Life
Exploring Sonoma County - California Cool
A Selector guide to Napa's mellow neighbour and it's seriously stunning wines.
In the space of four days exploring Sonoma County in Northern California, I manage to taste crisp Chardonnays, complex Pinot Noirs, full-bodied Zinfandels, well-balanced Cabernets, elegant sparkling wines and some intriguing blends from the likes of Carignan and Petit Sirah.
It's something of a wine epiphany in this exquisitely beautiful region, just a short drive north of San Francisco, flanked in the west by the Pacific Ocean and in the east by the Mayacamas Mountains, which form the border with its rockstar neighbour, Napa.
Sonoma is about as diverse a wine growing region as you can find, with more soil types than are found in all of France, not to mention a wide range of vineyard elevations and microclimates, which not only produce a remarkable diversity of wine styles but also offer an exceptionally interesting wine touring experience.
SONOMA VS NAPA
Sonoma is much larger and more diverse than Napa. Its valleys, plains, mountaintops, forests, riverbeds and ocean cliffs create a diverse geographical palette resulting in a staggering number of microclimates across its 28,300 hectares under vine.
With more than 400 wineries spread across 19 distinctive American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), Sonoma's wine country is roughly the equivalent of the combined vineyard areas of South Australia's Barossa, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. Napa is the home of big, Cabernets and buttery Chardonnays and, in terms of style, it's more corporate and flashy. On the other hand, Sonoma is more laid-back with largely family-owned wineries interspersed with fabulous scenery along the Pacific Ocean and redwood-forest.framed river valleys.
Almost 99 per cent of Sonoma's wineries are certified sustainable, making it one of the world's most environmentally sound wine regions. More than 60 different grape varieties are grown here, too, so there are plenty of discoveries to be made. Russian fur trappers and farmers planted Sonoma's first grape vines in 1812 at their outpost at Fort Ross on the Pacific Coast, not far from the Russian River which was named after them. Grape growing didn't really take off though until 1824, when priests at the Mission San Francisco Solano in the fledgling town of Sonoma planted several thousand vines.
A mere 22 years later, the Bear Flag Revolt took place here, eventually establishing California as a breakaway state from Spanish-controlled Mexican territory. It's well worth exploring the colonial-era Sonoma Plaza with its adobe buildings, some of which now house restaurants, bars and tasting rooms. Europeans seeking to strike it rich in the 1850s Californian gold rush brought vine cuttings with them, like Hungarian count Agoston Haraszthy, who created Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma Valley, California's oldest winery still in operation.
Littorai Wines delights with it's cool climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
A stunning aerial view of Fort Ross Vineyard.
Sonoma Valley is the locale of many historic wineries, such as Gundlach Bundschu and Sebastiani. Many Italians who came looking for gold stayed and took up farming and winegrowing in Sonoma, which reminded them of Tuscany. Sonoma's Zinfandel (in Italy, Primitivo) was a popular grape variety, because of its large crops and heat resistance.
The joint scourges of phylloxera and Prohibition followed, which had the combined effect of closing many wineries. Luckily, Sonoma was (and still is) a multi-faceted agricultural region with dairy, beef and chicken farms as well as apple orchards.
It took many years for the wine industry to recover but, these days, it's the county's biggest business. Now, Sonoma's cornucopia of gourmet delights, from artisanal wines, beers and spirits to local cheeses, bakeries and farm-to-table restaurants, make it an ideal destination for lovers of the good life.
Tasting Sonoma at Donum Estate.
A LOOP TRIP AROUND SONOMA
We suggest a loop trip that starts with wineries specialising in cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before heading inland to discover Cabernets, Zinfandels and some interesting field blends.
Forty-five minutes - drive north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Donum Estate benefits from cool breezes off San Pablo Bay to the south. Owned by Hong-Kong-based Alan and Mei Warburg, this spectacular property produces fine minimal-intervention Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from its home base in the Carneros AVA as well as from other vineyards in the Russian River and Anderson Valley AVAs.
Wheels of heaven at Wm Cofield Cheese.
Donum Estate's remarkable 50-plus sculpture collection features the work of world-class artists including Ai Weiwei (who also designed the estate's zodiac wine labels) Louise Bourgeois, Yayoyi Kusama, Olafur Eliasson, Jaume Plensa, Anselm Kiefer and Gao Weigang. Book a sculpture tour and enjoy an inspired wine and food pairing showcasing produce from the estate's organic gardens.
From here, it's an hour's drive to the coast across voluptuous green hills dotted with dairy cows and California poppies - with a pitstop at Valley Ford Cheese and Creamery for artisanal toasted cheese sandwiches - before our next stop.
Pizza Perfection at Rooftop.
The towering redwoods of Armstrong State Natural Reserve.
Fort Ross Vineyard was established in 1988 by South Africans Lester and Linda Schwartz in the hills above the Sonoma Coast. Here, they grow elegant Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the South African varietal Pinotage (a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault) in cool sunshine on vineyard slopes above the coastal fog.
Enjoy a tasting on the winery's sunny deck alongside thoughtfully paired tasting bites. In 2012, they not only crafted their first bicentennial Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to honour the Fort Ross Russian settlement, but were also successful in obtaining the new Seaview AVA that designates their unique cool climate coastal terroir.
The inviting Timber Cove Resort.
For a retro-chic California vibe on the Pacific Ocean coast, stay nearby at the beautifully renovated redwood, glass and stone Timber Cove Resort, designed in the 1960s by Richard Clements Jr, who was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. Feast on California farm-to-table cuisine and relax in front of the fireplace in the soaring Great Room before retiring to an oceanfront room complete with wood stove, record player and deck.
Want to know more about Sonoma and its cool climate class? Pick up the latest edition of Selector magazine from your newsagent, check us out on Magzster or PressReader, or subscribe today.