Being back in California this week made me want to see some of the beautiful land outside San Francisco. Yesterday my boyfriend and I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and headed up to wine country to take in the scenery and go wine tasting in Russian River.
Wine Tasting in Russian River
Every year on my birthday my aunt and uncle send me a card. This year they sent one with a black-and-white photograph of rolling hills dotted with giant oak trees.
Without having to read the description, I knew the picture was of California. It made me homesick for wine country.
While I had been to Napa and Sonoma plenty of times, I had never taken a day trip from San Francisco to the Russian River Valley.
Known for its great Pinot Noirs, beautiful landscapes, and quiet atmosphere, this American Viticultural Area (AVA) is surprisingly sparse on both tourists and locals.
Dutton-Goldfield Winery in Russian River
We started our wine tasting in Russian River at the tasting room of Dutton-Goldfield Winery.
We were pleased to find ourselves almost alone at the counter. Compared to the five-deep throngs at most Napa wineries, it was a welcome change.
We tasted a range of Pinots, Chards, Zins, and Cabs, and had a good time reintroducing ourselves to California wines.
Rochioli Vineyards and Winery in Russian River
From there we headed north to Rochioli Vineyards and Winery for some more wine tasting in Russian River.
On the way we drove by beautiful grapevines, sun-kissed hills full of grazing cows and lazy horses, and the meandering river for which the area is named.
My heart gave a little squeeze of homesickness as we made our way up the road to the winery. When we arrived, we sipped more Pinot Noirs and chatted for a while with our friendly host at Rochioli. It was a good time all around.
Arista Winery in Russian River
When we were done, we drove a few minutes down the way to Arista Winery for our next round of wine tasting in Russian River.
There we tasted more wines and took a nice stroll through the Japanese garden. It sat in front of a classic Northern California backdrop of oak trees and Sonoma County hills.
Martinelli Winery and DeLoach Vineyards
We drove south from Arista for a quick stop at Martinelli Winery, then ended the day with a final wine tasting at DeLoach Vineyards before heading back to San Francisco.
Wine Tasting in the Russian River Valley
Looking out the window on the way home, I felt like I was from one of the most beautiful places in the world.
While the English countryside and spring flowers never cease to awe me in London, I’ll always be biased towards the land where I grew up.
Does that mean I’m ready to move home to California? Not yet, but wine tasting in Russian River certainly tempted me to. I hope it does the same for you if you get a chance to visit.
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