It's Crush Time: The Countryside -- and Wines -- of Northern California

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Far from the tourist traffic of Napa, up slow and winding Westside Road through a tangled web of eucalyptus and redwood trees, is a vista redolent of southern France. Acres of vineyards, sweet peas, and California poppies burst against the backdrop of Mount St. Helena, blue sky and warming sun high overhead. It is the view from where I sit, in the Belvedere Winery's Garden of the Senses, nothing but the sound of birds, flowing water, and the distant clink of wine glasses to accompany me. This is what Napa must have been like twenty years ago.

My three friends and I, collectively tired of the tasting-room fees and long lines in Napa, decided to veer off the beaten path and head to the Russian River region of west-central Sonoma County. The area, which sits amid some serious wine-growing country, adjacent to Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley, boasts the coolest of the local microclimates, resulting in crisp chardonnays, expressive pinot noirs, and spicy red zinfandels, to name of few of the region's varietals.

Belvedere's wines are made from sustainably farmed or organic grapes grown in vineyards on or close to the winery grounds so the vintners can closely watch the vines and pick the grapes at their peak. Several other wineries in the region also work toward sustainability, committed to conserving natural resources and reducing pollution and waste, and this thoughtful process is evident when the wine finally hits the glass. At Belvedere, we tasted a series of chardonnays and its seasonal rose, perfectly matched to the apres-midi hour and the relaxing atmosphere. Ready for our next tasting adventure, we asked our hostess for a suggestion, and she directed us to a relatively new and different winery called Roshambo in Healdsburg.

Credit: Belvedere Winery

In almost perfect contrast to Belvedere's refined serenity, the expansive, modern, and funky Roshambo Winery + Gallery is like a rock star's house. Roshambo's philosophy is to make the wine-tasting experience accessible to everyone, and its efforts are evident in the casual atmosphere of the tasting room and the nod to the Japanese American family behind the winery. (The name derives from the use of the traditional game, also known as Rock, Paper, Scissors, to settle family arguments.)

The modern simplicity of the tasting room enhances the panoramic view of the Russian River and Dry Creek valleys, seen through floor-to-ceiling windows or from the terrace, which is where we sat with our wines, a dazzling chardonnay and a sophisticated zinfandel.

By late afternoon, replete and relaxed, we headed for the rustic yet exceptionally located Timber Cove Inn, our evening accommodations on the wild Sonoma coast. With Coltrane on the CD player, we rounded out the final bend of River Road toward Highway 1, awestruck by the translucent light that blanketed the deep blue sea ahead and the golden hills behind us. Rich green eucalyptus trees leaned into the wind, trying to reach into the Pacific Ocean, and I commented to my travel mates that it was a portrait of beauty I would dream about when I sleep. They responded with silence -- asleep in the car, bathed in the warmth of absolute peace.