306 Best Sights in Napa and Sonoma, California

Pass through an impressive metal gate and wind up a steep hill to reach this winery with knockout Russian River Valley views from the two-tiered tasting room and terrace outside. In 2017 Wine Enthusiast magazine named a Gary Farrell Chardonnay wine of the year, one among many accolades for this winery known for sophisticated single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Farrell departed in the early 2000s, but current winemaker Theresa Heredia acknowledges that her philosophy has much in common with his. For the Pinots, this means picking on the early side to preserve acidity and focusing on "expressing the site." The Elevation Tasting of single-vineyard wines provides a good introduction; other tastings involve a winery tour or library wines. Visits are by appointment; same-day reservations are possible on weekdays, but call ahead.

Wineries without production equipment of their own often make wine at communal "custom-crush" facilities. Most such places don't have tasting rooms open to the public, but by appointment at Grand Cru (walk-ins often possible on weekdays), you can reserve a Vintners' Selection of several wineries' offerings or book a private tasting with one label. If you go the latter route, Black Kite, Maritana, Bucher, and Bruliam for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (also Zinfandel for the last two) are worth seeking out, as is Edaphos for wines from rare white and red grapes. Vintners or winemakers often host their winery's tastings. Some visitors pair a stop here with beer tasting and lunch at Russian River Brewing Company, a block away.

Seeking respite from foggy San Francisco summers, Pam and George Hamel Jr. purchased a vineyard mostly for the scenery but quickly got bitten by the wine bug. The family now owns four biodynamic, mostly dry-farmed (no irrigation) vineyards. Collector-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon, the flagship Isthmus red blend, and carefully crafted Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc account for the bulk of production. Pam and George's son John, who makes the wines, also supervises the farming, striving for "purity of fruit" that, he says, requires little of him post-harvest. He's too modest. His choices during fermentation and aging beget magnificent wines. Appointment-only private tastings take place at the family's steel-and-glass Estate House, where guests indoors or on the broad stone terrace enjoy valley and Sonoma Mountain views. Despite its Sonoma address, the estate is closer to Glen Ellen.

Olive trees ring the outdoor wine garden attracting most of the action at Greg and Lindsay Hamilton's joyful roadside tasting room. The couple—he's from Scotland, she's a Californian—started their journey as vintners making garage wine together. These days, Sonoma Valley native Jess Wade crafts a sparkling blanc de noirs, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) blend, and The Phoenix, a lush mix of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The last wine's name refers to Greg and Lindsay's rise from the ashes of the home they lost in the 2017 Wine Country fires. Though a calamity, the Hamiltons credit the blaze with spurring them to achieve more quickly their goal of establishing a wine brand. Hamilton Family Wines is next to Vaughn Duffy Wines; the two operations pair well as examples of newer first-generation labels.

About a mile and a half from Sonoma Plaza, Lomita Avenue angles off Highway 12, winding north and east to Hanzell, a hillside hideaway whose origin story enchants nearly as much as the winery's collector-worthy Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Most tastings take place at metal-roofed outdoor platforms positioned to take maximum advantage of the Sonoma Valley views. James Zellerbach, a businessman and later U.S. ambassador to Italy who became smitten with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on trips to Burgundy founded Hanzell (his wife's name was Hana) in 1953. At the time, neither grape had much of a foothold in California, but his hunch that each would do well here paid off. A few acres of Cabernet Sauvignon planted later provide grapes for the Bordeaux red blend that closes most sessions, led by gracious, well-informed hosts proud of this winery's legacy, organic farming practices, and studiously crafted wines.

Pinot Noir lovers appreciate the subtle differences in the wines Hartford's team crafts from grapes grown in several Sonoma County AVAs, along with fruit from nearby Marin and Mendocino Counties and Oregon. The winery also produces highly rated Chardonnays and old-vine Zinfandels. If the weather's good, enjoy a flight on the patio outside the main winery building. At private library tastings, guests sip current and older vintages. All visits are by appointment; call ahead on the same day.

