Sonoma Makes Wine, Napa Makes Auto Parts

Wednesday, July 23rd


A slow, foggy start to the morning in Ft. Bragg got even slower when we stopped into a Denny’s for a country breakfast. They must have had to kill the pig to make the sausage, and they must have had some chickens on strike because it took more than a while to get our food.   But hey, we’re retired and not really on a schedule for this day, so all is well. 


After breakfast, we went to Glass Beach which isn’t too far from where we were.  The shoreline was at one time a landfill, so the remnants remain in the form of glass which the waves and tides have smoothed out.  It was difficult to get to some of the beaches due to the large rock formations and after Vi climbed down to one area, she looked for a while.  Not much glass is left after all the visitors slowly take it out a few pieces at a time.  Still a pretty place. Glad it's not a dump any more. Time to move on. 





From Ft. Bragg to Sonoma is about 3 hours, so we set a course!  Wine country was where we needed to be after this foggy morning.  It was our look-see and highlight for the day.   We could tell we were getting close because we were seeing field after field of grape vines, and the sun was out in all its glory.  I was a little disappointed when I learned that most of the wineries do not grow their own grapes but buy them from the farmers in the area.  I am sure this is much more efficient, but I always pictured the winery growing a special type of grape and slightly tweaking it year after year to produce a signature wine that only they can produce.  But instead, I guess they buy certain grapes that any other winery can buy and they produce a more commercialized wine.  Oh well.   






We made a stop at the winery named Chateau St. Jean and what a beautiful winery! We had a tasting of five different types of wine that they produce.  We tried a Rose of Pinot Noir, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet and a blended Cuvee.   None of them really knocked my socks off but I purchased some and had it sent home to have others try out.  It was a beautiful day, so our tasting was outside in the garden area.   Afterward we strolled around the grounds and enjoyed seeing the vines and the manicured landscaping.  It is all about the presentation here.





We were both craving a little Mexican food tonight, so we stopped in at a restaurant in the middle of old historic Sonoma and while it wasn’t bad, it sure wasn’t Taco Bell either! I’m kidding of course.  





We walked around the beautiful Sonoma Plaza, filled with so many kinds of roses.  Vi loved the yellow roses.  As we strolled down the street back to the hotel, we saw the perfect T-shirt that sums up the Sonoma/Napa relationship perfectly.  "Sonoma makes wine; Napa makes auto parts!"



Tomorrow is our last touring day as we round out this incredible adventure.  What a ride it's been.  Thanks for traveling with us!












LeRoy and Vi

Location: Sonoma, CA 95476, USA

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