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A meandering scenic route through rolling countryside, a patchwork of hills, vineyards, trees and old farmsteads brings visitors from Sonoma to the neighboring town of Kenwood. Visitors and residents alike say the area has a special feel.
Local historian Dallyce Sand has lived in Kenwood since 1960. In 1972, she compiled and published “Kenwood Yesterday and Today,” a tome that provides a historical background of the area. A second edition came out in 1988 to celebrate the town’s hundredth birthday. In the book, contributor Marian Britton notes that “Kenwood is a closely knit community noted for its picturesque setting and colorful past.”
According to historians, the area’s first known inhabitants were part of the Wappo Native American tribe. The town that’s now Kenwood, the surrounding valley, and what is now Annadel State Park were once part of the huge Rancho Los Guilicos. Historians say Los Guilicos is a corruption of the Wappo Indian name Wilikos, the name the first inhabitants gave the area. It’s said to mean “The Valley of Enchantment.”
The name of the land that’s now Kenwood was later changed to South Los Guilicos. It’s believed the name was changed yet again around 1895 because people found it too difficult to pronounce. A vote was taken and the name was changed to Kenwood.
Some say the name referred to Kenwood, Illinois, from where some of the first settlers had arrived. But historian Sand says the name probably hails from England.
“Kenwood is named for an estate outside of London,” she explains. “Because several of the original land owners were from England.”
According to historical records, the railroad reached Kenwood (still know as South Los Guilicos at the time) in 1888, first running from Napa Junction to Santa Rosa. The addition of the railroad station helped the town to grow and prosper. Farmers were the main settlers in the picturesque valley, with grapes, prunes and walnuts as the main crops. Orchards later gave way to more vineyards.
Today Kenwood is home to award-winning vineyards and wineries.
“It’s a charming little community that’s becoming more tourist-oriented because of the wineries,” observes Sand. Yet, some residents say the place hasn’t changed much over the years.
“It’s just a great area, it has a hometown feel even though there’s no actual ‘downtown,’” says Jeff Kunde, one of the general managers at Kunde Estate Winery, who was born and raised in Kenwood. “There’s more housing but not a lot of change – it still has the same look and the same feel.”
Even though the area, which has some 1,500 residents, remains fairly unchanged, and attempts to incorporate it into Santa Rosa have so far failed, Kenwood wineries and other destination spots are still a huge draw for visitors.
“People come here, take one look and say ‘Hey, what a wonderful paradise you have here,’” says Kunde.
Kunde Estate Winery features 2,000 acres of rolling hills complete with grazing cows on the site of an original winery built in 1882. The winery offers cave tours beneath the vineyards, and the owners are intending to branch out into eco-tours that will include hiking into the property’s hills and vineyards followed by a lunch.
Other notable wineries in the area include Kenwood Vineyards, a venerable winery built in 1906; and the much more recent and very striking Ledson, orginally built as a residence, that looks like a gothic castle. Also of note are Chateau St. Jean, Landmark, and St. Francis wineries.
A descendent of one of the oldest families in the region, Jeff Kunde recalls growing up in the small community.
“You know you’re an old-timer if, as a kid, you froze your rear end off at Morton’s Warm Springs learning to swim,” he quips. “It seems every kid in Sonoma Valley learned to swim at Morton’s.”
Known for its heathy, and some say rejuvenating, geothermal mineral swimming pools and picnic areas, Morton’s Warm Springs Resort continues to be a popular local recreation area. The facility got its name from the family that established the resort back in the 1940s, but historians say there have been public warm springs on the site since the time of the Wappo Indians.
More luxurious treatments plus upscale accommodation can be found at the Kenwood Inn and Spa. Reminiscent of a Tuscan villa in a vineyard setting, the facility attracts those who want to unwind in beautiful surroundings. The specialty here is the variety of “vinotherapie” treatments, which incorporate the use of grape-seed and grape-vine extracts. Visitors can indulge in pampering treats, such as the Wine Barrel Bath, the Merlot Wrap, and the Crushed Cabernet Scrub.
Two beautiful state parks, Annadel and Sugarloaf Ridge, border Kenwood, and provide access to hiking, biking and camping. Sugarloaf Ridge is also home to the Robert Ferguson Observatory, a mecca for both experienced and amateur star-gazers, with numerous events and education programs scheduled year round.
A number of special events occur in Kenwood each year, including the Fourth of July World Champion Pillow Fights Contest, began by local firefighters in 1966. Every year, more than 12,000 people converge on the tiny town to watch contestants straddle a metal pole mounted over a mud pit and slug it out with feather pillows.
“A thing like that gets a reputation over 40 years,” says historian Sand with a laugh. The pillow fights are the centerpiece of an all-day celebration that includes chili cook-offs, a foot race and a parade.
Kenwood restaurants include Cafe Citti, a cozy Italian-style kitchen that features pastas paired with a selection of sauces, and roasted chicken stuffed with garlic and fresh herbs; Vineyards Inn, a favorite with the locals, that serves Mexican and Spanish specialties – plus margaritas; Doce Lunas, with an antiques store upstairs, that serves burgers plus exotic fare like kalua pork, crab cakes, and Thai soup. The upscale Kenwood Restaurant and Bar serves classic specialities, such as escargots with garlic and parsley butter, beef bourguignon, veal piccata, poached salmon, and grilled steak-frites – naturally all washed down with the renowned local wines.
“We have a lot of world class places right here in Kenwood - yet it’s kept its charm,” muses Kunde. “It’s a pretty special place.”
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Photo By Rebecca Gosselin
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