Every Sunday afternoon, Sonoma Plaza becomes one of Wine Country's best live-music venues—and the concerts are free. Melissa Bingham, Executive Director of Music in Place, joins Tim Zahner to discuss Sonoma Sundays on the Plaza, featuring live music from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Grinstead Amphitheater.

The 2026 series runs from June 7 through October 4, with everything from funk, jazz and bluegrass to bossa nova, zydeco, swing and Oktoberfest music.

Music in Place began during the pandemic as a way to keep musicians and production professionals working. Today, the nonprofit presents free community concerts, intimate ticketed performances, youth music education programs and the MIP Cabaret series.

Melissa also explains how In Place Productions helps people book professional musicians for weddings, conferences, house parties and other events—with proceeds helping support free concerts, music education and paid opportunities for artists.

Then it’s time for “We Get Questions,” including:

• Which Sonoma Valley wineries should first-time visitors try?

• When are Sonoma’s farmers markets?

• Where can you find live music around Sonoma?

• Where should someone go for authentic French food?

• Why doesn’t Sonoma have many stoplights?

• When does the wine-grape harvest begin?

Learn more about Music in Place: https://musicinplace.org/ See the Sonoma Sundays on the Plaza schedule: https://musicinplace.org/sonoma-sundays-on-the-plaza/

Book musicians through In Place Productions: https://musicinplace.org/in-place-productions/

Plan your Sonoma Valley visit: https://www.sonomavalley.com

Need help planning? Call or text the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau at 707-996-1090.

Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley: 👉 https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Listen to The Sonoma Spiel:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sonoma-spiel/id1634467429

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#SonomaValley #LiveMusic #SonomaPlaza

Antonín Dvořák traveled from Bohemia to Vienna, England, Russia and the United States—and the people, places and musical traditions he encountered helped shape his work.

Valley of the Moon Music Festival co-founder and artistic director Eric Zivian returns to the Sonoma Spiel with viola player Rose Nellis of the Amizia Quartet. Together, they preview “Postcards from Dvořák,” a festival season inspired by the composer’s travels around the world.

Eric explains how Dvořák rose from modest beginnings in Bohemia to become an internationally celebrated composer. His curiosity led him to explore music from many cultures, including African American spirituals and Native American musical traditions during his time in the United States.

Rose shares what life is like as a professional chamber musician, how the internationally based Amizia Quartet rehearses and travels together, and why the viola occupies such an important place inside a string quartet.

She also answers a surprisingly complicated question: Is a viola simply a large violin, or is a violin an undersized viola?

One of Rose’s favorite descriptions compares a string quartet to a bottle of wine: The first violin is the label, the cello is the bottle, and the viola and second violin are the wine.

Rose also performs the Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 3 live in the studio.

The conversation covers:

• Dvořák’s travels through Europe and the United States

The conversation concludes with another round of “We Get Questions,” featuring visitor questions about picnic provisions, Sonoma sandwiches, California maps and where to park a bicycle around the Sonoma Plaza.

VALLEY OF THE MOON MUSIC FESTIVAL

Festival information and tickets:

SONOMA TASTING PASS

Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass. Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:

PLAN YOUR SONOMA VALLEY VISIT

Visit: https://www.sonomavalley.com/

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Chris Schreiner of Platt Vineyard joins The Sonoma Spiel for a conversation that starts with peaches in Sonoma Valley and winds its way through Las Vegas, theater kids, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, wine clones, toasted barrels, Sonoma Plaza tasting rooms, and the cool-climate vineyards of the West Sonoma Coast.

Platt Vineyard’s new tasting salon is located just off the Sonoma Plaza on First Street West, while the vineyard itself sits far to the west near the coast, where fog, redwoods, ocean influence, and carefully planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir shape the wines. Chris explains how Platt’s fruit became highly sought after by respected winemakers, why the estate now makes wines under its own label, and what visitors can expect from a tasting.

Tim and Chris also keep things friendly for newer wine drinkers, breaking down terms like “stone fruit,” “buttery Chardonnay,” “toast,” “clones,” “terroir,” and “microclimate” without making anyone feel like they need a wine dictionary.

Then Chris joins the “We Get Questions” segment for a Sonoma Plaza scavenger hunt covering ducks, the visitor center, the Bear Flag Revolt, Sweet Scoops, the Sonoma Mission, General Vallejo, and more.

Learn more about Platt Vineyard at https://www.plattvineyard.com/en/

Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass: https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Find more Sonoma Valley travel ideas at https://www.sonomavalley.com/

Listen to The Sonoma Spiel on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

Summer nights at the Green Music Center are built for picnics on the lawn, big-name concerts, family movies, fireworks, and that unmistakable feeling of hearing live music under the stars.

Beth Costa brought bubbles, stories and 26 years of Wine Road wisdom to the Sonoma Spiel.

Summer in Sonoma already comes with a lot going for it. Add Broadway songs, live musicians, oak trees, a picnic, a glass of wine, and a stage under the evening sky, and you’re in Transcendence territory.

Tony Gonzalez and Lace Scott stop by to talk about what’s ahead for Transcendence Theatre Company as it opens a new chapter in downtown Sonoma. This year’s season brings a fresh location, a new setup, and a major creative shift toward full musicals, beginning with Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, followed by Radio Recall and Mamma Mia! later in the summer. They also talk about the artists coming in from Broadway and beyond, the excitement around this year’s cast, and why the company feels like it’s taking a big step forward without losing what people already love about Broadway Under the Stars.

