Inside Wine Country

Entertainment / Activities

Sonoma County offers many opportunities to get out and enjoy yourself, whether listening to your favorite artist at the Wells Fargo Center for the Performing Arts, or peddling some of the best road courses in the United States.   Levi Leipheimer lives and trains in Sonoma County as wells as some of the cyclists from the U.S. National Team.  If your passion is road biking, Sonoma County should be your destination.

My favorite things to do

  • Entertainment:
  • Wells Fargo Center for the Performing Arts 707-546-3600.  World-class performers in an intimate setting… Performers such as Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Ellen DeGeneres and Jerry Seinfeld perform for your enjoyment!  Have dinner at a local restaurant (Willie’s Wine Bar) then enjoy the concert!  50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA  95404.
  • Green Music Center  707-664-4404.  Located on the Campus of Sonoma State University, The Green Music Center is 10 years in the making… scheduled for completion in 2011, the 105,000 music center is consider to be acoustically-perfect.  Complete with dining facilities and indoor / outdoor seating.
  • Hiking Hot Spots:
  • Armstrong Woods State Park  707-869-2015.  Located in Guerneville, CA.  This park offers hikes and picnic grounds in an incredibly beautiful setting!  Some of the Redwoods in this park are over 1,000 years old.  Hikes range from 1 mile hikes to strenuous hikes of 9+ miles with a 1500’ elevation change.
    Google Map
  • Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Hillcrest Trail 707-833-5712.  A 1.5hr. hike to the top of 2700 ft. Bald Mountain!  You can see the San Francisco skyline from the ridge!  Bring lots of Water and a light lunch. Look for deer, gray foxes and the occasional bobcat!  During the summer it can be 90 degrees.
    Google Map
  • Doran State Park 707-875-3540.  Located just North of Bodega Bay, this 2 mile beach offers a great walk and is dog-friendly.  Camping is permitted. 
    Google Map
  • Kayaking:
  • Blue Water Kayaks 415-669-2600.  If you’re considering a day of Kayaking on beautiful Tamales Bay, this is the place.  Pack a picnic and rent a kayak from Blue Water! bwkayak.com
  • Rivers Edge Kayak & Canoe707-433-7247.  Great place to rent a Kayak and explore the beautiful Russian River. riversedgekayakandcanoe.com

Wine and Food

With over 100 wineries in the area you are certain to find one that suits you!  Many of these wineries have wine clubs that offer discounts to their members and host special events throughout the year, such as barrel tastings and vineyard dinners in the summer months.

The food is fresh, with local ingredients paired with the wine of your choice.  Many of the top chefs in the San Francisco area have recently opened restaurants in Sonoma County, with Healdsburg taking center stage of this culinary revolution.  A few of my favorites in the Healdsburg area… Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, Bistro Ralph (right off the Plaza), Ravenous and Healdsburg Bar and Grill for the absolute best burger and sweet potato french fries.

My Favorite Wineries

  • Gary Farrell WineryHealdsburg, CA.  707-473-2900.  Russian River Pinot at its best!  The pioneer in Russian River Pinot… 10701 Westside Rd. www.garyfarrelwines.com

  • Lambert Bridge Winery Healdsburg, CA. 707-431-9600.  Big Cabernet and Wonderful Zinfandel.  Great place to picnic with tables and room to relax!  Fifteen minutes from downtown Healdsburg.  4085 W. Dry Creek Road. www.lambertbridge.com

  • Mazzocco WineryHealdsburg, CA.  707-433-9035. Wonderful Zinfandel and Petite Sarah… Great Views overlooking Dry Creek Valley.  1400 Lytton Springs Road. www.mazzocco.com

  • Balletto Vineyards Sebastopol, CA 707-568-2455.  Great Pinot and Chardonnay. 5700 Occidental Road.  Ask for John when you’re at the winery!  www.ballettovineyards.com

  • Dutton Estate Winery  Sebastopol, CA 707-829-9463.  Fantastic Pinot, Zinfandel and Chardonnay…ask for Martina on the weekends, she works in the tasting room!  8757 Green Valley Road.  www.duttonestate.com

