I'll be in Sonoma for about a week in August. Where are your favorite wineries to visit? Also, if we wanted to take a trip to the coast for one day, where would you recommend going?

One of my most pleasant travel memories is doing the upgraded tasting (I forget what they call it)at Chateau St. Jean and sitting out on the patio overlooking Sonoma sipping wine. It was heaven.

North Mountain Vineyard, Toms Brook, VA
Shenandoah Vineyards, Edinburg, VA

Hi Angelacd-Welcome to my backyard!
From Santa Rosa head straight out
west on River Road to the burg of
Guerneville. Here you will hook
in to 116 West and enjoy a delightful
drive along the Russian River.
At the intersection of Hwy 1 and 116
you can turn left, cross a bridge and
in about 1/4 mile take a right into Goat Rock State Beach. You may very well experience fog along the coast-it will just be the luck of the draw
that day and it will be much cooler than the Sonoma Valley.
For an excellent resource on wineries
go to www.wineroad.com they have a wonderful link to planning day trips.
I will be up there in March !
Enjoy!
R5

Ledson, St. Francis (right down the street from each other & J.

Ledson, St. Francis (right down the street from each other) & J.

In Sonoma, I like: Ledson, Imagery , Chateau St. Jean, Blackstone, Valley of the Moon, and Kunde.

This trip I will be visiting for the first time: Bynum, J, Gary Farrell, Hop Kiln, Joseph Swan & La Crema. Probably a few others. Bodega Bay is very pretty, I like the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa. www.bodegabaylodge.com Have a wonderful time and Cheers! ***kim***

I had forgotten about Imagery...I think Rodney Strong is right beside J, I would hit that one as well. Gary Farrell is also a good one. J has a little deal where they match up there wines w/small tapas like portions. They are pretty good & well worth the few extra $$.

Gundlach Bundschu is a fun one and Ferrari-Carano is beautiful.

SAnParis, do you have a special wine that you like from Rodney Strong? I just did a flight tasting of Pinot Noir when we went out to dinner the other night, and found his to be my least favorite. I chose a very nice one from Paraiso (Santa Lucia Highlands) that I really enjoyed. ***kim***

I drink some of their whites, I just suggested it due to the close proximity to J. (They practically share a parking lot). Alderbrook & Preston are two more of my favorites. The owner at Preston makes some great bread if you arrive early enough in the day. Ledson is an excellent place for a picnic & they have everything you need right in their shop, from meats & cheeses to crackers & sandwiches.

If you are looking for something different...Quivera makes a wonderful Red Blend which differs every year.