Best Chocolate Shops in Sonoma County

1. La Dolce V

[b]This Store is Now Closed[/b][br] The delicious, gourmet chocolates are a hit with locals and a must-stop for foodies traveling through Wine Country. Before La Dolce V opened a storefront in Sebastopol, their chocolates were only available at Neiman-Marcus and Oakville Grocery. The confections are handcrafted by owner Veronica Bowers who left corporate life to pursue her sweet dreams. When you go, order the French Hot Chocolate served in pretty, porcelain cups. Folks swear by it. 110 N. Main St., Sebastopol (707) 829-2178

2. The Chocolate Lab at Plaza Farms

Note: Call before going. Plaza Farms will be closing soon.
The Chocolate Lab is in Healdsburg’s little gourmet mall Plaza Farms. The store offers artisanal chocolates made by several producers, mainly from the Bay Area. This includes XOX Truffles, which is located in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. Some say these are the very best chocolates west of New York. 106 Matheson St, Healdsburg. (707) 433-2345

3. Gandolf’s Fine Chocolates

These handcrafted chocolates can be found at the year-round Saturday morning Farmers Market at the Santa Rosa’s Veterans Hall, 1351 Maple Ave. (just off Hwy. 12), 8:30 am to 12 noon. Or they can be ordered online. The chocolate maker is a serious craftsman, but with a free-spirited sense of fun. For example, their bestseller is named Nipples of Venus. P.O. Box 367, Forestville (888) 800-0722.

4. Wine Country Chocolate & Truffles

One of the things that makes visiting Wine Country Chocolate so much fun is that they’ve applied the Wine Country tasting room concept to their chocolate store. So, now you can sample a variety of truffle fillings and different cacao mixtures and get an education in the process. Plus, the store is located in Glen Ellen’s Jack London Village, meaning you can make an adventure out of sampling. A few doors away there's olive oil tasting at the Olive Press and cheese tasting at Raymond & Co. Cheesemongers. And, across the street, there's a tasting room for Eric Ross Winery. 14301 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen (707) 996-1010

5. Heart's Desire Chocolates

Along with creating delicious chocolates for the serious connoisseur, Heart’s Desire also creates scrumptious confections for the lighthearted sweet tooth. You can get chocolates shaped like bats and ghosts during Halloween. Or get a bouquet of chocolate roses any time of the year. A local favorite, they've been in Sonoma County for over 20 years. 101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park. (707) 585-7673.

6. (Peter Rabbit's Chocolate Factory)

The oldest chocolate shop in Sonoma County closed its doors February 2007 after 18 years of business. 2489 Guerneville Rd., Santa Rosa.