Quick Take: Sonoma Wine Country

There’s something magical about wine country—and not just the wine itself (though yes, I love that too). From the wild beauty of vineyards sprawling across rolling hills to the earthy scent of fermenting grapes in the fall, Sonoma’s wine country in particular has a unique charm in every season.

Whether it’s the gnarled twists of old zinfandel vines or the fresh green bursts of spring growth, the landscape always tells a story. Rain or shine, Sonoma is a place I love to explore—and if you’re a fellow wine lover or just someone who appreciates beautiful scenery, a weekend in Sonoma (or a day trip from San Francisco) might become one of yours too.

Getting There

From my home in Portland, Sonoma’s an easy flight: the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport (STS) is right in the middle of the Sonoma Valley and has direct flights from a number of west coast cities, including Portland. And yes, the airport is full of Peanuts characters honoring the airport’s namesake, who moved to the area in the late 1950s. There’s maybe four gates—well, counters—but they all exit the same door: it’s small, quick, and easy, including TSA PreCheck.

Sonoma isn’t always the cheapest flight though, so it’s convenient that San Francisco International (SFO), Oakland International (OAK), and Sacramento International (SMF) airports are all within two hours without traffic.

Regardless of which airport you arrive at, you’ll probably need to plan to drive, though. Ride shares are hit or miss and cell service can be fleeting once you’re in the vineyards. That doesn’t mean you have to drive once you get there, however; see below for designated driver and other transportation options.

When to Go

I can’t think of a bad time to explore wine country, but the Sonoma Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting weekends at the beginning of March are some of my favorites. Why? Sonoma is one of my favorite regions – the variety of grapes and styles is vast, yet the pretense level is a few notches down from that of nearby Napa. Barrel weekend means getting the first taste of some great wines. And as much as anything, it’s a great chance to taste at dozens of wineries without ponying up tasting fees every time you walk through a winery’s doors. Yes, you still have to pay, it just doesn’t feel like death by a thousand tasting fees.

There are plenty of other events as well, such as Out in the Vineyard’s Gay Wine Weekend in July, the Taste Destination 128 BBQ Cookoff in August, Winter Wineland in January, and a ton of other goings-on.

There’s really no right way to do wine tasting, and that’s especially true for event weekends. Chart out the stunning tasting rooms you might not prioritize otherwise. Focus on the wineries with samples out of the barrel that are your very favorites. Pick a few spots close to one another. Scout out the places with (or next to) fun food pairings.

There is a wrong way to do wine tasting of course, so see below for transportation tips.

Getting Around

Of course, there is a wrong way to do wine tasting, especially when there’s 100+ wineries taking part in some events and beyond that, even more to explore. Be sure to pick or hire a designated driver. Companies like Designated Drivers Napa/Sonoma (which I’ve used multiple times, but there are other companies too) are insured to drive your personal vehicle or your rental car. Sedan and limo services are available too, but keep in mind that swanky stretch Town Car isn’t practical for most winery driveways and parking lots.

As noted above, ride shares aren’t as readily available as they are in larger cities and cell service is patchy (at best) in some of the vineyards outside of town, so I wouldn’t count on Lyft or Uber to from winery to winery.

Lodging

While there may not be the same quantity or variety of lodging options in Sonoma’s wine country as there are in the major cities to the south, the region has a little something for most tastes. Certainly there are some sweet vacation rentals if you’re here for a longer stay or have a larger group, but there are decent hotel options too. Such as:

• The AC Hotel Santa Rosa might be my favorite in the area if you can get a good rate. The rooms are swanky, it’s easily walkable to restaurants, galleries and other spots in downtown Santa Rosa, and it’s pretty central to the area’s wineries. There’s also a Courtyard and Hyatt nearby.
• In Healdsburg, the Hotel Healdsburg is a high-class option with a Charlie Palmer restaurant on site, but the Best Western Dry Creek Inn is a decent but less expensive alternative. Rooms at the Best Western are basic, but the location is great and the pool is pretty decent when you need a break from the wine.
• Windsor is in between Santa Rosa and Healdsburg and among other options there is the Hampton Inn and Suites. This location is about what you’d expect for a Hampton Inn, but the Windsor location is convenient and it’s a relatively easy walk across the street to Mary’s Pizza Shack (and other places) if you need to travel on foot for something to accompany that extra bottle of wine you brought home to go with dinner.
• And for something totally different, the campground at Lake Sonoma is at the north end of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. There are boat-in sites at the lake and hopefully RV sites again soon (currently closed), though you’ll obviously need to drive anywhere from here.

So drink up! Be safe (your mom told me to tell you that). And have fun!