Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [237]
2000 Denmark St. (off Eighth St. E.), Sonoma. 707/938-5277. www.gunbun.com. Daily 11am–4:30pm. Tours last 1 hr. and are by appointment only. Groups of 8 or more should make an appointment.
A tasting room at Gundlach Bundschu.
Buena Vista Carneros Winery Count Agoston Haraszthy, the Hungarian émigré who is universally regarded as the father of California’s wine industry, founded this historic winery in 1857. A close friend of Mexico’s General Vallejo, Haraszthy returned from Europe in 1861 with 100,000 of the finest vine cuttings, which he made available to all growers. Although Buena Vista’s winemaking now takes place at an ultramodern facility in the Carneros District, the winery maintains a tasting room inside the restored 1862 Press House. The beautiful stone-crafted room brims with wines, wine-related gifts, and accessories.
Tastings are $10 for a flight of seven wines. You can take the self-guided tour any time during operating hours; their $20 “Carneros Experience” requires a reservation and pairs five wines with a small plate of food, including cheeses. After tasting, grab your favorite bottle, a selection of cheeses from the Sonoma Cheese Factory, salami, bread, and spreads (all available in the tasting room), and plant yourself at one of the many picnic tables in the lush, verdant setting.
18000 Old Winery Rd. (off E. Napa St., slightly northeast of downtown), Sonoma. 800/926-1266 or 707/265-1472. www.buenavistacarneros.com. Daily 10am–5pm.
Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery The name Sebastiani is practically synonymous with Sonoma. What started in 1904, when Samuele Sebastiani began producing his first wines, has in three generations grown into a small empire, producing some 350,000 cases a year. The original 1904 property is open to the public with a free educational tour, an 80-foot S-shaped tasting bar, and lots of gift shopping opportunities. In the contemporary tasting room’s minimuseum area you can see the winery’s original turn-of-the-20th-century crusher and press, as well as the world’s largest collection of oak-barrel carvings, crafted by bygone local artist Earle Brown. If it’s merely wine that interests you, you can sample a flight of seven Sonoma County wines for $10. Bottle prices are reasonable, ranging from $13 to $75. A picnic area adjoins the cellars; a far more scenic spot is across the parking lot in Sebastiani’s Cherryblock Vineyards.
389 Fourth St. E., Sonoma. 800/888-5532 or 707/933-3200. www.sebastiani.com. Daily 11am–5pm. Tours daily at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.
A Garden Detour
Garden lovers should pull over for a gander at Cornerstone Festival of Gardens, 23570 Arnold Dr., Sonoma ( 707/933-3010; www.cornerstonegardens.com). Modeled in part after the International Garden festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire in France’s Loire Valley and the Grand-Métis in Quebec, Canada, the 9-acre property is the first gallery-style garden exhibit in the United States and includes a series of 22 ever-changing gardens designed by famed landscape architects and designers. With a recently added children’s garden featuring a brightly colored water tower surrounded by a sand moat and buckets, shovels, and plastic plumbing fittings, this is a great spot for the whole family. When you get hungry, stop by the Blue Tree Café, which offers light breakfasts, pastries, and espresso drinks along with a seasonal lunch menu including soups, salads, and sandwiches. It’s all served on nifty metal trays, perfect for carrying out to the gardens; there’s also seating indoors and out in front. Another plus for those with kids: The gardens include a cleverly installed willow reed maze that’s about 3 feet high and only has one entrance/exit right in front of the cafe, so if you’re sitting out front and the kids get bored, you can safely let them run through the maze. If you get inspired, you can load up on loot here that will help your own garden grow—from furniture and gifts to plants, garden art, and books—as there are several interesting shops here, too, including a personal favorite