California Road Trip Part 3 – Drinking Wine in Sonoma!

Road trip West Coast California: Sonoma (part 3 of 4)

California Road Trip: On to the Sonoma Wine Region…

Did you miss part 2? Then watch here.

Wineries I'm coming!

At 8 a.m. we leave for Sonoma. Excited! On the way from Cambria to Paso Robles (about two-thirds of the way through), we'll pass many wineries, some with beautiful terraces. If you have time, visit one or two.

We'll make a quick stop at Gilroy OutletsThere are plenty of outlets in this area! Result? An hour. 3 pairs of jeans. Levi's. 7 For All Mankind. Total cost. $120. Not bad!

Sonoma: So much wine, so little time

We're staying at America's Best Value Inn in Healdsburg for the next two days. All the hotels here are so luxurious and pricey, but this one is affordable.
We have made a reservation at BroomFirst, we'll have some wine at one of the tasting rooms in the small town center. If you're here, definitely eat at Scopa. The service, the food, and the prices are really good. Now I understand why we had to wait until 9:30 for a table.

The next morning we rent bicycles at Wine Country Bikes.
It's 11 a.m., the sun is shining, and we're ready for wine tasting! Now, this is a bit different from cycling in Amsterdam or New York. This is some serious "Tour de France" climbing.
An hour and a half and a wooden butt later we arrive at the first on our list Ferrari CaranoIt's beautiful here! There's a tasting room upstairs, but we're going downstairs where they serve their reservas. If you're going to do something, you have to do it right.

The next winery on our list is Bella VineyardsThe tasting room is in a cave, but you can also take your glass outside and enjoy the view at the same time. And that's what we do. Remember to bring something tasty for lunch (French baguette and fig tarts at Downtown Bakery & Creamery Breads!).

Too bad we don't have time for it anymore Unti Vineyards en Preston of Dry Creek.
After returning the bikes we have a drink Spoon barThis is a nicely decorated, open bar in downtown Healdsburg. If you're in Healdsburg, you'll definitely want to stop by for a drink. And a Bloody Mary is delicious any time of day! ;)

We are going to eat at BarndivaWow, what a lovely and romantic place (much nicer outside than inside). And the food? Lobster risotto with garlic foam and fennel pollen. Simply perfect.

The next morning we have breakfast at Dry Creek General StoreI want a cutting board like that! Way too expensive, unfortunately... :(

This definitely leaves us wanting more (literally and figuratively). We promise each other that our first weekend getaway, when we're back in the Netherlands, will be to a wine region (champagne!!!) in France or Germany. That has to be amazing, right? And you can get there in just a few hours by car!

Next and last stop: San Francisco!
You can read the last part here » 
PS: you can find more nice addresses in the New York Little Black BookA city guide with the best restaurants, shops, and fun things to do in New York. New addresses are constantly being added, so check out my latest NY adventures online every week at Your Little Black Book!

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