Wine-loving travelers in San Francisco will be faced with a choice: whether to visit Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley (or both!). As the country’s largest wine-growing region, Napa Valley is home to an astonishing 400 wineries covering 800 square miles. But Sonoma Valley was actually the birthplace of California’s wine industry, and now has about 100 wineries spread out over 1,600 square miles.
Sonoma is relatively less crowded and has a more laid-back feel than Napa, and the tastings are also cheaper. But Napa offers some of the very best wines in the world, and the smaller area makes it easier to minimize driving time. Visiting both areas in one day will mean a lot of time spent in the car, so avid wine drinkers may want to plan separate trips to each.