Visiting California Wine Country - Sonoma or Napa?

When you think of California Wine Country, it's often Napa that first comes to mind, but Sonoma is right next door. This region has an abundance of great wine to offer in a very different atmosphere. There's no right or wrong answer as to which one is better, but there are some things that you might want to take into consideration before deciding which place to head to.

The Wine
The types of wine most often found in Sonoma and Napa are very similar, but each region tends to lean more on one then the other. Sonoma has more hills, more acres of wines and more grapes produced by nearly twice as many growers. In Sonoma, the top producing grape varietals are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Zinfandel. In Napa, the top producing grape varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Wineries
In general, you will see a lot more of the small, boutique wineries in Sonoma than Napa, where bigger is better and many of the wineries are part of larger conglomerates, like Diageo or Constellation Wines. You may enjoy this more personalized experience of Sonoma, but these smaller wineries usually have less of a selection of wine to offer for tasting. Another difference is that you will find that there are places in Sonoma where you can taste wine for free, while in Napa this is very rare.

Restaurants & Accommodations
You will find great restaurants and luxury hotels in both Napa and Sonoma, but a bit more choice on the high end in Napa. From five star resorts like Bardessono and Harvest Inn to Michelin star rated restaurants like French Laundry and étoile, you will find a wider choice of luxurious offerings in Napa. Also consider the fact that Sonoma is much more spread out than Napa so you may actually find larger resorts in some areas where there aren't many wineries.

Coppola's
You will find one winemaker who knows a lot about Napa and Sonoma because he has done them both. Academy Award winning Director Francis Ford Coppola first opened the Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery (now called the Rubicon Estate) in the Napa town of Rutherford in the 1970s. This historic property holds quite a history of Napa and Coppola used it to build his reputation as an award-winning vintner with wines like Director's Cut. He was looking to create a bit more, so he decided to also go to Sonoma.

The Francis Ford Coppola Winery is located in Sonoma's Geyersville and it is set up to be an outing as much as a winery. It is the only winery you will see to offer a full bar along with its full service restaurant. You will also find amenities like outdoor pools (with a café and lounge area) and family events such as the Easter Egg Hunt. With cabanas and a bocci ball court on the plans, Coppola's Winery may become a wine destination of its own.