Sonoma County in Northern California is right up there with Napa valley when it comes to wine. But did you know that you can craft an entire day worth of adventure and keep everything vegan? You can go from farm sanctuary to winery to restaurant, all without the consumption of a single animal product. Check out this vegan guide to Sonoma County, California.
Schug Carneros Estate Winery
Did you know that a lot of wineries use egg whites animal products in their fining process? Fining is the process in which egg whites are put into barrels of wine in order to settle the particulates to the bottom. Schug Carneros Estate Winery allows time to settle the particulates to the bottom before filtering them out. Known for white wines, they have a variety of different grapes that are grown right there on-site including a delicious rose! If you get the chance, take the tour through the cellar and you can learn all about the winemaking process and even take part in it by rotating the cap on an active batch of grapes.
Charlie’s Acres Farm Sanctuary
Charlie’s Acres was founded by Tracy Vogt in 2016 when she rescued her first pig and decided to open up an animal sanctuary. Now with over 120 animals, most of them with special needs, they have a wide variety of cows, goats, sheep, turkeys, chickens, pigs, and even horses! All of their tours come with a suggested donation which goes directly towards the costs of running the sanctuary, but it is well worth it. The amount of knowledge that their staff has will leave you inspired as you are told the stories of those, such as Phoenix who survived a slaughter truck crash that burst into flames, or even Johnny, the goat who can’t use his back legs and has to get around with a wheelchair. If you’re heading into Sonoma Valley, you have to put Charlie’s Acres Farm Sanctuary on your list!
Delhi Belly
Indian food is generally pretty easy to find vegan options, but some end up being so fantastic that you can’t miss them. At Delhi Belly, they are serving up some of the traditional options such as samosas, aloo gobi, and chana masala. Their panch dal with the coconut rice is one of the greatest flavor combinations you can find in Indian food. Equal parts spice and sweetness, it’s reminiscent of a Panang curry but with it’s own flavor profile. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the Aloo Gobi or Chana Masala. Make sure you start off with the vegetable samosas, but avoid the green chutney as it has dairy in it.
Amy’s Drive-Thru
It’s not very often you come across an all-vegan drive-thru, but when you do, you hustle your way up there and order half of the menu. Right? Right? Hmm, maybe not everyone, but there are definitely some things that you need to check out. If you’ve spent time in any major grocery store’s frozen section, you’ll have undoubtedly seen the Amy’s brand frozen meals. Staples such as their mac and cheese can be found at their restaurant and they are exactly what you would expect them to be. However, they really excel in their double Amy’s burger that comes complete with vegan cheese and pairs tremendously with their vegan milkshake. It’s your typical American diner drive-thru experience with none of the animal products. What a time to be alive!
[…] with a plethora of different vegan options. It’s the perfect way to end your day after wine tasting in Sonoma […]