Sebastopol
Sebastopol is where Sonoma County's wine country meets its older agricultural identity — Gravenstein apples, dairies, the Russian River. The town has a counter-cultural streak that goes back to the 1960s and never quite left, layered now with the Barlow district's converted warehouses housing breweries, distilleries, restaurants, and tasting rooms. The drive from Sebastopol west to the Russian River Valley wineries — Iron Horse, Dutton-Goldfield, Marimar Estate — is one of the prettier short trips in Sonoma County.
Hospitality in Sebastopol is smaller-scale and independent: Avalon Luxury B&B, the Sebastopol Inn near the Barlow, plus a stock of vacation rentals on the apple farms that ring the town. Guests who base here typically have a Russian River Valley wine itinerary in mind, or are headed to the coast at Bodega Bay. Sebastopol works as a hub for travelers who want their wine country without the polish — closer to the farm, the orchard, the river.
