SONOMA Secrets

While we like to fancy ourselves as old pros in the Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara wine regions, Sonoma, the more mature, older cousin, has been somewhat of an unknown to us. Not anymore!  After a 36 hour stopover on the way to Tomales Bay (stay tuned for that posting), and meeting several local chefs, winemakers, and natives I can now let you in on how to navigate yet another fantastic wine region... Cheers.

We chose splurge a bit and stay at the Kenwood Inn and Spa, a beautiful 29-room, Tuscan-styled hideaway in the center of Sonoma’s action.  The property is lovely and lush with ample ivy, rose bushes of every color, and lemon and orange trees. You feel instantly relaxed as fountains and flowing water are part of each of the property’s three tranquil courtyards. The pool area is the perfect place to enjoy the morning sun, but we opted to sip a sunset glass of Arneis (a unique white wine varietal I discovered) in the smaller more private spa courtyard that boasts a very large saline-Jacuzzi – about half the size of a normal pool. Our room was huge with one of the largest and most comfortable beds I have ever slept in. The enormous bathroom had both a spacious marble benched shower and a soaking tub lined with candles and sea salts. I loved being able to come back after dinner and simply flick a button to ignite the fireplace-- building fires is messy, time consuming and a pain- and read in one of the plush chairs in front of the fire place.

Besides an outstanding beef filet, a delicious La Storia Zinfandel (a new favorite), and a cozy setting outside next to the fireplace, the highlight of our dinner was our waitress, Celine, who shared many tips for the area – including where we should get our picnic items for the next day and where to go to enjoy them.

Mary always jokes that I am a breakfast connoisseur and if that is true, I’d go to Kenwood for the breakfast alone. We were thrilled to stumble down to a complimentary breakfast that was out of this world, so good I insisted on meeting the chef. Chef Jon Mortimer’s secret is that he approaches breakfast the same way he approaches dinner-- seriously gourmet. We helped ourselves to delicious coffee, a variety of fresh squeezed juices, and an amazing assortment of freshly-made pastry appetizers - the bear claw being my favorite.  Then our “real” breakfast arrived, in actuality a sampler of three breakfasts on one plate– a little Belgium waffle with berries, amazing Italian sausage with a fennel sauce, and a poached egg on a crostini.  The perfect overeating experience to prepare for a day of wine tasting!

While Kenwood is bit of a splurge, the peaceful setting, decadent amenities, and friendly staff make it well worth a stopover.

Taking the recommendation of our breakfast chef to heart, we headed to Deerfield Ranch Winery for one of my favorite wine tastings to date. Tastings are conducted in the “cave,” a large room at the end of a labyrinth of cool, dimly lit hallways lined with barrels. Ben, our animated pourer, told us to take a seat and tailored a tasting to our likes. I loved being able to sit in a such a cool room (I kept having visions of being in the catacombs), as opposed to huddled at a crowded bar like most other winery tastings. The Pinot Noir and the Old Vine Zinfandel were two of my favorites.  However, I bought a bottle of the Rose and estate Syrah, which my wallet liked more.  Definitely visit Deerfield, as the tasting experience is unique.

Before leaving Sonoma we needed to take in a little nature and burn off some of the excess we'd been reveling in.  We picked up sandwiches at the Glen Ellen Market and headed to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park for a picnic and a hike.  Pretty much the most picturesque place to enjoy a picnic and round out the visit.