57 Best Sights in Healdsburg, Napa and Sonoma

Occupying the 1840s homestead of Cyrus Alexander, the valley’s namesake, this winery known for the widely distributed Sin Zin produces wines from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and a few more grapes. Tastings are old-Sonoma low-key; book Experience Cabernet Sauvignon to sample the Bordeaux-style blend Cyrus and other Cabs. Twice-daily free tours pass by the production facility and through caves dug deep into a nearby hillside. Daily vineyard hikes focusing on the land and the winery's history conclude with a box lunch and tasting.

Krystle and Jason Jorgensen make small-batch rye, single-malt whiskey, gin, peach liqueur, apple brandy, and candy-cap bitters in an industrial park distillery 2 miles north of Healdsburg Plaza. The rye derives its overlapping flavors from its "mash bill" of rye and malted barley aged in heavily charred American oak barrels that add further layers of spice and complexity. The Jorgensens pride themselves on crafting their spirits entirely on-site, from grain milling through bottling, a process they describe enthusiastically at their apothecarylike tasting room.

Noah and Kelly Dorrance of Reeve Wines are behind this more casual winery producing Albariño, Chenin Blanc, Tocai Friulano, Pinot Noir, Grenache, and other decently priced wines from well-sourced grapes. The light-filled tasting space's urban/country-cool decor hints at the panache behind the enterprise, whose servers appear to have been chosen for their ebullience. Cheeses, olive tapenade, and prosciutto are available for pairing.

The mood’s downright bubbly (pardon that pun) at the oasislike garden patio of this sparkling-wine producer in an industrial park ½ mile northwest of Healdsburg Plaza. Established by three sisters, Breathless sources grapes from Sonoma County and a few places beyond. The small indoor tasting area was fashioned out of shipping containers, though in fine weather nearly everyone sips—by the glass, flight, or bottle—in the umbrella-shaded garden. Splurge on the Sabrage Experience to learn how to open a bottle with a saber, a tradition Napoléon's soldiers supposedly initiated.

At more than 1,300 acres (one of Sonoma County's largest estates), this is the most prominent winery of the Russian River Valley AVA’s Chalk Hill sub-appellation. Most guests taste on the châteaulike production facility's terrace, basking in views of woodsy, vineyard-studded hills. Although even in summer you might detect Pacific breezes, the estate, which has 15 separate microclimates, isn't cool enough for Pinot Noir, so the winery grows it on land nearer the ocean. About half the Chalk Hill property's 300 vineyard acres are devoted to Chardonnay, with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, a few other Bordeaux grapes (the Malbec makes a delicious powerful wine), and Syrah also planted.

The reputation of this winery whose name means "friends" in French rests on its Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs. Copain occupies an enviable slope in Northern Sonoma County—one that begs guests to sit, sip, and take in the Russian River Valley view—but for years most of its wines derived from grapes grown in hillside vineyards near the coast in Monterey and Mendocino counties. Since the winery's purchase by Jackson Family Wines, fruit from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast has joined the mix.

Pinot Noir and Rhône-style wines are this winery’s specialties. Owner-winemaker Guy Davis crafts all the Pinots the same way—aiming to let vineyard conditions and the specific clones of Pinot Noir find expression in the bottle—and wine critics routinely praise the results of this humble approach. Other reds include the estate Soul Patch Vineyard Syrah and the Sage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. On the lighter side, Davis makes a Chardonnay, a rosé, and the flagship Cuvée Luke blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, and Picpoul. The winery hosts tastings at its industrial-park production facility.

Loire-style Sauvignon Blanc marketed as Fumé Blanc brought instant success to the Dry Creek Valley's first new winery since Prohibition, but this stalwart established in 1972 also does well with wines from Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Founder David Stare's other contributions include leading the drive to develop the Dry Creek Valley appellation and coining the term "old-vine Zinfandel." The winery's history and wine-making evolution are among the topics addressed at tastings—outdoors under the shade of a magnolia and several redwoods or in the nautical-themed tasting room.

Known for its grand Italian villa and manicured gardens, this winery produces Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, Cabernet Sauvignons, and several other wines. Although whites have traditionally been the specialty, the reds—particularly the Bordeaux-style blend called Trésor—also garner attention, and some guests come just for the dessert wines. The villa's terrace and sycamore grove host many tastings.

