The Sonoma Plaza Walk and Shop Tour


A Perfect Day Shopping Guide
Of course there are those of us who think shopping is an art form but we wanted to include the other kind too.  Here’s the 411 on the places you can find cool things to take back home for gifts or just so you can tell them where you got it when they ask (and they will ask).

We’ve found some terrific places to shop that are very wine country but well priced.  
We put them together like a kind of walking tour.  This may be a whole other day of fun, so we included some tasting rooms since shopping is a thirsty business.  Here we go: 

Charles Creek Tasting Room and Gallery
483 First Street West
707-935-3848
www.charlescreek.com
Thrusday-Sunday 11am to 6pm
Bill and Gerry Brinton founded Charles Creek Vineyard in 2002, and just opened this tasting room. They offer a wide assortment of high quality Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma Valley. We especially like any of the Chardonnays. The on-site gallery features works by renowned local artists. The exhibit changes regularly, showcasing emerging talent as well as established artists. All pieces are available for purchase.
When you leave Charles Creek  go left, then look to your left after passing Fairmont Gallery. You’ll want to ramble down this “alley” to:

Red Wolf Gallery and Studio with Sculpture Garden
134 Church St
707-996-5111
This is a working studio/gallery of original art ranging from monotypes, to acrylics, to paintings on paper tiles, to ready to frame prints. Don’t miss the outdoor sculpture garden..  They represent a really clever and creative sculptor who could make your garden the talk of the town

Next it you like beautifully crafted ceramics don’t miss:

Sign of the Bear,
435 First Street West
707-996-3722.
Go back out the “alley” and the next door on your left is a hostess and cook’s delight. Each time we go we find a serving piece we can’t live without.  We love the dishes, platters, pitchers, and those cool little plates you’ll use to serve all that olive oil and balsamic vinegar you’ve been buying at the wineries.  They’ve got great hand painted vases and all in all really unique pieces that will look terrific at those dinner parties when you’re enjoying that incredible wine you brought back from your trip.  About every cooking devise known to man is in this small store from Piaf to Pilaf, there’s something for the cooks and the hosts in your life.

Sonoma Valley Soap Company
14 West Spain Street
707-933-1430.
www.pantry14.com
Leaving Sign of the Bear, turn left out the door, go to the corner, cross the street and cross again, now head half way down the block to this So-o-o-o Sonoma  store. The proprietor, French born Elie Maghames makes olive oil soaps. You may get a primer course on how to make these soaps.  Elie demonstrates how he makes these fragrant all-natural French soaps.

The Wine Exchange
452 First Street East.
800-938-1794.
The tasting bar that serves local wines and microbrew beers is in the rear of the store. It’s open every day. Around 5 you can belly up to the bar and join the local winemakers and vintners who come in to enjoy the beer. The tasting bar allows you to taste up to 25 wines from the California wineries and 280 premium beers from around the world. There is insured shipping to most states, Canada, Europe and Asia. You can’t beat the browsing, this is the largest selection of California Wines in Sonoma County  (1000 premium wines in stock). Now head out, turn left and go to the

Spirits in Stone Gallery
452 First St East, Ste A
800-474-6624
www.spiritsinstone.net
This is a sculpture gallery unlike any you’ve ever seen.  All the work is create by African natives that are self-taught artisans.  Here’s how the gallery describes the process. “Steeped in the legends and traditions of an ancient African civilization, contemporary Shona Sculpture is a profound expression of the human condition that transcends geography and time.

Sculpting with simple tools, these self-taught artists carve stones that illumine with more than 500 color variations. The result creates a diverse body of work with dynamic, spiritual themes that strike deep in the wellsprings of our shared consciousness.

Although many of their pieces are reminiscent of works by Picasso or Miro, most of these Shona sculptors have never seen the art of the Western world. Inspired by present day events, spiritual beliefs and folklore, the sculpture maintains a direct link to its ancient origins with evidence pointing to carving done centuries ago.

Treasured internationally, the art remains accessible to a wide spectrum of collectors.”  The gallery has videos of the unique way the pieces are created as well as beautiful jewelry and masks.  Spirits In Stone not only sells these pieces but finances their creation in order to support the artists.  Don’t miss this unique spot.  To find out more about the gallery (they sell online too) go to www.spiritsinstone.net  Oh, they have great jewelry and native masks too.
Then head down to:

The Corner Store
498 First Street East.
Open daily 11-5.
A beautiful mahogany bar set in an abundance of linens, jams, vinegars, crafts, and fun souvenirs of the wine country. Wines are from Buena Vista Winery, Atlas Peak, William Hill, Mumm, and Clos du Bois. Tasting and shopping, it’s so civilized. If all that wine tasting gives you a hankering for cheese, don’t miss the:

Cheesemaker’s Daughter Cheese Shop
 127 East Napa Street, 707-996-4060.  
Open 10-6 Tuesday through Sunday. 
www.cheesemakersdaughter.com
Turn left out the door, cross the street and turn left. It’s 4 doors down. It’s cheese heaven, try something new and different. Ditty Vella is a cheesmakers’s daughter (Vella cheese is two blocks away, Ig Vella . . . master cheesemaker. . . .is her father. . . .what’s with these names?) and her love for cheese is evident in the vast awray of fine cheeses she offers in this tiny European style cheese shop (There’s even an old bicycle leaning on the building). There’s bread, salami, chocolate, and other staples for picnics. Leaving here, turn left, backtrack to the corner, cross over and go to:

Sonoma-Enoteca
35 East Napa Street. Open 11-6:30 Daily.
707-935-1200.
This is a good place to go after the other tasting rooms have closed for the day. Different varietals are offered from 12 wineries. In Italian, Enoteca translates to “wine library” or “wine store”—a popular type of wine shop found all over Italy. Participating wineries include Favero, Noah, Brutocao Vineyards, Dreyer Sonoma, Chateau Felice, Manzanita Creek, Nance Colllection, Casa Carneros, Retzlaff, Ricci Vineyards, Abundance Vineyards and Stoneheath.

We hope you had fun sipping, hiking, seeing and shopping Sonoma.  We thought it would be a perfect day.