Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wine Country Chocolates Tasting Bar
FOOD
707-996-1010;
www.winecountrychocolates.com
; 14301 Arnold Dr, Glen El-
len; 10am-5pm)
Sample fine chocolates of varying degrees of cacao.
Figone's Olive Oil
FOOD
707-282-9092;
www.figoneoliveoil.com
;
9580 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood;
11am-5pm)
FIgone's presses its own extra-virgin olive oil, and infuses some with flavors like Meyer-
lemon, all free to sample.
RUSSIAN RIVER AREA
Lesser-known western Sonoma County was formerly famous for its apple farms and vaca-
tion cottages. Lately vineyards are replacing orchards, and the Russian River has taken its
place among California's important wine appellations, especially for Pinot Noir.
'The River,' as locals call it, has long been a summertime-weekend destination for
Northern Californians, who come to canoe, wander country lanes, taste wine, hike red-
wood forests and live at a lazy pace. In winter the river floods, and nobody's here.
The Russian River begins in the mountains north of Ukiah, in Mendocino County, but
the most known sections lie southwest of Healdsburg, where the river cuts a serpentine
course toward the sea. Just north of Santa Rosa, River Rd, the lower valley's main artery,
connects Hwy 101 with coastal Hwy 1 at Jenner. Hwy 116 heads northwest from Cotati
through Sebastopol, then at Guerneville joins River Rd and cuts west to the sea. Westside
Rd connects Guerneville and Healdsburg. West County's winding roads get confusing and
there's limited cell service; carry a proper map.
