What a wonderful sleep in a big, cushy hotel bed! Don't get me wrong - I've been lucky that ALL my sleeps thus far into the trip have be very comfortable and relaxing, but man oh man, there's something to be said about a big, cushy hotel bed! Sonoma Hotel, right on the main square of the quaint little wine country town, proved to be an excellent choice, and both Lesley and I recommend anyone touring this end of the world to stay here - you'll really enjoy the experience. I'm sad WE couldn't take more advantage of the hotel's amenities and offerings, but there was so much WINE to be tasted! After a coffee and pastries in the lobby, a quick stop at Whole Foods for driving snacks, a walk past a few shops we had noted last night, we checked out, packed up the car, and were on our way for another day of adventure!
 | | Our room at the Sonoma Hotel |
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 | | The Sonoma Hotel |
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We discovered that the best way to tour around here is to ask everyone 1) Where should I go? and 2)Where's YOUR favorite place to go? Inevitably it's somewhere nearby and probably not somewhere you found when browsing the map and pamphlets, and it's comes recommended. That's how we determine our route for the day, by asking the locals and following their advice.
 | | Lavender field at Matanzas |
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 | | Tasting at Matanzas |
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Our first stop was Matanzas Creek, where the big allure besides the wine is the fact that there is a lavender field surrounding the property. You can imagine how wonderful it smells, sitting on the terrace outside, sniffing the sir as the plants are warmed by the sun. And before you ask, NO, the lavender does not affect the tasting notes of the wines, as the vines are planted downwind. I asked. The tasting room was full when we arrived, but I think it must've been a morning rish, because with 10 minutes, we had the place to ourselves. The wine taster walked us through their wine flight, tacking on a few of her favorites at the end, and Lesley continued to be surprised by how good the Californian Chardonnays are. We both fell in love with the 2013 Bennett Valley Chardonnay and the location, and would happily come back one day, picnic in hand, to spend an afternoon among the vines.
Our taster suggested we check out Eric Ross next, which was unfortunately closed, but across the street, we visited the Jack London Village, a sort-of shopping pitstop, where we discovered a chocolate shop that does local flavors and delicious truffles AND tastings! We stopped in to try the Champagne ganache and different intensities of chocolate, and we picked out a few truffles to eat on the spot. My favorite was the Elvis, with peanut butter and banana.
 | | Wine Country Chocolates' truffles |
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 | | Terraced vineyards at Benzinger |
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 | | Cathy tasting wine at Benziger |
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 | | Home for the wildlife at Benziger |
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Upon leaving, the chocolatier mentioned we should stop at Benziger, one of the bigger wineries in the region, if for nothing more than to take a look around, as the site itself is beautiful. She was right, Benziger was incredibly beautiful, set in a terraced valley, completely self-sufficient. Here, they practice Biodynamic Farming, which is a practice of nothing coming in, nothing going out. That means no chemicals, yes, but also means they have their own lake as a water reservoir. They've established a diverse ecosystem to take care of pests on the vines by housing bats, birds and owls. They have sheep and cattle to take care of the weeds, which in turn creates the manure required to fertilize the plants. They grow other fruits and vegetables on the land and create compost with the cuttings of plants and vines. It's a great concept. Benziger also produces some great wines, and partner with a vineyard who makes port, so the tasting was quite diverse.
 | | Heading down from the mountains |
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 | | Lunch time! |
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From Benziger we started making our way to the coast, pausing for lunch in Point Reyes, at the Cowgirl Creamy, a renowned cheese producer around San Francisco. We picked out three delicious Californian-made cheeses, and along with the stuff we picked of this morning, we ate cheese to our heart's content. Then we started making our way back to SF by way of Highway 1, which hugs the coast until you reach Golden Gate Bridge. When I say hugs the coast, I mean the road drops off the side of a cliff and into the Pacific, and you will too if you're not a careful driver. Plus, the posted speed limits seem to be WAY higher that physically possible on these roads. Regardless, Lesley performed excellently on all those curves, and I got some amazing views of the coast and the ocean, crowned by the view of the Golden Gate Bridge opening up through the tunnel as we approached SF.
 | | See how the highway curls around the mountains? |
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 | | Looking up the coast |
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Our activities for the evening included finishing off all that delicious cheese, taking a much-needed shower to wash away the sand from our stop at Stinson Beach, and building my bed so I could sleep in it. Yup. And sleep came quickly after such a busy and enjoyable 2 days.
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