Can you recommend a good Merlot type winery in Sonoma?

or cabernet

There are hundreds.....

My wife and I were in Sonoma about 15 years ago and the highlight of our winery tours was Matanzas Creek. It is off the beaten path and you may be the only ones at the winery at the time of your visit. Please call them ahead of time to schedule a tour. You will not be disappointed!

http://matanzascreek.com/

Chateau St. Jean: http://www.chateaustjean.com/stjean/home.jsp
It's a great wine, both merlots and cabs.

Here's a site with a bunch of the wineries listed. You can even print out a map: http://www.sonoma.com/wineries/

Joanne
http://www.vacationing-with-kids.com

I've been to the Sonoma Valley for the last 4 years. Where exactly will you be? Which town? How long of a stay? Ya know, a good place to start is to look at the award winners at the San Fransisco Chronicle 2006 Wine Competition. They list them in order of price as well, if that's one of your criteria. See which moderately priced wines won gold and double gold, then map 'em out. We have found some real treasures in the small, low production wineries. And I have the cellar to prove it!!!!!

Merlot is not the strongest varietal that the valleys produce. However, there are a handful of producers that's considered by most wine geeks to produce some of the very best merlot. Some of them are right by the border of Sonoma and Napa.

In Spring Mountain, there are 2 wineries where you can sample the best merlot that the country produces:

Paloma - www.palomavineyard.com (Spring Mountain, Napa)

Pride Mountain Winery - www.pridewines.com (Spring Mountain, Sonoma/Napa)

Switchback Ridge Winery - www.switchbackridge.com (Calistoga, Napa)

Corte Riva Vineyards- www.corteriva.comc (Santa Rosa, Sonoma)

These wineries year-over-year, vintage-after-vintage, produces consistently high quality, award-winning merlot, in addition to stunning and great cabernet. You will have to call in advance to visit and sample, but, I assure you that their winery staff are kind, most welcoming, knowledgeable and first class. If you make it to their tasting rooms, you will be treated to some of the fiinest merlot and cabernet wines in the valleys. In most times, their products are available only through their mailing list, but they may have enough that they can sell through their tasting facilities.

Oh, and by the way, there is one thing in common with the first three wineries that I listed. They share the same winemaker and his name is Bob Foley - simply, one of the best and most sought-after wine craftsman in the country today.

We went to Lambert Bridge Winery in the Dry Creek area near Healdsburg the past 2 years, and they had merlot as as their "flavor" for barrel tasting. It's excellent.

Also, they have a great gift shop. Their Garlic Sav Blanc Mayo is superb!!