Learn more about Sonoma Valley and what makes it Real Wine Country.
Sonoma Valley – Real Wine Country
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Sonoma Valley Family Vacation by Jeanne Benedict
Jeanne Benedict and family show highlights and ideas for a great Sonoma Valley Family Vacation featuring the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa, the Napa Valley Wine Train, and Sonoma Plaza with a trip to Ben & Jerry’s and the Charles Creek Vineyard Tasting Room.
Sonoma Valley Portworks
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Explore Sonoma Valley
Explore all there is to do and see in Sonoma Valley from wine tasting to dining and history to hiking and everything in between. Hear from Jeff Bundschu from Gundlach Bundschu Winery and Sondra Bernstein from the girl & the fig, the fig cafe and ESTATE restaurants about what makes Sonoma Valley such a special place to live and to visit.
Sausal Winery Tasting Room, Sonoma County California
Where Passion and History and Great Zin merge Sausal Winery, located in beautiful Alexander Valley, is a family run affair – and has been since 1956. Leo Demostene, a second generation winemaker, purchased the Sausal Ranch – a 125 acre ranch that was planted to prunes, apples and zinfandel grapes – in 1956. The ‘old vines’ date back before 1877 and continue to produce small lots of exquisite, elegant zinfandel even today. Leo’s children, Dave, Ed, Peachie & Cindy, grew up on the ranch and helped their father expand their grape crop by planting scores of zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. And, the rest is history – the four siblings continue to run and operate the ranch, each having their own but important role. When asked if any of them ever considered moving away or taking on another career, the answer was unanimous – “No way! Why go anywhere else? We already live in paradise! What else is there?” And that’s truly the passion that shines through their long history of winemaking. Sausal is best known for Zinfandel and has been making it way longer than all the rest. If you’re a Zin fan, Sausal produces terrific Zins’ that you don’t want to miss: a 50 year old vine Zin, a 90 year old vine Zin, and the ‘cream of the crop’ – a 130 year old vine Zin…….there are just no words that can describe this one!
Wine Tasting of Sonoma County – Unbeatable Charm in Duncans Mills!
Wine Tasting of Sonoma County is located in Historic Duncans Mills, just minutes from the coast. Most of the original buildings have been renovated and Duncans Mills has become a quaint little destination with restaurants, specialty shops and an absolutely cozy tasting room called Wine Tasting of Sonoma County. At Wine Tasting of Sonoma County, the proprietors Joanne Duffy and Michael Ott, offer a selection of over 130 wines available for purchase from small family vineyards in Sonoma and nearby counties. They usually have a selection of fifteen wines available for tasting. They also sell wines by the glass! An uncommon practice at most traditional tasting rooms. Along with the wines, they offer cheese plates, chocolate tasting, specialty foods, a beautiful patio in the Spring, Summer and Fall, and a cozy fireplace when weather sends you indoors. They say, “Many people come to sample wine and hang out. They often bring their dogs and enjoy a glass of wine, nibble and play boardgames. It’s that kind of place – where you feel comfortable doing just that.” And, I couldn’t agree more! Wine Tasting of Sonoma County is dog friendly, an easy destination for wine and shopping and a great way to learn about wines in an non-intimidating atmosphere. They pride themselves on teaching people how to ‘taste wine’ for the first time and make it very comfortable for people to ask questions and just be themselves. They also have a ‘custom wine club’ where you get to decide the terms: one …
Alexander Valley Vineyards – Sonoma County Wine Tasting Room
Take a drive through the Alexander Valley almost any time of year and it isnt difficult to figure out why Harry and Maggie Wetzel fell in love with the area. The property they bought in 1962 that eventually became Alexander Valley Vineyards certainly offered beautiful views. It also offered a lot of history.a century before, Cyrus Alexander, one of the first settlers in the area and the namesake for the valley, had built a ranch and a home on the property Harry and Maggie would eventually purchase from his heirs. On the rolling hills, they planted grapes. They sent their son Hank to school to become a winemaker and in 1975, built a winery. Over the next several decades, Alexander Valley Vineyards grew from a small upstart to a winery that now produces more than 100000 cases. But many things havent changed. The winery is still family owned. In fact its Harry and Maggies children and grandchildren that now run the operation. And most of the wines are still estate grown and bottled—from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon. Alexander Valley Vineyards is also home to Sin Zin, one of Americas best known Zinfandels. We also continue to adhere to a philosophy that great wines shouldnt cost a fortune. Visit this historic winery any day of the week. The Tasting Room offers complimentary samples of most wines. Tours that include a visit to the newly expanded wine caves are also available by appointment.
JRickards Winery Sonoma County Tasting Room
J. Rickards Winery – Hard Work makes a Dream Come True! J. Rickards Winery is a family run operation of both grape farming & wine production, and is located at the northern end of the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County. The owner, Jim Rickards, knew he wanted to be a farmer from the age of 12 years old. He grew up in the Big city of San Francisco and found that the city life didn’t quite suit his natural ways and earthy disposition. So, he set his sights on farming and after a varied past including time in the military, cattle ranching in Petaluma, a full time position as an ER Nurse at Memorial Hospital in Petaluma, and fathering three children, he decided with his free time (aka nights) he would revitalize an old vineyard…..which brings us to J. Rickards Winery. Jim and his wife Eliza have been growing grapes for the bulk market and making wine for personal enjoyment since 1991 from their 60 acre vineyard. Encouraged by family & friends, they were inspired to open a winery and did so in 2005. Increasing their production required that they bring on Alex Holeman, their current winemaker, and his specialty is light, sweet, fruity wines that maintain their varietal character. At J. Rickards they make eight great wines all of which are available for complimentary tastings. One of their specialties is ‘Zinfandel Ancestor Vines’ from their Century old Zinfandel vines. Another is their ‘Los Ninos Perdidos Red Dessert Wine’ (The Lost Children) made from grapes that have been …
Seghesio Family Vineyards – Sonoma County Wine Tasting Room
Seghesio Family Vineyards – Wonderful Service and Wines to Match Have you ever been somewhere that you are just so moved by the customer service and genuine care that you just can’t stop talking about it? That’s how we were after several visits to Seghesio Family Vineyards. Every time we left we couldn’t stop talking about what a great experience it was! Warm, authentic, gracious, fun, informative and scrumptious – these are the words I use to describe this longtime, Sonoma wine growing, Family Winery. The Seghesio family name began with Edoardo Seghesio (a transplant from Piedmont, Italy) and his wife Angela, back in 1895 when they planted their first Zinfandel vineyard on some of the current 400 acres in Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valley’s – now cultivated by the fourth generation winemakers of the Seghesio family. There story is rich in both local and family history and beckons back to time when rolling up your shirt sleeves and jumping in with your whole heart, was the only way to make one’s dream reality. And from what I see, this ethic is still the operating philosophy behind the modern day Seghesio Family Vineyard. It is a strong and devoted family at it’s core (most of them still work at the winery) yet they have this wonderful ability to create an extended family, to such a degree that it is hard to know the difference, in both their staff and the visitors who walk through their doors. Seghesio is best known for their award winning Zinfandels, but …