SIPPING IN SONOMA: WINE COUNTRY WITH A TODDLER

Think wine tasting, stroller-friendly vineyards and how to make Sonoma a dreamy getaway–even with a tiny travel buddy (I promise we actually had fun!).

The vineyard view from the backyard of our rental home

Wine country…with a side of sippy cups

When you think toddler-friendly vacation destination, Sonoma County, California may not be the first spot that comes to mind – but I promise you should add it to your list for so many reasons!

Our good friends live in California and we visited them last fall. As we were planning our itinerary, they sold us on all the reasons Sonoma County is amazing with toddlers – an overall laid back vibe, beautiful scenery, great wine, and most importantly many kid-friendly wineries. 

We learned very quickly that parents can enjoy a wine trip with kiddos – read on to see how you can too!

Where the grapes and Goldfish flow: Toddler-friendly wineries we loved

We stayed in Healdsburg, CA, which is an extremely cute town in Sonoma County with close proximity to SO. MANY. amazing wineries. We went to four of them during our stay – and each we would highly recommend with toddlers, and all had unique things to offer!

• Roth Estate: This was the first one we visited, we stopped immediately when we got into town! We made an early reservation (it’s never too early for a glass of wine when you’re on vacation!), and since we were with toddlers, it was nice to be there when it was quiet. Not only were the wines great, they had a cheese board that was a hit for adults and kids alike! They also had a few lawn games that kept the kids occupied and we even saw buffalo grazing in the distance at the end of our stay. 

• West Wines: This winery was a lucky and random find. It actually was right next door to the rental home we stayed in, so we stopped in for an afternoon tasting. Not only were their wines (and olive oil!) delicious, they were also so kid-friendly. During our tasting, they brought our son chalk to keep him occupied and a juice box so he could partake in a tasting of his own. 

• Medlock Ames: We had an early reservation on our second day at Medlock Ames. First of all - traveling with toddlers or not, do not miss this winery. The views are absolutely stunning! Because of our early reservation, we had the place to ourselves and there was so much space for toddlers to explore. My son ended up watching his tablet for a while in an Adirondack chair overlooking their vineyards, and if that isn’t the life, I don't know what is.
  

• Ehret tasting room: On our last night, we wanted to visit one more winery, but needed to find something that was open a bit later based on how the schedule of our day went. Ehret tasting room was so welcoming! Not only were they toddler-friendly, they were dog-friendly too! The tasting room is right in the center of town in Healdsburg, so it was very convenient to walk to dinner after.

From high chairs to happy hour: Where to eat & stay

In addition to the wineries, Healdsburg has so many other family-friendly experiences to offer. The downtown has a ton of great dinner restaurants (we recommend Gallina d’Oro and Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and after, grab a scoop of ice cream from Noble Folk). And for lunch, opt for casual and grab a sandwich from Dry Creek General Store.

Since we were traveling with friends, we stayed in a rental home, which like I mentioned was directly next door to West Wines (this means incredible vineyard views right from the back yard!), which we’d highly recommend. It has a backyard where kids can run around, two bedrooms/two bathrooms if you’re also traveling with another family, and a hot tub in the backyard to relax your muscles after a long day of wine tasting. 

Would we do it again? (Spoiler alert: Yes!)

We would absolutely do a winery trip again with toddlers. Between the laid back vibes of Sonoma County, incredible family-friendly dining options, and gorgeous scenery, this was the perfect, unlikely trip to take with toddlers. 

Have you done a winery trip with kids?