Wine Road Celebrates Turning 50

A big shout out to the Wine Road as the organization celebrates 50 years of supporting and promoting the wineries and lodgings in northern Sonoma County’s fabled Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River valleys.

What is Wine Road?

Think of the Wine Road as three entities: a member-based and supported organization, a region, and the people who keep things happening. Wine Road, the organization, is a collective of wineries and lodging that was founded in 1976. The Wine Road region is a place to come for enjoyment, relaxation, great food and excellent wines. The Wine Road is also the people who keep the organization running: executive director Beth Costa and event manager Debbie Osborn.

Wine Road facilitates three renowned annual wine tasting events: Barrel Weekend in March, Food & Wine Affair in November, and the upcoming Winter WINEland in January. Their website offers information and guidance to visitors, along with event, winery and lodging member details, maps, educational information, a recipe database, and so much more.

Wine Road exists because 50 years ago, wineries and lodgings came together to spread the word that they offer a special haven for wine lovers from all walks of life.

The Beginning

In 1976 when the Wine Road launched, there were no cell phones with maps and voice guided directions. Wine Road also pre-dates the internet and social media — sources we now rely on for travel and tourism information. The wineries and lodgings in northern Sonoma County needed a way to tell visitors they existed and how to find them on the county’s rural backroads.

Millie Howie, a local writer and publicist, was the mastermind who organized the nine original members into forming the Wine Road. Howie’s first task was creating a map showing members’ locations, phone numbers and a few details. Pre-internet and no with advertising budget, word-of-mouth was the primary method of spreading information about this newly formed group.

Wine Road’s efforts started small, but the map worked and visitation grew. Every winery and lodging would give visitors a map or two in the hope they would discover and visit other wineries on the map. Many visitors also shared maps with their friends. In 1976, Wine Road printed 25,000 maps to distribute. Since that first printing, Wine Road has printed and distributed 7.25 million maps, and continues to get requests for maps every week.

Julie Pedroncelli St. John, President, CEO and third generation family member of Pedroncelli Winery, has witnessed the growth firsthand. “My family’s winery is one of the founding wineries of the Wine Road,” she said. “This was the first organization to put northern Sonoma County tasting rooms on the map! Thousands of visitors in the 50 years hence have passed through our doors thanks to founder Millie Howie and to Beth Costa who now guides us.”

Sonoma County and Wine Road will forever be grateful to Millie Howie, who focused her writing and public relations skills into spreading the word about this wine region that was once a barely visited gem. And also to Beth Costa, Wine Road’s executive director, for continuing to inform people about the Wine Road wineries, lodgings, wines, events, and tourism resources.

What Makes Wine Road Special?

The People

Just as it did 50 years ago, the Wine Road consists of small family-owned wineries. Many of these wineries also farm their own vineyards to produce grapes for their wines. If you’re looking for the real deal, it doesn’t get much more grassroots authentic than that.

In many winery tasting rooms along the Wine Road, you’ll discover the person pouring the wine is the owner, the winemaker, or both. Some family wineries employ multiple family members in a variety of jobs, from tasting room manager to winemaker to vineyard manager and more. These are the people who make the Wine Road a special place to visit. As you get to know the folks at a winery, you become part of the wine family and are greeted as such.

These aren’t corporate businesses and factory farms. Wine Road wineries represent grassroots farmers and wine producers. The owners dedicate their hearts and souls into growing the best grapes possible, and from these grapes, producing world-class wines. That means when you buy directly from the winery, you’re supporting the sustainability of that family business. It also supports the people who work there and live in the surrounding community.

Location, Location, Location

If you’ve visited the Wine Road, you know that stunning landscapes grace this region. Mile after mile of breathtaking vineyard vistas greet you as you travel along the Wine Road. There are hillsides, valleys, rivers, creeks, and redwoods. The drive between wineries gives you ample time to soak in the scenery, as does a stay at one of the many rural-setting lodgings. There’s no way to put monetary value on the beauty found here, or the gracious hospitality that greets you at winery after winery.

Celebrate Along the Wine Road

The best way to celebrate the Wine Road turning 50 is to visit. Explore and experience the wineries and wines along the Wine Road. Check out for yourself why this is such a special place. Wine Road will have plenty of events in the coming month, or come visit whenever it works best for you.

To stay in touch with what’s happening along the Wine Road, be sure to sign up for My Wine Road E-news. And, if you really want to dig deeper and learn more about this region, its history, wineries, wines and more, become a Wine Road Ambassador. Becoming an ambassador is a fun way to obtain in-depth knowledge and learn stories about the Wine Road. Plus, you’ll be able to wow your friends with your expertise.

I hope to see you along the Wine Road soon.

Happy Sipping!

Posted by Rebecca Germolus

Rebecca Germolus, co-owner of Maximum Value Marketing, loves Sonoma County and playing along the Wine Road. Rebecca daily immerses herself in wine country by providing cost-effective marketing and writing solutions to wineries and restaurants.

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