As a child, we asked our Mom a lot of questions. Why can’t we have the girl-toy Happy Meal? How do you keep your wig clean? Is the boy across the street supposed to touch us there?
Now that we’re grown, our questions have become so much more complex. Like where do wine babies come from? (Don’t worry, we just name our bottles of vino like children. We’re not in the habit of tasting actual babies. Mostly because they smell like poop and sour breast milk.)
But when two grapes really love each other, they have fruit sex and create beautiful wine together. And some of the best we’ve ever tasted comes from California. And no, we’re not talking about Napa Valley (which is just one valley over from the hidden one where they make ranch dressing). We mean Sonoma County, one of the country’s best gay travel destinations, only 30 miles from San Francisco.
You know those little vineyard pictures on bottles of wine? They really exist! It was like seeing Santa Claus for the first time.
One of our favorite non-wine destinations (yes, Virginia, we do have one) is the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. It’s simply stunning. And nice and cool in the shade of majestic Sequoias, the oldest of which is an astonishing 1,400 years old. Just like Celine Dion’s husband.
Another highlight of our excursion was a visit to the Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville. It’s fascinating to see the process of how bubbly is brought into this world at the only winery in the U.S. allowed to call its sparkling wine “Champagne.” A visit here is like our personal Willy Wonka. We wanted to jump in the Champagne river and ride a popped cork on a journey to the moon.
The best part about Sonoma County is that people here are all invested in the Sonoma “lifestyle” where wine for breakfast isn’t unheard of, last call never happens and purple teeth are a sign of success.
For more ideas on GLBT happenings in Sonoma County, check out their weekly LGBT Blog, follow @gaysonoma on Twitter or visit the Gay Sonoma County community on Facebook.
