The next morning, after a quick pit stop at Flying Goat Coffee (like wine, coffee is a religion here), we quiz the locals on which of the 200 local wineries to check out. For any wine-tasting excursion, a hire car is essential, so we strap in and head out, pausing only for a stomach-lining turkey and cheese sandwich as big as my head, from the 126-year-old Dry Creek General Store.

Equally as essential is a Wine Road Tasting Pass, which for the princely sum of $30 per day, grants complementary tastings at three local wineries. First stop, Dutcher’s Crossing Winery, where we are greeted by Dutchess, the local golden labrador. Here, in a stylishly renovated barn, we are poured five ‘tastes’ of in-house wines for just $10, with, I’m told, no underwritten obligation to buy. After the third taste, that soft wine haze befalls me and I leave with a bottle of Pinot Noir – Dutcher’s Crossing’s finest blend.

Ten minutes later, we hit the 100-year-old Sbragia Family Vineyards, sat on top of a hill with 360 views of the tumbling Californian landscape, and made quick work of the six-wine tasting menu, set to a soundtrack of the Rolling Stones. Rather than the often arms-length wine tours of the much-smaller Napa Valley, here in Sonoma, you’ll likely end up chatting to the owner of the estate. It’s a colloquial, casual exchange in which wine amateurs like us feel at ease enough to ask whether we should smell the wine (yes), swirl it (yes), sip it (yes), or spit it (well, probably, if you’re the designated driver).

Check into an eco-luxe hotel on the US West Coast