The Best Wineries in Sonoma for Seeing Fall Colors

By Linda Murphy
Kunde Vineyards at peak fall color in Kenwood. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

There’s no need to travel to Vermont to see its famous fall foliage and the vivid hues of chartreuse, orange, amber, crimson and purple. We have them in Sonoma, too, often conveniently displayed at and near vineyards and wineries. Tasting wine while soaking in the autumn color is far more rewarding than watching sap run from a tap in a New England maple tree.

This is the ideal time to experience Sonoma County’s Technicolor transition from summer to fall and, eventually, winter. But don’t wait too long — some trees, shrubs and flowering plants, just like the Oakland A’s, have already called it a season.

In the case of grapevines, a very dry 2021 made for a quick, light-yield harvest (though winemakers report wine quality will be exceptional), and the majority of locally grown grapes will have already been picked by mid-October.

Yet there’s still plenty of eye-popping “leaf peeping” to be enjoyed in Wine Country in the next few weeks, sometimes accompanied by glorious sunsets and always with exceptional wines to sip.

Here are a handful of Sonoma County wineries with great October visuals to go with the vino.

Bartholomew Estate Vineyards and Winery

Hiking through vineyards is a fine way to see fall colors. But the elevated view from atop a gentle horse at “Bart Estate” offers a higher-level, ever-changing perspective. The Sonoma winery, in conjunction with Sonoma Valley Trail Rides, hosts 45-minute equine rides through the 375-acre estate and its vineyards, with a bottle of wine to take with you upon dismounting ($150).

Alternatively, hike a 3-mile trail and see oaks, madrones, redwoods and grapevines in their various stages of seasonal change. Afterward, taste at the winery, which honors Frank and Antonia Bartholomew, who bought the land in 1943 and founded Hacienda Winery on the site where Agoston Haraszthy planted some of the first European vine cuttings in California in 1857.

1000 Vineyard Lane, Sonoma, 707-509-0450, bartholomewestate.com

Jordan Vineyard & Winery

In the Alexander Valley, the buttercup-color Jordan chateau, covered in Boston ivy in fall, is as iconic a place as any in Sonoma County when it comes to wine tastings with an autumnal vibe.

The ivy morphs from vibrant green to red, then orange to pale yellow before the leaves fall, typically in November. Beyond those walls, on the 1,200-acre estate that includes approximately 120 acres of Bordeaux red grape varieties, is a broader rainbow of foliage colors best viewed during the Estate Hiking Adventure ($110), offered on Fridays through November (tickets went on sale Sept. 24).

The guided hike begins in the chateau courtyard and continues for 4 miles on a private trail, traversing hills and valleys and with an elevation change of about 300 feet. There is a rest break at Vista Point, with views of vineyards and mountain ranges. The hike also includes views of olive orchards, a lake, cattle pasture, apiary, culinary garden and a new pollinator sanctuary intended to lure endangered monarch butterflies to a safe haven. The moderately strenuous walk concludes on the terrace with a charcuterie and salad picnic, paired with Jordan’s cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.

1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com

Keller Estate

The view to the south, from 500 feet of elevation, from this Petaluma Gap vineyard and winery takes in southern Sonoma County and northern Marin County, encompassing colorful grapevines, trees and other foliage on the estate and beyond, glowing warmly in autumn.

Established by Mexico residents Arturo and Deborah Keller and now managed by daughter Ana Keller, the winery offers walking tours and tastings Thursdays through Saturdays ($50) and, through Nov. 7, a Dia de los Muertos Altar Tour (also $50, with a $15 add-on for empanada pairings). This Day of the Dead tour includes a stop at a community altar on the estate, which joyfully honors deceased loved ones in the Mexican tradition. Add a photo of a beloved family member or friend to the altar and toast them during the tasting. Proceeds of this experience will go to Pasitos, a Sonoma nonprofit that helps parents of young children prepare their kids to enter school for the first time.

5875 Lakeville Highway, Petaluma, 707-765-2117, kellerestate.com

Kunde Family Winery

There are few Sonoma wineries that show off autumn colors as gloriously as this Kenwood winery and vineyard estate. The 1,805-acre ranch, planted to grapevines by the Kunde family in 1879, is enveloped by terraced vineyards, oak woodlands and native shrubs and grasses. At this time of year, the collage resembles an L.L. Bean blanket of marigold, pumpkin and rust — especially when seen from 1,400 feet up during the Mountain Top Tasting ($80).

