Sonoma Wineries, Tourist Attractions Top USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards

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Best Wine Country Hotel—Boon Hotel + Spa (No. 10): Restaurateur Crista Luedtke's Guerneville resort took the No. 10 spot on USA Today's list of Best Wine Country Hotels. "This affordable hotel is in the middle of three winegrowing regions: the Russian River Valley, Green Valley and Sonoma Coast ... It has a super fun vibe and it's a great jumping-off point for exploring wine country," wrote USA Today. (Chris Hardy/For Sonoma Magazine)

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Best Wine Country Hotel—Montage Healdsburg (No. 9): Tucked in the hills north of Healdsburg’s Parkland Farms neighborhood, this luxury resort is set on more than 250 acres of oak woodland and vineyards. In addition to this USA Today award, the property was recently named among the best hotels in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report and among the hottest celebrity spots in Wine Country by The Hollywood Reporter. (Montage Healdsburg)

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Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort & Mineral Springs in Calistoga topped USA Today's list of Best Wine Country Hotels. The resort reopened in 2021 following a change in ownerships and renovations. (Dr. Wilkinson's Backyard Resort)

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Best Winery Restaurant—The J Bubble Room at J Vineyards & Winery (No. 7): "The J culinary team and winemaker Nicole Hitchcock collaborate to craft a menu that tells a story about the relationship between the wines and local ingredients," wrote USA Today. The winery in Healdsburg also hosts the groundbreaking culinary series Shifting the Lens, which highlights underrepresented cuisines and chefs. (J Vineyards & Winery)

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Best Wine Club—Cline Family Cellars (No. 3): "With three different subscription levels and no membership fees, members can personally hand-select their quarterly club selection at special discounts," wrote USA Today of this Sonoma winery. "Complimentary tastings for club members and three guests, access to new and limited releases, and early access and ticket discounts to unique club events throughout the year are also included." (Cline Family Cellars)

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Best Winery Tour—The Donum Estate (No. 10): "A visually stunning property in Sonoma, the Donum Estate is part wine space, part experiential gallery featuring The Donum Collection, one of the world's largest accessible private sculpture collections," wrote USA Today. Last fall, the Sonoma winery debuted a new tasting venue: The Vertical Panorama Pavilion (pictured). (The Donum Estate)

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Best Winery Tour—Gundlach Bundschu (No. 8): Gundlach Bundschu (pronounced "gun lock bun shoe") has been producing wine for over 150 years. The winery is popular for its cool vibe, outdoor tastings and annual Huichica Music Festival. It took the No. 8 spot in the "Best Winery Tour" category for its tours of the 320-acre estate aboard a Pinzgauer – an Austrian military vehicle. Visitors can also tour the vineyards and wine caves on foot. (Gundlach Bundschu)

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Best Winery Tour—Cline Family Cellars (No. 5): The Cline family's Sonoma winery took the No. 5 spot in the "Best Winery Tour" category for its guided tour of the grounds and winery, allowing visitors a "behind-the-scenes look at the sustainable winemaking process," according to USA Today. The 30-minute tour includes a glass of wine. (Cline Family Cellars)

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Best Winery Tour—Merriam Vineyards (No. 4): "I can’t say enough good things about this winery. There are lots of new options for touring and areas to hike, too," wrote USA Today expert Ziggy Eschliman about this organically-farmed vineyard estate in Healdsburg. A seated tasting with a selection of single-vineyard wines is offered daily. (Merriam Vineyards)

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Best Winery Tour—Benziger Family Winery (No. 3): This Glen Ellen winery is a popular destination for its eco-friendly estate. The winery’s holistic approach to farming and maintaining a healthy ecosystem involves many elements, which can be explored via tram, along the Biodynamic Discovery Trail and during the Tribute Estate Tour & Tasting. (Benziger Family Winery)

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Best Wine Tasting Room—Corner 103 (No. 2): Lloyd Davis' tasting room in the historic Sonoma Plaza was named best in the U.S. by USA Today readers in 2020 and 2021. Last year and this year, it came in at No. 2 and remains outstanding for its tastings of limited-production wines, such as sparkling rosé,  chardonnay, pinot noir, zinfandel and malbec. (Corner 103)

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Best Wine Tasting Room—Benziger Family Winery (No. 9): This Glen Ellen winery won two USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards this year, for Best Winery Tour (No. 3 ) and for Best Wine Tasting Room. (Benziger Family Winery)

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Best Wine Festival—Taste of Sonoma (No. 10): More than 100 wineries poured at this year's Taste of Sonoma festival at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens in Santa Rosa. The event also included seminars, food trucks, themed wine lounges and even a beer garden. “It’s a great showcase for all of Sonoma’s 18 appellations and their wines," wrote USA Today's Ziggy Eschliman. (Alvin Jornada/The Press Democrat)

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Best Wine Tour Company—Pure Luxury Transportation (No. 10): For those who want to sample wine at different wineries but lack a designated driver, Pure Luxury Transportation takes wine lovers around Sonoma and Napa counties in its fleet of limousines, vans and buses. "Guests can create their own itineraries or choose a pre-designed excursion," wrote USA Today. (Pure Luxury Transporation)

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The Napa Valley Wine Train took the No. 2 spot on USA Today's list of 10 Best Wine Tour Companies. The wine train recently launched a Secret Garden Afternoon Tea experience. The three-hour journey begins with a Chandon Garden Spritz made with sparkling wine and a garden liqueur crafted in Argentina. Tea service includes finger sandwiches, scones, soup, salads and miniature desserts. (Napa Valley Wine Train)

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Best Craft Gin—Gray Whale Gin (No. 6): This newcomer to Sonoma County's spirits scene took the No. 6 spot for best craft gin. It is made by Golden State Distillery in Sebastopol, which was founded by Marsh and Jan Mokhtari. 1% of sales goes toward environmental causes. (Gray Whale Gin)

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Best NASCAR Track—Sonoma Raceway (No. 4): "This tough and technical road course was challenging enough to traverse for Indy cars, but throw in 40 stock cars – each weighing a ton and a half – and NASCAR racing events here becomes as chaotic as they are riveting," wrote USA Today. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)

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Best Safari Park—Safari West (No. 5): Safari West, Sonoma's Serengeti, took home the No. 5 spot in the "Best Safari Park" category. USA Today called the 400-acre wildlife preserve in Santa Rosa, "A bit of Africa in the heart of California’s wine country." Visitors can book a private safari or an overnight stay in a luxury glamping tent or cottage. (Will Bucquoy/For The Press Democrat)