6 Amazing Sonoma County Wineries You Should Visit
With over 500 wineries in Sonoma County, you may be overwhelmed with the decision of which ones to visit during your stay, I know I was! In all honesty, the best way to experience the Sonoma County wineries is to book a wine tour for the day. We had a wonderful experience with Sonoma Wine Rides who picked us up from our Airbnb in Santa Rosa, took us to three amazing Sonoma wineries (all listed below), and dropped us back off at the end of the day. Aside from taking a wine tour, you can opt to visit wineries on your own and while some wineries welcome walk-ins, it’s best to make reservations for tastings in advance as many are either reservation-only, or there’s the chance that they’ll be at maximum capacity. The wineries in Sonoma wine country are so close to one another which makes it easy to choose one area and stay there all day. We drove ourselves one day and had a great time, so I highly recommend trying out both options to see what suits you best. Sonoma Valley wine is made up of some of the best Reds and Chardonnay. I typically only drink Whites and Rose, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the Reds at the tastings, so keep an open mind when visiting each winery. Worst case, you can always pour it out or give it to a Red-loving friend! We found that visiting three wineries in one day is the perfect amount. You typically stay anywhere from 1-2 hours at a winery and you want to make sure you have a bread basket or food pairings throughout the day so that you don't overdue it. I can’t wait to check out a batch of new wineries next time I visit, but below is a list of Sonoma wineries that I loved and were the best Sonoma wineries I visited!
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1.) Dutton Estate
Located in Sebastopol, this winery was my absolute favorite! Dutton Estate Winery offers a great mix of whites and reds, as well as their newly released canned hard cider. The bulk of the family’s vineyards where the grapes are gown are in the Russian River Valley and consist of about 1,200 acres of grape vines and an additional 200 acres of organic apples. Yes, this means that the main vineyards are not on site, but don’t let that deter you from visiting, they do have a smaller number of vines on site. Once you arrive at Dutton Estates Winery and walk into their garden patio, you’ll be blown away by how stunning the landscape is and how perfectly each table is set up. Dutton Estate offers multiple tasting and wine pairing options with their classic tasting starting at $25 per person. My favorite wines here (and keep in mind that I pretty much only drink white wines) were the Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc and the Fumé Blanc. Also be sure to try their new Hard Apple Cider, it was so refreshing, light, and delicious!
2.) St. Anne’s Crossing
This Kenwood winery is the premier Zinfandel producer in Sonoma Valley and carefully crafts over two dozen Zinfandels alone, along with a variety of Whites & Sparkling. St. Anne’s Crossing had by far the most entertaining and fun wine tasting experience. The staff are super friendly, and they do a fantastic job of making sure you have a great, memorable time! You’ll know you’ve arrived at St. Anne’s Crossing when you see the giant 28-foot, 15-ton, bear sculpture made of steel and redwood out front. The tasting room at St. Anne’s Crossing has both indoor tables and plenty of seating on the outdoor patio where you’ll have great views of the vineyards. They offer a classic tasting and a AVA tasting that includes cheese pairings for $40. Tastings here typically last 45-60 minutes and reservations are highly recommended. St. Anne’s Crossing is part of the Wilson Artisan Wines Family, so if you opt to become a wine club member, you’ll not only receive discounts at St. Anne’s Crossing, but also at their 10 other wineries. There will be a lot of Reds in your tasting here, and to my surprise, I liked a few so much that I joined the wine club membership and have a couple of bottles at home as week speak! Of all the varietals I tried at St. Anne’s Crossing, the Ami Cheri Zinfandel was my favorite.
3.) Wellington
Wellington Cellars is located in the Glen Ellen area and has the Tuscan vibe down to a tee! Wellington is currently undergoing construction and building a new tasting room, but they are still open for tastings outdoors. Walk-ins are welcome here, but I highly recommend calling ahead of time to reserve their vineyard table – trust me, it really makes you feel like you’re in the rolling countryside in Tuscany, Italy. During construction, outdoor bar tastings start at $25 and the Vineyard Reserve tastings start at $45 and come with a cheese & salami board. This winery sits on 24-acres of vineyards with some vines being more than 100 years old! New ownership came in 2014 and has been working hard to rebrand, rebuild, and scale-back to focus only on small-batch, hand-crafted estate wines grown and produced on property. You can find a variety of Whites and Reds at Wellington, and they even have a Zinfandel made from vines dating back to 1882! After your tasting, be sure to walk through the vineyard rows for great photo ops and to take in the beauty of the old vines. My favorite wines here were the Sparking Wine and the Estate White Rhone Blend.