Visitors in search of fall colors also can join fourth-generation winegrower Jeff Kunde and his wife, Roberta Kunde, and their pooches for a four-hour hike, tasting and lunch ($90), with views and up-close inspections of the foliage that so remarkably transforms in October. Bring your own pup (leashed) as you take it all in before it’s gone; the last scheduled 2021 dog hike is Oct. 23. A portion of the fee will be donated to Dogwood Animal Rescue and the Sonoma County Humane Society.

825 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-833-5501, kunde.com

Medlock Ames

You can see bursts of color at this Healdsburg winery’s tasting room at the junction of Alexander Valley Road and Highway 128, but a visit to its Bell Mountain Ranch, a few miles south on Chalk Hill Road, is an even deeper dive into autumn.

There, the winery and 55 acres of vineyards are part of a 338-acre, organically and sustainably farmed estate, which also includes 800 olive trees, orchards and gardens. Most of the property is in its natural state, with oaks, grasses and chaparral and corridors for wildlife to pass through unimpeded.

Tours and tastings at Bell Mountain are well worth the $75 — for the wines (sauvignon blancs and cabernets are the stars), of course, and cheese plates, but most importantly, for the fiery fall foliage. Medlock Ames recently joined the International Wineries for Climate Action organization, whose members are committed to mitigating climate change. Co-founder Ames Morison passed the winemaking baton to Abby Watt in September, so he could focus on sustainability efforts on Bell Mountain.

13414 Chalk Hill Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-8845, medlockames.com

Trattore Farms

Tim Bucher grew up near Healdsburg with his ranching parents and went to UC Davis to study agricultural engineering with the goal of designing tractors. Yet he was also enamored with computer science. A long and successful career in Silicon Valley was followed by his purchase of land in Dry Creek Valley, where he planted wine grapes and cultivated the ancient olive trees on the property. (Tim Bucher is the brother of John Bucher of Bucher Vineyards in Russian River Valley.)

Today, Bucher’s Dry Creek Olive Co. produces world-class oils and his Trattore wines (trattore is tractor in Italian), which include zinfandel, Rhone varietals and blends. The hillside tasting room affords sweeping views of Dry Creek Valley to the west and Geyser Peak and Mt. St. Helena to the east, all awash in color in October. Various experiences are offered, including olive oil tastings and the Get Your Boots Dirty Tour ($110) — a drive through the vineyards and olive orchard in a Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle, with a stop at the olive mill center and a tasting of wines and olive oils.

7878 Dry Creek Road, Geyserville, 707-431-7200, trattorefarms.com

Viansa

Long known for its Tuscan-style tasting room and marketplace in Sonoma Valley and the wetlands below that harbor migratory waterfowl, Viansa also affords impressive 270-degree views of the valley and its autumnal palette. Wood-framed hillside outlooks — the winery calls them grown-up tree houses — can be booked for groups of up to six and come with service of four wines, cheese and charcuterie ($75). The Summit Tasting ($30) is on the hilltop terrace, with similarly broad views and four wines poured.

On Saturdays and Sundays through October, wood-fired pizzas are available to buy, in addition to cheeses, charcuterie, sandwiches and other fare. An al fresco Vine to Table Twilight Dinner is Oct. 23 ($189), with Glen Ellen Star Executive Chef Ari Weiswasser preparing the Italian-inspired menu.

25200 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 800-995-4740, viansa.com

West County Trail

There are more than a dozen tasting rooms located on or near Highway 116/Gravenstein Highway, which mostly parallels the West County trail, a hiking and cycling path running from Sebastopol to Forestville.

The 5.5-mile trail passes along color-changing vineyards, pastures, maples, sycamores, liquidambars and apple trees, and a tasting room is never far away for a refreshing detour. Just north of Graton, a section becomes an elevated boardwalk to pass through the Atascadero Creek Ecological Reserve and wetlands.

Don’t-miss tasting rooms along the way, particularly for pinotphiles, include Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Emeritus Vineyards, Merry Edwards Winery and Paul Hobbs Winery in Sebastopol; Paul Mathew Vineyards in Graton; and Russian River Vineyards in Forestville.

parks.sonomacounty.ca.gov/Visit/West-County-Regional-Trail

Dutton-Goldfield Winery, 3100 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 707-823-3887, duttongoldfield.com

Emeritus Vineyards, 2500 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 707-823-9463, emeritusvineyards.com

Merry Edwards Winery, 2959 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 888-388-9050, merryedwards.com

Paul Hobbs Winery, 3355 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, 707-824-9879, paulhobbswinery.com

Paul Mathew Vineyards, 9060 Graton Road, Graton, 707-861-9729, paulmathewvineyards.com

Russian River Vineyards, 5700 Highway 116 North, Forestville, 707-887-3344, russianrivervineyards.com

Solve a Murder Mystery Aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train

By Dana Rebmann

Halloween is just around the corner. Have you figured out that costume yet? The Napa Valley Wine Train wants to help jumpstart your plans for the haunting holiday with its Murder Mystery Tour. Getting in costume ensures you’re ready for whatever Halloween happenings emerge from the shadows this month. Other perks onboard the train: multiple course gourmet meals and plenty of wine. Click through the gallery above for all the details and other Wine Train holiday happenings you may want to put on your calendar.