Since this winery founded in 1961 changed hands in 2018, its valley-floor tasting room has morphed from a humble site to sip collector-worthy single-vineyard Cabernets into a white-tablecloth salon with prices to match. The premier experience—an estate cellar tour 5 miles away, an excursion to two vineyards, and a tasting—tops out at $1,000 a person. A more straightforward session, culminating with the legendary Martha's Vineyard Oakville Cab, unfolds inside the Salon at Heitz Cellar or on the stone structure's terrace, which juts east into a Cabernet vineyard. Crafted from certified organic grapes, the wines are magnificent, and the reasonably priced optional food pairing reveals additional complexity. Nostalgic critics have decried Heitz's grander iteration as a marker of "the real Napa Valley" slipping away. Perhaps, but the wines' restrained style recalls the great Cabs (including Heitz's) of the 1960s–70s, and the present-day hospitality couldn't be more welcoming.

Wine Enthusiast magazine bestowed a lifetime-achievement award on vintner-filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, whose wine-world contributions include resurrecting the historic Inglenook estate. Over the decades, he reunited the original property acquired by Inglenook founder Gustave Niebaum, remodeled Niebaum's ivy-covered 1880s château, and purchased the rights to the Inglenook name. Just in time for the 2022 harvest, the winery unveiled a 22,000-square-foot wine cave and production facility. The eco-friendly cave and Inglenook's place in Napa Valley history are among the topics discussed at tastings, some involving food pairings. Most sessions see a pour of the signature Rubicon, a Cabernet Sauvignon–based blend with a classic Rutherford profile. All visits require an appointment; call the winery or check at the visitor center for same-day availability. In lieu of a tasting, you can book a table at The Bistro, a wine bar with a picturesque courtyard, to sip wine by the glass or bottle.

A meandering one-lane road leads to this winery known for its sparkling wines and estate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. The sparklers have made history: Ronald Reagan served them at his summit meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev; George H. W. Bush took some along to Moscow for treaty talks; and Barack Obama included them at official state dinners. Despite Iron Horse's brushes with fame, a casual rusticity prevails at its outdoor tasting area (large heaters keep things comfortable on chilly days), which gazes out on acres of rolling, vine-covered hills. Tastings are by appointment only.

Wine writers turned vintners Roger Beery and his late wife Donna parlayed their passion for Pinot Noir into a boutique winery that benefits from connections they made while reporting on the industry. They met their consulting winemaker, Adam Lee, even before he cofounded Siduri Wines, and their vineyard lineup includes stellar sites like El Coro, La Cruz, van der Kamp, and the Martinelli family's The Wedding Block. J. Cage also produces Sauvignon Blanc, rosé of Pinot Noir, and the Craftsman's blend of Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah. Considering the caliber of the vineyards involved, the wines, poured at the production facility where they are made, are very reasonably priced.

The pleasures are pastoral and intellectual at author Jack London's beloved Beauty Ranch, where you could easily spend the afternoon hiking some of the 30-plus miles of trails that loop through meadows and stands of oaks, redwoods, and other trees. Manuscripts and personal artifacts depicting London's travels are on view at the House of Happy Walls Museum, which provides an overview of the writer's life, literary passions, humanitarian and conservation efforts, and promotion of organic farming. His wife Charmian's equally compelling story is also documented. A short hike away lie the ruins of Wolf House, which burned down just before London was to move in. Also open to visitors are a few outbuildings and the restored wood-frame cottage where London penned many of his later works. He's buried on the property. The park hosts hot-ticket musical revues and comedies produced by Transcendence Theatre Company each summer.

A boutique operation with a loyal following, Black Kite makes cool-climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs critics often score in the mid-90s. The reds come from prestigious Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley sites and the 8-acre estate Jasper Freestone Vineyard. Planted in 2014 across the Bohemian Highway from the wood-clad hospitality house the winery is scheduled to open by summer 2023, the vineyard also contains Chardonnay. The Freestone vineyard and tasting space are named for surveyor Jasper O'Farrell, who owned much of the town in the 19th century. Longtime winemaker Jeff Gaffner crafts the Black Kite wines to last, but they're drinkable upon release. You can find out for yourself at the Freestone facility, where tastings include an older vintage for comparison. All visits are by appointment.

