Insta-Worthy Sonoma County Shots You Should be Proud to Post

We think of Sonoma County as one of the most Instagram-able areas in the whole United States, but not just because of its breathtaking beauty — our sustainability efforts are also garnering attention. So, as you focus your camera for the most like-able shots, consider the stories you can tell with your photos, inspiring your followers to celebrate caring for our environment, farm land, food supply, animals, and each other.

Read on to discover the most divine images to collect from every corner of Sonoma County.

Special Features at Sustainable Wineries

With more than 425 wineries in Sonoma County — most of them certified sustainable — it isn’t hard to find one with stylish tasting room decor or a beautiful view. For special winery features just begging to be posted, though, check out the following.

• Recycled gilt frames and a biodynamic farm at DeLoach Vineyards, Santa Rosa
• Amazing works of public art along the garden footpaths of Marijke’s Grove at Paradise Ridge Winery, Santa Rosa

• Pond-side swing and the oyster-shell insulated wine cave at Fritz Underground Winery, Cloverdale
• 3,600 square feet of swimming pools with arched fountains and poolside cabines at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Geyserville

Sustainable Sonoma Signs at Vineyards 

Here in Sonoma County, sustainable farming is a way of both life and business. A whopping 99% of Sonoma County’s vineyards are certified sustainable, marked with Sonoma County Sustainable signs that, when angled just so against adjacent rows of grapevines, make for wholly like-able photo subjects. 

Farm-to-Fork Dining

Sonoma County is well known for Wine Country cuisine, full of fresh produce harvested from sustainable, biodynamic, and organic farms — but where will you find the prettiest food photos, you ask? Start with these six beloved farm-to-table restaurants.

• Farmhouse Inn, Forestville
• Table Culture Provisions, Petaluma
• the girl & the fig, Sonoma

• Barndiva, Healdsburg
• SingleThread, Healdsburg
• Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen

Kitchen Gardens 

A key source of a great farm-to-fork meal is a healthy kitchen garden, and Sonoma County is fairly brimming with them. These four stunning sustainable gardens, though, are easily accessible to visitors: The wineries require tasting appointments and the restaurant prefers a reservation, while shopping/dining complex Cornerstone Sonoma is free and open to the public. 

• Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens, Santa Rosa
• Jordan Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg

• boon eat + drink, Guerneville
• Cornerstone Sonoma, Sonoma

Lovely in Lavender 

June is lavender month in Sonoma County, when these fragrant purple tufts of blooms — which attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds — seemingly pop up everywhere. The following organic farms and sustainable wineries, though, have arguably the most lavender per foot to fill your Instagram posts and stories.

• Bees N Blooms, Santa Rosa — California’s largest lavender labyrinth 
• Monte-Bellario di California, Sebastopol — an epic 35,000+ lavender plants in the ground
• Matanzas Creek Winery, Santa Rosa — two terraced acres of lavender
• St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Santa Rosa — sprawling field of lavender beside the tasting-room terrace 

The Magic of Mustard 

Mustard season in Sonoma County is in late-winter/early-spring, with tall yellow blooms rising from between vineyard rows. Allowed to grow while the grapevines are dormant, this cover crop suppresses weeds and attracts beneficial insects, among other things. As the grapevine lifecycle of budbreak ends, the mustard is mowed and its trimmings are left to decompose on the soil, nourishing it with nutrients like nitrogen.

When in bloom, one of the prettiest carpets of mustard can be found beside Medlock Ames Winery in Healdsburg, where it’s safe and easy to pull over, pose for floral selfies, and snap away. But please make sure not to stomp on the flowers! 

Towering Redwoods

In the heart of Guerneville, the 805-acre Armstrong Woods State Natural Reserve is lush with photo ops, but we recommend two sites in particular: The 1,400-year-old Colonel Armstrong Tree, and the tree-hugging platform along the reserve’s Discovery Trail. With and without your camera, be sure to look (way, way) up and enjoy the dappled shade beneath these old-growth giants.  

Sheep and Goats and Cows, Oh My 

Sonoma County is a major agricultural area, so it makes sense that you’ll find a lot of farm animals here. For some up-close, like-worthy photos of them that don’t involve trespassing on private land (or other risks), bring your camera to these gorgeous, creature-friendly farms, wineries, and animal sanctuaries.

• Charlie’s Acres, Sonoma —  goats, sheep, pigs, horses & birds
• Benziger Family Vineyards, Glen Ellen — sheep

• Truett-Hurst Winery, Healdsburg — sheep, goats & chickens
• Achadinha Cheese Company, Petaluma — cows & goats
• Goatlandia, Santa Rosa — goats, sheep, pigs, horses & birds

The Pacific Ocean

With 55 miles of Sonoma County coastline to explore (including the 17-mile Sonoma Coast State Park), it can be a challenge to find the perfect spots for the ‘gram. Allow us, then, to suggest the following:

• Blind Beach: Arched Rock, from either the sand or the parking lot
• Goat Rock Beach: Goat Rock, from the sand or up at Highway 1 
• North Salmon Creek Beach: driftwood teepees 
• Shell Beach: tide pools (consult this tide chart before you go) 
• Vista Point Overlook: from which the ocean seems to stretch forever

While you’re out there snapping Sonoma County photos for the ‘gram, remember to be respectful of your gorgeous surroundings. Together, we can protect and preserve the beauty and natural resources of Sonoma County for generations to come. Check out our page on Sustainable Travel, and look over the Leave No Trace Seven Principles.

And don’t forget: when you’re posting your favorite shots from Sonoma County, be sure to tag Sonoma County Tourism at @sonomacounty on Instagram and @sonomacountyca on Facebook. We can’t wait to see, like, and share your photos! 

---

Written by Melanie Wynne