Why Sonoma Wine Tasting Is Better Than Napa
If you want to get a rise out of the otherwise unfailingly polite denizens of northern California wine country, walk into a Napa tasting room and announce that their wine is inferior to the pours you just tasted over in Sonoma. Or vice versa, if you prefer.
Okay, please don’t do this. One of the cardinal rules of wine tasting is, well, to be polite. This little daydream gets at a real wine country dynamic though. The rivalry between Sonoma and Napa — which together produce some of California’s finest wines and which share a long border — is very real. It’s mostly friendly, but even friendly rivalries can get competitive and even heated.
Do we dare attempt to settle the question once and for all? Not a chance — though given our deep Sonoma roots, you can guess where the team at Roche Winery comes down. Here’s our (friendly) argument for Sonoma’s wine-tasting superiority.
We can think of six reasons why you should make Sonoma your next wine-tasting destination.
Sonoma Is Bigger Than Napa (Almost Twice the Geographical Area)
First, Sonoma covers a wider geographical area than Napa. Sonoma County itself is nearly twice the size of Napa County, and it spans dozens of miles from southeast to northwest.
The Sonoma Valley alone, home to some of the county’s best-known vineyards and wineries (including Roche), stretches nearly 20 miles from the marshy shores of San Pablo Bay to the rocky hills north of the town of Sonoma. More than 70,000 planted vineyard acres dot the county. You’ll find them not just in Sonoma Valley but in the surrounding hills, along the Sonoma Coast, and in the stunningly beautiful Russian River Valley, among other pockets of our beautiful region.
Sonoma’s size makes for more than varied topography and seemingly endless discovery. It has a more practical effect as well: The expansive region feels a whole lot less crowded than the more compact Napa.
Napa really has only four “hubs”: the town of Napa, plus Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Napa is by far the largest, the only proper city in the county. The other three are relatively small — and charming, to be sure, but also claustrophobic on busy weekend days.
Sonoma County also has one “major” city, Santa Rosa. It’s located near the geographical center of the county and is its undisputed economic hub. But unlike Napa, Sonoma County has a lot of small-but-still sizable settlements that bustle without feeling crowded: Sonoma town, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Windsor, Guerneville, Geyserville, Cloverdale, and more. Most lie in the county’s eastern half, on a southeast-northwest axis beginning at San Pablo Bay and running up through Santa Rosa to Cloverdale. The entire northwestern quadrant feels remote, almost wild — perfect for wine enthusiasts eager to chart their own course and not bump into too many others along the way.
Sonoma Is (Slightly) Closer to San Francisco
It’s not a big difference, and it honestly depends more on traffic (and luck) than anything else. But, door to door, the lower Sonoma Valley is slightly closer to San Francisco than lower Napa.
That matters if you’re heading up here for a quick overnight stay or even an out-and-back day trip. The less time you spend in the car, the more time you have to unwind with an exceptional glass or flight of wine. You might even have time to squeeze in another tasting.
Sonoma’s Terroir Is More Varied
This should come as no surprise given that Sonoma County is so much bigger than Napa County, but the sheer scale of the difference is surprising to many first-time visitors.
Sonoma County has 13 distinct American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), only a few of which overlap in any meaningful way. Napa technically has more AVAs — 16 — but they’re “nested” within the larger Napa Valley AVA, which dominates the county.
Because its AVAs are more dispersed geographically and cover a wider range of topographies and microclimates — from the misty, cool Sonoma Coast AVA to the sunny Dry Creek Valley AVA (known for its world-class Zinfandel) to our own beloved Carneros AVA — Sonoma has a more varied terroir than Napa. Some might take issue with this statement, but we stand by it.
Sonoma Is “Chiller”
You’ve probably heard that Sonoma offers a more laid-back wine-tasting experience. We’d go even further and say that Sonoma is more laid-back overall.
Something in the water? Not quite. For starters, geography is destiny, and Sonoma’s expansiveness means more room for visitors to spread out. That trickles down to the tasting room, where hosts have more time with each party.
Second, and just as important, Sonoma was “discovered” later than Napa. Though followed closely by Carneros and other Sonoma AVAs, Napa Valley AVA was indeed the United States’ first officially recognized wine region. Never mind that both counties have 150-year-plus winemaking traditions. What matters is that the outside world has known about Napa longer than Sonoma, and Napa is a bucket list destination for casual wine enthusiasts in a way that Sonoma is not. (We’re working to change that, but patience is a virtue.)
Sonoma Tasting Rooms and Wineries Are More Guest-Friendly (According to Guests)
You’ve probably also heard — perhaps from a recent visitor — that Sonoma tasting rooms (and wineries in general) are more guest-friendly than their Napa counterparts.
This is true on account of Sonoma tasting rooms’ relative affordability (more on that in a moment) but also because the average Sonoma winery doesn’t take itself quite as seriously.
Sure, most tasting rooms in our neck of the woods encourage reservations, and some don’t allow walk-ins at all. But there are also plenty of kid- and dog-friendly wineries, including Roche. One of our favorite non-Roche Sonoma wineries, Gundlach Bundschu, is known for live music. Many Sonoma winery proprietors prowl their own tasting rooms and mix it up with regular guests. It’s easy enough to create a Sonoma wine-tasting itinerary where no matter how many tasting rooms you visit, you’ll never not feel like part of the family.
Sonoma Tastings Are More Affordable (On Average)
Though wine tasting is more expensive everywhere these days, Sonoma wine tasting is more affordable on average than Napa wine tasting. A basic tasting experience will set you back $25, $30, maybe $40 on this side of the divide. In Napa, expect to pay $35 or $40 to start, and likely more at well-known wineries.
Overnight accommodations tend to be more affordable in Sonoma as well. That’s a function of geography and “discovered-ness” — in Napa, you’re much more likely to stay in or near one of four towns and compete with far more would-be guests for a bed.
Should You Visit Sonoma or Napa — Or Both?
It’s no secret that we at Roche Winery are Sonoma superfans. We’ve made our home here for more than 30 years and have no plans to go anywhere. Vineyards aren’t exactly mobile, last we checked, and our Tipperary Vineyard’s unique terroir is part of what makes Roche wines what they are.
Does that mean we never find ourselves appreciating fine Napa-grown wine? Not at all. A few of our favorite wineries are based in or source grapes from Napa, in fact. While never shying away from friendly competition, we ultimately believe that we — the vineyards and wineries that make northern California’s wine industry so special — are all in this together.
So if you only have a day or two in our part of the world, we’d encourage you to visit Roche Winery and as many of our favorite Sonoma wineries as you have time for. If you live within easy driving distance of Sonoma and Napa or you’re in the area for longer than a weekend, then we’d encourage you to explore the “other side” as well. There’s lots to discover in Napa as well.