The conversation also wanders through hotel packages, picnics, partner restaurants, special seating options, Fourth of July with the Santa Rosa Symphony, and the kind of joyful summer arts scene that makes Sonoma Valley feel bigger than its size. It’s theater, music, hospitality, and a little bit of magic all bundled together into one very Sonoma experience.

Learn more and get tickets at www.bestnightever.org.

The Sonoma Spiel is brought to you by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, sharing the people, places, and stories that make Sonoma Valley such a special place to visit.

🍷 Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

The Sonoma Community Center is one of those places that keeps surprising people. It’s an old school building that became Woodsboro High in Scream, a place where horror fans still come looking for the staircase, and also a working arts and cultural center filled with ceramics, printmaking, cooking classes, dance, comedy, fiber arts, community events, and more creative energy than seems possible under one roof.

Cat Smith joins Tim Zahner to talk about what makes the Center so special, from its history and architecture to the way it continues to evolve as a gathering place for Sonoma. They get into the annual Scream screening, Sonoma Valley Pride events, the Pride & Community gallery show, and the upcoming Priscilla Queen of the Center dinner and drag performance in the Secret Garden.

There’s also talk of ravioli classes, screen printing, costumes, stage fright, cowboy boots, secret bakeries, and why the Sonoma Community Center is one of those places where there is always something happening, even if you had no idea you needed it in your life until someone mentioned it.

Learn more at sonomacommunitycenter.org.

The Sonoma Spiel is brought to you by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, sharing the people, places, and stories that make Sonoma Valley such a special place to visit.

🍷 Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Head up Adobe Canyon Road and Sonoma starts to change. The valley floor drops away, the air cools off, and Sugarloaf Ridge State Park opens into one of the wildest, most beautiful parts of Sonoma Valley. John Roney joins Tim to talk about what makes the park so special: nearly 5,000 acres of protected land, about 30 miles of trails, campsites, glamping tents, redwoods, waterfalls, wildlife, and the kind of views that make you forget you’re still only about half an hour from the Sonoma Plaza.

Along the way, John gets into the park’s partnership with the Sonoma Ecology Center, the volunteer energy that helps keep so much of it going, and the many ways people can experience Sugarloaf — whether that means a steep climb up Bald Mountain, a gentler walk through the redwoods, a first camping trip, a forest bathing session, or a night at the observatory under some very dark skies.

There’s also plenty of talk about the wildlife up there, including black bears, mountain lions, badgers, minks, rattlesnakes, and the very real science of tracking animals through trail cams and scat surveys. Add in the Planet Walk, park living rooms, full moon hikes, the Sugar Shuttle, and the Fourth of July Bald Mountain fireworks hike, and you’ve got a mountain-sized conversation about one of Sonoma Valley’s great outdoor treasures.

Learn more about Sugarloaf Ridge State Park at www.sugarloafpark.org.

The Sonoma Spiel is brought to you by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, sharing the people, places, and stories that make Sonoma Valley such a special place to visit.

🍷 Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Justin Wilson of MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa joins The Sonoma Spiel for a conversation about hospitality, local character, and what makes one of Sonoma’s best-known boutique hotels feel both elevated and genuinely welcoming. Justin talks about MacArthur Place’s roots as a historic ranch and vineyard, its evolution into a luxury property just off the plaza, and the philosophy behind making it feel like a place for both visitors and locals.

Tim and Justin also get into the Porch coffee shop, Leila restaurant, the spa, weddings, poolside events, Music Mondays, Burgers & Bordeaux, and the newer Som Saturdays classes that bring a little wine and cocktail education into the mix. It’s a good look at how MacArthur Place has built a distinct Sonoma identity by combining comfort, style, and a strong sense of place.

Along the way, Justin shares his own path through the hospitality world, from bussing tables at 15 to working with Four Seasons and Fairmont before landing in Sonoma Valley, where he and his wife decided they wanted to stay for good. It’s a warm, wide-ranging episode about service, community, and why genuine hospitality matters.

Learn more about MacArthur Place at macarthurplace.com.

The Sonoma Spiel is brought to you by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, sharing the people, places, and stories that make Sonoma Valley such a special place to visit.

🍷 Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF

Jeannie Perales returns to The Sonoma Spiel to talk about one of Sonoma Valley’s most fascinating places to wander: Sonoma Botanical Garden. Tim and Jeannie get into the garden’s old quarry history, its pools, waterfalls, winding trails, and why it feels a lot more like a woodland adventure than a formal stroll past flower beds. They also talk about the garden’s evolution from Quarryhill to Sonoma Botanical Garden, and how its mission now includes both rare East Asian plants and California native plants.

They also spend time on Spirit Guides, the colorful new outdoor exhibition of fantastical creatures from the workshop of Jacobo and María Ángeles, along with the garden’s Wednesday evening programs, sunset concerts, picnics, and all the reasons this place keeps giving people something new to come back for.

Along the way, the conversation heads into Jeannie’s Florida museum-and-garden background, orchids, circus history, tomatoes, and the very real truth that sometimes the person running the botanical garden does not have the best garden at home. It’s a fun, thoughtful, slightly wandering episode in the best Sonoma Spiel way.

Learn more about Sonoma Botanical Garden at sonomabg.org.

The Sonoma Spiel is brought to you by the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, sharing the people, places, and stories that make Sonoma Valley such a special place to visit.

🍷 Save up to 25% on Sonoma wine tastings with the Sonoma Tasting Pass! Choose three great wineries in Sonoma Valley:

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiSa7rAVobsI8O_3xp7hIDPKRO9nBuvNF