Sonoma Valley
 

Sorry if this is a repeat but i didn't see it appear in the messages. We are taking my in-laws here for their 70th birthdays and are confused by all the choices of towns. What is the best location in terms of wineries, restaurants, and atmosphere? Any recommendations for B&B's under $200/night/room? Thank you

Sonoma is lovely, but for the best food and accommodation, go across to Napa and stay in Yountville.

Napa is much more commercial and intense than Sonoma. In Sonoma County nice towns are Sonoma itself,Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Healdsburg (my favorite),Geyserville,. There are three main wine growing areas, but the Russian River area which has two valley, Dry Creek and Alexander, is the premier area for wines. There's a B&B referralservice for both Napa and Sonoma--search for Bed and Breakfast Inns of Sonoma Valley. Enjoy.

Having just returned from my first visit to California wine country, I'd say that the Sonoma Valley is far less commercial, not nearly as crowded. Napa, however, is packed with wonderful restaurants and wineries as well as lots of people. We stayed in Napa at a lovely B&B -- The Laurel Street Inn -- with only two rooms (could be perfect for your plans). Had two terrific dinners at Tuscany and at Cafe Lucy. Learned lots about grape-growing and wine-making on the Robert Mondavi tour. Got involved in several traffic jams -- it was a weekend -- along Hwy 29 while we were visiting wineries, though. Some of the tasting rooms were jam-packed! So, if you're not going on a weekend or you don't mind crowds, Napa is fine. For more quiet and more personal tasting experiences, pick Sonoma.

I will second the vote for Healdsburg, a very nice, laid back, town with many interesting restaurants and galleries. There are lots of scenic and interesting small wineries in the area - Rabbit Ridge was one of our favorites. For a big, beautiful, European estate like winery, visit Fetzer (which also has an on site B&B).

dougd: <BR>Rabbitt Ridge and Fetzer...great suggestions! <BR> <BR>Stuart: many of these suggestions are absolutely perfect. I can not add a thing! <BR> <BR>Happy Travels <BR>Oaktown