A diverting stop across from Healdsburg Plaza, this small storefront museum displays antiques fans from around the world. The collection includes 19th-century floral-theme specimens from Japan, France, and Austria that show exquisite craft, with commercial 20th-century ones from the United States promoting products, politicians, and ideas. Some fans are for sale.

A top sparkling-wine producer, J also makes Russian River Valley Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and other still wines. One tasting highlights wines whose grapes come from multiple vineyards; another emphasizes single-vineyard and reserve wines. For a more indulgent experience, book yourself into the Bubble Room's five-course wine and food pairing (reservation required).

Undulating vineyard hills front this longtime Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer's steel, wood, and heavy-on-the-glass tasting space. Moments after you've arrived and a host has offered a glass of wine, you'll already feel transported into a genteel realm. With fruit from renowned sources—25-plus for the Chardonnays, 20-plus for the Pinots—the wine-making team downplays the oak and other tricks of the trade, letting the vineyard settings, grape clones, and vintage do the talking. Seated tastings, inside or on balcony terraces with views across the Russian River Valley, are by appointment, but walk-ins are usually accommodated.

Bi-coastal New Englanders Peter and Diana Merriam founded this winery whose three estate vineyards are certified organic. Their dedication to earth-friendly practices extends to wetland and water-reclamation strategies (all wastewater is recycled), insectaries, and the use of barn owls to control the rodent population. The winemaking team shoots for balance and subtlety with the Pinot Noirs and Bordeaux-style reds—the estate Merlot and the Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon from purchased grapes receive perennial praise. The whites, which include Chardonnay and Fumé Blanc (mostly Sauvignon Blanc with some Sémillon), show similar restraint. Many guests of this dog-friendly winery enjoy these wines outdoors on the tasting room's patio or in a nearby garden.

Rick and Amber Moshin produce single-vineyard Pinot Noirs on a hillside property across Westside Road from the Russian River. Tours of their four-tier, gravity-flow winery focus on its efficient layout and Rick's penchant for harvesting grapes before many of his neighbors. Picking early preserves acidity, which he believes helps his wines pair well with food. In the tasting room and outside, guests sip Pinot Noirs along with Vermentino, Grenache, and other wines.

Sunny weekends at this farmhouse-style tasting venue less than a mile from Healdsburg Plaza have a lawn-party vibe. Guests seated in cabanas or at teak tables shaded by candy-apple-red umbrellas sip wines from Italian varietals, occasionally pausing to play cornhole or ogle the 70 acres of vineyards surrounding the property. Orsi, whose motto is "Italian roots in Sonoma County soil," makes whites like Biancolella and Fiano, but the reds—Aglianico, Barbera, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Negroamaro, Primitivo, Sangiovese, and Schioppettino among them—are the highlight.

The progressive outlook of this Black-owned winery encompasses its embrace of earth-friendly farming techniques, low-intervention wine making, and an everybody's-welcome vibe in the tasting room, which evokes 1970s soul chic. It's okay to dance (classic soul and R&B are in heavy rotation) should the mood strike you while sipping affordable wines—Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels, and a Cabernet Sauvignon among them—from noteworthy vineyards. In good weather, the party expands to the pond-side patio out front.  A second Overshine label, Idlewild, which specializes in wines from northern Italian grapes, has a separate tasting room just off Healdsburg Plaza.

The mood is almost always upbeat on the vineyard-view patio at Papapietro Perry as regulars and first-timers sip Pinot Noirs, most from Russian River Valley grapes. A Chardonnay, a Zinfandel, and a rosé of Pinot Noir also grace the lineup. The house style is to pick early and shoot for elegance rather than the "overexpression" that can result from using riper fruit. The consistency of approach allows guests to discern the differences between wines from multiple fruit sources, a single vineyard, or a particular Pinot Noir clone.

Vintner Jane Portalupi's grandmother, Marina, was her Italian village’s winemaker, and later in Prohibition-era San Jose, California, sold wine in milk bottles at her grocery store to help keep her family afloat. Portalupi and her husband, Tim Borges, also the winemaker, celebrate Jane's heritage with whites from Italian grapes like Arneis and Vermentino, along with reds that include Barbera (a strong suit) and Nebbiolo. Heavier wines include Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, and there's a Pinot Noir. The ultrafriendly staffers serve these vibrant wines in a storefront space with sofas and chairs that, except for the tall ceiling, has a living-room feel. On good-weather weekends, the sidewalk parklet often fills up.