  • Merry Edwards WinerySebastopol, CA. 707-823-7466.  Arguably some of the best Pinot Noir on the planet!  Merry Edwards is one of California’s first female winemakers and began her career in 1974…2959 Gravenstein Highway North.  www.merryedwards.com

  • Chauteau St. JeanKenwood, CA. 707-833-4134.  Wonderful crisp Chardonnay and Big Cabernet with a nice finish.  Beautiful gardens and a great place to wine taste!  8555 Sonoma Highway.  www.chauteaustjean.com

  • Newton Winery and VineyardsSt. Helena, CA.  707-963-9000.  A 560 Acre Mountain Vineyard and Winery with beautiful gardens in the Spring and Summer!  Located approximately 10 minutes from downtown St. Helena.  Newton specializes in unfiltered Cabernet and Chardonnay wines.  The winemaker, Chris Millard is making great wines at Newton!  www.newtonvineyard.com

My Favorite Restaurants

  • K&L BistroSebastopol, CA. (707)-823-6614.  Classic French Bistro with great wines by the glass!  1 Michelin Star… Wonderful Crab Cakes, Fantastic Burgers and Frites. $$

  • Martha’s Old MexicoSebastopol, CA (707)-823-4458.  Authentic Mexican cuisine with wonderful salsa Verde and creative Mexican salads! Wine and Beer.  Patio Dining. $

  • Hopmonk Tavern Sebastopol, CA (707)-829-7300.  Over 30 Beers on Tap, including Pliny the Elder (Double IPA).  Owner, Dean Biersch was one of the founders of Gordon Biersch Brewery and Restaurants.  Fish and Chips, Burgers and Salads and Pasta.  Outdoor Dining… live music 4 days per week in the Abbey. $
  • Cyrus RestaurantHealdsburg, CA.  (707)-433-3311. If you can’t get into Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Oakville, CA this is the next best thing!  Wonderful five and seven course meals served with or without wine pairings!  The service is wonderful.  Plan on spending three hours for dinner…$$$$
  • Bistro Ralph(707)-433-1380.  Right on the Town Plaza in Healdsburg.  Seasonal Salads, Smoked Salmon BLT, Crab Cakes and Ice-Cold Martinis!  Can be noisy, but is really fun and you should go when you’re in town. $$
  • Dry Creek KitchenHealdsburg, CA.  (707)-431-0330.  Charlie Palmer’s restaurant in the Wine Country!  No corkage fee on Sonoma County wines at dinner.  Go wine tasting during the day, then bring a nice bottle of red to dinner and enjoy!  Dry-Aged Steak, Lamb Chops, Pasta and the best wine selection in Sonoma County.  $$$
  • Lucas WharfBodega Bay, CA. (707)-875-3522.  Fish and Chips, Clam Chowder and Dungness Crab in a locally-owned restaurant / fish market.  As fresh as it gets…$
  • Cindy’s Backstreet KitchenSt. Helena, CA.  (707)-963-1200.   Located one-block east of downtown St. Helena, this would be an easy place to miss!  Better meat loaf than your mom ever made!  Great pasta dishes and wonderful salads.  This is a place you want to go for lunch and dinner. $$
  • The Model BakerySt. Helena, CA.  (707)-963-8192.  In continuous operation since the 1920’s.  Great Sandwiches, tuna melt, BLT and hot soups.  Home made bread, cookies and pastries.  Casual…$
  • Mustards Grill Napa, CA. (707)-944-2424.  A mainstay of the Napa restaurant scene for 25 years!  Impossible to get into on a weekend without reservations!  Great Burgers, Salads, Steak Sandwiches…Full bar with great wines by the glass. $$$
  • Nightingale Bakery Forestville, CA.  707-887-8887. Sourdough and Rosemary Focaccia baked daily. Cinnamon-Raisin Bread on Thursday.  Assorted cheeses… in a word, fantastic! $

Weather

The weather is mild, with the average summer temperature in the mid to high 80’s.  We average about 25-30 inches of rain per year, with most of the rain coming between December and March; however it’s still possible to get in a round of golf in January and enjoy temperatures in the mid to high 60’s.