When Ken asked me if I wanted to accompany him on a trip down Wine Road… Twist my arm was the most obvious response in my mind. Not one to turn down an opportunity to sip at various vineyards while munching on small bite pairings, Ken and I make a wonderful pair of friendly winos..
Not to mention, thanks again to him for the invite.
Wine Road Northern Sonoma County winds through some sublime tasting experiences and memorable personal encounters with the fine folks of California’s Wine Country.
Founded more than 30 years ago, the association itself is a group of wineries and lodgings that work together in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys.
With more than 150 wineries and 50 lodgings, people looking to travel to the Sonoma region should find something to their liking along Wine Road.
Winter Wineland provides an opportunity to meet winemakers, taste limited production wines, new releases or library wines. Some wineries will offer food pairings and others will have tours.
There are many small production or boutique wineries on the list making this a wonderful event even for us locals. Many of the wineries will request that groups of 8 or more do not visit their tasting room so we opted for the vineyards on this list to try to avoid the larger bus filled crowds of wine tasters.
Our Wine Road consisted of some beauties and a few I had never visited before. We started our journey in Santa Rosa at Paradise Ridge Estate Vineyards. This location sits atop the mountains of Santa Rosa in the community of Fountaingrove.
It boasts beautiful views as far North as Windsor and south as far as Rohnert Park…Lovely. They have outdoor patio decking extending around 3/4 of the large winery tasting room. This includes tables, chairs and benches to stop and enjoy a sip or two.
Inside, they have two bars for guests to enjoy their current wine bottle line up. Nestled on a 156-acre wine estate, the vineyards were planted in 1978 and the winery was founded in 1991. Wander through the 4 acre outdoor sculpture exhibit in Marijke’s Grove, enjoy the Nagasawa historical exhibit or bring a picnic to savor outstanding wines.
We live in Santa Rosa and my kids love to visit the sculpture gardens at sunset and mom loves taking their pictures while they play.
PARADISE RIDGE WINERY & VINEYARDS
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Dr
Santa Rosa, CA
Contact: (707) 528-9463
On to the next…Healdsburg, here we come and to the Dry Creek Road tour with Kokomo Winery, Papapietro Perry, Kachina Vineyards and Dry Creek Vineyard to name a few…Stay tuned for these articles folks!