4.) B R Cohen
Another Glen Ellen area favorite, B. R. Cohn is unique in that this winery has some rock ‘n roll in its’ history. The founder of B. R. Cohn was in fact the manager of the Doobie Brothers for 45 years! He purchased the property the winery sits on back in 1974 as a retreat for him and his family and soon enough, became very involved in growing and caring for the grapes and eventually sold his crops to other local wineries. In 1984, the owner began producing his own wines and shortly after began processing his olives on the farm as well and created the first single estate olive oil in California in over a century. Whether you’re a rock n’ roll fan and want to peruse the memorabilia room or you just want to enjoy the perfect California weather in their lush green yard, B. R. Cohn is the perfect place to relax in Sonoma County. This winery fills up fast and reservations are required if you plan on having a tasting, otherwise you can order by the glass and enjoy the property. B. R. Cohn offers a few different types of tastings with the basic tasting starting at $35, and they even have BBQs on the weekends that are $25 per plate. While you’re visiting, don’t forget to stop in the gift shop where you can sample and purchase their delicious olive oils and vinegars. You’ll also find great gifts here too, a lot of which are made by local artisans. We weren’t able to make a tasting reservation for our visit, but we were able to buy a glass or two and sit outside at a picnic table on the lawn and enjoy the live music. My wine of choice here was the Sauvignon Blanc which was so crisp and clean, and I made sure I picked up a few bottles of olive oil to bring home with me.
5.) Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyard
Another top favorite winery from my trip to Sonoma is Gloria Ferrer. This winery was built from the ground up by a Spanish couple from Barcelona who moved to Sonoma in 1980. They planted the first 50 -acres in 1984 and opened their doors two years later. Gloria Ferrer is the first sparkling winery in Carneros, and it is truly a must-see when visiting Sonoma County. Today, the vineyards at Gloria Ferrer have grown to a whopping 207-acres and their property is absolutely stunning. Once you turn off the main road, you’ll start your winding journey on their long driveway with rows of grapevines on either side as you make your way uphill to the tasting room. You can find numerous tasting options at Gloria Ferrer ranging from $60-$135 per person. The classic tasting includes four different types of sparkling wine, and the pours were very close to a full glass of bubbly, so I didn’t mind the fact that this was the most expensive tasting of our trip, it was well worth it! My favorite was the sparkling pinot noir, and I loved it so much I had a half-case shipped home. I had never tasted a sparkling red and I was a fan at first sip. If you’re still craving more bubbly after your tasting, the staff will happily help you choose a varietal offered by the glass. Our tasting was outside under the covered patio and then we moved into the sun to one of the many seating areas and took in the view overlooking the vast grapevines. Gloria Ferrer will be at the top of my list to visit again next time I’m in Sonoma so make sure it’s on your list too!
6.) Kunde Family Winery
This Kenwood winery is huge and sits on 1,850-acreas and is actually one of the oldest bonded wineries in the entire state of California. Kunde Family Winery offers a range of tastings starting at $20. The classic tasting option is located at the outdoor standing bar and the top tier tasting will take you all the way up to their stunning mountain top for a tour & tasting which goes for $100 per person. If you’re opting for the entry-level tasting at the outdoor bar, then you don’t need to worry about making a reservation beforehand, but reservations are recommended for the Mountain Top Tour & Tasting as it’s typically with a small group. Kunde usually has weekend events including live music so plan on arriving early in the day if you’re visiting on the weekend. Once you arrive, check in with the host at the entrance and they’ll help you select which tasting is right for you and show you where to go. The wines at Kunde are all unique and consist of Chardonnay varietals and a nice range of Reds including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel. My favorite wine at Kunde Family Winery was the Summer’s Blush Rosé and I look forward to booking their Mountain Top Tour & Tasting for my next visit to Sonoma County!
Happy travels!
-Tess
Tess Arnold
Hi! I’m Tess, founder of TravelingTessie.com, and not only do I love to travel, but I love immersing myself in new places and finding off the beaten path experiences wherever I go! I’ve lived in 4 different states & traveled to 13 countries and counting. I believe that tourism is meant to benefit both visitors and locals alike—and I want to bring that idea back into the travel industry by highlighting companies run by locals such as tours, hotels, restaurants, and more. On Traveling Tessie you can find hidden gems in top destinations around the world, travel tips, detailed city guides, and tons of inspiration for your next trip! If you love travel as much as I do, then please join me on this journey! I hope you enjoy my content as much as I enjoy providing it for you!
