Travels to Sonoma Valley, California

 Sonoma Valley is a major wine-producing region north of San Francisco. Hundreds of vineyards, ranging from small, family-run estates to international wineries, are set amid its rolling hills and valleys.  We had been to Napa Valley back in 2014, so after our visit to Willamette Valley, we flew to California to check out this wine region which is more expansive, spread out, and laid-back than Napa. 

La Salette

La Salette located in Sonoma's historic plaza offers New Portuguese cuisine celebrates the varied and complex flavors of Chef Manuel Azevedo's native Portuguese homeland while adapting them to the immense offerings of top-quality ingredients from his current home in California.

Santé

Santé at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is best described as “California fusion with a Sonoma passion.” With a reverence to fresh, simple preparation and the use of local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible, the culinary team presents an approachable menu that includes flavors, techniques and recipes from several cultures. Seasonal ingredients from regional producers (which include wineries, breweries, ranches, fisheries and farmers) are always center stage. After a full day of visiting wineries, we decided to dine out at our hotel this evening.

The Girl & The Fig

The Girl & The Fig features a wonderful antique bar with French aperitifs, unique and traditional cocktails, an award-winning Rhône-Alone wine list, a seasonal menu, cheese & charcuterie platters, and outdoor garden patio seating.  Located in the "downtown" area of Sonoma, we dined here for our first night out.