Sonoma County Holidays

The highlight of any Sonoma Valley holiday is the Californian wine and fine locally-grown food. There are more than 400 wineries across 18 regions, which offer lazy days of sipping in the sun for as long as you can stay.

There’s a winery for everyone here. You can sample elaborate grazing boards and Rhône-style wines, as you try your hand at shuffleboard at Abbot’s Passage. Immerse yourself in a six-course food and wine experience from award-winning chefs at Bricoleur, or sip vino beneath towering redwoods at Flowers. Sample family-owned sustainable flavours as you listen to live music at Gundlach Bundschu, or enjoy a sound experience among the olive groves of Bell Mountain Ranch. Taste Californian bubbles at Korbel Natural Champagne, or visit Buena Vista to see where it all started in 1857.No car? No problem. Healdsburg has 25 wineries, which are all reachable on foot.

If you can find time between wine-tasting and munching on charcuterie boards, Sonoma Valley has a world of attractions beyond its vineyards. Summon the spirit of the savannah at Safari West, where 900 exotic animals roam 400 acres of land. You can explore the reserve on foot, on a guided game drive, or stay overnight in a luxury tent.

Walk among the quirky junk sculptures of Sebastopol, or shop for the freshest local produce and artisan products at The Barlow. Head to Sonoma Plaza or Railroad Square in Santa Rosa for upscale shopping and dining, or treat your taste buds to a trip down the California Cheese Trail. Splash around at Spring Lake Park, or head to the Sonoma Coast for beaches, fishing, and surfing. Alternatively, visit Bodega Bay to see the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic The Birds. If you’re lucky, you might be able to see migrating whales from the clifftops.

Home to Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa is the largest city in the valley and a great place to stay if you’re looking for a little more than wine. Take a walk to Old Courthouse Square – the city’s central plaza – to browse book shops and boutiques, or sample local fare a laidback restaurant. Wednesdays also bring the night market, where vendors of homemade and artisan goods set up stalls as live music fills the air.

Head south and you can amble through the landscaped Luther Burbank Gardens, or browse the contemporary works at the Luther Burbank Centre for the Arts. Explore the valley’s history at the Museum of Sonoma County, or learn the story behind Charlie Brown and Peanuts at the Charles M. Schulz Museum, before sitting down to a show at 6th Street Playhouse.

One of the best things about Sonoma Valley is that the peak season lasts five months. And, as the vineyards are open all year round, you can travel at the time to suit you. June to October is high season, when temperatures hover between 25°C to 30°C and dry days with blue skies. It’s also harvest time which, combined with high visitor numbers, makes for a lively atmosphere in the towns and cities.

Winter sees fewer crowds, which makes the already laidback valley feel even more relaxed. Temperatures average 10°C between December and May, so you can look forward to cheaper accommodation, cosy dinners, and glasses of red wine by the fire.