Wine Tasting in Sonoma

Wine tasting was by far the activity of choice for this weekend getaway. We visited three to four wineries every day and sampled three to four wines at each place.

Quick Tips:

Most B&Bs require a two or more night stay on the weekends, but we found the Thistle Dew Inn, right in downtown Sonoma, didn't have any minimum stay requirements.

Best Way To Get Around:

We drove to all the wineries. Although the wineries don't pour full glasses for tasting, it doesn't take long for all the little sips to add up. Luckily, one of our friends doesn't drink wine, so we had a designated driver. Another alternative is booking one of the many valley-based limo companies that offer all-day wine tastings.

Our B&B was located just one block from the Plaza in downtown Sonoma, so we could walk to the many shops and restaurants that surround the Plaza.

We stayed in the Mimosa Room, which was nicely sized. The furnishings (for our room as well as the B and B as a whole) are styled in the arts and crafts period with wonderful pieces by Stickley and others. The bath had a nice two person Jacuzzi tub.

Breakfast was French Toast, which we had served in our room for a small fee.

Although known for their champagne, Gloria Ferrer also has a number of wines which they taste here at the winery. Tasting here is charged by the glass, which is in contrast to many of the smaller wineries in Sonoma which are often complimentary.

They do have the best view in southern Sonoma Valley. The winery is situated high on a hill, so the view from the patio (we we drank our wine and champagne) was wonderful.

This was our favorite winery of the weekend. A small tasting room offered complimentary tastings, including glasses of port. Wellington is tucked off the main roads, so it probably gets a smaller crowds than other wineries. The staff was friendly and the wines were wonderful.