Sonoma Vineyard Walking Adventure
October 25-29, 2009

Sonoma County might not be as well known as its neighbor but we think it is the perfect place for an active wine vacation.

For one thing, it is still possible to find untraveled side roads and undiscovered wineries in Sonoma County.  For another, the county is large and diverse.  We walk through six separate AVAs on our five-day Vineyard Walking Adventure: Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, Rock Pile, Russian River, Sonoma Valley, and Sonoma Mountain. (See our Vineyard Walks map.) Plus, the accommodations and food are top notch and the people are friendly.

On a Vineyard Walk, we actually hike through or near the vineyards, generally accompanied by a wine maker or other winery employee.  We learn about the wine industry, sample wines, and get exercise all at the same time.  In some cases we have even set up multiple-winery walks with three or more winery visits in the same area.  For those seeking more exercise, we usually have an optional additional hike that focuses more on exercise and not on the wine.

We will visit upwards of 20 wineries during our week and if you visited like a "normal" tourist, all you would see (and remember) would be one side of the tasting room bar.  On a Vineyard Waking Tour, you'll experience much more - the winemakers' personalities, the local flora and fauna, views from a nearby ridgetop, or perhaps lunch among the vines.  And your memories will be that much richer.

Accommodations
We stay our first two nights at the Geyserville Inn. Geyserville is a tiny town in the middle of Alexander Valley vineyards and this is a great way to start the trip. Your comfortable room will likely have a view of the vineyards and the pool will be waiting for a post-hike soak.  Our second two nights we stay at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa.  The Flamingo is an amazing place - an historic resort built in 1957 and on the National Historic Register.  The amazing thing about the Flamingo is that it looks like a 1957 motel on the outside but it has been redone to modern standards on the inside.  Coupled with the best fitness club in Santa Rosa and an Olympic sized pool, it is a great place to hang out.

Recent Press Coverage of our Sonoma Tour
Vancouver Sun (July 10, 2008)
New York 1 News (May 28, 2008): Video
Financial Times (May 16, 2008)
Rocky Mountain News (April 2008)
North Bay Bohemian (April 2008)

Private Day Walks
We also offer one-day walks (including two vineyard walks with your own private guide and lunch) and three-day walks (including three walks in three days plus two nights hotel accommodations) if you are planning to be out in Sonoma anyway. See www.SonomaVineyardWalks.com.

For More Information
See our Sonoma Itinerary or Frequently Asked Questions page or our Travels With Wine blog for more information.

Note: Photo credit Sonoma County Tourism Board, www.sonomacountry.com.