Rhône-style wines with complex layers and textures have long been the siren song of winemaker Jeff Cohn. The whites might include single-varietal wines and blends, and there's a brut rosé of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that's deceptively dry. The Syrahs, from Rockpile, Zio Tony, and other Sonoma County vineyards, are superb. Cohn, who's known to crack wise, also makes Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, endeavoring to avoid making them "over-the-freakin'-top." He's wildly successful with all his wines, which often earn scores in the mid-to-high 90s and effusive praise from guests to his downtown Healdsburg tasting room and patio, where reservations are preferred but walk-ins usually accommodated. 

Founders Tom and Sally Jordan erected the French-style château here in part to emphasize their goal of producing Sonoma County Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons—one of each annually—to rival those from the Napa Valley and France itself. Their son John, now at the helm, has instituted numerous improvements, among them the replanting of many vines and a shift to all-French barrels for aging. The signature winery tour and tasting includes a peek at the tank room and its towering oak barrels. The pièce de résistance of the three-hour Estate Tour & Tasting, hosted from spring to early fall, is a stop at a 360-degree vista point overlooking the 1,200-acre property's vines, olive trees, and countryside. As part of these experiences and other seasonal events, the executive chef prepares small bites and dishes whose ingredients come mainly from Jordan's organic garden. Visits are strictly by appointment.

Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley and Humboldt County to the north are the strong suit of this winery sourcing from prestigious vineyards like Bucher and Hallberg Ranch. Owner-winemaker Adrian Manspeaker, a Humboldt native, spearheaded the foray into Pinot Noir grown in the coastal redwood country. His storefront tasting room in downtown Forestville (visits by appointment; walk-ins welcomed when possible) provides the opportunity to experience what's unique about the varietal's next Northern California frontier. Manspeaker also makes two Zinfandels; lighter wines include two Chardonnays, Pinot Gris, Vermentino, a sparkling Vermentino, and rosé of Pinot Noir. From spring to mid-fall, a private wine educator accompanies small parties on engaging vineyard tastings involving a tour or picnic lunch.

In 2022, LVMH's Moet Hennessy division purchased the winery the late Joseph Phelps founded a half-century before, a changing of the guard that reinforced Napa's stature as an international luxury-lifestyle player. Phelps produces excellent whites, along with Pinot Noir from its Sonoma Coast vineyards, but the blockbusters are the Bordeaux reds, particularly the Cabernet Sauvignons and Insignia, a luscious-yet-subtle Cab-dominant blend. Insignia, which often receives high-90s scores from respected wine publications, is always among the current releases poured at the one-hour seated Terrace Tasting overlooking grapevines and oaks. Other experiences, including one involving food pairings, unfold inside the main redwood structure, a classic of 1970s Northern California architecture. Participants in the Insignia Retrospective Tasting, offered a few times a month, sample several vintages of the flagship wine.

Since decamping for California, Hoosier winemaker Erik Miller, who named his winery after his Indiana hometown, has raked in awards for his single-vineyard wines, most notably Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel. A few years back, one of the Pinots scored 100 points at a prestigious local competition, capturing top honors for its varietal and among all the reds entered. Fans of the Pauline's Vineyard Grenache Rosé snag most of the supply within weeks of release. Some guests sit amid the potted plants fronting the industrial-parklike production facility, though the banter in the main tasting area, high rows of oak aging barrels its focal point, lures many inside. (The adjacent room for club members is a veritable party even midweek on some summer days.) Appointments are highly recommended; same-day visits are possible, but call first.

Playful labels by artist Jeanne Greco, whose past clients include Aerosmith, Mattel (for Barbie), and the post office, are the first indication that something offbeat is afoot at Lang & Reed. The second: the wines themselves. In the land of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, husband-wife owners John and Tracey Skupny focus on Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. In making the Cab Francs, John strives to create wines that are "delicious and fruity but not simple." He succeeds. Son Reed Skupny's worldwide quest for wine knowledge found him in the Loire Valley, eventually becoming obsessed with crafting noteworthy Chenin Blanc. His Chenins, clean on the palate with pleasing acidity, achieve his objective. Lang & Reed pours its wines in a restored Victorian, sometimes on its front porch. A block from Main Street, the casual setting evokes the slower-paced Napa of yore.

