Sonoma.

Sonoma County is the quieter half of the Northern California wine country — Russian River and Dry Creek Valley west of Healdsburg, the Sonoma Valley itself running north–south from Sonoma town to Glen Ellen and Kenwood. An hour and a half from San Francisco. The hotel scene is surprisingly strong on the independent side, even as the chains and collections have moved in around Healdsburg.

What this looks like

Highway 12 runs the Sonoma Valley spine; Highway 101 carries you to Healdsburg and the Russian River exit at Guerneville. Architecture varies more than Napa — Tuscan estates, redwood-shaded river cabins, Victorian farmhouses, working ranches with guesthouses. Sonoma town is the historic plaza. Healdsburg is the food-and-design town. Guerneville is the river-bohemian outpost. Forestville and Glen Ellen are the small in-between towns where the better small inns sit.

The standouts

• The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville — the Bartolomei family's 1873 farmhouse on the Russian River. Twenty-five rooms, Michelin-starred restaurant, Forbes five-star.
• MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa in Sonoma — a 19th-century Victorian estate on seven acres. Sixty-four rooms, the Layla restaurant, heated pool.
• The Kenwood Inn & Spa — a Tuscan-inspired retreat in the middle of the valley. Twenty-eight rooms, vineyard-edge.
• Dawn Ranch in Guerneville — twenty-two redwood-shaded acres on the Russian River. Fifty-five cabins, Agriculture Public House.
• The Pig & The Farm Inn in Healdsburg — ten rooms on a working cattle ranch. Farm-dinner ethos, twenty minutes from town.

When to come / who it's for

May, June, September, and October are the best months. Harvest runs late August through October — book three months out for September weekends. Summer (July and August) is hot and crowded but reliable. Winter (November–February) is the quiet, cheap season; the wineries pour with more time and the restaurants have tables. Sonoma rewards a long weekend organized around two regions: one day Healdsburg/Dry Creek, one day Sonoma Valley, one day the Russian River. Couples-and-friends territory more than family — the wineries don't really cater to children.

Nearby

Wineries: Lambert Bridge, Bedrock, Three Sticks, Hanzell, Iron Horse for sparkling. SingleThread for the Michelin meal in Healdsburg; Valette and Bravas for the easier dinner. Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve for the half-day forest walk. Drive forty-five minutes to Bodega Bay and the Sonoma Coast for a beach day. Glen Ellen for Jack London State Historic Park.