Robert Frost said, “ Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” A mantra that we all should adhere to live by. The same can be said when traveling to America’s premier wine country region in the Sonoma Valley. A wine aficionados dream journey, traveling from winery to winery exploring the vast variety of terrain and back roads. Seeking the “road less traveled” comes easy in Sonoma.
Bordering Marin, Napa, and Mendocino counties, Sonoma county is one of California’s most breathtaking areas. No other California county combines an award winning wine region along with a spellbinding, rugged coastline. Tasting your way through Sonoma county might take one a good week and you still might not see it all. There are close to 450 wineries in Sonoma County. Add in over 500 eateries, many of them Zagat and Michelin rated restaurants. Complete with breweries, farms, farmers markets and you can easily spends days exploring the vast area and not run out of new places to visit.
A land for all seasons, Sonoma County offers something for everyone. Families relish vacationing amongst the towering redwoods, along the winding Russian River, complete with its charming town of Guerneville. With its historic town square, the old town of Sonoma, the area known as “The Valley of the Moon” provides a wonderful getaway, and is under an hour from San Francisco. The centrally located town of Healdsburg is perfect for a romantic getaway. The coastal towns of Marshall, Bodega Bay and Jenner date back to the gold rush.
With so many wineries to choose from, it all comes to personal preference. Many times the best wines can be found by deviating from the main highways and roads taking the road less traveled.
One winery that should not be missed is The Donum Estate located on Ramal Road just off of Highway 121 on the road to Napa through Sonoma. The Donum Estate, established in 2001, is an off-the-beaten path, boutique winery in the acclaimed wine region of Carneros, producing only single-vineyard, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from grapes sourced from the estate and Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley vineyards. Modeled after the Burgundy region in France, the mission of The Donum Estate – “donum” means “gift” in Latin ― is to offer “The Gift of the Land” by producing collector-worthy, high-end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
A foremost authority of the region who brings with her over 30 years of expertise with Sonoma County wines, Donum’s president and winegrower Anne Moller-Racke founded The Donum Estate and has been there since its inception overseeing all operations, including the vineyards and winemaking. Anne’s dedicated team have a deep understanding of the land, creating perfect Dijon and heirloom clones for the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay exhibiting regional character and intensity of each individual lot.
The estate has two beautiful, farmhouse-chic tasting rooms and a sculpture park featuring artists such as Ai Weiwei, Fernando Botero and Richard Hudson. The grounds are ideal for hosting intimate tasting experiences for groups of two to eight people to drink single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay while wondering the magnificent, property. Tastings and visits to are by appointment only, so book soon at The Donum Estate.
Sonoma County, what’s not to like? California’s diverse playground includes, award winning wineries in 17 distinct wine growing areas, producing an impressive array of wines. Just 55 miles of coastline to swim and surf in the Pacific Ocean. Back road towns of Kenwood and Glen Ellen, would have Mark Twain’s approval. Top resorts complete with award winning spas for the perfect way to recharge after a long day of winery hoping. Visit the preserved town on Petaluma with its well-kept, 100 plus year old Victorian homes. Come see the whales migrating from Alaska in the winter months. Ride a bike from the town of Windsor through Healdsburg to the Dry Creek wineries. During the summer months the area is filled with wine and food festivals. Feast on oysters or even surf in Bodega Bay.
During 2016, Jack London State Historic Park—the land that was London’s ranch—will mark this Centennial milestone and pay tribute to London’s legacy with events yearlong. These ongoing activities will be featured and regularly updated online at Jack London Park.
With 27,000-plus artists and hundreds of music and art events each month – open studio events, art walks, art show openings – is it any wonder that Sonoma County is said to have more artists per capita than anywhere else in California?
For art lovers, the monthly Healdsburg Art walk highlights more than 20 downtown galleries from May to December.
The acclaimed Green Music Center opened in 2012. This world-class performing arts center joins a palette of 30-plus performing arts centers, and more than a hundred galleries and museums.
The Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schultz lived over 50 years in Sonoma County. You can see many of his works in the museum in Santa Rosa.
Getting to Sonoma County is easy. Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, due north of San Francisco on California Highway 101, the journey is under an hour. Santa Rosa airport is named after local resident Charles M. Schultz, connects passengers with direct flights from Los Angeles, Las Vegas. Portland, Seattle, San Diego, and new flights for 2016 from Las Vegas and Phoenix.
Learn more about California’s wine country playground by visiting
Photos courtesy of Sonoma County CVB and Nicholas Kontis