red currants and wild cherries of their Old Vine Zinfandel (from vines planted in the 1920s).

Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves enchants us with its tasting room in a cool, candlelit, cave cellar.

A grape-based spa treatment?

After all that “hard” bicycling, a spa treatment is in order.

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa has the grand dame of all Sonoma spas.

Its swank 40,000 sq. ft. Fairmont Spa features a set of cold and hot mineral pools for a bathing ritual that’s included with any treatment.

Exploring beyond Sonoma wine country

Another day, we explore by car.

We cruise down into the lush Russian River Valley, where vineyard fields flourish below pine-covered hills.

At Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, we venture on a short hike through a magnificent forest of ancient coastal redwoods, the world’s tallest and oldest living things.

We continue to the Pacific coast.

Here, the surf crashes over gigantic black boulders through thick fog, and gnarled wind-slanted trees grow at a 45 degree angle.

A totally different, permanently misty world, and only 45 minutes from wine country!

It connects with the so-called Bohemian Wine Trail – 11 miles of asphalt meandering by the pastoral hamlets of Occidental and Monte Rio, with their organic markets, cheese boutiques and funky wine shops.

Just one more Sonoma winery…

Of course, we have to finish off at one more winery.

This time, we hit Chateau St. Jean Winery near the town of Sonoma.

Founded in 1973, the winery first caught the attention of wine buffs with its stellar Chardonnays.

It has since expanded to add reds to its repertoire of pours.

Now Chateau St. Jean is most famous for its Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon – a Bordeaux-inspired blend (luscious!) and the first Sonoma wine to be chosen by Wine Spectator as its “Wine of the Year.”

The winery estate is also winning.

The tasting room is in the restored “chateau,” built as a grand summer home in 1920 for an iron mining magnate. And it offers one of the best Sonoma wine tastings.

Listed in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it’s open to the public.

And there are plenty of shaded spots to picnic on artisanal cheeses from the onsite deli (along with a glass of wine, of course) among the white roses and tightly-clipped hedges of the elegant chateau gardens.

Best wineries in Sonoma?

Well, we’ve already covered Zichichi Family Winery, Bella Winery, Preston Vineyards and Chateau St. Jean.

Where to eat in Sonoma

Restaurants in Sonoma

And what about Sonoma’s restaurants? They rival those in San Francisco!

There’s Dry Creek Kitchen, one of celebrity chef/owner Charlie Palmer’s restaurants.

Its curry-spiced, purple cauliflower soup poured over plump deep-fried shrimp rockets us into gastronomic heaven.

Keep an eye out too for the new Arandas (formerly the Chalkboard).

Our last night is saved for Sante, the Sonoma Fairmont’s fine dining restaurant.

Its wine list features over 600 different wines, but for a reasonable corkage fee, you can tote in any of those interesting bottles you’ve bought from your wine tasting in the area.

Sante has snagged both AAA Four Diamond Award and Michelin star honors. Devouring the OMG mac-and-cheese with succulent lobster and black truffles, we understand why.

Mixing up the tried-and-true with the unexpected is a genuine pleasure – just like our Sonoma wine country getaway…

Where to stay in Sonoma

We stayed for a few days at both of the following delightful Sonoma hotels.

After bicycling all day, all we wanted to do was cool off with a dip in The Madrona’s pool in the rose garden!

Nestled in the hills on the outskirts of Healdsburg, the romantic Victorian estate is made up of several guest buildings (the main mansion dates back to 1881). The big mahogany buffet and piano in the reception area even came with the original house.

The property has since been totally reimagined. The new version of The Madrona now features a blend of heirloom antiques along with modern comforts.

Guestrooms

All 24 guestrooms and bungalows are stylishly appointed and retain an original piece of art or furniture.

But they’re all different. Rooms in the original mansion have bay windows and high ceilings, while others have private outdoor balconies overlooking wooded glades.

Gardens and restaurant

The eight acres of flower gardens are a joy to stroll through.

An organic kitchen garden also yields lettuces, leeks, heirloom tomatoes, raspberries, oranges, peaches and nectarines for The Madrona’s acclaimed restaurant.

In summer, movies on the lawn are held – accompanied by wine, naturally!

Kenwood Inn & Spa

If you’re planning to spend all your days tasting wine in Sonoma, you might rethink that if you stay at the Kenwood Inn & Spa. It’s one of those places you don’t want to leave!

Enter through the lobby doors, and you step right into a tranquil Tuscany scene.

Think vine-covered stone buildings. Lush garden courtyards. Tinkling fountains. Even a mill house with a stream, water wheel and koi pond.

It’s honeymoon-worthy – indeed, it’s a favorite spot for destination weddings.

Rooms

The inn has 29 newly renovated guestrooms and suites.

While individually decorated, most feature polished wood floors, custom-crafted Italian furniture, king beds with luxury linens, fireplaces and cavernous bathrooms with soaking tubs.

Pools

Two outdoor heated saline pools invite you to relax with a glass of wine.

(Waterfalls drown out noise from the Sonoma Highway just beyond the high walls.)

Spa

The intimate spa has several massage rooms and one facial room.

Vinotherapy wraps and scrubs sound so good you want to eat the ingredients.

There’s a harvest sugar scrub, which uses organic sugar cane, milled grape seeds and Chardonnay oil. The nourishing honey wrap includes raw honey, chamomile and red wine extract.

Breakfast

Yummy breakfasts are included in the rates. We awoke each morning to fresh-squeezed orange juice, house-made granola, fresh-baked pastries and local organic yogurt.

There’s also an additional cooked-to-order trio of delights, which changes daily.

Our favorite was the artfully presented plate of scrambled eggs with melted cheese, pancakes with lavender syrup, and bacon strips atop sweet corn kernels.

From spring to fall, you can sit outside by a large outdoor fireplace on the inviting stone porch, complete with columns and arches.

In winter, a rustic fireplace warms up the inside space.

Have you gone wine tasting in Sonoma?

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Photo credits: 8, 10, 15, 17 to 19 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase

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