With harvest in full swing, fall is one of the best times to visit the town of Sonoma.
This year, the town celebrates the 200th anniversary of the planting of grapes at downtown’s Misson San Francisco de Solano.
If you’re out early enough in the morning, you might catch a glimpse of a truck stacked high with bins of grapes coming down the road — picking mostly happens in the middle of the night.
Here are our suggestions for a perfect three-day weekend getaway itinerary, timed to make the most of early fall.
Friday
If you can swing it, try to arrive early enough in the day for a visit to the year-round Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers Market (9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Depot Park, 241 First St. W.).
The season’s bounty is doubled this time of year as the last of summer’s succulent tomatoes and corn meet fall pumpkins and chiles. Don’t miss flowers from Glen Ellen’s Oak Hill Farm as well as Mike the Bejkr’s fantastic whole-grain sourdough breads.
From the market, you can walk to Corner 103 (103 W. Napa St., 707-931-6141, corner103.com), where the gracious Lloyd Davis, a former banker who is active in the Association of African American Vintners, and his team focus on teaching about wine in a friendly, welcoming environment. The tasting option paired with food ($60 per person) is worth the investment.
In the afternoon, drive a few miles outside town to get in some country time with the sweet creatures living at Charlie’s Acres, a sanctuary that provides homes for goats, pigs, chickens and other farm animals ($50, 3201 Napa Road, charliesacres.org).
Later, dip your toes into the casual-chic scene at Valley Swim Club (18709 Arnold Drive, 707-243-3032, valleyswim.club), a walk-in-only outdoor dining spot modeled after an East Coast clam shack. Though there isn’t any actual swimming to be had here — that’s just the name. But there are incredible fried oysters, fish sandwiches and rice bowls to be enjoyed underneath cheery, red-and-white-striped umbrellas.
Back downtown, the speakeasy-style bar scene upstairs at The Beacon (497 First St. W., 707-721-1107) is a sophisticated, high-design counterpoint to the more down-home aspects of your first day in town, and it stays open until 11 p.m. Wind down with an excellent craft cocktail (the complex, herbal Mother Teresa is a favorite) while you chat with upbeat, in-the-know bartenders — always the best kind.
Saturday
Around the plaza, much of the early morning action centers around caffeine, when harvest crews fuel up for long days. There’s heavy traffic at the Peet’s and Dutch Bros. on Broadway, but you’ll want to head straight to Sunflower Caffé, (421 First St. W., 707-996-6645, sonomasunflower.com), where the coffee is rich and the delicious berry smoothies will keep you going all morning.
Sonoma Garden Park, just outside town, is a community garden, nature center and farmers market rolled into one (19996 Seventh St. E., 707-996-0712, sonomaecologycenter.org/sonomagardenpark). There are quiet places to picnic and stroll, as well as a Saturday morning harvest market where you can pick up great gardening advice along with your tomatoes.
Back in town, our favorite casual lunch is undoubtedly the Mexican street food from El Dorado Cantina (405 First St. W., 707-996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com/edk-cantina). The takeout outpost is the fun little sister to upscale El Dorado Kitchen.
Get your tacos to go and enjoy them across the street on the plaza. From there, you can shop and wander downtown a bit — browse beautiful, eco-friendly housewares at Jak W (124 W. Napa St., 707-721-1207, jak-w.com) or colorful gifts imported from Mexico at Hola Vida Collective (539 First St. W., 707-343-1442, holavidacollective.com).
It’s no fun to rush from spot to spot, and in doing so, you lose a lot of the uniqueness in the wines themselves. On a Saturday afternoon, one or two tastings is the sweet spot.
In addition to Friday’s Corner 103, here are a few other close-by favorites: Obsidian Wine Co.’s newly opened Base Camp (don’t miss the obsidian outdoor fireplace); Pangloss Cellars (gorgeous stonewalled surroundings); Darling Wines (youthful vibes, low-intervention winemaking); Winery Sixteen 600 (Grenache lovers and Deadheads must visit); and Sosie Wines (friendly people and French-style wines).
Dinner at downtown’s Tasca Tasca is a wide-ranging adventure into delicious Portuguese small plates (122 W. Napa St., 707-996-8272, tascatasca.com). Order a lineup of five or seven small bites and have your friends do the same. You can try much of the menu this way, though our favorites will always be the crab empanadas and the bacalhau, aka salt cod fritters.
If your appetite is larger and your mood even more mellow, go for heaping pastas at the Swiss Hotel (18 W. Spain St., 707-938-2884, swisshotelsonoma.com).
Sunday
A lazy brunch is undeniably the way to go on a Sunday morning in early fall. By far, our favorite casual spot is the back patio at Baker & Cook, a short drive from downtown. Go for excellent veggie quiche, French toast, biscuits and gravy, and also some of the most delicious scones in town from baker and former firefighter Jen Demarest (18812 Highway 12, 707-938-7329, bakerandcooksonoma.com).
If you’re looking to linger in a resort setting, the patio at El Dorado Kitchen is a great bet. Try the smoked salmon Benedict or filet mignon and eggs (405 First St. W., 707-996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com).
Downtown’s historic Mission San Francisco Solano is a lovely spot to explore after brunch. The simple chapel, with its delicate painted trim and religious artifacts, brings a sense of timelessness to a Sunday afternoon (114 Spain St., 707-938-9560, sonomaparks.org).
Before you head home, there’s hopefully time for one more tasting. At Bartholomew Estate Vineyards & Winery, you can combine that tasting with a short hike through the vineyards and up the mountain (1000 Vineyard Lane, 707-509-0540, bartholomewestate.com). Pause near the top to take a snapshot in your mind of the vineyards starting to turn fall colors — a wonderful way to carry the season back home with you.