California Road Trip: Sonoma Wine Country

In October 2017 devastating wildfires struck Northern California and at least 43 people were killed and 245,000 acres were burned. There are some 900 wineries in Napa and Sonoma and industry officials say that some 20 percent of those suffered damage. Almost all are up and running along with restaurants and hotels. If you are thinking of traveling to Napa or Sonoma, do it now. They need your visits and dollars to help rebuild.

When we last left off on our California Road Trip, we had spent a day in beautiful Napa Valley. The next day we used the information we received at the Visitor Center and visited Sonoma. Many times these two wine countries, which are so close together, are mixed together in one word or thought such as Napa/Sonoma but they are two separate areas - Napa being the more upscale and Sonoma known as being more laid back. 

We started our visit with a drive through the town of Sonoma and Sonoma plaza to get the lay of the land. Sonoma Plaza is the hub of Sonoma and includes tasting rooms, restaurants and shops. But first, we had to enjoy that California delicacy of In-N-Out Burger. Being East Coasters, it's a rare treat to dine here - this time we chose to skip "animal style" but it still didn't disappoint. 

Our first winery stop was the boutique Homewood Winery. Homewood is as close to a one man operation as you can get. David Homewood tries to keep his hand on as much of the wine making process as he can do. This small winery keeps it's production to about 3000 cases of wine per year. We did a tasting here in the small tasting room - there is also an outdoor tasting screen porch with bar. We enjoyed the personal experience - we were the only ones tasting at the moment - and enjoyed the wine so much we purchased a bottle to take to a friend's house for dinner later in the week. If you enjoy smaller wineries with personal experience, then Homewood is your place.

Next up was my favorite winery experience of our two day visit - Larsen Family Winery. Drive down a long, tree lined lane to visit Larsen and enjoy a country winery experience complete with bocce ball courts and two labs lying on the floor. We each did a tasting at the wood bar while enjoying the photos from the 120 year history of the Larsen Family Winery. Then we took a glass of wine to the patio overlooking the vineyards while a multigenerational family was enjoying wine, playing soccer and cuddling babies all while conversing in French. I enjoyed soaking it all in. In fact, I could have sat there the entire afternoon. But we had to make hay while the sun shines and head on down the road. 

Our next visit was to Cline Cellars. Family owned and sustainably farmed, Cline offered free tastings at the time - now it's $10 per person-  and we enjoyed watching guests arrive for a vineyard wedding while we tasted on the farmhouse front porch. (They also offer private tastings for groups over 6 people and you may also reserve a picnic table) They not only own Cline Cellars but also other vineyards in the county, a 150 acre farm, a hotel and casino along with a property in Tuscany - which all started with Cline in the 1970's. Enjoy a glass of wine overlooking the pond and fountain or shop in the gift shop in the farmhouse - I think you'll enjoy your visit to Cline.

You can only visit so many wineries in a day, and now our stomachs were full of wine and empty of food. We couldn't visit Sonoma without spending some time on the Plaza so on a tip, we drove to Roche Winery tasting room on Sonoma Plaza where we could enjoy a glass of wine on their patio but also eat dinner. A nice ending to the day - people watching and munching on a cheese board while we enjoyed the beautiful weather. Sonoma, you're pretty wonderful.

I've had many people ask me whether I preferred Napa or Sonoma while also giving me the answer to their own question - always Sonoma. It's a tough question as I enjoyed both. But Sonoma probably fits my personality more - it's a bit more country, a bit more laid back and less "make reservations" and more" just show up". But honestly, if I had a chance to visit either, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

How about you? Have you been to Sonoma? Do you prefer Sonoma or Napa?


A huge thanks to The California Globetrotter for featuring The Unpaved Road in her Amazing Drinking Trails post. Head on over to read about some of the world's amazing drinking trails including the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, New Zealand's Wine Trail and yours truly's Bend Ale Trail. You can get there HERE



Linking up with: WATW at Communal Global, The Weekly Postcard at Travel Notes and Beyond and The Weekend Wanderlust Travel Blog Party!