SONOMA VALLEY The Sonoma Valley, Napa’s next-door neighbor to the west, is home to many topnotch wineries, as well as restaurants and resorts. Perhaps a bit less traveled in the past, Sonoma is a burgeoning wine region with lots to see and sip. Sleep Our favorite Sonoma sleep spot is the Vintner’s Resort, tucked off Highway 101 near Santa Rosa. Rooms overlook a vineyard, and there’s a spa with massages, scrubs, and a wonderful restaurant. It almost makes you want to plant yourself and never leave. Or consider The Farmhouse Inn, another welcoming sleep spot. Eat Dining is an art in Sonoma, with so many farms still operating (beyond growing grapes), so it is no wonder that the restaurants here are so delicious. Don’t miss the sublime John Ash & Co. in the Vintner’s Resort (the short ribs!) and put the truly wonderful Stark Restaurants—Willi’s Wine Bar, Bravas, and Stark’s Steak & Seafood— on your must-do list for conviviality and incredibly good food. The Barlow complex in Sebastopol boasts beer breweries, fermented hard cider bars, and Region, a spot to taste wines from local boutique wineries, as well as delicious dining spots like the Blue Ridge Kitchen (try the Steelhead Trout—amazing!). Dutcher Crossing Sonoma Patio View
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Sip Wineries abound in Sonoma, most with incredible settings, sustainable practices, and a wide range of tasty varietals. Winning choices between Santa Rosa and the town of Sonoma include Benziger Family Winery, a biodynamic winery with Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Cabernets, and red blends that will make you smile. Nearby, Landmark Vineyards and winemaker Greg Stach make good, award-winning reserve Pinots and Chardonnays. At the same time, at St. Francis Winery, you’ll find rich Zinfandels, red Bordeaux blends, balanced Chardonnays, and more of Sonoma’s finest. North of Santa Rosa, look for Paradise Ridge Winery, where massive outdoor sculptures blend art with their fine Pinot Noirs, Malbecs, and barrel-fermented Chardonnays. And way up north in the Dry Creek Valley is Dutcher Crossing, where single-vineyard Chardonnays, Pinots, and Zinfandels make for a mouth-watering experience. Spend time in both sublime valleys, and you’ll return home with a new appreciation of what makes these two places America’s best for wine—and a yearning to return, too. For more information on Napa Valley, go to visitnapavalley.com; for Sonoma Valley, visit sonomavalley.com. •