BACKSTORY: From the Visit Sonoma Wine Country website: Just a 45-minute drive north from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Sonoma County is a traveler’s paradise in California. The world-class Sonoma wine region offers over 370 wineries — from wine castles and the winery resort of Francis Ford Coppola, one of Hollywood’s most famed directors, to simple and rustic tasting rooms.
Sonoma County was named the top wine destination in the U.S. by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards 2012. Sonoma County, adjacent to Napa Valley, represents the best of Northern California — premium wine, farm-to-table dining, ancient redwood forests, more than 50 miles of stunning Pacific Coast, oak-covered mountains, and quiet rivers. Breathtaking Highway 1 delights visitors with crashing waves, sea lions and otters sunning on the beaches, and amazing sunsets that color the sky in brilliant hues.
