Frommer's Portable California Wine Country
Chapter One
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is often thought of as the "other" Wine Country,
forever in the shadow of Napa Valley. It's true that Sonoma Valley
doesn't have as much going on as Napa Valley. You won't find as
many wineries, shopping outlets, or world-class restaurants here.
But its less developed, more backcountry character is exactly its
charm. Besides, there is more than enough to do here to fill your
vacation time.
Sonoma Valley is far more rural and less traveled than its neighbor
to the east, offering a more genuine away-from-it-all experience
than its more commercial cousin. The roads are less crowded, the
pace is slower, and the whole valley is still relatively free of slick
tourist attractions and big-name hotels. Commercialization has, for
the most part, not yet taken hold. Small, family-owned wineries are
still Sonoma Valley's mainstay, just as in the old days of winemaking,
when everyone started with the intention of going broke and
loved every minute of it. (As the saying goes in these parts, "It takes
a large fortune to make a small fortune.")
Unlike in Napa Valley, in Sonoma Valley you won't find palatial
wineries with million-dollar ... read full excerpt from Frommer's Portable California Wine Country, 4th Edition ebook
