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Interested in visiting Sonoma, California?
Well you're in for a treat! Sonoma is one of my favorite spots in California (and, indeed, the entire country). Somehow still quaint, after skyrocketing to international fame many decades ago, now, a trip to Sonoma makes for a perfect weekend (or longer) getaway for any wine lover!
Getting to Sonoma
For out-of-towners like us, it's easy to fly into either of San Francisco's large airports, rent a car, and drive up to Sonoma. The drive takes a little over an hour from either airport. Beware of traffic - things get incredibly crowded, quickly, in the Bay Area.
History of Sonoma
Established as a Spanish mission, and later a Spanish military base to protect San Francisco's northern border, Sonoma's Spanish heritage is still widely visible - including through many historic sites. Even in these early stages of settlement, the Spanish were planting vineyards, and grapes/wine quickly became an agricultural staple of the region.
The first commercial winery was established in Sonoma by a Hungarian, Agoston Haraszthy, at what is now called Buena Vista Winery, in 1857. And, of course, you're reading this post because, today, Sonoma County is one of the largest producers of wine grapes in California (even more so than Napa Valley). 
Should I visit Sonoma or Napa?
Whenever I say we're heading out to "California wine country," people generally assume I mean "Napa." While Napa is often part of the plans, of course Napa is a distinct city (and a valley), Sonoma - the home of California wine - really should be just as synonymous with sampling California varietals.
If you're looking for a quaint experience in California wine country, you'll love Sonoma.
Sonoma has, interestingly, escaped much of the commercialization that has taken hold in parts of the Napa Valley. I'd strongly recommend making it your home base in the region. Surrounded by wineries (some are as close as 10 minutes away from downtown), and only half an hour from Napa and most of that valley's vineyards, you really can't go wrong.
Sonoma's Restaurants
Sonoma is home to some of wine country's best restaurants - all of which are housed in almost impossibly cute, historic buildings.
The Girl & The Fig
We decided to go big or go home upon our arrival in Sonoma, and were lucky enough to use the time change to our advantage, to be able to walk into The Girl & the Fig the second they opened. That said, within a few minutes of sitting down, the place filled up. Definitely make a reservation, if your heart is set on eating here, or if you want to come for dinner! We kicked things off with an excellent cheese plate, featuring local cheeses and, of course, figs and fig-based jam. As it was lunch, we kept it light with soups and salads, all of which were delicious and featuring the much-loved fruit. I'd love to see their dinner offerings - guess I'll just have to drop by again!
The Girl & the Fig, Sonoma
HopMonk Tavern
And, though of course they offer the fruit of the grape, if you're looking for a more casual, but no less tasty, option, HopMonk Tavern offers a pub-style atmosphere, with upscale dining options and local beer.
Basque Boulangerie Cafe
From the woven chairs to the wide variety of coffee options, Basque Boulangerie rivaled any European cafe I've visited! Layla at MacArthur Place Layla at MacArthur Place, Sonoma
And, if you're looking for a fancy evening, I'd recommend the new Layla at MacArthur Place. For regular readers, you'll already have heard me drone on about how much I enjoyed it, in my recent post on our stay at MacArthur Place.
Tasting Rooms on the Sonoma SquareHow do tasting rooms work?
Pop into any of Sonoma's tasting rooms around the square and you're fairly likely to pay around $20-$30/ person for often a 5-sample tasting. That said, if you're attentive and good pupils, you'll generally get far more than that. The reality is, if you're a loud party not listening to what they're saying about the wine...you won't.
In fact, expect to spend about 20% of your time discussing with the employees how frustrated they are with those particular tourists. If you haven't done so already, you have to watch Wine Country once you get back from your trip out there - it has some great sketches about tastings. In addition, some places allow you to just order a glass or two, but tasting the different options and learning is so much more fun! As far as specific tasting rooms go, we really enjoyed our time at the Bennett Valley Cellars tasting room (Bennett Valley is one of the regions newest AVAs). Kendall-Jackson's grapes come from here. But, Bennett Valley was founded by Italian immigrants and has been around a bit longer.
Most of Sonoma's tasting rooms are fairly small - a few seating areas and likely only one employee. They're fairly hidden - some are only the size of a boutique shop - so keep your eyes peeled!
Wineries Outside Sonoma
Of course the tasting rooms are the highlight of downtown, but Sonoma is smack-dab in the middle of so many gorgeous wineries. You'll see them on your way into and out of town - and just because a winery is close to town doesn't mean it's a less-desirable option! Take advantage of Sonoma's excellent location and pop around to as many as you like.
For more on where we visited, here's my full post on Exploring California's Wineries. 
Gloria Ferrer, Sonoma
Shopping in Sonoma
On all sides of the town square, in addition to the square itself, Sonoma is filled with quaint shops - from boutiques to homewares, and, of course, wine supplies, I am consistently pleasantly surprised with the variety and quality of Sonoma's shops. And don't forget to check out the original Williams Sonoma! It's OK if you hadn't realized the origin of the name - it's so common now that most people don't!
General Vallejo House
General Vallejo home
Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you're able to have as wonderful a visit to Sonoma as we always do! Happy tasting! xx
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If you're watched Ken Burns' The West, you're familiar with the unfortunate fall of General Vallejo - from respected Spanish administrator, to leader of the Californian push for admission to the United States, to victim of encroachment onto his lands from the country he chose to join. Vallejo also served as mayor of Sonoma, so you'll find a nice statue of him in the town square.
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1 Comment
5/1/2024 12:12:07 pm
Sonoma wine tasting experiences are totally unlike what you'll find in Napa. It is truw that Sonoma produces more grapes than Napa, there are many more small wineries in Sonoma than there are in Napa. Napa has more of the large and mid-sized producers. In Sonoma, you're much more likely to find small wineries producing less than 2500 cases per year. What that means is, the people pouring in the wine tasting rooms and likely to be winegrowers and winemakers, whereas in Napa, you'll tend to meet wine stewards and sommeliers. Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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