Winter ideal time to visit Sonoma's wine country
California wine country gets a bad rap. People assume you have to drop big money here — and oh, you can — but you don't have to. Not in winter.
America's premier viticulture region has earned its reputation among the world's best, but the concept of "wine country style" — particularly in Napa — has been so thoroughly hyped on television cooking shows, in glossy magazine spreads and in Hollywood movies that one basic concept has been forgotten: Wine country is about the land, not the lifestyle.
And what land it is. While the rest of America hunkers down for a long, cold winter indoors, we Northern Californians look outdoors for inspiration. The colors of spring are the colors of winter here. Autumn rains transform the rolling hills from the dull-brown hues of summer into a vibrant green. By January vast fields of sunny yellow mustard carpet the valleys. Trees flower in February, and by March — the emerald month — the land is in full bloom. Then it all dries up, just in time for summer tourist season, when the hills turn the color of lion's fur.
Much as we love its regal cabernets, Napa is expensive: Wine tastings can cost as much as $40 per person. Traveling on the cheap, it's better to stick to Sonoma County, where wineries are free or charge a mere $2 to $5 — a boon for budgeteers. For a glimpse of the lesser-known Sonoma, head to the county's rural western side.
Ninety minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, West County — as locals call it — is crisscrossed by winding back roads meandering through vineyards, orchards and lush redwood forests stretching to the sea. There's a distinctly bohemian vibe here: Nobody blinks if you drive a clunker and vote "green." Cell service is spotty. Even with a good map, it's easy to get lost.
There's more here than just grapes: Sonoma prides itself on agricultural diversity. To discover its breadth, plan to visit farms as well as wineries, especially if you're with the kids. You can come nose to nose with llamas, sample just-made goat cheese and even forage for mushrooms. For a countywide list, pick up a copy of the Sonoma County Farm Trails guide (www.farmtrails.org).
Start north of Sebastopol, along Highway 116. Before the advent of wine country, West County was famous for its orchards. Lately grapes have replaced Gravensteins as the new cash crop, but locals still consider this apple country, especially at Mom's Apple Pie (www.momsapplepieusa.com), a roadside Formica-table diner just north of town. Nothing is so soul-soothing in belt-tightening times as a big slice of homemade pie, and Mom's does it right, with tender-flaky crust and heaps of cinnamon-y sweet filling, made better with a big dollop of whipped cream.
Find your way to Occidental, a 19th century village few tourists know. Victorian-era whitewashed buildings front a tree-lined main street — an ideal spot to stretch your legs between wineries. Locals are an only-in-Northern California mix of back-to-the-landers, Internet millionaires, organic farmers and old-line ranchers. Political discourse (left, of course) is the local pastime. Listen in over lunch at Howard's Cafe, which makes a mean applewood-smoked BLT on homemade toast. Afterward, pop into Renga Arts (www.rengaarts.com) to check out the arty and practical handmade goods made from reclaimed and recycled materials.
To sample the local specialty, pinot noir, head north toward the Russian River. You'll need a good map to find the Hartford Family Winery (www.hartfordwines.com), but you'll still likely get lost as you make your way to one of West County's prettiest back roads. Enjoy the ride. Tucked in a wooded dell, Hartford makes eight different varieties of single-vineyard pinot, and tastings are free.
You risk rain by coming in winter, but even as gunmetal-gray clouds gather overhead, mists twirl like evanescing ghosts in the redwoods. And you can't beat finding yourself in the middle of nowhere with a glass of wine in hand.