36 hours in Sonoma

By Kabir Chibber
August 29, 2010

Sonoma, CA — If you’re looking for a chocolate pinot noir sauce, keep driving. The rustic region of Sonoma County may be a wine lovers’ playground, but it lacks many of the touristy trappings of its more upscale and better-known neighbor, Napa. Not that Sonomans are complaining. Cars have bumper stickers like “Kill your TV” and “Subvert the Dominant Paradigm,” and people here mean it. The freethinking tradition is being nurtured by a new generation of oenophiles who appreciate Sonoma’s low-key charms, filling its beautiful historic towns with upscale boutiques, art galleries and Old World-style restaurants.

Friday

4 p.m.

1) YOUNG BLOOD

Wineries in Sonoma still tend to be smaller, younger and family-owned. One of the youngest is Scribe Winery (2300 Napa Road, Sonoma; 707-939-1858), started by Andrew Mariani, 28, and his family in 2007 on an estate of almost 200 acres that used to be a turkey farm. The winery, with its dusty driveway and artfully rundown hacienda, is so new the first wines from these vineyards, a pinot noir and chardonnay, won’t be released until next year. Meanwhile, you can sample its blends made from grapes sourced from its nearby vineyards.

7 p.m.

2) TRAGEDY LOVES COMPANY

The hills of Sonoma come alive with music in the summer and fall. The town of Cloverdale has free evening concerts in its main square, next to the farmers’ market. For a dose of high culture, the Sonoma City Opera (484 East Napa Street, Sonoma; 707-939-8288) holds concerts, and the Sonoma County Repertory Theater (104 North Main Street, Sebastopol; 707-823-0177) features Shakespeare and newer plays, including an upcoming run of Neil LaBute’s brutal comedy of a plus-sized romance, Fat Pig.

9 p.m.

3) LA BELLA SONOMA

Sondra Bernstein’s first restaurant, The Girl and the Fig, is an institution. Her latest, Estate (400 West Spain Street, Sonoma; 707-933-3663), opened in 2008 in a historic home, serves regional Italian cuisine using Northern Californian ingredients. Sit outside and start with the prosecco spritzer ($9) and the burrata with homemade olive oil ($11). Favorites include porchetta with polenta served in pork jus ($29) and the Pacific rock cod with wood-fire roasted Yukon golds ($22).

Saturday

10 a.m.

4) FARMER’S CHOICE

A bit too early to be an oenophile? Luckily, there’s much more to Sonoma than wine. The locavore movement is long-established here, and Sonomans are as passionate about what they eat as what they drink. Sample the locally produced cheeses and kefirs using goat’s milk at Redwood Hill Farm (2064 Highway 116 North, Sebastopol; 707-823-8250) and organic wildflower honey from Quivira Vineyards & Winery (4900 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg; 707-431-8333). And La Michoacana (18495 Highway 12, Sonoma; 707-938-1773) makes soft, creamy ice creams with flavors like caramel and mango, just like those found in Tocumba, Mexico, where the owner, Teresita Carr, grew up.

12:30 p.m.

5) ART STROLL

Healdsburg, one of Sonoma’s main towns, is full of boutiques and second homes of the Bay Area’s beautiful and wealthy, but it retains a youthful vibe. It also has a sizable collection of modern art. The Healdsburg Center for the Arts (130 Plaza Street; 707-431-1970) features a rotating cast of local and regional artists, while Hawley Tasting Room and Gallery (36 North Street; 707-473-9500) displays the landscape paintings of Dana Hawley, who is the wife of the respected local winemaker John Hawley.

2.30 p.m.

THE PADRINO (OF WINE)

Around here, Francis Ford Coppola is known more as a winemaker than an Oscar-winning director, having been a vintner for decades at the Rubicon Estate in Napa. This summer, Mr. Coppola opened the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma (300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville; 707-857-1471). The 88-acre estate, a small part of which is still under construction, has a restaurant called Rustic featuring some of Mr. Coppola’s favorite dishes, two outdoor swimming pools to keep things child friendly, and Hollywood memorabilia like Vito Corleone’s desk from “The Godfather.” Best of all, some tastings of standard wines are free — a rarity in California.

