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Top 10 California Wine Country 101

Sonoma

SONOMA
Pleasures Abound in this Gourmet Cornucopia

Everything in Sonoma is more casual than in Napa, and prices are somewhat lower (but still not cheap). At about the size of Rhode Island—with varied geography including coastline, hot dry basins, cool foggy hills, and the redwood-lined Russian River—the county dwarfs Napa in size. The Sonoma Valley, including the towns of Sonoma and Glen Ellen, where writer M.F.K. Fisher lived, parallels Napa Valley. Off Highway 101, the main artery, you’ll find Santa Rosa, then Healdsburg, both hubs from which to explore the Russian River Wine Road, a large wine region with worthwhile vineyards and small towns dating from the 19th century.

In the town of Sonoma, shops and historic buildings surround a greenery-filled plaza. The six-room Ledson Hotel & Harmony Lounge on the plaza caters to luxury- loving music fans with live music and spacious rooms (from $350; ledsonhotel.com). Also on the plaza is the El Dorado Hotel, a great value with rooms boasting four-poster beds and balconies. The hotel’s restaurant is run by an ex–French Laundry chef (from $175; eldoradosonoma.com). On the edge of town is Benziger Family Winery, a biodynamic winery inspired by the beyond-organic style of farming espoused in the 1920s by the philosopher Rudolf Steiner (benziger.com). Historic Buena Vista Carneros Winery, which also sells cheeses and charcuterie, is an ideal picnic spot (buenavistacarneros.com).

Though a large hub, Santa Rosa retains a small-town charm. Visit the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens to see the world-renowned horticulturist’s hybrids (707/524-5445). If you’re with kids, don’t miss the Charles M. Schulz Museum (schulzmuseum.org). On Wednesday nights, local winemakers gather at Zazu, an old roadhouse commandeered by innovative young chefs (707/523-4814).

Healdsburg, with its leafy square, countless tasting rooms, artisan food shops, coffee bars, and casual restaurants, is many people’s sole stop for a Sonoma weekend. The chic, modern Hotel Healdsburg has wood floors and Frette bathrobes (from $325; hotelhealdsburg.com). Honor Mansion, a Victorian B&B, is walking distance from the square, with lovely grounds and cottages (from $230; honormansion.com). Quirky and hip, the Duchamp hotel (named for the Dadaist) has six modern cottages with fireplaces, all arranged around a pool (from $350; duchamphotel.com). Stop in for a bite at the Palette Art Café, then browse its gallery showing local artists (palette-art.com). Splurge at Sonoma’s worthy challenge to the French Laundry, Cyrus, which features Asian influenced French cuisine (cyrusrestaurant.com). We love the picnic options at the Jimtown Store, a gourmet shop started by a Silver Palate partner (jimtown.com).

From Healdsburg, you can explore the Russian River Wine Road (pick up the indispensable area map at any shop or restaurant). Check out Iron Horse’s sweeping vineyards and their sparkling wines (ironhorsevineyards.com), then visit the Spanish-style tasting room of Marimar Estate, owned by Marimar Torres, who comes from a long line of Spanish vintners (marimarestate.com). If you’re an environmentalist, you’ll love the award-winning Ridge Lytton Springs, where the power is solar, the tasting room is built from hay bales, and the wines are made using only wild yeasts (ridgewine.com).

The Farmhouse Inn in tiny Forestville has 10 rooms with fireplaces and either a redwood sauna or a steam shower—plus a recently Michelin-starred restaurant (from$225; farmhouseinn.com). The 16-room Applewood Inn near Guerneville is another fave, with its Mediterranean-style decor and a restaurant that draws from an organic garden (from $195; applewoodinn.com). Join vineyard managers who’ve been up before dawn at Hoffman House Café, a popular Geyserville breakfast spot (hoffmanhousecafe.com).