CHEERS TO SONOMA!
San Francisco is to America what Sydney is to Australia – a beautiful harbour city that is also a gateway to some of the most beautiful places on earth, and nowhere is prettier than Sonoma County.
With a northern hemisphere spring just around the corner, this stunning part of the United States is about to come alive with wildflowers and whale watching, but Sonoma is also one of the finest wine growing regions in the country.
STEEPED IN HISTORY
Founded on the back of the Californian gold rush in 1848, Sonoma became one of the world’s most famous wine regions, thanks to the very colourful, self-proclaimed Count Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian nobleman who started Buena Vista Winery in search of “purple gold”.
This adventurer, town builder and pioneer was rumoured to have been eaten by alligators in Nicaragua in 1869, but Buena
Vista not only survived his untimely demise but flourished, despite bushfires and floods. The most recent natural disaster have left its scars, but nothing can tarnish the beauty of this picture perfect county, which is just a 45-minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Buena Vista was restored to its former glory in 2011 after French billionaire Jean-charles Boissett bought it and poured tens of millions of dollars into its restoration.
Try some of the incredible red wines it’s famous for in the historic Press House, but it’s well worth taking a tour of the vineyard, steeped in history and stuffed full of everything from antique silverware to odd curiosities the count collected.
SIGHTS & SIPS
It’s also just a few minutes’ walk from Sonoma’s famous Plaza Square – one of the prettiest town squares you will ever see – which was the scene of a rebellion against the Mexican Government in 1846. The rebels’ flag featuring a silhouette of a California grizzly bear still flies proudly today, even though the rebellion lasted only days.
Sonoma isn’t as glitzy or well known as the neighbouring Napa Valley, but it has loads of charm and can’t be beaten for its sheer natural beauty.
Soak up the ambience on a Sonoma Wine and Food Pairing Tour or have a healthy breakfast at the Sunflower Cafe. And if you’re looking for something extra special, splash out on
dinner – and some of Sonoma’s signature reds – at the Carneros Bistro and Wine Bar.
The beautifully renovated Macarthur Place hotel is the perfect place to retreat to after a day of sightseeing, while you can also tantalise your taste buds at The Girl and the Fig, and The Spinster Sisters, which both serve great coffee and delicious breakfast offerings.
AND RELAX…
There’s also a bunch of cute stores and some great spa experiences, but none more mind-blowing than Cedar Enzyme Bath at the Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary at Freestone, where I was immersed in a “fermenting mixture of soft and fragrant ground cedar and rice bran” that heats naturally and leaves you utterly refreshed.
But if pampering, quaffing wine and sampling some of the best local produce you will find anywhere isn’t your thing, then take a hike in the Redwoods State Park. If you’re feeling like an extra dose of relaxation, do the Yoga in the Redwoods tour, which is guaranteed to soothe body and soul.