about the area
Bennett Valley & Santa Rosa Bardy Road lies on Bennett Ridge in a beautiful community of Bennett Valley, located south of the city of Santa Rosa, on high ground between the Sonoma Valley and Cotati Valley. Although Bennett Valley is among Sonoma County's more recently recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), the grapevine got an early start here. The AVA begins where the city's suburban neighborhood known as Bennett Valley gives way to rolling oak woodland and horse pastures bordered by ancient stone walls. In 1862, Santa Rosa winemaker Isaac DeTurk planted a vineyard on land he purchased from valley namesake James Bennett. DeTurk called his winery, the valley's first, Belle Mount. However, the combination of phylloxera and Prohibition cleared the valley of vineyards. It wasn't until the late 1970s that vineyards returned to Bennett Valley in a meaningful way at the pioneering (& neighboring) Matanzas Creek Winery. Enjoy the amazing outdoor activities Sonoma County has to offer at nearby Bennett Valley Golf Course & Galvin Park that offer tennis courts, a dog park and various other sporting fields. Trione Annadel State Park The park has more than 5,500 acres of rolling hills, seasonal streams, meadows, and woodlands. Hikers, equestrians, mountain bicyclists, runners, and nature-lovers can choose among 40-plus miles of trails. Crane Creek Regional Park features rolling grasslands and beautiful oaks. The 128-acre park has 3.5 miles of trails and an 18-hole disc golf course. The largest city in Sonoma County, as well as the county seat, Santa Rosa offers all the amenities of urban life but is not far removed from the spectacular natural scenery that the Wine Country is famous for. Old Courthouse Square is the center of downtown Santa Rosa and is surrounded by numerous shops and restaurants. Activities in Santa Rosa include the Charles M. Schulz Museum, dedicated to one of the city’s most famous former residents; Redwood Empire Ice Arena; and Safari West, a private African wildlife preserve just outside the city. There is a growing technology footprint in Santa Rosa, though many residents commute to San Francisco — a trek that has gotten easier thanks to the addition of carpool lanes and road-widening initiatives.
