What Makes Sonoma Wine Country So Special?
With over 425 wineries to date and growing, Sonoma County offers endless opportunities for exploration and wine tasting. Wineries range from small and family-run to legendary brands, drawing visitors from around the world to their expansive tasting rooms. Many wineries provide tours, where visitors can learn how the wines were created. Some wineries have outdoor areas for picnicking, while others, such as Buena Vista Winery, offer a glimpse back in history.
Sonoma Wine Country includes 18 distinct appellations or AVAs: Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Coast and more. The most common grape varieties planted are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot noir, although the area is also known for its Merlot and Zinfandel.
Sonoma County offers much more than wonderful wines!
There is much, much more to do in Sonoma Wine Country than simply enjoying great wines.
Here are just a few suggestions:
Have lunch or dinner at any one of Sonoma County’s fine or casual dining restaurants. The county offers everything from award-winning farm to table dining to chowder houses along the coast.
Talk with local farmers and cheese makers – Follow the Sonoma County Farm Trails Map to learn about life on the farm, or the California Cheese Trail Map to sample Sonoma’s famous handcrafted cheeses.
Visit Sunset Gardens and Marketplace at Cornerstone, where the staff of the ever-popular magazine grows an interesting variety of plants and trees, while experimenting with design techniques. Then, have lunch or shop at Cornerstone wine country marketplace.
See whales migrating right from shore – The annual north-to-south gray whale migration along Sonoma County’s coast peaks during the winter months, and one of the top whale-watching spots in the county is Bodega Head.
Enjoy a beach – Sonoma County’s more than 55 miles of shoreline offer long sandy beaches, secluded coves, rocky crags, natural stone arches, and sheer cliffs running to the edge of the sea.
Go for a hike – Sonoma County has 11 California State Parks, spanning every type of outdoors excursion, from redwood forests to ocean bluffs. Sonoma County’s regional park system consists of more than 50 parks, including trails and open spaces.
At The Cottages of Petaluma, we are delighted to be located just a short drive from everything the Sonoma Wine Country has to offer. If you are interested in learning more about our 55+ community, we would love to hear from you.
The Cottages of Petaluma is a 55+ fully updated, cottage manufactured home community in desirable, historic Petaluma, the affordable wine country alternative.