Sonoma is located just north of San Francisco, making it hugely accessible if you are travelling from abroad or elsewhere in the USA. The Highway 101 runs directly through some of Sonoma’s towns, connecting you to San Francisco’s International Airport in around 2 hours.  Also right next door to Napa, another of the famous wine regions, you can jump across to contrast the different areas and get stuck into some of California’s best wines!

There are many beautiful wine retreats in Sonoma, with life revolving around the vineyards that surround them. Head to the country chic Farmhouse Inn, in the heart of the Russian River Valley, for a luxurious escape, complete with Michelin Starred restaurant. AutoCamp Russian River offers a very different and unique way to explore the area, with luxury glamping in custom Airstream Trailers.

There’s an endless choice of top spots to grab a bite in Sonoma, including farm to table gems and exquisite fine dining. The Farmhouse Inn, famed for its food since inception, with dishes such as Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit and grilled octopus with lemon chickpea is definitely worth checking out. Alternatively, head into Healdsburg for some creative takes on classic dishes at Valette or into the town of Sonoma itself for classic French cuisine at The Girl and the Fig.

Whilst you’re in one of California’s most renowned wine regions, what else would you drink but wine!? Make sure you plan for at least a day or two of wine tasting whilst you’re here, exploring some of the various styles and grapes that each sub-region of Sonoma has to offer. Join a guided tour or you can hire a driver to chauffeur you around the vineyards. With hundreds of vineyards and wineries in Sonoma it’s hard to pick just a few but MacRostie (for views), Gary Farell (for the cheese pairing) and Hawkes (for the unique past, present and future tasting) all make our top list!

Of course, wine isn’t all there is to do in Sonoma. With more than 60 nature parks across the county, take some time to enjoy the rolling countryside on foot, or maybe hire a bicycle. You can even take to the trees and zip line through the Redwoods for those more adventurous in spirit.  Some of the towns have a great art scene too, with a sculpture trail in Geyserville and some intriguing works made from recycled materials in Sebastopol.