Andrew Delaplaine - Sonoma County: The Delaplaine 2015 Long Weekend Guide

SONOMA COUNTY

The Delaplaine

2015

Long Weekend Guide

Andrew Delaplaine

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Like you, when Im heading into a new place,I have bought travel guides and toiled through them hour after hourtrying to extract from the book the essence of the city or regionI was visiting. Sometimes, sadly, I spent more hours reading thebook than I did in the town it purported to tell me about. To judgeby the size of some of these books, youd think I was planning onspending my life there, not just a few days.

By including exhaustive detail in theirguidebooks, many writers actually end up obscuring the essence ofthe city theyre writing about rather than revealing it.

If youre going to stay two or more weeks ina place, then by all means do your homework. There are hundreds ofguides, both in print and online, to assist you.

But if youve only got 3 or 4 days, yourneeds really are different.

I would want to know:

= LODGINGS. What would be the best hotels orB&Bs or inns to choose from? I would want a choice of 4 or 5places in different budget categories. (For the kid with a backpackwill be on a different budget than someone on an expense account. Aretired couple will have different wants and needs than a family offour.)

= RESTAURANTS. What would be a goodselection of restaurants, again within different budget levels,that would represent the area Im visiting? Again, whetherexpensive or cheap, which of the thousands of places to eat willgive me a feel for the town?

= ATTRACTIONS. Of all the attractions andthings to do, which are the most important that will leave me withmemories that Ive really seen the place?

= SHOPPING? Something different and out ofthe way reflective of the area. Not the big chains, whether thatchain is Tiffany or the Gap. Something local.

Rather than craft a definitive itinerary foryou the way many others have done, Ive expanded the listings ineach section so that you could get a good range of the offeringsavailableso you can pick and choose among them to craft your ownspecial Long Weekend.

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Sonoma is to Napa what Chicago is to NewYork. The Second City.

But you cant look down your nose at Sonomaany more than you can Chicago, which couldnt be more differentfrom New York if it tried.

Similarly, Sonoma offers its own wonderfulexperiences apart from the high-powered, high-end, deluxeexperiences you find in the Napa Valley.

As I said in my book on Napa, after you makeyour first trip, youll come back and focus on this special part ofAmerica, so completely a world unto itself that theres literallynothing else like it in this country. I am in the wine trade myself(my family produces a fine sparkling wine bearing the Carnerosappellation using grapes from both Napa and Sonoma), so I know alittle bit about it.

The two counties are quite different inlayout and attitude. Though Napa is more famous than Sonoma,winemaking actually began in Sonoma (with the Franciscan monks atSonoma Mission who made wine in 1823 for religious ceremonies) awhole generation before vineyards were planted in the 35-mile longNapa Valley, which is almost twice as big as Sonoma. And whilevineyards line Napa from one end to the other, in Sonoma therestill are fields where vineyards have not been planted. Morebreathing room, if you will.

The oldest commercial winery in Californiais acknowledged to be Buena Vista, set up in the 1850s by oneAgoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian with aristocratic pretentions.

While Napa is narrow and more confined, inSonoma, the land extends out from the Russian River far and wide,giving you a much more expansive sensation.

Wine lovers didnt really begin flocking tothis area until the 1980s, and the lodgings at the time werelimited to a few inns and some B&Bs.

But while lodgings in the Napa Valley havebeen upgraded to match the most luxurious in the world, over herein Sonoma, youll find things a lot less fancy. Thecorporatization of Napa is not something you see here.

I strongly urge you to come here in theoff-season, especially if youve made the journey in the height ofthe hectic summer tourist season. Youll find an entirely differentattitude and youll find extremely attractive bargains on yourlodgings.

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BEAU WINE TOURS AND LIMOUSINE SERVICE

21707 8th St. E, Sonoma: 707-938-8001

www.beauwinetours.com

Does tours of both valleys. Limos or vans orSUVs. Wide range of vehicles.

CLASSIC LIMOUSINES

572 LincolnAve., Napa: 707-253-0999

www.classiclimousine.50megs.com

Several itineraries available, all with avariety of wineries and stops. Complimentary champagne, full wetbar. Specializing in antique limousines.

GOODTIME BICYCLE COMPANY

Sonoma: 888-525-0453

www.goodtimetouring.com

Rent a bike and go on your own or take oneof their bike tours. They also offer van tours.

SONOMA VALLEY CYCLERY

20091 Broadway, Sonoma: 707-935-3377

www. sonomacyclery.com/

They will give you a map that takes you on a13-mile tour of local wineries.

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AUBERGE ON THE VINEYARD

29955 River Rd., Cloverdale:707-894-5956

www.sonomabedbreakfastinnwinecountry.com

Though the original Victorian building thatstood here went up in 1885, it burned down and the current housewas constructed in 1910, so you still have a very Victorian feel toyour surroundings. You can stay in one of the rooms in the oldhouse, or choose the Carriage House where they have several othernicely appointed rooms. Very nice breakfasts. This is one of theoldest B&Bs in the area. Lots of activities, includingworkshops where they will show you how to prune the vines, blendwines and enjoy barrel tastings. Very hands-on and lots of fun.

APPLEWOOD INN

13555 Hwy. 116, Guerneville:707-869-9093

www.applewoodinn.com

A romantic adult-only B&B located inSonoma County's Russian River Valley, set on a knoll under toweringredwoods. Two types lodgings: comfortable, cozy rooms in theoriginal Belden House, or larger and airier rooms located in thenew buildings. Dont miss your opportunity to experience theRestaurant at Applewood, which holds a Michelin star (the beeftenderloin, or the baked halibut). Room rates ($185-$345) include afull country breakfast, use of the swimming pool and outdoorJacuzzi, plus complimentary concierge service. NO KIDS.