Great wine is just the beginning in this Northern Californian County that every wine lover needs to visit.

Often overshadowed by the glamour and glitz of its neighbouring Napa Valley, Sonoma County has it all. It’s home to several wine regions producing elegant and varied wines. There are bucolic landscapes, coastal vistas, welcoming people, delicious produce, quaint townships, and it’s easy to navigate. At just a 45-minute drive from San Francisco, it’s also one of the most accessible wine regions.

And what about the wine? With 19 different appellations (American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs for short), a vast diversity of growing conditions produces a range of styles and varietals. From ethereal pinot noir to full-bodied zinfandel and everything in between, it’s time to take a trip here. It’s also a wine region heavily focused on family-run wineries and sustainable wine production, with 99% of Sonoma County’s wineries certified sustainable (by a third-party program).

Settle yourself in one of the below towns as an ideal base to explore the surrounding wine regions. And if you are short on time, there’s no need to stress: the unique facet of Sonoma County is there are plenty of urban cellar doors, so you can spend more time tasting and less time traversing.

1. Healdsburg

There’s a reason that many people visit Healdsburg and never leave. At the cross-section of multiple AVAs and with a population of about 11,000 people, it has small-town vibes with the convenience of a city. The major action is centred around the historical and picturesque Healdsburg Plaza, with the Russian River flowing through the heart of the town nearby. The annual spring Healdsburg Food and Wine Experience is worth timing a trip in May if you can manage it!

Eat, drink and do in Healdsburg

Little Saint is a must, and you’d be forgiven for revisiting for brunch after dinner the night before. The generous-sized venue is cleverly sectioned off to different areas – a coffee station, open kitchen, wine bar, retro lounge, cocktail bar and a dance hall event space upstairs.

A one hundred per cent plant-based restaurant, watch the chefs craft dishes such as the daily seasonal flatbread with pesto in the open plan kitchen. Placing an artful cocktail in front of me, the bartender shares, “I moved to Healdsburg for the job. I always wanted to live here, and there’s such a focus on farming. Produce comes first, more than anywhere else. The land is everything." Don’t miss the choc chip peanut butter cookies, I’m still dreaming of them.

Healdsburg is also home to the three Michelin star SingleThread Restaurant, Farm and Inn, if you’d like to dial the dining up to the maximum level of indulgence and refinement.

Turn away now if you are avoiding carbs, as Healdsburg has some of the best bakeries. Founded by ex-SingleThread chefs Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey, Quail & Condor have Sonoma locals driving across the county for their baked goods. There’s plenty to choose from, but the Florentine chocolate croissant is next-level delicious with flaky, buttery pastry, caramelised nuts and lashings of dark chocolate.

The bakery’s success has driven the opening of a second venue in town, focused more on the savoury side of sourdough. Troubadour Bread & Bistro is complete with stripped-back rustic elegance, marble tabletops and vintage crockery, and the venue transforms into a micro-restaurant in the evening, serving classic French bistro fare.

A trip to Downtown Bakery is like stepping back in time, with homemade baked goods and country hospitality with a smile and a chat. Get your fix of pie and ice cream from Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar.

You’ll need a stroll to balance all the eating, and the town centre has plenty of clothing boutiques and homeware stores to peruse. Take the time to visit Harris Gallery and Wine Bar, a unique art gallery housed in one of the town’s most historic buildings, built in 1908 as the first National bank in Healdsburg.

Two different styles of art grace the walls, as father and son artist duo A3L3XZAND3R Harris and his father M.C Harris both exhibit their work here. The pair have collaborated with several local winemakers, or “wine artists", to produce the gallery’s portfolio of wines. Each is graced with a unique piece of artwork on the label by father and son and paired with a thoughtful quote.

Stay at The Ruse

There is no shortage of spots to stay in the area, from uber-luxe to homey and relaxed. The Ruse is one of the newest additions to the accommodation offering in central Healdsburg. A convenient fifteen-minute walk or so from the plaza, the boutique 11-room resort inn is complete with thoughtful and refined touches and plenty of history in the main Victorian building.

Bring your bathers for a dip in the pool or the outdoor spa. Keen golfers can tee off on the putting green right on the doorstep of their room. There’s tennis and bocce and easy access to running and walking trails.

A thoughtful, locally sourced breakfast is cooked to order at the in-house restaurant The Pavilion, complete with a fireplace in the cooler months or opening out to the poolside in the warmer weather. Executive Chef Craig Linowski takes great care and pride in crafting guests’ breakfasts, “I’m used to making dinners. My goal is to make your breakfast better than what you ate the night before, and every day is different." His freshly squeezed orange juice and a flavour-packed turkey frittata certainly hit the spot.

