Pedal toward the pinot in Sonoma County, Calif.

BY LISA DAVIS

Scenic vineyards Ocean and the 254-square-mile and leisurely wine Laguna de Santa Rosa wetlands, tastings have long a mosaic of creeks, perennial drawn visitors to marshes, forests, woodlands and Sonoma County, grasslands. Add wine pit stops to located about 45 the itinerary, and renting a bike miles northeast of San becomes an even more Francisco. California‘s pleasurable way to tour

Traditionally, guests Cycling Under Sonoma County. rent a stretch limousine the Influence Winemaker Kathleen for a day of wining, dining and more wining. or “CUI” law prohibits riding a bicycle while Inman, owner of Inman Family Wines, which But as travelers seek under the produces sustainable nature-filled getaways, influence of pinot noir and pinot gris touring Sonoma County drugs and/or grapes, says, “Sonoma in the open air on a bike alcohol. County is a paradise for is gaining popularity. SOURCE: NOLO NETWORK cyclists, and the Russian

It’s not surprising visi- River Valley has so many tors want to experience Sonoma beautiful rides.” The vineyard County’s natural beauty up close. welcomes riders by providing onThe region’s landscape is infused site bike racks and schedules wine with vineyard-laden countryside, shipments, so riders don’t have to groves of redwood trees and haul bottles while cycling. a diverse marine topography, “The patchwork of vineyard and including the expansive Pacific small farms, as well as the >

majestic redwoods and oak forests, are a joy to ride through,” Inman adds. “My advice is earlymorning rides when there are few cars out and about and the road is more open for bikes.”

Vern Lakusta, general manager of Hotel E in Santa Rosa, leads the hotel’s Pedal for Pinot package that includes a bottle of Sonoma pinot noir, hybrid bike rentals and a 5.5-mile round-trip professionally guided winetasting ride. “To be able to hop on a bike and within 15 minutes be in the heart of one of the world’s greatest wine regions is truly a remarkable experience,” he says.

Guided cycling excursions eliminate the guesswork. Locals who know the area and surrounding wineries create the itineraries and run the tours. Wine Country Bikes offers overnight biking trips exploring the shores of the Pacific Ocean, towering redwoods and Sonoma County’s wine country, including Westside Road, a corridor with 12 miles of wineries. There’s also Getaway Adventures’ daylong Healdsburg Bike & Wine Tour that traverses riders along country roads in the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys, with stops at three to four family-owned wineries.

If you prefer to forgo guides and forge your own pedal path, the mostly paved West County Regional Trail is a 5.5-mile ride linking Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville with plenty of farms, pastures and vineyards. Start in Forestville and follow the path through the Atascadero Creek Marsh Ecological Reserve and then on to the village of Graton, where nature lovers can stop at the Hallberg Butterfly Gardens, a 9-acre wildlife sanctuary where dozens of colorful butterfly species dwell. Cycle on to Sebastopol, located within a designated wine grape-growing region. Enjoy wine tasting at The Barlow open-air marketplace, which replaced a 12.5-acre industrial site with an artisan commercial district of wineries, a distillery and microbreweries. The Barlow’s Region wine shop offers roughly 50 Sonoma County varieties at self-serve machines in one room, while in another room visitors can enjoy traditional wine tastings. Afterward, have lunch at Blue Ridge Kitchen and a hard apple cider inside Golden State Cider’s taproom, or grab to-go sandwiches from The Farmer’s Wife for a tasty picnic.

More wine-inspired cycling rides can be found on the Santa Rosa Cycling Club’s website. Sonoma County Tourism also has wine-bike tour ideas, as does Sonoma Valley Bike Tours. BikePartners.net in Santa Rosa will deliver rented cycles to your location, including hybrids, electric bikes, road bikes and other vehicles.

“The natural beauty that Sonoma County has to offer is compounded significantly when explored on a bike,” says Lakusta. l

PHOTOS BY RONESSEX