SEBASTOPOL
The Apple of Sonoma’s Eye and Artistic Spirit BY JESS LANDER
Photo courtesy of the Barlow
Situated just west of Santa Rosa and a quick, one-hour drive from Napa, the small town of Sebastopol is an easy day trip and a one-stop-shop for locally made artisanal products and goods, from wine, beer, and spirits, to clothes, home goods, art, and farm or sea-to-table meals.
B
ut back in the day, the main commodity in Sebastopol was apples. In the late 1800s, it was known as the Gravenstein Capital of the World, named for its most prolific apple that renowned horticulturist Luther Burbank discovered. The town’s orchards eventually gave way to vineyards, and today, celebrations like the Apple Blossom Festival and Gravenstein
Apple Fair pay homage to Sebastopol’s roots (tourists can even tour Burbank’s 1885 Goldridge Experiment Farm). Sebastopol is at the heart of what Sonoma locals affectionately call “West County,” a special slice of wine country with a unique and artistic spirit. Tie-dye shirts and Birkenstocks are the standard garb here, so one doesn’t need to worry
Head West // Photo by Sarah Montano
FOOD & WINE 2021
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