Healdsburg wineries and cellar doors

Healdsburg has some fantastic and stylish urban cellar doors. Marine Layer Wines sits on the plaza. With sleek lines, a muted colour palate, sky-high ceilings and unctuous curves, it wouldn’t be out of place in an interiors style shoot. The wines are well worth the visit, too, starring expressive single vineyard chardonnay and pinot noir.

Just off the plaza is the LIOCO Tasting Room with fun wines and Idlewild Wines with Italian varietals. A few blocks away towards the river in downtown Healdsburg is the Old Roma Station, which holds many different winery tasting rooms.

Make a beeline for Leo Steen; Leo makes fantastic organic and natural wines and champions chenin blanc as a varietal. Pop into Hirsch Vineyards next door for well-made pinot noir from their Sonoma Coast vineyards.

In the mood for a drive? To the northwest sits Dry Creek Valley, with producers including Mauritson Wines growing some of the country’s greatest zinfandel, and to the south DuMOL is a pinot producer well worth a stop.

 2. Sebastopol

Centred initially around fruit orchards such as apples and plums, the town of Sebastopol is a little smaller than Healdsburg and is primarily known as grape country now. The town has a relaxed feel and is a little off-centre with hippy vibes and vintage stores.

Eat, drink and do in Sebastopol

A trip to Sebastopol isn’t complete without a stop at The Barlow, a market district that has transformed an industrial area into a lively entertainment precinct. The food market is full of local produce and value-led shops including Indigenous, a sustainable and ethical clothing store, and Acorn, a homewares store filled with whimsy and colour.

There’s no shortage of fantastic eateries and wine bars; the leafy Fern Bar makes it hard to choose from their skilfully crafted cocktails alongside a clever food menu. Hit up Pax Wines or The Punchdown Natural Wine Bar and Bottle shop for a quality wine selection.

A twenty-five-minute drive northwest of town, stop by the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. There’s no preparing yourself for the impact these natural beauties impart on you, an important reminder that these majestic trees have seen more history than any living human.

Sebastopol wineries and cellar doors

Sebastopol is home to one of Sonoma’s greatest wineries, Littorai, known globally for transcendent pinot noir and cool climate chardonnay. Bookings are essential, and you’ll taste the wines and learn about the biodynamic farming techniques that make visionary winemakers Ted and Heidi Lemon leaders in their “generative" winemaking field.

The health of the land comes first, and the wines are resplendent with purity and a true representation of the land that the grapes are grown from. AVAs nearby include Green Valley, Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.

 3. Sonoma

About the same size in population as Healdsburg, Sonoma has a very different feel with more expansive streetscapes and a history centred around its European settlement in 1823 as the Mission San Francisco Solano. The indigenous tribes of the region include the Pomo, Coast Miwok and Wappo. While their population has drastically reduced since the pre-European invasion, there are still a number of their descendants living in the Sonoma area.

Eat, drink and do

The town centre is a lovely walkable space, focused around the large Sonoma Plaza, fringed with a full day’s worth of fossicking in antique stores, kitchenware emporiums and boutique homeware and clothing stores. Time to spare? Pop into the Sebastiani Theatre for a retro experience, it’s a cute Art Deco cinema or explore the Sonoma State Historic Park.

There’s no shortage of delicious wining and dining options in town. At the top of the list is a visit to Valley, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Make a night of it and book a table in the very cute, candle-lit restaurant.

Outside dining is divine in the warmer months, and the menu features flavour-packed meals crafted from the compact open kitchen. Let the staff take care of the wine choice; it’s a thoughtful and well-curated list with plenty of surprises, including their house-made wine.

Wit & Wisdom is another excellent option for a meal with a cracking wine list, and if you’d like something different, drive a short 5-10 minutes from the central plaza to El Molino Central Mexican restaurant.

An iconic and authentic casa pit stop, the kitchen is packed with spice, heat and smiles. Dishes are huge, though it’s hard to decide on just one option. Grab an outdoor table out the back in the sunshine amongst the brightly coloured exteriors and tuck in. Hot tip: go half and half with one battered fish taco and one tamale.

Stay at Bungalows 313

Park your car and don’t worry about driving when you stay in the heart of the town at Bungalows 313. At one end of the street is the Sonoma Overlook Trail, with glorious views over the county and well worth the climb.

At the other end of the street, the town square and all the action. Six self-catering rental suites provide plenty of privacy, with a cute communal outdoor area with boules for afternoon relaxation. Comfy beds, beautiful courtyards and country-style interiors await.

Sonoma wineries and cellar doors

Darling Wines has its urban cellar door tucked off the town plaza, run by a young couple who have created a warm and stylish space. Tom Darling crafts pinot noir and syrah that is light on its feet, edging on ethereal.

Head out of town to visit Scribe Winery, a beautiful estate on a historical pre-prohibition wine property managed by fourth-generation farming brothers Andrew and Adam Mariani. AVAs in the region include Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Mountain and Moon Mountain.