Even though we’ve been wine tasting in Sonoma County for almost 8 years we’re just getting started. There are so many we’d like to recommend in Northern Sonoma County where we’ve had amazing experiences. Whether we get a tasting in between working on home projects, hosting family and friends, or meeting vendors, we enjoy boutique family-style wineries the most — although the larger ones are impressive too.
The wineries below are the most memorable with each having something unique to offer. Our quest to find the next unique experience is the reason why we call these country roads home.
As we learn more about each region’s wine characteristics, it’s been a joy to share the information with guests staying at The Nest. I’ve listed them by region and the types of wines these they are known for.
Geyserville
I’ve started with the smallest town north of Healdsburg that reminds me of country-western movies. The main drag is about 2 blocks long and the restaurants and bars are on one block and is the town to end the day of wine tasting.
The big attraction is the Francis Ford Coppola Winery on the other side of the highway although the restaurants in town are some of Sonoma County’s gems. This town is in between the Alexander Valley and Dry Creek; both AVA’s are known for their robust reds like Zinfandel (Dry Creek) and Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley).
Coppola Winery - Right now it’s about $220-$270 for a “cabine” for four pool passes.
Francis Ford Coppola Winery - Rent a cabana for the day and go for a swim in Coppola’s fountain pool on a hot day or eat at Rustic for lunch or dinner on their patio with great views. If you like Francis Ford Coppola movies, he has a lot of memorabilia at the winery to check out with tastings downstairs, higher-end tasting upstairs, and an outdoor bar by the pool.
Zialena Winery – This is a family-owned Italian-style wine worthy of a visit. They’re one of the first families who established themselves in Sonoma County to produce grapes.
Pedroncelli Winery – This winery is good to pick up a case of darn good table wine. Pedroncelli is one of the longest-running wineries in the valley and we found their wine was good enough to purchase for our guests.
Trentadue Winery – We walked out with a few bottles from this place. They have a nice outdoor patio and a beautiful tasting room.
Flanagan Wines have beautiful views for tastings.
Healdsburg
Healdsburg wineries are ideal for tastings to purchase a bottle before catching your reservations for lunch or dinner in town. They’re not too far from some of the best restaurants in the county.
The world is your oyster with the variety of AVA’s within the area of Healdsburg.
Stephen & Walker - This boutique winery offers tastings in the town of Healdsburg where we’ve been members for about 5+ years. These wines are made by a woman winemaker, have earned a lot of awards, and are not distributed. If you want to buy them, you’ll have to visit their tasting room but they’re also open late.
Rodney Strong - This is a big winery known for its sustainability. One of the first established wineries in Sonoma County, they also make great library wines. You’ll find nice summer concerts with popular artists as soon as we’re ready to open too.
Flanagan Wines – We had a tasting here and they went above and beyond. They have a chardonnay using grapes from the Bacigalupi Vineyards which you’ll learn about below. They are a very hospitable winery as my name appeared right on the tasting menu as I hosted a girls-getaway trip. You can enjoy nice views outside their tasting room too.
The Russian River - Westside Road
The Westside Road has been our favorite road to take a drive. Even during COVID when everything, (and I mean every tasting room), was closed, we took a drive on this road. It’s at the top part of the Russian River area known for beautiful round zinfandels and pinot noir.
Bacigalupi Vineyards – This is a family-owned gem that is known for providing the grapes that won the 1976 “Judgement of Paris” contest. This vineyard provided Chateau Montelena (in Napa) with the chardonnay grapes that put Napa on the map. Whew! Glad it wasn’t Sonoma!
Bacigalupi’s cherished collection of bottles from Chateau Montelena. Produced and Bottled in Napa - grapes from Bacigalupi Vineyards.
MacRostie – This winery is a showstopper with a modern yet, rustic tasting room. (And I’m not a fan of modern buildings.) This beautiful estate has sweeping views of Westside Road and serves very nice white wines. We heard light rock music from the 1970s for a laid-back feel to its modern aesthetics, which made for a relaxing afternoon that was so memorable, we’ve introduced it to family and friends. This has been one of our favorite experiences as far as tastings too. Oh! And yes, they have beautiful, light-tasting wines. Do their pairing tasting on the patio if you can.
Arista Winery – If you’re looking for beautiful pinot noir and chardonnay here is where you come. The winery boasts beautiful grounds with alcoves of seating areas that sit within an earshot of flowing water from a little creek. We tasted award-winning wines which at the time were just as impressive as their grounds.
Hartford Family Winery – They have a tasting room in Healdsburg but I remember their wines the most at their beautiful winery. It was a warm day and their white wines were so crisp and light, I thought these were wines appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner.
La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard – Richard was so taken by the beautiful woodwork at this estate. What used to be the family home is now a tasting room. When you go, make sure you take a walk upstairs to see the extent of the woodwork of this beautiful estate. Most importantly, try their wine collection where they offer very nice light wines. If you’re landing at the STS airport, stop by. We’ve been members for a few years and always look forward to receiving this shipment.
The artwork, the woodwork, the views at La Crema had our heads turned… wow. The wine? Marvelous!
