Sonoma County Wineries:
Russian
River Valley: Wine Road to the Sea
The Route
From the junction of Highway 101 and Westside Road, drive south on Westside to River Road/Highway 116, through Guerneville to Duncans Mills; and, return.
Flowing out of mountains north of Ukiah, the Russian River winds through redwood canyons, past sandy beaches, orchards and vineyards, sliding calmly all the way to the sea at Bridgehaven. In winter, ocean waves clash with the river in a stormy drama while seals hide in the river’s mouth to give birth away from the sharp eyes of hungry sharks and whales.
To reach summer resorts on the Russian in the mid-1800s, tourists from San Francisco rode ferries across the bay and hopped onto a narrow-gauge railroad which stopped at a string of resorts along the river. When the motorcar arrived on the scene, city dwellers were lured farther afield, lumbering declined around the same time, and river towns fell into a deep sleep.
The little burg of Guerneville managed to thrive through the Big Band era when Benny Goodman and Harry James kept the revelers coming. That heyday faded until the 1970s when the tremendous growth of wineries began a new era of tourism. And, although the resident population remains small, a goodly number of top notch restaurants and inns have emerged in the Russian River valley, catering to weekenders and summer vacationers.
Hiking trails and campgrounds in shady redwood groves are cool retreats when days are hot and dry inland. If you like to canoe, kayak or go tubing, you will find plenty of company on the Russian in the summertime. A good paddling route is the scenic ten-mile stretch from Forestville to Guerneville, with sunny stopping points at beaches and sandbars for picnicking and sunbathing. Osprey, blue herons, deer and turtles are some of the wildlife that may accompany your cruise.
More than sixty wineries may be discovered on the back roads of the Russian River Valley, with more than 10,000 acres of land planted to vineyards on the broad alluvial gravel fans and on the low hills along the river.
Continue the Russian River Winery Tour On the Russian River Wine Road »
The article on this page is adapted from the book, Backroads of the California Wine Country by Karen Misuraca (www.karenmisuraca.com), published by Voyageur Press.
Photo Credit: The pictures on this page are by Lisa Moore. www.studioponderosa.com