The easygoing tastings at this down-home family farm take place in or just outside a small redwood-beamed structure. Porter Creek makes notably good wines, some from estate biodynamically grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Its vineyards climb up steep hillsides of volcanic soil that is said to impart a slight mineral note to the Chardonnays; cover crops planted between the vines provide erosion control in addition to nutrients. Winemaker Alex Davis also makes two wines from old-vine grapes, Carignane from Mendocino County and Zinfandel from Sonoma County, and his lineup includes Viognier and Syrah.

The long driveway at homespun Preston, flanked by vineyards and punctuated by the occasional olive tree, winds down to farmhouses encircling a large, shady yard. Year-round, a small shop near the tasting room sells olive oil, organic produce, homemade sourdough bread, and other items grown or made on-site. Only estate organic grapes—Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Viognier, Zinfandel, and several others—go into the wines here. Tastings and tables for bring-your-own picnics on the lawn require a reservation. Call ahead for same-day visits.

Claiming a pretty site, with patio tables overlooking the vineyards, this winery has an airy tasting room with an equally romantic view. Production is small, and fans on the winery's mailing list snap up most of the bottles, but Rochioli is still worth a stop to sample wines that usually include the estate Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and one other. Because of the cool growing conditions in the Russian River Valley, the whites' flavors are intense and complex, and the Pinot Noir, which helped cement the Russian River's status as a varietal powerhouse, is consistently excellent. Tastings are by appointment.

The late Rodney Strong was among the first winemakers to plant Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. His namesake winery still makes Pinot Noirs, but it's known more for Cabernet Sauvignon. The large brand has a stylish tasting room, though from April through October many guests sit on an umbrella-shaded vineyard-view terrace sipping wines from several Sonoma County appellations. Some tastings include the Cabernet-heavy Bordeaux-style Rowen Wine blends from a hilly ranch in far northern Sonoma County.  The winery hosts summer outdoor concerts; Alanis Morissette, Blues Traveler, and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram have performed in recent years.

After working nearly a decade at Italian Swiss Colony, then among California's largest wine producers, Edoardo Seghesio purchased land in 1895 and planted some of the Alexander Valley's earliest Zinfandel vines. Fruit from them goes into his namesake winery's highly rated Home Ranch Zinfandel, one of several Zins made here. Wines from Italian grapes are another emphasis, most notably Venom, from what Seghesio bills as North America's oldest Sangiovese vineyard. The Vermentino and Barbera are exceptional, too. Some tastings take place on the broad lawn and patio fronting the property.

From the broad patio that fronts the Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate's stablelike building, you can see some of the steep rugged terrain where grapes for the winery's full-bodied Chardonnays and tannic, wild-as-a-stallion Cabernet Sauvignons are grown. At 5,100 acres (900-plus planted), this is among the world's largest mountain vineyards. Farming these steep hills is difficult and labor-intensive, but the hard-won output finds its way into top boutique wines in addition to Stonestreet's. One seated tasting focuses on current-release single-vineyard wines. A session showcasing older vintages demonstrates the Cabernets' ageability. All visits require a reservation. Book a mountain excursion for stunning views and to experience the vineyards close up.

Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons from estate-grown grapes are the specialties of this slightly off-the-beaten-path winery whose tasting room and production facility occupy a stained-redwood former barn. Standout wines include the Summit Chardonnay and the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter from Stuhlmuller's oldest vines. Other wines to look for are the Estate Zinfandel and the Block Twelve Cabernet Sauvignon from 2½ acres planted in the 1980s. Some tastings take place in a room adjoining the aging cellar, but in good weather you can sip outdoors on a patio near the vines.  Picnickers are welcome at this family- and dog-friendly winery.

Zinfandels and wines from sometimes obscure Rhône and Italian grapes draw a loyal following to the fun casual winery of George Unti and his sociable son Mick. Hosts pour wine in or outside a rustic-not-trying-to-be-chic tasting room. The Rhône reds, particularly two Syrahs and Cuvée Foudre (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre), tend to garner more critical notice than the Italians—Aglianico, Barbera, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and several blends—but all are well made. Reservations are recommended for weekends.

The husband-and-wife team behind this artisanal distillery produces small-batch vodka, gin, bourbon, and absinthe. A few blocks northwest of Healdsburg Plaza, the two and their crew serve flights and cocktails in a high-ceilinged space whose loungelike decor—dark walls, padded-leather and plush-velvet furniture, and cowskin rugs—perks up the industrial-park setting.