Wineries with Fun Sports Activities

Tasting wine in Sonoma County is a lovely experience, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break. Here are a few wineries, divvied up by outdoor activity, that are ready to give you a Sonoma County Wine Country taste of that good ol’ sporting life. As some activities are seasonal, it’s a good idea to check with each winery for more information.

Biking

Sonoma Valley Bike Tours in the town of Sonoma lets you enjoy the scenery and discover boutique and family-owned wineries at a casual pace on a full or half-day bike tour led by a knowledgeable guide. Pedal an average of two to five miles between each winery visit for a truly memorable day.

Venture through the Sonoma County Wine Country on two wheels, with the gentle breezes cooling you under the warm sun. On Getaway Adventures’ Healdsburg sip and cycle tour, take a relaxed 10- to 12-mile ride along the quiet country lanes of the Dry Creek Valley. Taste wines along the way, stop on rural back roads to enjoy the scenery, and keep your energy going with a Sonoma County Wine Country picnic lunch. 

Bocce Ball

Thanks to the many Italian immigrants who settled in Sonoma County in the 19^th century, bocce ball has long been popular here. Descended from an ancient game of the Roman Empire, bocce involves rolling metal or plastic balls on long, smooth courts.

Many wineries throughout Sonoma County offer bocce ball courts to visitors. It’s fun to kick back with a glass of wine and watch this social game, or join in and play.  Here are a few “bocce” wineries to check out.

• Geyserville: Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Pedroncelli Winery
• Healdsburg: De La Montanya Winery & Vineyards, Dry Creek Vineyard, Martorana Family Winery, Medlock Ames, Thomas George Estates
• Santa Rosa: D’Argenzio Winery, Hook & Ladder Winery
• Sebastopol: Furthermore Wines
• Sonoma Valley: Chateau St. Jean, Imagery Estate Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Larson Family Winery

Free Walking Tours

Thanks to a free program known as Sonoma County Vineyard Adventures, you can visit some of the region’s outstanding wineries and take a free walking tour of their vineyards. The walks are relatively easy and range from half a mile to slightly more than a mile long. The terrain varies — from valleys to mountains — but the locations are always beautiful.

When you visit one of these wineries with free walking tours, stop in the tasting room to pick up a map with points of interest marked. There’s no obligation, but you also may want to visit the tasting room to sample wines made from the vineyards you’ve just wandered.

Sonoma County wineries with free walking tours:

• Amista Vineyards in Healdsburg (Dry Creek Valley)
• Balletto Vineyards in Santa Rosa (Russian River Valley)
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville (Alexander Valley) (trail under construction)
• La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard in Windsor (Russian River Valley)
• Matanzas Creek Winery in Santa Rosa (Bennett Valley)
• Mauritson Wines in Healdsburg (Dry Creek Valley)
• Schug Winery in the town of Sonoma (Carneros/Sonoma Valley) 
• St. Francis Winery and Vineyards in Santa Rosa (Sonoma Valley)

Hiking

Kunde Family Winery in Kenwood offers a monthly hiking-and-tasting program designed for outdoor and wine enthusiasts. The guided hikes explore the 1,850-acre volcanic property, are moderately strenuous, and take guests from the Sonoma Valley floor to 1,400 feet in the Mayacamas Mountains. This fun and casual hike lasts about four hours. 

The winery also occasionally offers dog-friendly hikes led by Jeff and Roberta Kunde and their dogs, that ends with a wine tasting and Sonoma County Wine Country lunch.

Horseback Riding

Triple Creek Horse Outfit, located in the town of Glen Ellen, offers guided Sonoma County Wine Country rides at Jack London State Historic Park along 20-plus miles of trails. The park is home to ancient vineyards planted where London himself once grew grapes.

Explore a beautiful winery by riding through the vines on seasoned, gentle horses with the help of an experienced, friendly guide from Sonoma Valley Trail Rides in the town of Sonoma. As an option, after your ride, you can enjoy a world-class wine tasting and/or picnic designed especially for you. 

Swimming

Take the family swimming at Geyserville‘s Francis Ford Coppola Winery, the only winery in the county where you can jump in the water. With a combined 3,600 square feet of space, two swimming pools are connected by a swim-through where jets of water form a small “bridge” to swim beneath. When you’re not swimming, you can relax in comfy chaise lounge chairs.

A daily pool pass allows entry to the pool. Or rent one of the 28 cabines (European-style changing rooms) for the entire day. Cabine rental includes pool entry for up to four people, with lounge chairs and towels. Cabines are safe places to store personal items, and contain private showers. 

Pickleball

Anaba Wines in the town of Sonoma serves up a unique way to sip and have fun with a Pickleball and Wine Tasting experience. Book an hour of play time on this private pickleball court overlooking the vineyard that includes a welcome splash of wine and a relaxing tasting after your game. Equipment is provided, and a lesson can also be reserved.

Baseball

Nestled among the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes on the Balletto Vineyards winery in Santa Rosa, you’ll find a four-acre regulation-sized baseball field. Come by the winery, and you may hear the sounds of bats cracking, children laughing, and the occasional cheer in this scenic “field of dreams” in Sonoma County Wine Country.

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