Travel

The Long and Wining Road
by Andrew Collins

A trek through the Sonoma and Napa wine country offers heat relief
The Russian River Valley may be best known as Northern California's premier gay resort town, but this same lush woodland in western Sonoma County is also part of North America's most famous wine-producing region. Wine-touring is a favorite hobby of visitors to Sonoma and neighboring Napa counties, two areas that have also long appealed to lesbians and gays, both as destinations and as places to live.

There are a few different ways to approach a wine-tasting adventure in the Napa-Sonoma wine country. If you're primarily interested in the Russian River queer scene, and perhaps incidentally the nearby wineries, base yourself in Guerneville, where gay accommodations and bars abound. From here, it's at least an hour drive east to Sonoma's and Napa's wine-making hubs. But in Guerneville itself you can tour Korbel Champagne Cellars, which is headquartered in a century-old, creeper-covered brick building. An adjoining deli and microbrewery serves excellent salads and sandwiches (try the one with salami, Brie, tapenade, roasted peppers, and greens) on a tree-shaded deck.

Several more fine wineries nearby include the first-rate Mark West Estate, which like so many Russian River wineries, produces an outstanding pinot noir. The tasting room is at the Blackstone Winery, in the quaint village of Graton. Blackstone also produces its own excellent wines. Also try the intimate and delightful Joseph Swan Vineyard in nearby Forestville.

Among greater Guerneville's many gay-popular resorts and inns, one of the most intimate and charming is Huckleberry Springs, a women-owned 56-acre resort that sits high in the hills above the Russian River amid spectacular scenery; the compound has four stunning cottages. Applewood, a posh mini-resort a few miles from town, has 16 luxurious rooms split between a 1922 Mission Revival house and a newer building modeled after it. A superb attached restaurant is open to nonguests on a space-available basis.
If you're looking to balance extensive wine-touring with plenty of club- and restaurant-hopping, stay in the small but lovely city of Santa Rosa, an easy 60-mile shot up U.S. 101 from San Francisco. Although low-key, Santa Rosa—midway between Guerneville and the Napa and Sonoma valleys—does have a bit to see and do, and it also claims a visible queer community. Shoppers should investigate the city's Historic Railroad Square, and gardeners can head to the verdant Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, the estate of the renowned horticulturist. A bit west of town, Zazu is worth the trip for outstanding California cuisine.

If you're a die-hard wine-tasting aficionado, and especially if you and a significant other are seeking a quiet, romantic vacation, skip the Russian River and even Santa Rosa and stay in the heart of either Napa County or eastern Sonoma County. There are several gay-friendly accommodations out this way, as well as some of the most acclaimed eateries in North America.

Sonoma's main wine-growing region runs parallel to and west of Napa's for about 30 miles, from the town of Sonoma north through charming Healdsburg—with its courtly Spanish-influenced green shaded by palm and redwood trees—and on through Geyserville and Cloverdale. Sonoma itself is especially picturesque. You can eat at any of two dozen restaurants near the historic plaza fringed by Spanish Mission-style buildings, or drop by the Sonoma Cheese Factory to pick up a little of wine's favorite companion.
Giving a definitive list of recommended wineries in the heart of the Napa-Sonoma Wine Country is nearly impossible. But here is a sampling of stellar ones.

Many oenophiles focus on the 17-mile-long Valley of the Moon, from Sonoma north through Glen Ellen and Kenwood. Glen Ellen's Benziger stands out among the many competitors by offering interactive tram tours. Count Agoston Haraszthy's Buena Vista Carneros is steeped in history. Kunde, where the genial staff explains the entire wine-making process, is ideal for first-timers. Noted for its rich and full-bodied zinfandels, Ravenswood serves wines in a rustic, airy space warmed by a fireplace in cooler weather.

A star in the county's northern reaches, Geyserville's Clos du Bois can become crowded, but it makes a pleasant excuse to wander through this charming town, and the views of the Alexander Valley are stunning. Famous for its award-winning fume blanc, Dry Creek has magnolia- and redwood-studded grounds.
Broad and flat, the Napa Valley has scenery that is pleasant if not quite as lush as Sonoma's. The valley runs from the rather prosaic town of Napa north toward hippie-dippy Calistoga, which is famous for its several hot springs and spas, all of them quite gay popular. Commercial wineries line traffic-clogged Highway 29. Running parallel and just east, the delightful and less-crowded Silverado Trail skirts the eastern foothills.

Tasting highlights include the century-old Beaulieu Vineyard, set on Rutherford's glorious town square. Beringer has been around for more than 120 years, having survived Prohibition by producing communion wines. Be sure to tour the 1883 Rhine-style mansion in which the winery is housed. Visit Clos Pegase as much to admire Michael Graves' postmodern architecture, the extensive sculpture garden, and the provocative modern-art collection as to sample the wines.

Stag's Leap produced the wine that put the Napa Valley on the enological map two decades ago and remains a star vintner. An aerial tram sweeps visitors up to the area's winery in the sky, Sterling Vineyards. Despite its growing reputation, St. Supery remains a surprisingly friendly facility that puts on a very nice tour.
There are numerous gay-friendly lodging options. The choice of foreign dignitaries, San Fran yupsters, and other money's-no-object sorts, Auberge du Soleil is a discreet 48-room retreat with a Tuscany-meets-the-Southwest sensibility. Even if you don't stay here, consider a meal at its heavenly restaurant. Sonoma's posh MacArthur Place inn, a few blocks from the historic plaza, has 64 spacious, high-ceilinged rooms and striking grounds comprising rose gardens, an inviting pool, and a sumptuous spa. One of the few sanctuaries of comfort and elegance along Highway 29, the Ink House B&B has long been popular among lesbians and gay men. Rooms have high ceilings and many antiques, and the fourth-story belvedere that crowns the yellow 1884 Italianate house yields panoramic Napa Valley views.

Finally, keep in mind a few general tips before setting out to visit wineries. The Sonoma and Napa valleys are no longer the land of free wine; count on paying a nominal fee to sample most vintages. Also, wineries sell their stock at retail, often for 10 to 20 percent more than at some liquor stores back home. Finally, it's always a good idea to call a winery ahead to learn of upcoming special events—from jazz concerts to food festivals—and to confirm tour times and whether reservations are necessary.

The Little Black Book

Applewood (13555 Hwy. 16, Pocket Canyon, Guerneville, 707-869-9093 or 800-555-8509, www.applewoodinn.com)

Auberge du Soleil (180 Rutherford Hill Rd., Rutherford, 707-963-1211, www.aubergedusoleil.com)

Beaulieu Vineyard (1960 St. Helena Hwy.,Rutherford, 707-967-5200, www.bv-wine.com)

Benziger (1883 London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen, 888-490-2739, www.benziger.com)

Beringer (2000 Main St., St. Helena, 707-963-7115, www.beringervineyards.com)

Buena Vista Carneros (18000 Old Winery Rd., Sonoma, 800-926-1266, www.buenavistawinery.com)

Clos du Bois (19410 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-3100 or 800-222-3189, www.closdubois.com)

Clos Pegase (1060 Dunaweal La., Calistoga, 707-942-4981, www.clospegase.com)

Dry Creek (3770 Lambert Bridge Rd., Healdsburg, 800-864-WINE, www.drycreekvineyard.com)

Gay Russian River web page (www.gayrussianriver.com)

Huckleberry Springs (Monte Rio, 707-865-2683 or 800-822-2683, www.huckleberrysprings.com)

Ink House B&B (1575 St. Helena Hwy., St. Helena, 707-963-3890, www.inkhouse.com)

Joseph Swan Vineyards (2916 Laguna, Rd., Forestville, 707-573-3747)

Korbel Champagne Cellars (13250 River Rd., Guerneville, 707-887-2294, www.korbel.com)

Kunde (10155 Hwy. 12, Kenwood, 707-833-5501)

Luther Burbank Home and Gardens (Santa Rosa and Sonoma Aves., Santa Rosa, 707-524-5445, www.lutherburbank.org)

MacArthur Place (29 E. MacArthur St., Sonoma, 707-938-2929 or 800-722-1866, www.macarthurplace.com)

Mark West Estate/Blackstone Winery (Blackstone Wine Company Tasting Room, 9060 • • Graton Rd., Graton, 707-824-2401, www.markwestwinery.com, www.blackstonewinery.com)

Mustards Grill (7399 St. Helena Hwy., Napa, 707-944-2424)

Napa Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (707-226-7459, www.napavalley.com)

Ravenswood (Gehricke Rd., Sonoma, 707-933-2332 or 888-669-4679, www.ravenswood-wine.com)

Russian River Chamber of Commerce (707-869-9000 or 877-644-9001, www.russianriver.com)

St. Supery (8440 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford, 707-963-4507 or 800-942-0809, www.stsupery.com)

Sonoma Cheese Factory (2 Spain St., Sonoma, 707-996-1931)

Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau (707-996-1090, www.sonomavalley.com)

Stag's Leap (6150 Silverado Trail, Napa, 707/944-1303, www.stagsleapwinery.com)

Sterling Vineyards (1111 Dunaweal La., Calistoga, 800-726-6136, www.sterlingvineyards.com)

Terra (1345 Railroad Ave., St. Helena, 707-963-8931)

Zazu (3535 Guerneville Rd., Santa Rosa, 707-523-4814).