5 Sonoma County Experiences Worth the Splurge

Everyone needs to splurge once in a while on extra-extraordinary, spirit-lifting wine tasting, dining, and spa pampering in California’s Wine Country. With the million acres of ocean-to-meadow-to-mountain landscapes in Sonoma County, 425+ wineries, plus a vibrant arts and culture scene — many pleasures exercise the body and the soul, too.

Luxury Wine Tastings

Grand estates roll out the red (or perhaps mustard-flower yellow) carpets for indulgences like impressive guided tours and dishes by renowned chefs to perfectly pair with wine pours.

Jordan Estate provides a luxury wine and gourmet bites tour through its 1,200-acre winery.  

Chalk Hill Estate offers a lavish vineyard and culinary garden tour, plus a seated lunch in the equestrian pavilion. 

Hamel Family Wines woos with elaborate cave tastings and a sophisticated menu. 

Here is a complete list of Sonoma County wineries.

A Sonoma County Spa Day

Many Wine Country spas use local farm-to-table products like honey, grape seeds, and even wine for signature spa treatments in spectacular settings.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is a luxury resort with baths fed by the ancient natural thermal waters. 

The Lodge at Bodega Bay‘s spa suites overlook the Pacific Ocean and Sonoma coastline, offering a signature warm-shell massage.

Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary tempts with massages in outdoor cabanas, meditation sand, and Japanese gardens.

Here is a complete list of Sonoma County Spas.

Fine Dining in Sonoma County

For gorgeously arranged plates and signature dishes from master chefs incorporating farm-fresh ingredients and seafood plucked straight from the Pacific Ocean, look no further than the restaurants of Sonoma County. 

SingleThread in Healdsburg earned Michelin stars for its 11-course tasting meals crafted as works of art and prepared with rustic clay pot cooking. 

The restaurant at Farmhouse Inn made a name for itself with its upscale farm-to-fork menu featuring a daily changing American prix pixe menu and large wine list.

Santé in Sonoma shines with seasonal signatures like sweet butter-poached lobster.

Here is a complete list of restaurants in Sonoma County.

Amazing Outdoor Adventures

For the dare of the air, it’s hard to beat ziplining through a redwood forest, over a ravine 300 feet below, and along a creek with Sonoma Zipline Adventures in Occidental.

In the water, several charter boat companies based in Bodega Bay offer sportfishing adventures as well as whale-watching cruises. For details, read Bodega Bay: Boat Charters & Tours.

Here is a guide to more fun outdoor activities in Sonoma County.

Festivals & Events

The California Artisan Cheese Festival features hundreds of boutique cheeses, tours, lessons, a marketplace, and lots of sampling!

More eating and drinking awaits with Taste of Sonoma, where thousands of guests join hundreds of chefs, wineries, and artisan food purveyors for a day of elaborate food and wine tasting.

If music moves you, don’t miss Broadway Under the Stars in Glen Ellen’s Jack London State Park, grab tickets to a headliner at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park or the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, or mark your calendar for the many music festivals that come to Sonoma County.

Find information on all of the current festivals and events in Sonoma County in this Events Guide.

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Written by Sonoma County Insider Carey Sweet