6 Gorgeous Fall Color Hikes in Sonoma County

By Dana Rebmann

The days are still sunny and bright but the temperatures are getting cooler and warm hues of yellow, orange and red are starting to spread throughout Sonoma County. One of the best ways to enjoy Mother Nature’s autumnal art is to hit the trails and take in vineyard views. Click through the gallery above to see some of our favorite scenic treks. Did we miss one of your favorite spots? Let us know in the comments.

Table Culture Provisions Finds a New Home in Petaluma

By Heather Irwin
Table Culture Provisions owner/chefs Stéphane Saint Louis, left, and Steven Vargas. (John Burgess/For Sonoma Magazine)

Table Culture Provisions has found a permanent home at the former Chili Joe’s near downtown Petaluma, at 312 Petaluma Blvd. S.

The pop-up restaurant briefly operated out of the space now occupied by Wishbone restaurant, on Petaluma Boulevard North, before chefs/owners Stephane Saint Louis and Steven Vargas decided the space wasn’t a good fit for Table Culture Provisions, as reported last month.

They have been keeping the new location under wraps until they receive their final health department approval, but a new application to sell alcohol posted in the window of the former Chili Joe’s confirms that the restaurant will be opening in the cozy cafe space.

Saint Louis and Vargas gained fame after investing their pandemic stimulus checks in Tesla and turning the investment into a $17,000 windfall that helped them launch their restaurant and mobile kitchen. The move to a new location is part of a larger plan to work with Asombrosa Farm in Petaluma, a 65-acre plot with a 7,000-square-foot barn and culinary garden.

More dining news: Feel the burn…

Love destroying your taste buds, lighting your face on fire and feeling the burn all the way through your intestinal tract? Burger King’s new Ghost Pepper Chicken Nuggets are your new best friends, served for just $1.49 with a side of two dips.

The fried nuggets are studded with the ridiculously hot ghost pepper, once thought to be the hottest pepper in the world. How hot is that? The official measure of pepper spiciness, the Scoville scale, rates a ghost pepper at between 750,000 and 1.5 million heat units. Jalapeños rank at around 2,500 to 10,000 units. The only hotter pepper is the Carolina Reaper, which has between 1.5 and 3 million heat units. All we can say is order extra ranch dip, some milk and a large order of Tums on the side.

Sonoma County Restaurant Named Among Top 50 in the World

By Heather Irwin

Healdsburg’s SingleThread restaurant has skyrocketed to No. 37 on the carefully curated list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, up from No. 71 in 2019 (the awards were canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic).

The news comes on the heels of last month’s announcement that the restaurant, owned by Kyle and Katina Connaughton, had retained its three Michelin stars — the highest ranking for a restaurant — in the 2021 California guidebook.

Other Bay Area restaurants to make the top 50 list, released by a peer-reviewed awards program, include San Francisco’s Benu (No. 28) and Atelier Crenn (No. 48).

The annual list of the world’s finest restaurants, published since 2002, is a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for global gastronomic trends, according to organizers. A panel of more than 1,000 international restaurant industry experts — food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and well-traveled gourmets — selects the restaurants for each year’s list.

At the top of the list of international restaurants is Noma, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The restaurant bested all others in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021 with its seasonal Nordic cuisine. Geranium, also in Copenhagen, was No. 2; with Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain as No. 3; Central in Lima, Peru as No. 4; and Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain as No. 5.

The highest-ranking American restaurant on the list is Cosme in New York at No. 22.

For more details on the winners, visit theworlds50best.com.

