Napa Too Expensive? Part 2, California Alternatives

If price and/or the crowds are keeping you from Napa Valley, there are plenty of options. The previous article covers wine regions near Napa in the Bay Area. This one explores other major wine regions in California.

Is Napa Too Expensive? Part 1, Bay Area Alternatives

If $75-up tastings, $100-up wines, and crowds aren't for you, there are options. You can seek out the dwindling number of Napa producers that charge less or you can visit other wine regions in California. There are plenty of choices!

This is Part 1 of 2, covering options in the Greater Bay Area. Part 2 will look at the rest of the state.

Don't Cry For Napa

Yes, the news for wine is all doom and gloom. Yes, many small family wine businesses are hurting, even in Napa. However, overall Napa Valley is doing just fine. Some of the good news relates to higher prices meaning for money spent for fewer goods and services.

Using AI to Select Wineries to Visit

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere on the Internet. Perhaps, you could say it's being shoved down our throats. Regardless, we all probably use it, more so with the youngest among us. Millennials and Gen Z of drinking age. Yes, some of the Gen Z (1997 to 2012) are of drinking age!

Following is some help in using AI to actually give you useful suggestions.

Coming to Sonoma County?

If you're flying into Northern California to visit Sonoma County or Napa Valley, rather than landing in San Francisco or Sacramento, consider flying directly into wine country. There are plenty of flights into the Sonoma County Airport (STS).

Here's the current list from the Petaluma Argus-Courier. This information is also at the airport's site.

Approximate drive times from STS: 

Healdsburg  13 minutes
Sonoma  50 minutes
Calistoga  32 minutes
Napa  65 minutes

Visiting Sonoma County, Part 2

The previous post was title Visiting Sonoma County -- Basic Info. This one is the intermediate course.  🍷

Visiting Sonoma County -- Basic Info

If you're planning a visit here are some things to consider. 

Northern California's Wine Regions

  When people think of California wine, they usually think of Napa Valley Cabernet first. Then maybe Sonoma County, specifically Russian River Valley, for Pinot Noir. There's actually a lot more. This is a look at the main wine regions of Northern California, listed alphabetically.

Wine Tasting Deals in Sonoma County

 These are the current deals on wine tasting that I've run across.

Spring 2026 Events in Sonoma County

The big happenings from March through May in Sonoma County, some are wine-related, some aren't.

Winter In Sonoma County (pics)

In case it's dreary at home, and you want a break, here's what you might find in Sonoma County in the winter months. All are my photos from past years.

Describing Sonoma County Towns

If you are wondering where to stay when visiting Sonoma County, rather than asking people on Reddit or looking at a map, use this handy description guide to pick what fits your personality.

Towns listed from large to small. 

Visiting Sonoma County in the Winter

Is an off-season visit right for you? Here are pros and cons of a winter visit. The same applies for Napa, our next door neighbor.

Other California Wine Towns

Lots of people know about the wine towns of Napa Valley (Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga), and next door in Sonoma County (Sonoma, and Healdsburg). These burgs tend to be cutesy and pricey. California has other wine towns that aren't so well known, maybe not so cute, and probably not so expensive. 

Air Travel Into Sonoma County

Southwest Airlines has just announced upcoming service to STS, Sonoma County's commercial airport. SW will be offering flights to and from Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Burbank. Vegas and San Diego will be daily. Ticketing is available now, but the flights don't begin until April 2026.

Currently, Alaska Airlines has the most flights to STS with Los Angeles, Orange County, Burbank, Las Vegas, San Diego, Palm Springs (seasonal), Portland, and Seattle routes. 

American Airlines has service to Dallas and Phoenix. 

You may see mention of Avelo Airlines flights to STS, but they have pulled out, and good riddance. 

BTW, the nearest winery tasting room to the airport terminal is less than three miles.  :) 

Choosing Sonoma County Wineries to Visit

This is the best list I've seen to help someone choose where to go for wine tasting in Sonoma County. A lot of work went into the article. While it's not absolutely all-inclusive, it has over 120 recommendations. Great job!

MacRostie Winery, Russian River Valley
image from sonomamag.com

The Ultimate Guide to Sonoma Tasting Rooms from Sonoma Magazine

Petaluma, Sonoma County, California, USA

There are tons of “top ten” lists out there—best cars, best retirement spots, best beaches. Recently, CNN Travel put out a list of the ten best towns in the U.S. to visit, and guess what? Petaluma, population 60,000, located in southern Sonoma County, made the cut. 

So, what’s the scoop on Petaluma, and why do most travelers overlook it?

Winery Visitation is Down. What to Do?

There are a myriad of reasons and guesses as to why California wineries are seeing a downturn in visitors. These usually revolve around economic uncertainty including tariffs, a whiplash effect from the Covid lockdowns when online purchases shot up, higher prices for wine tastings, and younger consumers turning to other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. 

What are wineries doing, or could be doing, to counteract the loss of visitors? 

Get Ready for Summer in Sonoma

Sonoma County in the summer means an almost endless list of things you can do. Some of them are: sit outside at a winery while sipping, swim, float, surf, or kayak on the cool water, hike a trail, go to the fair, and listen to music.

For other ideas, check out previous blog posts on Major Events for Summer and Alternatives to Wine.

Alternatives to Wine in Sonoma County

So you're not much of a wino, or someone in your group travelling to Sonoma County couldn't care less. What to do?