Updated November 9, 2024
Based on my European travel focus, you’d be hard-pressed to guess I live in one of the world’s most beautiful spots, near San Francisco and the famous Napa and Sonoma wine regions. I’m within driving distance of the snow-capped peaks of Tahoe and the granite monoliths and waterfalls of Yosemite National Park. You’d think I was thousands of miles away from all that because I’ve never blogged about San Francisco’s rich culture, California’s rugged and pristine parks and coastline, the giant redwood groves, or the Napa and Sonoma wineries, just a short car ride away.
Well, that’s about to change.
A Perfect Day in Wine Country
Today, I am sharing a perfect day Chris and I spent discovering wineries at Wine Road’s 26th Wine & Food Affair in Sonoma County, California.
Dubrovnik, the final post in my 19-part Balkan series, can wait, as can overdue posts about the Czech Republic, Scotland, and Italy.
The Journey Begins: Exploring Sonoma's Wine Roads
On a crisp Saturday morning, Chris and I set out with friends to explore the rolling hills and vineyards that stretch between the Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys. The season’s first rain conveniently fell the night before, leaving the landscape sparkling under the Sonoma sun. The countryside, with its winding roads and sun-dappled vistas, easily rivaled the beauty of Tuscany.
With its Mediterranean climate—cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers—Sonoma is a prime region for growing grapes, perfectly balancing ripeness and acidity. We were ready to sample some of the valley’s best wines (even at 11:30 a.m.).
The Wineries: A Selection of Sonoma's Finest
Of the 54 wineries participating in the Wine Road weekend event, we narrowed our list to Russian River Vineyards, Overshine Wine Company, Leo Steen Wines, Idlewild Wines, and Ridge Vineyards. With Wolfie at home and the high price of dog sitters, we couldn’t cover all of Wine Road’s territory spanning the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, and downtown Healdsburg in one day. We would miss the 11 participating wineries in the Alexander Valley, including Francis Ford Coppola Winery and our favorite, J. Rickards Winery.
Unfortunately, we missed Ridge Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley that day because we got there after the stroke of four (the end of the tasting fun). But, as we doubled back along Dry Creek Road, I caught sight of the magnificent Tuscan-style Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery. Although they aren’t members of Wine Road, we made it our final stop.
Russian River Vineyards in Forestville was an excellent place to start our wine tour. It has the rustic charm you’d expect, with a backyard setting and an expansive view of one of their vineyards. What I didn’t expect was their fine chester. sparkling wine. I’m a less-than-enthusiastic sparkling or Champagne drinker, but this was divine. It paired well with the Ahi Poke Taco Crisp. I guess it’s never too late to discover a champagne taste.
The chester. label honors Chester, a winery dog rescue that once roamed the property. Fittingly, this wine label’s sales proceeds go to local rescue organizations. With that said, I’m afraid I can only write about the “chester. sparkling wine” because we headed back on the wine road before tasting the others.
Not surprisingly, Russian River Vineyards is dog-friendly, so we can return with Wolfie to sample more of their wines and support Sonoma rescues.
The handout said, “We Like Your Vibe.” Inside the cheerful octagonal tasting room, I liked their vibe. Sitting on comfortable chairs around a coffee table at Overshine Wine Company, we sipped four tasty wines and abandoned all decorum to eat Slow-Smoked Baby Back Ribs with Peanut Chipotle Sauce.
This idyllic spot was Armida Winery until former Google exec David Drummond acquired it earlier this year. The tasting room has sweeping views of the property and vineyards. Outside, tables with bright red umbrellas, some with Adirondack chairs, are arranged by a pond with a fountain in the middle.
If you’re curious about the name, our server explained that Drummond came up with Overshine Wine Company while biking through Healdsburg and listening to Onyx’s hip-hop song “Overshine.” It fits with Drummond’s mission to bring more diversity and inclusivity to the wine industry for the next generation of wine drinkers. They can include me anytime for another food pairing and tasting of Rosé, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.
Overshine is a great place to go with wine-loving friends of any age, but judging by the visitors we saw, it’s already on the map with the thirty- and forty-year-old demographic.
We enjoyed the Rosé, Pinot Noir, and two Zinfandels (Maple Vineyard and Il Campo). We bought a bottle of the latter, which had the unusual aromas of cocoa powder, licorice, and cedar with the flavors of cranberry, blackberry and plums.
I can’t say I’ve ever had a Danish Smørrebrød with my Chenin Blanc before, but I’ll be the first to tell you that it is the perfect complement. It was apropos because the winemaker and owner, Leo Steen, is from Denmark.
We made ourselves comfortable at a coffee table in Leo Steen Wine’s airy and spacious tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. Two small glass-domed soil samples were on the table, undoubtedly a significant contribution to the terroir that nurtured these ambrosian wines. Leo poured a pinot noir, a 2023 Chenin Blanc, and my new favorite, Sød, a late harvest Chenin Blanc. We bought the two Chenin Blancs.
When we arrived at this downtown Healdsburg tasting room, we were seeing double. But it wasn’t because of the wine; it was because winemaker Sam Bilbro and Director of Operations Thomas DeBiase oversee both Idlewild Wines and its sister winery, Overshine Wine Company, which Drummond owns.
We started with a sparkling rosé, followed by Arneis, Flora & Fauna red, and Barbera, which went perfectly with the meatballs in tomato pairing.
We have DeBiase to thank for the tasty meatballs and baby back ribs at Overshine.
Though not a Wine Road member, our final stop was Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, which would look right at home in the pages of a luxury European travel brochure. It features a magnificent Tuscan-style building with large water fountains, Grecian columns, and gardens lined with Cypress and knobby Portuguese cork trees that look like they grew in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Had it been early spring or summer, the tulips and daffodils would have been blooming. The winery’s home page video captures the grandeur.
We arrived too late for wine tasting, so we walked around the gardens. Ferrari-Carano was certified in California as a sustainable winery in 2015, and it also has sustainable gardens.
Ferrari-Carano makes Pinot Grigio, Fumé Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other wines, but until we return to taste their wines, I can only speak for the Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay 2022. I came across that clean, crisp chard a few months ago when Chris picked it off the shelf of a local store. It became an immediate favorite of mine. The good news is that it’s reasonably priced. It is now one of a handful of entries in my Apple Notes shortlist of “Wines I Like.”
We’ll be back for a tasting and perhaps their Sunday Wine & Brunch.
Conclusion: A Day Well Spent
Our perfect day in Sonoma ended, but I vividly remember the landscape’s beauty, the people’s warmth, and the fantastic wines.
Wine Road’s annual Wine & Food Affair is an exceptional way to experience the region’s innovative new wineries and old favorites.
Mark your calendars to sign up next November or come for Winter WINEland in January 2025 or Barrell Weekend in March.
Click here for Napa and Sonoma Tours offered by our affiliate partner, Viator. You can eat, drink, bike or e-bike your way around Sonoma, rent a limo, or take a hot-air balloon ride.
Viator Tours of the Sonoma Wine Country
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