Valley of the Moon

There is so much history in the Sonoma Valley which is home to some of California's first vineyards and the birthplace of the state's premium wine business.  The Valley of the Moon, as it is often called, is the closest wine region to San Francisco located in southeastern Sonoma county between the Mayacamas  and the Sonoma Mountains.  At the heart of the valley is the central town of Sonoma although the area also includes the towns of Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Hot Springs, Fetters and Agua Caliente.  I have always love the quaintness of the town square http://www.sonomasquare.com/ where the Franciscan Mission established by Father Junipero Serra is situated just off the center and there is a vast array of tasting rooms, restaurants, shops and galleries.  

One of my favorites in the square is Highway 12 Winery.  http://www.highway12winery.com/ 

We recently went on a tasting spree up and down the valley with some friends who were staying at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma/ located just minutes from the square.  Not a bad place to hang your hat and relax after a day of vigorous wine tasting.  We met our friends Geoff and Beth at Ravenswood Winery where they were taking a class in blending wines.  We happened in on the action as they were blending red wines like mad scientists trying to find the wine that would perfectly please their palates.  It was a fun experiment and they were able to take a bottle of their special blend home to share with friends and family. From there we drove up Highway 12 which has a unique beauty, a two lane highway lined with trees and wineries tucked away towards the hills on either side.  We stopped at Arrowood Vineyards & Winery to sample their wines from their tasting room which has a magnificent view of the valley below. I really enjoyed the 2010 Arrowood Chardonnay for its delicate balance of honey and citrus.  Then on to the Kunde Family Estate Winery http://www.kunde.com/ where we picnicked on gourmet sandwiches in their beautiful garden after sampling their wines.  We chose the 2012 Kunde Sauvignon Blanc Block 4SB 20 for our picnic as it had unique flavors and complexity!  We got  a tour of the remodelling that they were doing in the tasting room which will have warm welcoming wood tables and bar.  It had been some time since we had visited the Landmark Vineyards Winery so we went for a taste...they are known for their rich Pinot Noir's and Chardonnay's and they were also serving and selling wines from their sister winery, Justin Vineyards and Winery in Paso Robles.  Landmark has given a new look to their labels and I must say that the 2011 Overlook Chardonnay continues to be consistently good vintage after vintage!  There are many more great wineries up and down Highway 12 and if you're planning a trip to the wine country it really warrants a long weekend of discovery.

I will leave you with this very helpful link to "Take the Sonoma Square Wine Walk"!
http://sonoma.towns.pressdemocrat.com/2012/01/news/take-the-sonoma-square-winewalk/

See you next time in the Russian River Valley ...Cheers!