Country Home with Pool, Vineyard and View

The great room includes the living room with fireplace, dining area, and the gourmet kitchen with a Viking range, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and a Miele dishwasher. There are exposed beams; and the ceiling reaches 12 feet high. The three bedrooms in the house have very high ceilings, and are brightly furnished with a French farmhouse feel. Each bedroom is distinct. The spacious master bedroom offers views from the bed out the French doors and all the windows. Just outside the door is the pool and spa. The master bath has a shower with room for two, and a tub with a view. Big windows and a door out to a flagstone patio make this room bright, and open to views of the surrounding landscape. The second bedroom has a queen-size bed and a double set of French doors opening onto a deck with a view of garden and vineyard. The third is small and cozy, with a skylight and a double bed. A bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower is located between these bedrooms and the great room.

The fourth bedroom is a special, more rustic hideaway. It's up a stairway between rows of vines -- then up some stone steps and paths even higher to the Quinta. Here, a large flat area on the hillside above the valley has been civilized with a romantic white fabric tent-cabin and an expansive patio. A queen-size bed, tables, chairs, lamps, and a CD player make it akin to sleeping outdoors -- but with few of the disadvantages. Antique windows look out over a stunning view of the Sonoma Plain. At night, you can see the lights of towns and suburbs in the distance. On most days, you can see mountains on the other side of the valley, and the coastal sky beyond. With a small outdoor fireplace, the patio makes an ideal spot for gathering to catch the late afternoon rays or to watch the sunset and stars. A winding path leads to an indoor/outdoor bathhouse with an open-air, raised tub and a sunny shower. A colorful Mexican sink is sheltered from any rain by the tin roof.

Just outside the kitchen door is a large ground-level deck with a charcoal grill, an herb garden, and a dining table and chairs. Market umbrellas and six lounges are available around the pool for relaxing in the sun. The flagstone terrace under an old redwood tree, some Japanese maples, and rhododendrons, also has plenty of comfortable outdoor seating.

The location has surprisingly easy access to Highway 101. There are many wineries in the area. The Russian River area, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, and Healdsburg are close by. And the Sonoma coast is within one hour. The Napa Valley is about 45 minutes away. Best of all, most of this travel is over beautiful back roads.

And the Sonoma coast is within one hour. The Napa Valley is about 45 minutes away. Best of all, most of this travel is over beautiful back roads.

Exploring wineries