6 Best Sights in Napa and Sonoma, California

The late Nan McEvoy's retirement project after departing as board chair of the San Francisco Chronicle, the ranch produces organic extra-virgin olive oil as well as Pinot Noir and other wines, the estate ones from the Petaluma Gap AVA. In good weather, relaxing tastings of oils or wines unfold on a pond's-edge flagstone patio with views of alternating rows of Syrah grapes and mature olive trees. You can preorder lunch to accompany any tasting; for a more private experience, book a pond-side cabana. Walkabout Ranch Tours of four guests or more take in vineyards, gardens, and a Chinese pavilion. All visits require an appointment.

An upbeat atmosphere prevails in the downtown Petaluma tasting areas of this winery founded by former race-car driver Kevin Buckler and his wife, Debra. To produce its portfolio of mostly small-lot wines, Adobe Road sources grapes from top-tier growers, among them Beckstoffer for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Merlot; and Sangiacomo for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah from the Petaluma Gap AVA. The Cabernet and Malbec shine. In 2022, the Bucklers broke ground on a combination tasting room, winery, and car museum along the waterfront at C and 1st Streets that they hope will open in 2024. 

This boutique winery's guests discover why "wind to wine" is the Petaluma Gap AVA's slogan. The steady Pacific Ocean and San Pablo Bay breezes that mitigate the midday heat give the grapes thick "sailor's skin," heightening their tannins and flavor, says Ana Keller, whose parents began planting vineyards here in 1989 on former dairy fields. Keller Estate concentrates on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah wines, many of which receive high marks from critics. Tastings usually take place alfresco on a stone terrace shaded by umbrellas and flowering pear trees. The winery requires reservations for all visits. On most days, hulking garage doors embedded with stained glass created by Ana's sister, Grace, are opened to reveal a few dozen cars collected by their father, Arturo Keller.

These days owned by Heineken International, Lagunitas began as a craft brewery in Marin County in 1993 before moving to Petaluma in 1994. In addition to its large facility, the company operates a taproom, the Schwag Shop for gifts, and an outdoor beer garden that in good weather bustles even midday. Guides leading the brewery tour, which includes a beer flight, provide an irreverent version of the company's rise to international acclaim. An engaging tale involves the state alcohol board's sting operation commemorated by Undercover Investigation Shut-down Ale, one of several small-batch brews made here.

A 10-foot cactus fence lines the blacktop path from the parking lot to the Petaluma Adobe, the largest extant 19th-century residential adobe in the United States. History buffs won’t want to miss this landmark, which was, from 1836 to 1846, the headquarters of General Mariano Vallejo’s vast (66,000 acres at its peak) agricultural domain. Exhibits explain Vallejo’s role as Mexico’s head honcho before California joined the United States and depict daily life for native peoples and Spanish and Mexican settlers. The park sometimes closes because of staffing issues; the rangers recommend calling before you visit.

In the mid-1990s, Bill Reading got the bright idea to create the world's first chocolate wine. The concept went nowhere, but a later experiment adding dark-chocolate essences to port proved a winner—and became the first Sonoma Portworks product, Deco Port, these days made from Zinfandel, Grenache, and Alicante Bouschet. Reading followed this up by adding hazelnut essences to what's now called Duet Sherry. Individual ports made from Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot are among the additional offerings. You can taste these crowd-pleasing wines where they're made, in a warehouselike space on downtown's southern edge.