Sonoma County: lavender, Jack London and vineyards
In the region beloved by the writer, who was born 150 years ago, discover historic mansions, fine wines, markets and walks amongst ancient trees
Key points
- Along the Sonoma Ride Trail
Visitors to the area at this time of year are greeted by the intense scent of lavender, accompanied by the constant buzzing of bees. It is precisely thanks to the colourful, fragrant fields where this plant of the Lamiaceae family is grown that California’s Sonoma County is nicknamed the American Provence. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the wine-famous Napa Valley, originally inhabited by the Miwok indigenous tribes, Patwin and Pomo tribes, this patch of land situated some 70 kilometres north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is a veritable mosaic of farms and vineyards, which has retained the rural charm of the American countryside. You can sense this as you arrive at the first and unmissable stop on your journey: the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, the first farmers’ market to be established in the entire county and open every Saturday since 1967 at the Luther Burbank Center. Around fifty certified local producers gather here to sell fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, eggs, honey, herbs, plants and cut flowers. It’s almost instant to strike up a friendship with these imaginative and somewhat dreamlike farmers, readily accepting their invitation to meet up at the twin markets on Thursdays in Guerneville and Sundays in the centre of Cloverdale.
Experiences in the vineyard
The charm of Sonoma County is evident in the experiences on offer across the vast grounds of Matanzas Creek Winery, founded fifty years ago by Sandra MacIver and Merry Edwards, which has since enhanced its Sauvignon vineyards with patches of lavender: picnics amongst the vines, yoga at dawn and dusk, walks, and outdoor lessons on how to grow Lamiaceae plants attract enthusiasts from all over the world, especially in June and July when the flowering reaches its peak. Half an hour away, near Kenwood, lies Chateau St. Jean Winery, founded by Ernest and Maude Goff in the 1920s after they emigrated from Michigan. Even today, wines are tasted in the drawing room of what was once their private home, with its solid oak banisters, through a wood-panelled corridor and seated in front of a large fireplace. You can also book a picnic basket filled with cheeses, take part in games of bocce amongst the flowers, or relax in the garden. Staying at the Sonoma Stonehouse, a stone building dating back to 1909 and furnished in a contemporary style, located in the heart of Santa Rosa, you can arrive early the next day at Harms Vineyards and Lavender Fields, taking part in scented walks led by Patricia Damery, whose ‘nose’ is perfectly attuned to the scents of lavender: this plant and other botanical species also inspire the rather intriguing menu at The Girl & the Fig, featuring infusions, juices, rose water and desserts made with honey produced by the bees on the plantations.
From Sebastopol to Glen Ellen
Far less sentimental, yet just as fascinating, are the plants that can be admired and purchased at California Carnivores, in Sebastopol, in the western part of Sonoma County – a botanical museum where carnivorous species have been successfully cultivated and propagated for several decades. Some 50 km further north, in Geyserville, lies the winery owned by Francis Ford Coppola: the maestro purchased the estate in 2006, where wines are now produced from Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc and Negroamaro grapes. You can also stay there, amidst a collection of memorabilia including Oscar statuettes, including those won by his daughter Sofia. Dance parties and concerts are also organised, and you can swim in the large pool. To discover the county’s wildest spirit, head to Glen Ellen, to the unspoilt Beauty Ranch, now a National Historic Park, where the writer Jack London —whose 150th birthday will be celebrated in 2026—spent the last part of his life in close contact with nature, as evidenced by the many evocative descriptions in the book *John Barleycorn*. Alcoholic memoirs, such as this: ‘Thin wisps of sea mist creep through the Sonoma mountains. The afternoon sun burns in the sleepy sky. I have everything that makes me happy to be alive. I am full of dreams and mysteries.’
Along the Sonoma Ride Trail
Following the 47-kilometre network of trails in the park dedicated to the author of *The Star-Struck Wanderer*, which winds its way through the Sonoma Ride Trail, you find yourself deep within forests of oak and redwood trees. You can even fly over these towering trees: Sonoma Canopy Tours offers the chance to view them from above while harnessed to a zipline, crossing suspension bridges and abseiling down rocks on ropes. A visit to the Sonoma Botanical Garden is also an immersive adventure out of the ordinary: you enter a former quarry where a ten-hectare garden has been created, featuring native Californian plants alongside species from Asia. And for the grand finale, you simply must treat yourself to an open-air evening at the Transcendence Theatre’s Field of Dreams: first, there’s a picnic amongst the vineyards, followed by a performance inspired by the shows staged throughout the year on Broadway’s most famous stages. It begins just as the sky turns purple and violet, like a field of lavender.
