4-Nights Sonoma: A Culinary Adventure - Tailor Made Day by Day — CALL

1 Say hello to Sonoma

Your private transfer from San Francisco International Airport takes you through the famously bohemian city, whose progressive, artsy vibes have long percolated northward to your destination. Once across the Golden Gate Bridge, you travel through Marin and Sonoma Counties, taking in the fertile landscapes that have made Sonoma’s extraordinary food and wine scenes possible. This is an abundant larder where it is possible to grow almost anything – luscious peaches, glossy Bing cherries, gargantuan vegetables, exotic salad crops, meaty olives – while the diverse soils and microclimates mean no two wine terroirs are quite the same. The artisan cheeses and single-estate olive oils throughout the county rival those of Italy, while the salami, prosciutto, and poultry of Petaluma are some of the best in the state.

Your journey concludes in the tiny town of Forestville at the Farmhouse Inn, a rustic boutique hotel run by siblings Joe and Catherine Bartolomei. Besides being home to one of the finest restaurants in the area, it offers a pool, fire pits, a lavish spa, and afternoon wine tastings with local purveyors. Eight of the guest accommodations are early 20th-century cottages complete with dry saunas. Your four-night stay begins with dinner at the award-winning Farmhouse Restaurant, where husband-and-wife team Craig Wilmer and Amanda Hoang have created a menu that elevates simple produce such as squash, squab, cucumbers, and potatoes to an art form. Craig worked previously at acclaimed San Francisco restaurants Petit Crenn and Coi, while Amanda’s past experience includes Cyrus, in nearby Geyserville, and the legendary French Laundry, in neighboring Napa County.

Sonoma is as much a nature lover’s paradise as it is a wine mecca. Spend your morning on a two-hour private horseback tour beginning in Jack London State Historic Park, led by a seasoned wrangler. The route passes vineyards, oak woodlands, and redwood groves. In this part of California, coastal fog and cooling breezes drift in from the Pacific, creating ideal conditions for growing grapes, especially Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. After your ride, head to the Bubble Room at J Vineyards for a two-hour lunch with pairings where you can experience these varietals and some exceptional sparkling wines. Estate director and head winemaker Nicole Hitchcock has worked her magic with grapes from the Russian River Valley’s most sought-after vineyards, including Annapolis Ridge, Bow Tie, Eastside Knoll, and Foggy Bend. One of her latest undertakings is Love, a limited-edition sparkling wine made in collaboration with grantLOVE, an art and design initiative with a focus on empowering women. Wines accompany each of five courses on a tasting menu of local produce.

Your next stop is Flowers Estate Vineyards, in Cazadero. The wines produced here, under the Camp Meeting Ridge and Sea View Ridge labels, make the most of Sonoma’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, taking full advantage of the extreme coastal setting. Sample some of the best as part of a private, focused tasting, paired with seasonal bites made in-house. End your day back at Farmhouse Inn with dinner at the hotel’s more casual restaurant Farmstand, where you can dine in the open air on wood-fired pizzas and other easy delicacies. Naturally, a sommelier will be on hand to offer advice on the best local pairings.

Get started by exploring the family-owned Passalacqua Winery, a specialist producer of small-lot, handcrafted wines, including Passalacqua Estate Cabernet Sauvignons and single-vineyard Zinfandels, under the guidance of seasoned vintner Jessica Boone. Head next to Capo Creek Winery, where owner and chef-winemaker Mary Roy hosts a four-course lunch paired with the estate’s best wines in a private gated garden with panoramic views of the vineyards. After a tour of the wine caves and vineyards, she leads you on a drive through the estate in a covered Kubota 4x4, stopping for tastings at key locations.

Perhaps the best-known of Sonoma’s charming small towns is Healdsburg. Quiet and walkable, it is centered around a shady square with a European feel. Everywhere you go you’ll find modern hotels, upscale delis, bakeries, boutiques, farmers’ markets, and an implausible concentration of fine restaurants. One of the most beloved is Dry Creek Kitchen on the edge of the plaza, opened in 2001 by the chef Charlie Palmer, known for his groundbreaking New York restaurants and his pioneering “progressive American cuisine” – an elevated reinterpretation of European cuisines using distinctively American ingredients (think Alaskan halibut with roasted beets, lobster sauce and salsa verde). Your dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen will feature local wine pairings and other surprises.

Among Sonoma’s natural wonders is Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Unlike the redwood groves in the Bay Area, this one was not logged in the 18th century, and many of its trees stand more than 300 feet tall. Your guide introduces you to the gentle giant affectionately known as Colonel Armstrong, estimated to be 1,400 years old, while also taking you through the ecology and history of the natural sanctuary.

Next up: More wine. Sitting at the intersection of three American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) – Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros – Ram’s Gate Winery is known for its hospitality as much as its breathtaking setting. After a tour that delves into farming techniques and the winemaking process, your tasting begins. The sommelier, already up to speed on your preferences, presents five Single Vineyard and Library wines, each accompanied by a food pairing orchestrated by executive chef Ruby Olivares.

Cap it all off with one of the region’s most unparalleled culinary experiences: SingleThread, chef Kyle Connaughton’s Healdsburg destination restaurant, which has three Michelin stars and a place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Melding Japanese and Californian influences, this last dinner features produce from the farm Kyle runs with his wife Katina. Possible highlights include crab with pea tofu and miso crab dashi, or a claypot course in which rice is the star.

After breakfast at Farmstand or in your room, check out of Farmhouse Inn for the transfer to San Francisco International Airport and your flight home.