5:30 p.m.

7) BUBBLE BATH

Sonoma has its fair share of high-end resorts where one can sequester oneself from the rest of the world. But it’s better to take advantage of the excellent day spas in the area that let you pop in and out at your leisure. A Simple Touch Spa (239 Center Street, Healdsburg; 707-433-6856) lets you lie in a bath of sparkling wine, mustard or fango mud and then enjoy a half-hour massage for $55. The stylish spa at Hotel Healdsburg (25 Matheson Street, Healdsburg; 800-889-7188) has a reviving body wrap using wine and local honey, 50 minutes for $110.

7 p.m.

8) POLISHED CLASSICS

In 2004, when the French chef Bruno Tison took over the restaurant Santé at the historic Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa (100 Boyes Boulevard, Sonoma; 707-938-9000), he set his sights high, with a creative menu that paired French flavors with American favorites. The gamble seems to have paid off: the restaurant received a Michelin star last year — one of only four in Sonoma County to be awarded the distinction. Must-tries include the “grown-up” macaroni and cheese with Maine lobster and black truffles ($18), and roasted duck breast in a “dirty rice” of mushrooms and foie gras, accompanied by a duck confit ($37). The menu also features an extensive selection of regional wines.

10 p.m.

9) COCKTAIL TASTING

Wine country is not renowned for its night life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. The cocktail bar at the sleek and minimalist El Dorado Hotel (405 First Street West, Sonoma; 707-996-3220) exudes an effortless glamour and gets particularly lively during the Sonoma Jazz Festival. Try the peach jalapeño, a mix of peppers and peach vodka. The town of Santa Rosa is also filled with bars, though many can feel fratty. An exception is Christy’s on the Square (96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa; 707-528-8565), which draws an older, sophisticated clientele.

Sunday

9 a.m.

10) NATURE TRAIL

Leave the vineyards behind and head to the coast, about an hour away at Bodega Bay. Campbell Cove, by the Bodega Head, is a secluded sandy beach that feels as though it was made just for you and the seagulls. Afterward, rent a bike at Bodega Bay Cycles (1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay; 707-875-2255) starting at $9 an hour, and pedal up Highway 1, which goes along the rugged terrain of the Sonoma Coast.

Noon

11) YEAST NOTES

Tired of pondering the finer points of merlot versus pinot noir? Well, get ready to debate the terroir of malted barley and hops — Sonoma has a fine collection of microbreweries. Dempsey's (50 East Washington Street, Petaluma; 707-765-9694) has a stout called Ugly Dog — because the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is held in town. Bear Republic Brewing Co. (345 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg; 707-433-2337) serves special brews available only on draft, including the ultra-creamy Black Raven Porter and a pale ale called Crazy Ivan that’s been mixed with a yeast used by Trappist monks. There’s not a spitting bucket in sight.

IF YOU GO

Sonoma is about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco. According to a recent Web search, flights to San Francisco from New York start at around $279 for travel in early September. A car is needed to get around.

Rodeway Inn Wine Country (6288 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928) is located in heart of Sonoma County, this Rohnert Park hotel is within 30 minutes of all wine country attractions, and walking distance to several restaurants, shopping and lounges. We are a pet-friendly hotel. Doubles start at $55 a night.

Fountaingrove Inn Hotel (101 Fountain Grove Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA, US, 95403) is situated in the business district, this Santa Rosa property is close to Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates. Features. Fountaingrove Inn Hotel has a spa tub, a fitness facility, and a seasonal outdoor pool. Business amenities include a business center, wireless Internet access, meeting rooms for small groups, and business services. Fountaingrove Inn Hotel has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. Doubles start at $175 a night.

H2hotel (219 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg) has 36 rooms done in a minimalist style of white linens and bamboo floors, each with a flat-screen TV and a balcony. Rooms start at $215 between August and October.

The Timber Cove Inn (21780 North Coast Highway 1, Jenner, CA, US, 95450) situated by the ocean, this Jenner hotel is close to Fort Ross and has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. Rooms start at $210.

Budget Travel inc Travel News Index
To continue shopping click here

Ask Budget Travel inc about Sonoma