Last week I wrote about some experiences I enjoyed on a recent trip to the Napa Valley. Advance planning combined with the flexibility to be spontaneous led to some great tasting opportunities, and the very next day as we toured Sonoma Valley wineries, the same combination again led to some tasty and fun visits. We started our day at Porter Creek Vineyards in the Russian River Valley, where father and son George and Alex Davis craft a variety of wines from sustainably farmed grapes on estate vineyards, adhering to biodynamic principles. The unpretentious but welcoming tasting room (housed in a 1922 former tractor shed) is the domain of Paul, an affable, loquacious Scotsman who maintains a stream of information about the multiple wines he’s pouring, interspersed with welcomes to new patrons entering the room and quick jokes and asides. The entire visit and the wines were absolutely delightful, and we came away with three bottles (2012 vintages of Syrah, Carignane and Zinfandel) and an hour or so to kill before our next scheduled tasting. A quick consult of our handy winery map led us to Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery (Harry recalled reading good things about their single vineyard-designated Pinots), midway to our next stop up a steep, winding driveway. The beautifully designed, modern tasting room at the top presents views out over wooded hills and the valley and vineyards far below — a truly breathtaking aerie from which to sit on the terrace and sample elegant wines. Then it was on to Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, renowned for their Chardonnnays and, more recently, adding Pinot Noir to their offerings. The stunning grounds include two laser-leveled, competition-certified croquet pitches   and a sunny terrace from which to view them and sip wine,   while several indoor spaces allow for private tastings and events.   Our tasting guide, a longtime resident of the area, proved a treasure trove of information not only about the great wines we were tasting but also about events and activities only a local would know. If not for the fact we already had dinner reservations for the evening, we likely would have stopped in at Windsor that evening for music and oyster shooters on the town green. The next evening found us at Oakville Grocery just off the square in downtown Healdsburg. A few days before, we’d stopped in at lunchtime (as we usually do) to choose from among the great selection of cheeses and charcuterie, gourmet goodies and made-to-order sandwiches, soups and salads. There we learned of a special tasting event set for Thursday evening: 10 local wineries would be pouring their wines accompanied by Oakville’s dinner of deep-fried chicken, barbequed tri-tip, assorted salads and dessert, all for the ridiculously low price of $25 per person. We tried some remarkable wines from smaller producers we had not heard of but vowed we would visit on a return trip. A few favorites: Ketchum Estate “Ketchum Vineyard” Pinot Noir 2012, MacRostie RRV Chardonnay 2012 and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2012, and Roadhouse Dry Creek Cab Sauv 2012 and Pinot Noir 2012. Palmeri’s wines really blew our socks off. Drew Damskey poured a 2012 Dry Creek Cab Sauv from the high-elevation Sweetwater Saddle vineyard. Drew’s father, Kerry, winemaker/owner along with his wife, Daisy, makes wines showcasing fruit from mountain vineyards. The wines (total production about 500 cases per year) can be found in restaurants and wine shops around the country or ordered online. Our trips to California wine country always result in wonderful new finds alongside old favorites and always keep us coming back for more. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor