Day 8 – July 7, 2009

           

          Today we left Monterey, heading north, past San Francisco, to Wine Country. We arrived in Sonoma at around noon, checked in, got oriented and set out to explore the area. The Plaza is cute, actually charming, with an adorable City Hall, sitting inside a large park, surrounded by shops and restaurants. We grabbed a quick bite for lunch and then drove to the Benziger Winery, for a tour and our first tasting. The tour was excellent. It involved a tram with a guide and was extremely informative. We learned a lot about the geology and history of the region, as well as how wines are produced. The wines in our tasting were not exceptional, but we thoroughly enjoyed the orientation.

         Our next two hours or so were tied up with laundry, a necessary chore when on an extended vacation. While the clothes were drying, we checked out the Farmer’s Market, in the town square. It was delightful, with many interesting vendors and live music. We had a lovely dinner at the Red Grape, a pizzeria with exceptionally thin and good pizza. The salads were fantastic, too. We can’t wait till tomorrow when we will sample many more wines.