5 Sonoma Distilleries to Visit for Fall Cocktails

By Dana Rebmann

Saying goodbye to summer is never easy but the changing of the seasons comes with a few perks. For example, local distilleries are serving fall-inspired cocktails with a taste of the cozy and festive months ahead. Click through the above gallery to see what some of our favorite distilleries are mixing up for their guests. Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

What to Plant in Your Sonoma Garden This Fall

By Karen Kizer

Saying goodbye to your summer garden’s radiant sunflowers and scrumptious tomatoes can be kind of heartbreaking. But there’s still plenty of growing fun to look forward to as the days become cooler. We looked to Sonoma’s garden pros for fall planting inspiration. While fall and winter plants don’t provide the colorful show that spring and summer plants do, there’s still lots to cultivate in sunny Sonoma during this more subdued season. And for a spectacular spring, the time to start planning is now. All you need to do is dig a little bit deeper.

Grow your greens

The gardens at Wild Flour Bread in Freestone (140 Bohemian Highway) are fantastically bountiful — make sure you peruse them before or after you get some of the bakery’s legendary scones or breads. While the fruits of summer’s labor can now be seen hanging heavily on trellises (grapes, pumpkins and squash), hardier crops are flourishing alongside them, including kales and cabbages. These leafy plants prefer the cold but can withstand heat, so they’re a good choice for planting right now. Staggering planting times a week or so apart can keep a crop growing over a longer period of time.

Experiment with garlic

Wild Flour gardener Sally Smith loves planting garlic this time of year because of the experimentation involved in growing different varieties. The bakery sources seeds and plants from Harmony Farm Supply and Nursery (locations in Sebastopol and Petaluma); the nursery carries garlic in varieties that range from super spicy to mild and rich. This year, Smith will grow hard neck and soft neck varieties — she likes to weave the soft neck garlic bulbs together and give them as gifts. Her main advice for planting: “The plants will do whatever they want. You think you’ll get control — just let ’em go.”

Plant those bulbs

Now, before the first frost, is the time to plant spring bulbs. Daffodils, hyacinths, tulips and more can make up a great cutting garden. Planting with bloom times in mind — that time range from late winter to early spring — allows for staggered blooming.

Act on your impatience

If waiting for those spring bulbs to bloom makes you feel crazy with impatience, King’s Nursery in Santa Rosa (1212 13th St.) provides an excellent option. They recommend planting cold-hardy blooms in the spaces between the bulbs. Pansies or Icelandic Poppies and other flowers can color the garden beautifully while you wait for spring.

Use a cover crop

If you’d rather put your garden to bed for fall and winter, consider planting fava beans to enrich the soil with nitrogen. This creates a naturally fertile planting ground come spring. We like to take a cue from the test gardens at Cornerstone Sonoma (23570 Arnold Dr.), where the raised beds grew fava beans last season. The beanstalks grow high (at around four feet — not enough to reach a giant, but still) and provide a pop of green during winter.

Don’t forget perennials

Fall is a good time to plant perennials since cooler temperatures won’t stress young plants. Perennials are stalwart elements of the garden, making things easier on the gardener while offering a little color during dormant times. Verbena on a Stick at the test gardens at Cornerstone Sonoma (see photo in slideshow) fill in the gaps between crops. They attract pollinators to boot, which are good for the earth and the garden aesthetic.

Peek Inside Iconic Sea Ranch Property Listed for $8 Million

By Karen Kizer

An iconic piece of architecture has hit the real estate market in northern Sonoma’s oceanfront community The Sea Ranch. With an $8 million asking price, the cliffside estate of late landscape architect and Sea Ranch master planner Lawrence Halprin will be open for offers until Oct. 15.

Halprin, who passed away in 2009, was among a group of architecture faculty at UC Berkeley, who, in the early 1960s, were tasked to transform a 5,200-acre sheep ranch on the Sonoma Coast into a modernist residential community. Halprin and his colleagues envisioned a community in harmony with nature; Halprin defined its guiding ethos — “living lightly on the land.” Typical features of suburbia and non-native plants were banned. No lawns, no palm trees and no fences were allowed.

While devising the Sea Ranch master plan, Halprin also made sure that the new dwellings wouldn’t obscure the rugged coastline. He wanted to protect the area from the kind of mansions typically built on expensive ocean-view properties, a phenomenon he called the “Malibu wall,” referring to the miles-long row of three-story luxury homes along the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica through Malibu.

At The Sea Ranch, homes dotted the area, while ocean views remained. The community’s radically restrained approach to residential development and its unadorned wooden houses soon garnered international attention.

The Halprin estate for sale today is an expansion of a cabin the landscape architect and his colleagues designed for the lot in the 1960s. The simple dwelling by the sea provided creative inspiration to Halprin and his wife, Anna, an accomplished modern dancer. The couple held workshops for their students in an outdoor amphitheater on the property.

