A Perfect Trip to Wine Country: Sonoma Travel Guide

One of our absolute favorite places in the world is Sonoma. It has been a staple trip for my family over the years starting with my parents and then once my brother and I were old enough we took our first trip. Scott was a little tentative – he thought that it would be too fancy and uppity for him but after his first trip to Sonoma he was obsessed!

When our friends asked if we wanted to do a trip this summer we were so excited to show them around and take them to some of our favorites and try a few new ones. Here was our agenda for the week & our recommendations!

Lodging

As far as where to stay, I would say AirBnBs are absolutely the way to go. We stayed at the Thornsberry House this time. It is an 8 minute drive to the Sonoma Square & can host up to 6 people – 2 in the main house and 4 in the guest house studio. It was the first time we had a pool when we stayed there and during the warm months its a game changer! We spent so much time in the pool and it was so nice. We took a walk every morning to Sonoma’s Best market which was a great way to get the day started with a little bit of movement and some great lattes or food to go if we were going to be vineyard hopping that day (get the Golden Bear latte – it tastes like teddy grahams!).

Must Visit Wineries

The amazing thing about Sonoma is that you could spend an entire day exploring just 1 square mile. Every time you go back can be a different trip which is why you can go back again and again. My parents have shared a few with us over time that we return to & we have bookmarked a few favorites of our own to share but we love going to new ones as well!

• Hess Collection – Hess is one of the stops passed onto us from my parents. The first time we went there I thought it looked like High Garden from GOT. They now have a few types of tours ranging from a standard tasting to an art tour (their collections are STUNNING) but this time we did an ATV tour with Frankie (she’s the absolute best – request her!). This is on Mount Veeder near Sonoma so a quick drive! They have incredible wines with great price points. Scott and I belong to their wine club and cannot recommend them enough and will always go back!

• Reverie II – this is the other club that we belong to and Scott’s favorite stop. They have a super laid back attitude and make incredible wines. They are north of Sonoma towards the Healdsburg area but we always make time to go! Highly recommend

• Bartholomew Estate – Not only is Bart Park a beautiful public park full of hiking trails & picnic areas (one of the few in Sonoma you can bring your dogs to!) but they also make amazing organic wines. I think that their 2018 Garden Block Zinfandel was one of my top 3 wines I taste all week so I may or may not have ordered 6 bottles (the plan is to make this recipe from HBH and drink it while watching Sunday night football – I know I have a vision for everything but this wine requires such planning to drink). Also definitely do your tasting in the Oak Knoll outside – it is so beautiful and relaxing. A totally different tasting experience than I have ever done. A new must stop for us! Plus it was only a few minute drive from our AirBnB.

• J Winery – If you are a sucker for sparkling wines, this is the best stop! North of Sonoma in Healdsburg They have full tastings of bubbles or varietal tastings for those of us who don’t love champagnes & sparklings. They also make the most incredible cheese tastings that are unique and perfectly suited for the wine. Highly recommend!

• Gundlach Bundschu – or GunBun as their friends call them is the perfect place for a laid back tasting in Sonoma. Their wines are in a great price point and they have all different kinds of tasting experiences for you and your group. They also have a massive property with beautiful views. Highly recommend!

Where to eat

• Glen Ellen Star – run do not walk. Make 2 reservations because you will want to go back. The duck pasta is to die for and we have the best cooked steak I may have ever had. We cannot wait to go back every time we go to Sonoma forever.
• Cafe Citti – red wine and Italian go hand in hand and this is one of our favorites. So great for takeaway or have it there. It is one of my parents favorites and we go almost every time we are there! It is perfect for a casual dinner. This is in the Dry Creek area just north of Sonoma square – another one of our favorite areas!

Did I miss any of your favorite stops in Sonoma? Where should we go next?