I’ll second Brian’s recommendation of Castelli. Emilio is a gem, the wines are distinctive and delicious, and chances are you won’t see his wine anywhere unless you visit.
My only major disagreement with the folks on this thread is Iron Horse. I used to enjoy going there, but I think the prices have risen beyond the quality, and my tasting experience the last two times I went was pretty underwhelming. Given the number of great people willing to show you a good time in this county, I no longer recommend Iron Horse to people visiting.
I think it’s a shame to visit beautiful wine country and spend all day in urban tasting rooms or warehouses. So if you only have one day then, wonderful as the wines are, I wouldn’t suggest Ceritas or Bedrock or other similar setups. If you like Kosta Browne I might direct you instead to Williams Selyem. You need a reservation and they prioritize members, but if you send them an inquisitive email they may have space, and the wines and location are awesome. I worked a harvest there one year and it’s just lovely.
If you’re looking to get away from Pinot and Chardonnay and are in the Healdsburg area, Rafanelli has been quietly making some of the best Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon in the county for decades, and their property is stunning. They don’t distribute through retail so they’re a good spot to hit while you’re here.
In terms of food, my recommended places to hit are Khom Loi and Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol, and El Molino Central or the Glen Ellen Star in the Sonoma Valley area. If you’re in Healdsburg, the burger at BarnDiva is maybe the most delicious single thing I ate this year. If you find yourself in Sonoma needing a good lunch, Spread is understated but delicious.
If you’re an espresso person, hotspots are Land & Water in Santa Rosa, Retrograde in Sebastopol, or Plank in Healdsburg. If you want a damn good pastry in the morning, hit Sarmentine in Santa Rosa/Sebastopol or Quail & Condor in Healdsburg. The beers at Russian River are world class, if you have belly space for alcohol beyond wine.
We love visiting Rafanelli. One of the most beautiful properties, gorgeous wines and a nice relaxed tasting so you can wander around and enjoy the surroundings.
Seems like we have these threads every few months or so. Been out here in Sonoma County for 13 years and have been just about everywhere lol. Here are my recommendations.
Going to recommend more than one tasting room-winery in each area to be able to make a complete day.
Town of Sonoma and area. Get reservations at Bedrock, Extradimensional Wine Co and Darling. Nice assortment of wines, Zin, Mourvèdre, Pinot Noir, variety of white wines. All very high quality. All places walking distance from each other. Wildcard is Jolie Laide, beautiful wines about a 6 mile drive to their winery from town of Sonoma. If you are interested write an email to see if they are available.
Favorite restaurants in Sonoma area include Valley Bistro on the square, Glen Ellen Star in neighboring town of Glen Ellen.
In the Healdsburg area if you want Pinot Noir and Chardonnay be sure to hit Ceritas, Littorai, Williams Selyem and Rochioli. Our favorite restaurants in Healdsburg are Tisza, El Milagro for stepped up Mexican and Guiso Latin Fusion. Our favorite restaurant in Sonoma County is Diavola about 6 miles north of Healdsburg in the town of Geyserville.
While my tasting room-winery recommendation for the Healdsburg area are “tried and true” what I would do (and recommend) is seeing and tasting other interesting, lesser known and delicious wine varieties.
An array of Italian wine with grapes grown in California can be sampled at Unti, Idlewild and RYME. Wide variety of Italian wines that span from Piedmont to Sicily. Set reservations at all three. If you adore Chenin Blanc like we do be sure to visit the King of Chenin,Leo Steen also in Healdsburg.
If you are into Zinfandel there are numerous tasting rooms just a few minutes from Healdsburg along Dry Creek Valley and or Westside Road. Ridge, Rafanelli, Talty and Overshine would be my choices to start.
My absolute favorite Brewery-Brew Pub is Moonlight Brewery in Santa Rosa.
There are a ton of other possibilities based on what you like, where you are staying and if you have time, a visit to the coast!
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Alex,
You’ve had a number of good recs already. I confess that I haven’t really been keeping up with newer up and coming wineries around Sonoma county, so don’t have a lot to add. When we go up that’s way it’s as much about enjoying the scenery and the experience as it is about wine. I would just pick the area you want to be in, and find some destinations that work. Westside Road is a beautiful drive, with numerous wineries along these way you could stop at. Don’t know if Rochioli is even open for tasting any more, that used to be a regular stop for us. Porter Creek a little farther down westside rd is fun. Copain is a nice visit, and beautiful property. If you want a bit more of a drive, Boheme out in Occidental is very good.
My advice is to enjoy the scenery, don’t try to cram to many winery stops in, and have a fun, relaxing day
They are, with reservation. And still relatively affordable (they pour their estate blends only, not the SVDs). We did it a few years back and had a good time. Our favorite stop that day was at Woodenhead on River Road, where we were able to picnic on their deck with a view of the Russian River Valley.
