Sonoma Valley

Long before the invention of "Wine Country," sleepy Sonoma was better known for hot springs and history than wineries and weekenders. Today it’s the folksy-hip side of Wine Country, where it’s okay to have bad hair, drive a clunker, and vote Green. Call it Slow-noma. The region has changed dramatically over the past 20 years with the popularization of the grape, but the kick-back farm-town vibe remains. Picnic in the shade of century-old trees on the plaza—the largest town square in California—where you can legally drink wine in public (pack a corkscrew and tablecloth). Even on summer weekends with tourists everywhere, the plaza still feels like an old-fashioned village green.