VIDEO: Sonoma Vacation Tips

Beth Costa, executive director of Wine Road, gives a few quick tips for planning trips to Sonoma, Calif.'s wine country. For travelers wanting to inspect the grapes of their favorite Sonoma wines or who want a robust education about the area's wines, Costa recommends consulting Wine Road, an association of 150 wineries and 50 lodgings in the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys of Northern Sonoma County, for inspiration.

First-timers and seasoned wine aficionados alike can tailor a day in Sonoma to their personal tastes, from strolling the gardens at large wineries like Kendall Jackson to meeting face-to-face with winemakers at boutique wineries. Though fall harvest time is the most popular time to visit, Costa explains that the off-season is a good time to have an intimate tour of the wineries.