Is it worth going to Sonoma?

In short, if you want a laid-back introduction to stellar vintages and gorgeous properties, Sonoma – rather than Napa – should be your California wine country destination. If you're only here for a day, consider signing up for a guided tour. A handful of the best California tours feature daylong excursions in Sonoma.



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Visiting Sonoma Valley Napa might win on being more expensive, but Sonoma is certainly more expansive, spread out, and laid-back. (People often say Sonoma is “less commercialized” than Napa.) It's almost double the size of Napa, and grows far more grapes than Napa in a variety of conditions.

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While you could easily spend an entire month getting to know Sonoma wine country, there are a few places that you simply should not miss. Here, we focus on the town of Sonoma with our ideal itinerary for a long weekend.

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SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County is among the pricier places to live in California, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The organization recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of America's 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

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Sonoma Tastings Are More Affordable (On Average) A basic tasting experience will set you back $25, $30, maybe $40 on this side of the divide. In Napa, expect to pay $35 or $40 to start, and likely more at well-known wineries. Overnight accommodations tend to be more affordable in Sonoma as well.

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Napa is the smaller of the two valleys, is typically more expensive and gets more traffic and congestion. Napa is located more inland than Sonoma so they don't get the same cool ocean breezes. Some of the major AVAs in Napa Valley include, Oak Knoll District, Rutherford, St. Helena, Stags Leap District and Yountville.

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Locally Grown in Sonoma County An abundance of fruits, vegetables, and herbs blanket the countryside. Cattle, sheep, and pigs graze while chickens and turkeys scratch in the pastures. Goats and cows offer up fresh milk and cheese. Dungeness crab, salmon, and briny oysters are harvested fresh from the sea.

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Public Transportation Then, you may want to consider getting to Sonoma Valley via public transit. One of the most convenient choices is the San Francisco to Sonoma shuttle run by Golden Gate Transit. This service operates buses from San Francisco to Petaluma and Santa Rosa.

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If you plan to do both Napa and Sonoma, dedicate one day to each. Also, they're close enough that I wouldn't recommend moving locations. Just stay in one place and then you won't waste time moving from one hotel to another.

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The closest airport and shuttle service to Sonoma County are the county's own Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS), in Santa Rosa, with daily flights on three major carriers; and the Groome Transportation, which runs between Sonoma County and the San Francisco and Oakland airports.

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Similarities between the two wine regions While similar in geography and climate, Napa tends to be warmer than Sonoma as it is further inland. Both valleys, named for the counties where they are located, are known worldwide for producing fine quality wines.

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Cooler Climates, Thanks to Miles of Shoreline (Fun fact, the winning Chardonnay was made from Sonoma County grapes!) Napa is also six to eight degrees warmer than Sonoma County, depending on the month. While this could be a perk for some, it might be a detriment for others.

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Well, yes, wines at wineries are often more expensive than the wines you see in a supermarket. But, they are not the same wines. The wines you see in the market are the winery's big production wines. They mass produce those wines so they can distribute them all over the country and all over the world.

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