Over the decades, Halprin added an additional level, an adjacent studio and a Carnelian granite fireplace to the property. (The fireplace references the Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial Halprin designed in the 1970s. The memorial’s water features are made out of Carnelian granite).

In 2001, a house fire destroyed the oceanfront cabin. Halprin described the subsequent rebuilding process as “at once exciting and emotionally difficult.” The rebuild adhered to The Sea Ranch’s strict building regulations and architectural requirements intended to preserve the community’s harmony with nature. Halprin was able to add a room for his grandchildren, a larger kitchen and a study for Anna. Single-sloped roofs run parallel to the hillside. Wood siding blends seamlessly with the land.

The sale of the Halprin estate comes at a time when the local real estate market is hitting price records monthly. Listing agent Hanne Lissberg says “prices (at Sea Ranch) are up 41% over the last year with an average price of almost $1.5 million, on par with San Francisco and Santa Barbara or double the Sonoma County average.” Just this year, 77 homes at The Sea Ranch have sold.

Click through the above gallery to peek inside the Halprin estate.

The Halprin Estate is listed by Hanne Liisberg and Company in The Sea Ranch. For property details and appointments, please call 707-785-3322, info@liisbergandcompany, liisbergandcompany.com. 

The Best Pumpkin Patches in Sonoma County

By Dana Rebmann
The Petaluma Pumpkin Patch and Amazing Corn Maze in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

No matter how old you are, a visit to the pumpkin patch remains a cherished fall tradition. In Sonoma County, there’s more to this seasonal ritual than simply picking pumpkins. Depending on what local pumpkin patch you choose to visit, you can wander through corn mazes, climb a haystack, pet fuzzy farm animals or try out a pumpkin slingshot! Click through the gallery above for help planning your next pumpkin patch adventure.

What’s your favorite Sonoma County pumpkin patch? Let us know in the comments below!

4th Street Social Club Closing in Santa Rosa

By Heather Irwin
At 4th Street Social Club in downtown Santa Rosa, the entire restaurant is run by three people with Leonardo Santoni, center, originally from Lake Garda, Italy, as the only waiter, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. “Working here has become a family to me both emotionally and financially,” said Santoni. (Erik Castro / For The Press Democrat)

The quirky downtown Santa Rosa restaurant 4th Street Social Club faced an uphill battle during the pandemic, opening just weeks before shelter-in-place orders took effect.

Since then, we’ve enjoyed wildly ambitious fare from Chef Jeremy Cabrera, made in a postage-stamp-size kitchen without a gas range or hood. The team won a Snail of Approval award for their dedication to using local ingredients and had a small but loyal following.

But, as reported Thursday, owners Melissa and Chris Matteson have decided to close up shop Oct. 11, due to COVID-19-related losses and the impact of the pandemic on foot traffic downtown.

The Mattesons said they hope to pursue a new restaurant endeavor. Until then, they’ll be serving dinner from 6 – 10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. 643 Fourth St., Santa Rosa

More dining news

Little Saint pairs with Marine Layer: What might be on the menu at the upcoming Little Saint restaurant, from Kyle and Katina Connaughton of the upscale Single Thread? Get a sneak peek by visiting the new Healdsburg tasting room from Marine Layer Wines.

Marine Layer is pairing samples of its wines with a Little Saint mezze plate that includes dips, spreads, housemade crackers and crudités, changing based on what’s in season in the Little Saint farm garden. Tastings with the mezze platter are $50 per person.

Exterior of the former Healdsburg SHED, now being transformed into Little Saint. (Courtesy of Little Saint)
Exterior of the former Healdsburg SHED, now being transformed into Little Saint. (Courtesy of Little Saint)

Little Saint, located nearby in the former Shed space, is the much-anticipated collaboration between owners Jeff and Laurie Ubben, Jenny Hess and designer Ken Fulk and the Connaughtons. Similar to the “modern grange” concept of the previous owners, the massive space will have a restaurant, quick-service cafe and wine shop along with a gathering space. Owners expect a late fall opening.

Marine Layer is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with reservations strongly recommended. To reserve, go to marinelayerwines.com. 308 B Center St. 707-395-0830.

Chef Shuffle: Brendalee Vialpando has been named executive chef at Jenner’s Timber Cove Resort. She was most recently executive chef at Bodega Bay Lodge. Cameron Bouldin is taking over the kitchens at Kivelstadt Winegarten in Sonoma. Calling himself a self-made chef, Bouldin has worked his way through the ranks, ending up as the former sous chef at Napa’s Oenotri and executive chef for Round Pond Estate.