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Sonoma is NorCal's largest wine region. But to limit your visit to quaffing Chardonnay is to miss the point of a place where, in the span of a day, you can hike through a redwood forest, watch the waves break on a craggy shore, and go for tacos in a former ranching town. Here's what's happening in one of the most beautiful corners of the state.
Raise a Fork
Pretty little Healdsburg has long had great places to eat and more than its share to drink—two dozen tasting rooms line the main plaza alone. The farm-to-table road was first paved by restaurants like Barndiva, which finally got its Michelin star last year; in the last decade, newer ones, like the deservedly hyped SingleThread, whose menu changes with the region's 72 micro seasons, took the movement to new heights. Now a clutch of just-opened spots is upping the ante. The Matheson, from Dustin Valette, sits on the square in the very building where the chef's great-grandfather once had a bakery. It's a beautiful space with a menu to match (try the local trout with young fennel), but the casual rooftop area might be the most fun: Guests dig into wood-fired pizzas while Valette's dad, Bob, a retired fire-tanker pilot, stops by tables when he's not on “wine-quality control” at his son's other restaurant. Down the street is the much-anticipated Little Saint, from a power team that includes SingleThread owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton and designer Ken Fulk. The sprawling space, which derives warmth from Fulk's singular talent for mixing textures, is a multihyphenate ode to Sonoma: It's a store selling produce and sweet bouquets of flowers; a coffee-and-craft cocktail bar; a wineshop stocked with ethically sourced bottles; and an entirely plant-based restaurant. A few blocks away, Lo & Behold Bar and Kitchen serves bracing cocktails, like the herbaceous Mom Genes, as well as the tastiest chicken tenders, elevated just enough. Healdsburg has the most going on now, but don't sleep on the region's other towns Oyster, a sparkling wine- and shellfish-centric spot, will arrive in Sebastopol this month, and in the fall, chef Douglas Keane will open the high-design (architect Tom Kundig), high-concept (diners move through multiple spaces) Cyrus in a vineyard in Geyserville.
Second Acts
From an updated 1920s riverside retreat to a redone Victorian charmer full of contemporary art, Sonoma's hottest new hotels are in some of its most historic buildings.
The Madrona
San Francisco–based designer Jay Jeffers uses bold colors, loads of patterns, and a smart mix of antiques and original art to make every corner of this 1880s estate—from the parlor, with its velvet loungers and pale-blue walls, to the canary-yellow dining room—feel like its own special project. The sweeping views over the surrounding vineyards remind you that you're in Healdsburg, the heart of wine country, but the house martini at the downstairs bar is so good that you might just forget everything else.
Flamingo Resort
It may have the porte cochere and stone exterior of a classic midcentury motor inn, but this reimagined Santa Rosa landmark, set on 10 leafy acres with a huge swimming pool and five tennis courts, is anything but another roadside attraction. The 170 renovated rooms and suites stay true to the hotel's late-'50s ethos with tulip tables and lots of teak, while its central Sonoma location makes it a great home base for wine tasting and visiting nearby state parks; ask to borrow an excursion backpack stocked with binoculars, hiking sticks, and a picnic blanket.
The Stavrand Russian River Valley
The 21-room 1920s Spanish-revival property (formerly the Applewood Inn) underwent a total renovation under the helm of Kimpton Hotels veteran Emily Glick. Surrounded by redwoods and close to the Russian River, it spotlights a different side of Sonoma. Take off on one of the loaner bikes and pedal to the nearby town of Guerneville for lunch, or grab an inner tube for a lazy float down the river.
Wellness, the Sonoma Style
For a century, Napa, with its legendary hot springs, has had wine country's spa market cornered, but Sonoma is gaining steam with a focus on experiential treatments and overall well-being. Vineyard bathing is catching on, including at Red Car winery in Sebastapol. Like forest bathing, it's about taking a pulse-lowering stroll through nature while engaging all your senses; touching the soil, hearing the bees. Unlike forest bathing, there's a juicy glass of, say, estate Pinot waiting for you at the end (so you can taste the terroir). MacArthur Place recently launched Sēfari, a near-spiritual bathing experience where you listen to a prerecorded meditation narrated by Malibu-based water healer Jobi Manson while floating in your own private outdoor tub under the stars.
The Insider
Where and what Little Saint's wine director Alex Sarovich sips when she's off the clock.
Up and Coming
“There are so many local winemakers who deserve attention but who don't have the capital or produce the quantity of wine to support their own tasting rooms, like Darling Wines, Brick & Mortar, and Emme.”
Secret Spot
“The Islands in the Sky trail, which begins in the town of Duncan Mills, goes from woodsy to wide open. On a clear day you can see the ocean. Uncork a bottle, have a picnic—don't worry, the return hike is downhill.”
Tasting Note
“Reeve Wines in Healdsburg has some of the best views of the Mayacamas, plus there's no cell service, so you can really be present. It's casual, and they pour a large selection of great wines and serve pizzas.”
The Bottle
“The vines at Raen Winery sit just above the fog line near the coastal town of Fort Ross. Its 2018 Sea Field Pinot Noir is drinking so well—tart fruit but also a beautiful nori, umami note that shines through.”
While You're There…
Even if you're not staying at the lovely Farmhouse Inn, which just renovated its cottages and upped its wellness offerings, stop by its newly reimagined all-day dining spot Farmstand. Breakfasting among the saucer-size roses on the patio while listening to the trickle of the fountain is particularly delightful. A drive to the coast is mandatory, even if you have only a few hours between tastings. Blind Beach, with its dramatic headlands and sea stacks, is just 13 miles from Guerneville. If you have time, follow Highway 1 north for an hour to reach Sea Ranch, whose iconic timber homes have defined NorCal architecture for more than half a century. The public spaces at the Sea Ranch Lodge, including the restaurant and bar, are newly renovated as part of a multimillion-dollar makeover that by next summer will extend to the 16 guest rooms.
This article appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
