Sonoma Wineries:
Valley
of the Moon Winery
Across the road, a burbling branch of Sonoma
Creek turns an old gristmill. Walk through the vine-covered arbor
to the Olive Press, where you can watch fruit being pressed at
the first public cooperative olive mill in the state. Small commercial
growers and hobbyists with homegrown olives bring their harvests
to the press, usually beginning in December. All year round, you
can taste olive oils, tapenades and vinegars, and browse for ceramics
from Provence.
Just south around the corner is a trailhead for the Sonoma Regional Park, where
a paved path follows the creek for a mile or so through an oak forest. Bike here
and picnic, or set off on foot on the maze of hillside trails.
Just south on Madrone Road, Valley of Moon Winery welcomes visitors into a 19th-century stone building on the creekside. Tall paned windows frame the gardens and an old Zinfandel vineyard. A 300-year-old bay tree stands in silent splendor, its bark, perhaps, infused with memories of when the first inhabitants of the valley gathered acorns and fished in the streams.
From Glen Ellen, Warm Springs Road loops northwest to the tiny burg of Kenwood, through some of the loveliest landscape in California. Horses graze in knee-high meadows. Red barns and stone bridges over the creek are perfect photo backdrops. Their green moss beards hanging down, centuries-old valley oaks drape their massive arms over the roadsides like druids of old.
Continue the Valley of the Moon Winery Tour: Chateau St. Jean Winery »
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