Dry Creek
We love the Dry Creek area. It’s rustic, vintage, and beautiful. The more we drove through the Dry Creek area, the more we’ve gone back for their distinct wines, laid-back vibe, and beautiful wines. This area is known for their award-winning Zinfandels, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bella Winery + Caves - Their tastings are in a cave but can also be enjoyed outside on Adirondacks. The draw was their wines that had 90+ point ratings and the first time we arrived, we had the most delicate and memorable pinot noir.
Michel-Schlumberger - Some of these wines are 90+ wines. We got a call that their wines were on sale and we purchased a case to leave one bottle for each of our guests as a welcome gift this year. They have a nice wine club and a hacienda you can rent on the property too. Hike around their lake in the summer or sit in their hacienda listening to the water fountain. In the winter, ask to make a wine tasting reservation with hors d‘oeuvres by their huge fireplace.
Amphora Winery – This winery offers beautiful French varietal wines fermented in amphoras. Top a silky, smooth and light wine at a picnic overlooking incredibly scenic vineyards. Their nearby picnic tables include a bocce ball court. Pick up lunch at Dry Creek General Store, Big Johns, or Summer Market & Deli in Healdsburg and stop here for a tasting and picnic. It’s easy to miss but worth the find!
Picnic anyone?
Papapietro Perry - Next door to Amphora, this winery specializes in Pinot Noir. Enjoy their wines on their deck or in the same picnic area as Amphora. Ben Papapietro started making wine in the late ’70s for fun out of a garage in San Francisco yet was passionate enough to be influenced to take his wines to the next level in the late ’90s. A passion for making the best wines has led this small production winery to a best in class and has the award-winning wines to live up to its name.
Dutcher Crossing Winery – We were recommended to have a tasting here by Kim Smith, our driver and friend. This is where I’ve had one of my top 5 most memorable wines. It was one of those rare tastings that after the first sip, I just had to have it.
Ferrari-Carano Winery – This is a beautiful estate with 2 different wine tastings. Ask for the library tasting if it’s available below in the cellar. We were happily surprised by how good their wines were and the estate is as fancy as all-get-out! Their Fume Blanc is their most popular and the Siena was one of my favorites.
Truett Hurst – These are nice wines with a gift shop with merlot chocolate sauce. They also have Adirondacks by a stream to enjoy a glass of wine. Call ahead and see if you can reserve these seats to hang out until your ready to drive to your dinner reservations.
Windsor
Yes, even though Sonoma Wine Nest is in Windsor, we still have yet to truly discover more wineries in Windsor. However, one of the best experiences we’ve had was in our own backyard. Now with bikes in the home, a quick ride for a tasting might not be a bad idea.
Albini Family Vineyards - If you’re looking for something different; an experience that only you would know what’s behind that Sonoma boutique wine that you’re having in New York, call Don Albini. Ask if he’s around for a wine tasting in his garage. He’s a one-man winery but his wines can be found in top NYC restaurants because they’re smooth and well priced. We visited almost 5 years ago and would recommend him still.
Mr. Albini in his garage
Kendall Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens –Their estate is a nice place to visit with picnic tables and a beautiful garden to enjoy in the back behind the patio area. As big of a winery as they are, the Kendall Jackson Estate has a good reputation for being down-to-earth and friendly. They offer a fantastic lunch pairing menu.
Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyards – This winery is 5-minutes from the Nest just around the corner. We used to visit them when they were called Windsor Oaks and now offer different tasting experiences including lunch by a lake. We used to visit them often and take family and friends but have yet to try their new tastings. If you go, let us know how it went.
Alexander Valley
Again, one of the most picturesque valleys in Sonoma with the best full-bodied wine. If you like the rich flavors of red wine, a must-stop is in the Alexander Valley. It’s also the route to take when driving into Calistoga before heading into the Napa Valley.
Jordan Winery - They offer a sit-down tasting in a Chateau-inspired and built to the same specs as a chateau in France. Their tastings are in their library where they serve a cabernet sauvignon pairing. You get to try their cab in different vintages to compare them by year.
Robert Young Winery – These wines are distinct and earthy. Wine tastings held outside offer one of the best views in the Alexander Valley. I think these wines are more for the mature palate including what you would pair them with like an herbaceous lamb or roasted quail and foie gras. Their wines are more plum and herb-based which brings out the flavors of this kind of sophisticated dish. Meet the 6th generation running this winery. The family has been producing wine since the mid-1800s.
Stonestreet Wines – The top photo also displayed in the master bedroom in the Sonoma Wine Nest shows off what the tasting view looks like. They make great white wines and are part of the Kendall Jackson wine family. A great winery to visit on a warm day but if you’re there in the Fall, their entrance is a must-see.
Silver Oak – This is another showstopper winery. Along with their Napa location, they also have one in the Alexander Valley. We were shown their vintage wine collection where they bought out vintages from the early 1970s. This is a great winery for collectors or wanna be collectors like us. We have a 2012 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon and we’re guarding it like gold.
Alexander Valley Vineyards – Do the Cave Tour and Barrel Tasting Experience. We were able to try the same wine from the French Oak and American Oak barrels. You can’t go wrong with their wines here since this is my favorite AVA region but learning the difference of what wine tastes like from both types of barrels was a great learning experience. They have a nice hiking tour too.
I could keep writing more but stay tuned. We still have the Russian River, Kenwood, and Santa Rosa to report.
So many wineries, so little time…The best is yet to come!
Remember you have a home to come to in Sonoma County.