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SONOMA COUNTY — Winter is slowing slipping away from the mustard-dotted meadows and rolling vineyards of this valley. The ferocious recent rains will give way to spring breezes before long, leaving the hills green and gorgeous and the wine country filled with a sense of renewal.
More than a year after the Wine Country wildfires ravaged parts of Sonoma County, the region has bounced back in more ways than we can count. Wineries that were destroyed have begun rebuilding, damaged hotels have renovated and reopened, and a slew of new tasting rooms and restaurants, including Sebastopol’s trendy, cocktail-driven Fern Bar, remind us why we long for a weekend trip to Sonoma. There’s just so much to do, see and taste.
It’s in the numbers, too. Sonoma County is now home to 425 wineries, which shipped more wine to consumers in 2018 than any other region in the country, including neighboring Napa County. According to an annual report by Sovos and Wines Vines Analytics, Sonoma’s total direct-to-consumer shipments increased by 19 percent last year, and the value of those shipments grew by 18 percent, marking a 200 percent increase since 2011.
On a recent visit, we sipped bold pinots at the new dog-friendly Schermeister Winery in Glen Ellen; marveled at Napa-based Silver Oak Cellars’ new eco-friendly Healdsburg winery, a 113-acre property devoted to the production of a single wine, the Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; and tasted through the award-winning organic vodkas at Hanson of Sonoma Distillery’s new tasting room.
Because we never need a reason to clink flutes, we spent hours at Sigh, the Champagne bar in a new, spacious spot in downtown Sonoma. And we spotted several new ways to enjoy beer, from HenHouse Brewing’s Palace of Barrels in Petaluma to Russian River Brewing’s fabulous Windsor brewpub.
Ultimately, though, most visitors eventually break away from the tasting rooms and restaurants for adventures of the outdoor variety. There are a slew of activities to plan your next visit around, from frolicking at Sebastopol’s Apple Blossom Festival and Parade on April 13 and 14, to watching vintage vehicles race around the Sonoma Raceway track for the Sonoma Speed Festival, May 30 to June 2.
And if your adventure really must include wine, try it underground: Kunde Family Winery in Kenwood now offers a cave tasting experience of its portfolio of estate-grown wines, burrowed 175 feet below ground. Happy sipping.
IF YOU GO
Fern Bar: 6780 Depot St., Suite 120, Sebastopol; www.fernbar.com
Schermeister Winery: 14301 Arnold Drive, Studio 28, Glen Ellen; https://schermeister.com
Silver Oak Cellars: 7300 Highway 128, Healdsburg; www.silveroak.com
Hanson of Sonoma Distillery: 22985 Burndale Road, Sonoma; https://hansonofsonoma.com
Sigh Champagne Bar: 120 W. Napa St., Sonoma; www.sighsonoma.com
Hen House Brewing Palace of Barrels: 1333 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma; www.henhousebrewing.com
Russian River Brewing: 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor; https://russianriverbrewing.com
Kunde Family Winery: 9825 Highway 12, Kenwood; https://www.kunde.com
Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival: www.appleblossomfest.com
Sonoma Speed Festival: www.sonomaraceway.com