Wine Trip
sonoma california
may 2021
Travel to sonoma california with us!
Here is a recommended itinerary and travel stops if you are heading to Sonoma for a wine and food vacation, or if you are thinking about going in the future.
You can fly into San Fransisco or Oakland and rent a car from there (I even Ubered once) or you can fly into the closer but smaller airport in Santa Rosa
If you fly Alaska Air they will check a case of wine free!
Rental car is the main way to get around since the Sonoma Valley is pretty large and spread out north to south. If you are staying in Healdsburg you can walk around the town and taste without at car.
As noted above, they Valley is pretty spread out. I’d recommend 3 tastings at most per day with room for lunch or snack breaks in between and finishing with a meal in Healdsburg or Downtown Sonoma.
Healdsburg
Healdsburg is a great spot to set up as your jumping off point. Its near the far north end of the valley but has plenty of hotel, restaurant, and tasting options. Especially if you don’t want to worry about renting a car or driving.
Winery of Arnot-Roberts
The cement tanks at Arnot-Roberts winery in Healdsburg. They make a restrained style of wine that shows fruit and balance, and these tanks avoid the influence of any oak on the wines. This is a tiny production winery making some of the most exciting wines in the area.
Greg La Follette at Alquimista
A genius Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine maker who also makes a killer old vine Zinfandel. He’s started a small new winery called Alquimista. You won’t a more friendly and knowledgable winemaker anywhere in the Valley.
Vineyards Ridge Zinfandel
Here you can see the gnarly old vine Zinfandel vines in Lytton Springs Vineyards owned by Ridge. These types of vines must be hand harvested which is labor intensive and produce minimal yields but concentrated grapes.
Campo Fina in Healdsburg
One of the best restaurants in Sonoma, located in downtown Healdsburg. Specializing in small Italian themed plates and pizzas, its a great place to share a meal and have some wine after a day of tasting.