California Road Trips Guide - 2023 - 54

ITINERARIES
Castello di Amorosa
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STARTS: CHARLES M. SCHULZ-SONOMA
COUNTY AIRPORT 113 MILES * 3-4 DAYS
TOP STOPS
a Vineyard ride
Wine Country Ramble
DISCOVER CONNOISSEUR-WORTHY WINES AND BOUNTIFUL FARMS
Plan for relaxation on this loop through
Sonoma and Napa valleys. You'll
hopscotch among world-class wineries
that offer Chardonnay and Pinot Noir,
plus hefty servings of alcohol-free fun.
Deplane at the light-filled Charles M.
Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, where
statues of Charlie Brown and friends
welcome you to Santa Rosa, home of the
Peanuts creator. A museum honoring
Schulz's work is only seven miles away,
and Sonoma-Cutrer and KendallJackson
wineries are even closer.
Crescent-shaped Sonoma Valley
is famous for wine, but the region's
pride extends to farm-grown food, too.
Highway 12 from Santa Rosa to Sonoma
shows off the bounty in creative ways:
St. Francis Winery offers food-and-wine
pairings and a pedal-powered trolley
tour. Oak Hill Farm sells produce and
farm goods from its century-old Red
Barn Store, while across the road, B.R.
Cohn showcases olive oils and vinegars
alongside estate-grown wines. Kunde
Family Winery offers tastings, cave
tours, and hiking trails on 1,850 acres.
Linger over lunch in Sonoma Plaza,
a delightful town square that dates back
to when California was under Mexican
rule. Alongside fascinating historic sites,
adobe storefronts buzz with tasting
54 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
rooms, shops, and eateries like Sausage
Emporium, Tasca Tasca, and Valley.
From here, Highway 12 bends east
to Napa Valley. Vineyard-covered hills
turn tawny gold in the summer sun,
and grandiose tasting rooms never fail
to impress. The wineries' architectural
styles are as diverse as the wine: There's
English-Gothic Chateau Montelena,
Tuscan-turreted Castello di Amorosa,
Venetian-style Del Dotto, and missionreplica
Robert Mondavi.
Driving north on Highway 29,
each town from Napa to Calistoga
is worth a stop. Yountville's Napa
Valley Museum celebrates the wine
industry, Native American tribes,
and local artists. St. Helena brims
with boutiques and restaurants.
Down-to-earth Calistoga is dotted
with charming bungalows and spas
peddling mud baths.
Keep heading north, touring
the base of the chapparal-clad
Mayacamas Mountains to laidback
Geyserville. Stroll Geyserville
Avenue to see outdoor sculptures and
frontier-style storefronts, then head to
Catelli's patio for handmade ravioli.
You're almost back in Santa Rosa, so
it's time to reflect on your fabulous
wine country vacation.
Sonoma Valley Trail Rides
will take you on a horseback
ride through Bartholomew
Estate's view-filled
vineyards, followed by a
wine tasting.
b Art walk
The di Rosa Center for
Contemporary Art exhibits
more than 2,000 works
inside its galleries and
outside on 21 acres of land.
c Pet the goats
Learn about biodynamic
farming at Raymond
Vineyards' " Theater of
Nature, " a walking trail with
interpretive signs and
friendly farm animals.
AREA OF
DETAIL
Santa Rosa
St. Helena
c
Sonoma a
b
Napa
CASTELLO DI AMOROSA
N
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California Road Trips Guide - 2023

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