Founded in 1895 but planted with grapes even before that by San Francisco's free-spirited Lillie Hitchcock Coit, Larkmead was named by her for the meadowlarks that once flitted through the northern Napa Valley. Intuitive artistry informs everything that unfolds on the 150-acre estate, from the vineyards and colorful gardens to the barn-chic interior design, five-star hospitality, and artworks by Kate Solari Baker, whose parents purchased Larkmead in 1948. A former winemaker describes the diverse soils here as "a 'snapshot' of the entire Napa Valley" and the reason why the winery's three top-of-the-line Cabernets taste so different despite their grapes growing in some cases mere yards from each other. Most tastings include a brief tour that passes by a 3-acre vineyard planted to research alternative varietals and viticultural techniques to cope with climate change.

Immaculately groomed grapevines dazzle the eye at John and Nancy Lasseter's secluded winery, and it's no accident: Phil Coturri, Sonoma Valley's premier organic vineyard manager, tends them. Even the landscaping, which includes an insectary to attract beneficial bugs, is meticulously maintained. Come harvest time, the wine-making team oversees gentle processes that transform the fruit into wines of purity and grace, among them a Sémillon–Sauvignon Blanc blend, the Enjoué rosé, and Bordeaux and Rhône reds. Evocative labels illustrate the tale behind each wine. In good weather, guests hear these well-told stories at tastings on the winery's outdoor patio, whose views include the vineyard and the Mayacamas Mountains, where the Lasseters purchased a second vineyard. All visits to the Glen Ellen property are by appointment.

As a longtime wine-industry marketing director, Bettina Sichel knew the potential pitfalls of winery ownership, but when she discovered a uniquely situated volcanic-soiled Sonoma Mountain vineyard for sale, she plunged in enthusiastically. Because her 14 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon vines face east, the mountain shelters the grapes from the hot late-afternoon sun and excessively cool Pacific influences. Sichel's wine-making team includes organic-farming legend Phil Coturri and winemaker Randall Watkins. By appointment at Sichel's tasting room in downtown Glen Ellen, you can taste the impressive estate Cabernet, along with another Cabernet, a rosé from the vineyard's oldest vines, and a Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

The rocky, clay soils of this winery's northeastern sliver of the Russian River Valley combine with foggy mornings and evenings and hot, sunny afternoons to create the swoon-worthy Zinfandels (critics love 'em) produced here. The estate 1910 Block Zinfandel comes from old-style head-trained vines planted more than a century ago. Fruit from this block adds richness and depth to the flagship Russian River Zinfandel, whose grapes also come from nearby sources. You can taste Limerick Lane's Zins and a few other wines at a restored stone farm building with views of the vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains. Tastings are by appointment; call ahead for same-day visits, which are easier on weekdays than weekends.

Elegant and balanced describe Lynmar's landscaping and contemporary architecture, but the terms also apply to the wine-making philosophy. Expect handcrafted Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs with long, luxurious finishes, especially on the Pinots. The attention to refinement and detail extends to the tasting spaces, where well-informed pourers serve patrons enjoying garden and vineyard views. The Quail Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, a blend of some or all of the 15 Pinot Noir clones grown in the vineyard just outside, consistently performs well. Also exceptional are La Sereinité Chardonnay and the Five Sisters, Anisya's Blend, and Lynn's Blend Pinot Noirs. Most wines can be bought only by belonging to the allocation list or at the winery. Tastings are by appointment only.

Sometimes a winery's name or design sensibility hints well at what's in the bottle. In the case of this winery on Healdsburg Plaza's eastern flank, both do. The name references the Sonoma Coast fog rolling off the Pacific, allowing the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes to ripen more slowly than further inland. With spare elegance, the loungelike tasting room's soft lighting, soothing white tones, and alternately gray, dark brown, and light mahogany hues also evoke the shoreline. The winemaker and owner have worked together previously; this project evolved out of a yearning to craft cool-climate, appellation-specific wines from high-pedigree sites. Marine Layer offers as an add-on seasonal mezze plates and similarly adventurous food pairings whose multilayered flavors mirror those of the wines. Appointments are recommended for flights, poured until 5, after which hosts serve wines by the glass (no reservations taken) until closing.

