SOUTHERN SONOMA

It’s difficult to get overexcited in southern Sonoma, and that’s a good thing. The Sonoma Valley and neighboring Carneros region are just so darned laid-back and leafy that even sitting in what passes as rush-hour traffic here will barely raise your blood pressure.

Apparently it’s always been a pretty good, stress-free life in these parts. Mother Nature might mix things up a bit with the occasional fire or earthquake, but she also provides hot springs, redwood forests, burbling streams, fertile soils, and a friendly climate.

In a sense, southern Sonoma is fairly close to paradise: a place where wine, history, scenery, and some of the best California produce combine in an area small enough to tour in a day or two. A visitor can spend the morning sipping splendid wine then in the afternoon stroll through historic Victorian splendor, or traverse a muddy mountain one hour and spend the next in a spa covered in therapeutic mud.

Hundreds of years ago, these same natural attributes attracted numerous Native American tribes, who lived peacefully side by side without the turf battles common elsewhere. Even author Jack London sensed something intoxicating in the air. He relocated from Oakland to put down deep roots in the Sonoma Valley, transforming himself from working-class hero to gentleman farmer and land owner. The main characters in his 1913 novel Valley of the Moon spent months wandering up and down California in search of their nirvana, the Sonoma Valley.

The lucky locals have worked hard against the odds to keep their valley and flatlands so inviting. In the 1960s, they fought off a plan developed by car-crazed California to drive a freeway down the middle of Sonoma Valley. While fame and freeways brought the heaving masses to Napa and northern Sonoma, the valley became the land that development forgot. By 1980, there was a grand total of two sets of traffic lights—and there aren’t many more now. The valley’s modern custodians are still a potent force, even defending a few local chickens threatened with resettlement. Such is the passion here to keep the “slow” in locally nicknamed Slow-noma.

Can the valley keep its identity amid modern population and development pressures? It’s trying hard but is swimming against the tide of tourism. Wineries and hotels are being mopped up by bigger and bigger conglomerates. The succulent local food is transforming into ever-more-expensive ethnic cuisine. An average family home in the valley now costs over $1.5 million. Visit quickly before Napa hops over the mountains and ends it all.

In the long term, there’s more hope for Carneros simply because there is no “there” there. (Ask anyone to name one town in Carneros and most will list Sonoma—a place also claimed by its eponymous valley.) In Carneros, the vineyards that are slowly covering any remaining pastureland not already underwater are effectively spiking future development. Chances are that nothing much will change here anytime soon—except perhaps that rush-hour traffic on the two-lane roads may worsen as more people move to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery: Witness Shakespeare or Mozart performed on a summer day at the outdoor amphitheater of this historic winery. (read more)

Benziger Family Winery: See Benziger’s biodynamic vineyards from a tractor-drawn tram, the most entertaining tour in the valley. (read more)

Chateau St. Jean: It’s worth it to pay a little extra for the reserve tasting and learn about wine while relaxing on the patio overlooking the valley. (read more)

Sonoma Plaza: Spend an afternoon exploring the eclectic shops and historic sites of the notable Sonoma Plaza. (read more)

Sonoma Mission: The last Californian mission has been immaculately restored, and its museum sheds light on the important role it played in the region’s history. (read more)

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Meander down the short nature trail or hike to the top of Bald Mountain for the best valley views. (read more)

Jack London State Historic Park: Scenic hiking trails surround the former residence of the valley’s prolific author and adventurer, Jack London. (read more)

Carneros Creek Winery: Discover the full range of pinot noir wines by tasting the many different clonal varieties and blends. (read more)

Domaine Carneros: Take a private tour and learn how champagne is made, all with a glass of bubbly in hand. (read more)

The di Rosa Preserve: Enter a wonderland of art and leave the Wine Country behind. (read more)