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California wine country. It has a ring to the wine lovers' ears like no other. For those who have never been, but dream of the day, there's so much diversity in the Golden State's varied wine regions. You can find beautiful places and beautiful wine as far south as San Diego County and as far north as Humboldt; a distance of some 700+ miles, which by the way would take you quite far across Western Europe. In those miles you'll find distinct climates/terrior that makes California a special place to grow grapes and make wine. California wine makers will tell you that there isn't a varietal that can't be grown somewhere in the State, and that the quality will rival that grape grown anywhere in the world. Further, the weather is so "predictable" that vintages (the years the grapes are harvested) almost don't matter. Napa is the most famous of the wine regions of California, but that is primarily due to the homage paid to the cabernet sauvignon grape. Napa and California, in general, earned its wine reputation in the Judgment of Paris in 1976. There is little argument that Napa is the King of Cabernet, at least in the New World. But, it's lesser known neighbor, Sonoma County, which lies just to the west, arguably is the most diverse and beautiful of California's wine regions. Bordered by Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Marin, and the Pacific Ocean, Sonoma County is blessed with cool breezes, fog, abundant fresh water, mountains, and arable land that has been farmed and ranched for centuries. This place is blessed with redwoods that are thousands of years old, geysers, petrified forests, and even a wild animal park. It isn't undiscovered, but it is a much more spread out (less crowded) and diverse in climate and topography from its famous eastern neighbor. The beauty is unmatched. It is Spring, well almost, in Sonoma County. With abundant rains in December and January, February unleashed sunny days in the 70's that brought the hills and fields to life early this year. Bud break on the vines came toward the end of the month. The mustard grass with its long, green stalks bloomed with the richest yellow flowers that popped up between vineyard rows and glittered in the sun. The sky is blue and the horizon framed by the Coast Range and jagged Mayacama Mountains, which includes Mount Saint Helena, an old volcano overlooking both Sonoma and Napa and may treat you to a snowy cap in the winter. But today the hills shimmer in green grass and blossoming trees even where fires raged less than 6 months earlier. Sitting on a patio at a winery of your choice, these are the views that welcome you and make a day feel like it could last forever. Add your favorite wine - as there are hundreds of choices available - and perhaps a baguette and cheese, and this is as close to heaven as I can imagine.