Winemaker Clay Mauritson's Swedish ancestors planted grapes in what is now the Rockpile appellation in the 1880s, but it wasn't until his generation, the sixth, that wines bearing the family name first appeared. Much of the original homestead lies submerged under human-made Lake Sonoma, but the remaining acres produce the distinctive Zinfandels for which Mauritson is best known. Cabernet Sauvignon, other red Bordeaux grapes, Syrah, and Petite Sirah grow here as well, but the Zinfandels in particular illustrate how Rockpile's varied climate and hillside soils produce vastly different wines—from the soft, almost Pinot-like Westphall Ridge to the more structured and tannic Pritchett Peaks. The Mauritsons also grow grapes in Dry Creek Valley, where the winery and tasting room are located, and Alexander Valley.

Cabernets from Mayacamas Vineyards placed second and fifth respectively on Wine Spectator magazine's 2019 and 2020 "Top 100" lists of the world's best wines, two accolades among many for this winery founded atop Mt. Veeder in 1889. One of Napa's leading viticulturists, Annie Favia farms the organic vineyards, elevation 2,000-plus feet, without irrigation; her husband, Andy Erickson, is the consulting winemaker. The grapes for the Chardonnay come from 40-year-old vines. Aged in mostly neutral (previously used) French oak barrels to accentuate mountain minerality, the wine is a Napa Valley marvel. The Cabernet Sauvignon ages for three years, spending part of the time in oak barrels more than a century old. Erin Martin, a Napa Valley resident with a hip international reputation, designed the light-filled storefront tasting space. Experiencing these magnificent wines downtown—white wines–only and red wines–only tastings possible—may entice you to visit the estate.

The late Nan McEvoy's retirement project after departing as board chair of the San Francisco Chronicle, the ranch produces organic extra-virgin olive oil as well as Pinot Noir and other wines, the estate ones from the Petaluma Gap AVA. In good weather, relaxing tastings of oils or wines unfold on a pond's-edge flagstone patio with views of alternating rows of Syrah grapes and mature olive trees. You can preorder lunch to accompany any tasting; for a more private experience, book a pond-side cabana. Walkabout Ranch Tours of four guests or more take in vineyards, gardens, and a Chinese pavilion. All visits require an appointment.

A participant in a worldwide movement promoting earth-friendly regenerative farming techniques, this winery established in 1998 produces small-lot wines from organic grapes grown at 338-acre Bell Mountain Ranch. Most of the hilly property is in the southeastern Alexander Valley, but a portion spills into the Russian River Valley AVA. The estate Cabernet Sauvignons garner the most acclaim, but the other wines—Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Merlot reds, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and brut-style sparklers—are also well made. In addition to a standard tasting, you can book an evocative self-guided audio tour or experience the ranch on an excursion led by a wine educator. Ames Morison, the winery's eloquent cofounder and winemaker for the first two decades, leads enlightening vineyard walks on Fridays. All visits require an appointment. Closer to Healdsburg, Medlock Ames operates a tasting room in a converted century-old country store.

Established in 1984 on a ranch farmed by the same family for five generations, this resolutely old-school winery produces restrained low-alcohol Zinfandels. Aged in French oak and elegant in ways Zinfandel often is not, they score well in competitions and with critics. How well? In 2022, the flagship Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel was the only Zin on Wine Spectator magazine's list of the world's top 100 wines. Two other notable bottlings are a Russian River Pinot Noir from Swan clone grapes and the estate Dry Creek Valley Cabernet. These crackerjack wines would be worth a trip on their own, but getting to know the family behind them—Doug and Lee Nalle, who founded this small operation, and their son Andrew, the current winemaker, and daughter-in-law April, a viticulturist—makes a visit all the more fulfilling, as does seeing the above-ground rosemary-covered "living roof" wine-aging "cellar."

A corral out front, antique barns, and a farm-style windmill add horse-country flair to this winery renowned for its smooth, almost sensual, single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. Some of the best derive from the home-base Oakville AVA, including the John C. Sullenger Vineyard, which surrounds the property's 1884 Queen Anne residence. Cabernets from other Napa Valley appellations supply the contrast. For the splurge Terroir Tasting, hosts introduce eight Cabernets, paired with artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, describing how each vineyard's distinctive soils and microclimates influence the finished product. Two other tastings explore similar issues less comprehensively. Cabernet lovers won't want to miss this sister winery to elegant Far Niente.