Perched on a ridge overlooking the Pacific at Fort Ross, Sonoma County, Hirsch Vineyards is unlocking the amazing promise that this difficult growing region offers. David Hirsch founded the vineyard on the extreme Sonoma Coast to grow fruit and make site-specific wine. The pinot noir and chardonnay wines from Hirsch Winery give the passionate drinker an experience of the clash of opposites: the edge of the continent washed by the sea; the perpetual grinding of the North American and Pacific plates along the San Andreas Fault; the wet winters and dry summers caused by the ocean shifting from rainforest to dessert in a growing season.

The best thing about living in Sonoma County is the accessibility to some of the world’s finest wineries. I love riding my bike along valley roads surrounded by vineyards. Woodenhead Vintner’s Tasting Room sits on one such road; take a look at what I found on a recent visit to Woodenhead: