"I have everything [here] to make me glad I am alive," said author Jack London as he surveyed the bounties of his home, Sonoma County. Usually Sonoma plays the step-sister to its more famous neighbor, Napa, but with some of the world's best wineries, the twisting Russian River, and the enchantment of a rugged coast --it is a deliciously tantalizing destination on its own score. And it's starkly different from more bustling and well-manicured Napa. In still essentially rural Sonoma, there is plentiful farmland and there also is an unruliness, an unkemptness that sees trees and vines and bushes exploding in bursts of green. It is a colorful, sometimes wild county.
The Grape. Well over 170 wineries call Sonoma County home -- among the celebrated labels are Mantanzas Creek, Simi, Nalle, Dry Creek. Most offer free tastings. Where to begin? Head to the county's best tour at F. Korbel & Bros. in Guerneville, where daily one-hour tours include a walk through old cellars (don't miss the antique wine-making equipment and turn of the century photographs). Korbel today is America's largest bottler of premium champagne, but it didn't start out as a winery at all. Franz Korbel and his brothers -- all 19th century Bohemian immigrants -- wanted trees to turn into cigar boxes so they bought up acres along the Russian River. When the land was cleared, the brothers decided to plant grapes and eventually turned to making champagne. It's a rich history, well-told by lively guides, and a bonus is a free tasting of Korbel champagnes, usually including a few lesser-known varieties (such as Blanc de Noirs, a zesty red champagne made from pinot noir grapes). Call: (707) 887-2294).
Eats. Which wine with what food? That's the perennial stuff of indecision, sometimes argument, but the restaurant at Healdsburg's Madrona Manor provides a tasty solution: Set multi-course dinners that are served with wines, usually from smaller wineries and chosen by the sommelier for their appropriateness. One night the menu offered scallops (paired with a glass of sauvignon blanc from a nearby boutique vineyard), salad (with a lively pinot gris from Oregon), roast leg of lamb (with a robust syrah from Mendocino), and fruit served with a rich local port. The price? A remarkable $65 per person. A three-course meal, with different food and wines, cost just $52 per person. Even better, the restaurant is housed in the picture perfect Madrona Manor, an old Victorian mansion that's now a meticulously-converted hotel that sits in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma's premier wine-growing region. Reservations are a must: (800)-258-4003.
Blooming genius. When he came to Sonoma County from his native Massachusetts in 1875, Luther Burbank declared: "this is the chosen spot of all this earth." That's because this stunningly talented horticulturist believed he had found the ideal growing location, and during his 50 years here Burbank invented more than 800 new plants, from the Burbank potato (popularly known as the Idaho baking potato) through the Shasta daisy. His Santa Rosa home is now a museum -- with well-tended gardens of course -- and docent-led one-hour tours (cost: $2) give a vivid picture of this gardener of rare genius. Tour schedules vary -- call (707)-524-5445 for information.
Must-do: The stop for locals in Healdsburg, Sonoma's quintessential wine-country town, isn't a tony restaurant, but the Downtown Bakery, just off the central plaza (at 308 A Center St.). There are no tables inside. Go up to the counter, order a coffee (it's always fresh and strong), and buy baked goods (the sticky buns and pain au chocolat are delicious breakfast food; for later in the day, there's focaccia -- try the rosemary). Then step outside, cross the street and sit under an old redwood in the plaza of this lovely town of 10,000 that perches between the Russian River and Dry Creek Valley. (Phone: (707)-431-2719.)
Thrills. The Russian River, which runs through Sonoma County until it pours into the sea at Jenner, is what gives Sonoma its moist and green character, and there's no better way to see the county than from the river, which ranks as the state's most popular for canoeing. Paddle down the river and enjoy the spectacular view of vineyards and wild life (especially birds: hawks and egrets are plentiful). You will spill. Even at its most placid, the river frequently takes sharp turns that overturn most canoes. A top trip: Trowbridge Recreation's half-day, 11-mile outing from Alexander Valley to Healdsburg. Price: $28 for the canoe rental (maximum: two adults). Phone: (800) 640-1386.
Lodgings. Good rooms are hard to find in Sonoma County. Make reservations well in advance for summer weekends and holidays year-round. Where to stay? A top choice is the Sonoma Mission Inn on the outskirts of the town of Sonoma. The county's most elegant hotel, Sonoma Mission Inn recently unveiled 30 luxury suites with high ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces, and a jacuzzi tub in every bathroom. The suites are $300 - $475 per night -- a grand splurge. Other rooms range from $145 to $395. Call: (800) 862-4945.
For more casual lodgings -- in a dramatically different setting -- there's Bodega Bay Lodge, nestled up to the roaring Pacific Ocean. Most rooms feature glorious ocean views, a private terrace, and a fireplace for chasing off any chills (and temperature at the Sonoma coast are typically 20 to 30 degrees lower than inland). Rates: $125 to $230. Call: (800) 368-2468.
Copyright 1998 by Robert McGarvey.
This article originally appeared in Avenues Magazine.
