SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Visit Sonoma County where you can be tasting wine, shopping, and sampling artisan cheeses and produce all within 45 minutes of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

And if that's not enough to entice you, add in more than 40 regional and state parks, the top beaches on the Northern California coast, award-winning California spas and resorts, a world-class concert hall, and California redwoods. Here are the top 10 highlights of Sonoma County.

1. Taste wine
Sonoma County has more than 370 wineries to tour and taste at. Discover a new favorite wine at famous wineries, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Korbel, St. Francis, and Kendall-Jackson. Or discover unique wineries with hidden caves, amazing vistas, historic legends, amazing food, and wine pairings, and much more.

2. Shop until you drop
Shopping in Sonoma Wine Country runs from high-end outlets to small boutiques, winery gift shops, and country stores. In each town and village discover unique shopping along the plazas and streets. Petaluma Premium Outlets, Santa Rosa Plaza Shopping Mall, fine boutiques in Sonoma and Healdsburg, eclectic stores in Guerneville and Windsor: find that unique one-of-a-kind gift or fabulous wine country souvenir.

3. Attend a wine and food festival
Fabulous food paired with amazing wines tickle the taste buds and enhance your visit. Top festivals: California Artisan Cheese Festival, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, Wine & Food Affair, Barrel Tasting. Check the calendar of events for dates and info.

4. Explore nature parks
More than 40 regional and state parks beckon travelers to hike through redwood forests, paddle along the coast, or just sit down and enjoy the sounds of nature. Must-sees include Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, Spring Lake Regional Park, Annadel State Park, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (with the Robert Ferguson Observatory's PlanetWalk) and Jack London State Historic Park.

5. Dip a toe in the Pacific Ocean
Miles of pristine sand, rugged cliffs, scenic viewpoints, whale watching, and more give visitors reasons to visit more than 55 miles of amazing Pacific coastline. Visit Bodega Bay, Doran Beach, Goat Rock, Salmon Creek, Stillwater Cove, or Salt Point.

6. Unwind at top spas and resorts
There's nothing as rejuvenating as a great massage. Resorts and stand-alone spas enhance any visit. Check out Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, Kenwood Inn & Spa, Bodega Bay Lodge, Hyatt Vineyard Creek Inn and Spa, and Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary.

7. Eat gourmet local cuisine
Rich with farms, ranches, and fine-food purveyors, eating out in Sonoma County gives you a true taste of the area. Many restaurant owners either grow their own produce and meats or source them locally. Dine at such places as Zazu, Stark's Steakhouse, the girl & the fig, Peter Lowell's, Terrapin Creek, Madrona Manor, and Applewood Inn.

8. Enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities
Nearly 20 golf courses, Safari West Wildlife Preserve, Sonoma Canopy Tours (zip line), horseback riding, kayaking, hot-air ballooning. Discover Sonoma County's outdoor activities.

9. Ride a bike
Sonoma County is known as a cyclist's paradise – 1,400 miles of secondary roads and off-road bike trails. Go all out, attacking tough climbs or cycle from winery to winery on a tasting tour; Sonoma County offers you the best cycling experience in Wine Country.

10. Discover a vibrant arts scene
The acclaimed Green Music Center opened in 2012 to critical acclaim. This world-class performing arts center joins a palette of 30-plus performing arts centers, and more than a hundred galleries and museums. With 27,000-plus artists and hundreds of music and art events each month – ARTrails, Artwalk, art show openings – is it any wonder that Sonoma County is said to have more artists per capita than anywhere else in California?

A bonus highlight
Bask in the amazing California weather: Sonoma County's natural beauty and moderate temperatures seldom dip below freezing, even in the winter. The area's 25- to 30-inch annual rainfall happens primarily from November through April. In January, the average high/low temps inland is 58 F (14C)/36F (2C); on the coast, 56 F (13 C)/35 F (2C). In July, the average high/low temps inland is 90 F (32 C)/52 F (12 C); on the coast, 80 F (26 C)/48 F (8 C).