322 Best Sights in Napa and Sonoma, California

It took six years to excavate a hillside Coombsville property and four more to complete aging caves and a five-level gravity-flow winery, the equivalent of an 18-story building. The collector-quality Cabernet Sauvignons made at this engineering triumph, from grapes grown at three distinct elevations, benefit from these efforts and the later introduction of a space-age wine-monitoring system that invariably astonishes guests. It's a tribute to the viticultural and production teams that the wines, including a Riesling, a Chardonnay, and a Muscat Canelli dessert offering, linger equally strong in memory. Private appointment-only tastings begin with a sip overlooking the largest vineyard and the southern Napa Valley beyond it, followed by a tour and a tasting in an intimate salon. The peerless hospitality adds further joy to a visit here.

Sophisticated single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are the trademarks of this respected winery that hosts guests at a fashionable single-story former residence 3 miles southeast of Sonoma Plaza. A Wine Country adage holds that great wines are made in the vineyard—the all-star fields represented here include Hyde, Durell, and Gap's Crown—but the wine-making team routinely surpasses peers with access to the same fruit. You can sample wines on the vineyard-view back patio in good weather. One tasting focuses on current releases, and the other incorporates older vintages. Appointments are required; call for same-day.

This winery 2,200 feet up Spring Mountain straddles Napa and Sonoma counties, confusing enough for visitors but even more complicated for the wine-making staff: government regulations require separate wineries and paperwork for each side of the property. It's one of several Pride Mountain quirks, but the winery's "big red wines," including a Cabernet Sauvignon that earned 100-point scores from a prominent wine critic two years in a row, are serious business. On a visit, by appointment only, you can learn about the farming and cellar strategies behind Pride's acclaimed Cabs. The winery also produces Syrah, a Cablike Merlot, Claret, Cabernet Franc, and noteworthy Chardonnay and Viognier whites. The views here are knock-your-socks-off gorgeous.

The enduring beauty of this 280-acre estate reveals itself most vividly atop an oak-laced vineyard's-edge ridge with views across the Rutherford appellation. Fortunately for guests, many tastings occur here, some at open-air seating areas, others in steel, glass, and stone pavilions. This land was a cattle ranch until Agustin and Valeria Huneeus purchased the property in 1989, convinced it could produce collector-worthy wines. Time has proven them correct, as the single Bordeaux-style red blend made each vintage, aged in caves dug deep into the hillside, annually garners mid- to high-90s scores from critics. Tastings, which require an appointment, start with the Sauvignon Blanc–dominant Illumination blend and include at least one library (older) Cabernet for comparison.

Extravagance infuses this boutique Stags Leap District operation, most notably in its architecture but also in the Petite Sirahs and Cabernets. Founder Carl Doumani spent years wooing the Austria-born architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, whose sensibility has been compared to Antoni Gaudí's, to design the winery and production facility. Per Hundertwasser's insistence on replicating natural forms, the sod-roofed structure, clad in red brick and colorful ceramic tiles and topped with a gold onion dome, has no straight lines. Consultant Philippe Melka’s rich velvety style complements the ebullient setting. Visits are by appointment only. The wine-and-food pairings here are exceptional (book at least three days ahead).

Connoisseurs of coastal cool-climate wines gravitate to this small operation whose estate wines come from a 42-acre, biodynamically farmed hilltop vineyard in Occidental. Owner-winemaker Eric Sussman sources fruit from similar marine-influenced sites for the rest of his lineup. Visiting his warehouselike Sebastopol production facility isn't about glam or fabulous vineyard views. But if you want to experience "true Sonoma Coast" wines grown with precision and sculpted with minimal intervention by a master craftsman, try to score one of the few weekday appointments (very much required).  Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah wines are Radio-Coteau's stars, though the estate Lemorel Zinfandel, from 1946 vines, shines nearly as bright.

Stunning views, ultrachic architecture, and wines made from grapes by acclaimed growers make visiting this Chardonnay and Pinot Noir producer an event. The welcoming interior spaces—think Restoration Hardware with a dash of high-style whimsy—open up to outdoor tasting areas and views of the entire western Carneros. Cooling breezes waft through the site as guests sip wines that might also include Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Among the superlative wine-food offerings are one with caviar, another involving small bites, and a five-course lunch. Hosts welcome walk-ins for wine-only tastings when possible.

Anointed by Wine Spectator a "legend of California Chardonnay," David Ramey has been making acclaimed age-worthy wines for four-plus decades. Collectors and wine lovers appear daily at his spick-and-span industrial space, where hosts convey the passion, artistry, and deep knowledge of wine-making chemistry underlying his output. Seated appointment-only sessions begin with a few Chardonnays, followed by equally accomplished reds. Cabernet Sauvignon receives the most accolades of the latter, but Ramey also does well by Pinot Noir and has a soft spot for Syrah. His children own and run the winery now—Ramey chuckles that he's become their employee—and a longtime associate handles the day-to-day wine making, but the vision remains emphatically his.

Kelly and Noah Dorrance present their expressive cool-climate wines at a secluded enclave up a forested hill off Dry Creek Road. With views of vineyards fanning magic carpet–like to the south, the outdoor tables here often spark daydreams accelerated by the Chardonnay or rosé of Pinot Noir commencing many sessions. (If the day's brisk, the indoor space's country-chic sensibility—high wood-beamed ceilings, black walls, dried and fresh flowers, and handcrafted furniture, all courtesy of Kelly—also inspires reveries.) You're here for winemaker Noah Dorrance's Pinot Noirs, though, all terrific and in ways that illuminate the differences among clone types and variations in vineyards' soils, elevations, and weather. Tastings are by appointment; call ahead for same-day visits.

Ridge stands tall among local wineries, and not merely because its 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon rated second-highest among California reds competing with French ones at the Judgment of Paris blind tasting of 1976. The winery built its reputation on Cabernets and Zinfandels of unusual depth and complexity, but you'll also find Rhône-grape blends. Single-vineyard estate wines, such as the Lytton Springs Zinfandel from fruit grown steps away, are the focus of tastings. You can sit outside in good weather, taking in views of rolling vineyard hills while you sip. The educational Century Tour & Library Tasting begins with a spin around the property in an electric cart.

It's worth the 1-mile trip south of downtown to the warehouse tasting room where two families separately crafting reasonably priced wines pour them together. Three of the partners have wine-related day jobs; the fourth works as an animator. Alli and Bertus van Zyl of Belong Wine Co. produce high-elevation Sierra Foothills wines, most notably Mourvѐdre. Laura and Kyle Gabriel of Paper Planes Wine Co. specialize in Pinot Noir (regular and rosé), along with Valdiguié and a few others. As the space debuted in 2024, a San Francisco Chronicle article detailed the hard expenses and sweat equity this labor of love required. A similar passion underlies the wines, sipped inside or at tables with close-up Napa River views. Kids and leashed pets are welcome.

Here's a surprise: a highly respected Napa Valley winery that doesn't sell a lick of Cabernet. Zinfandels from heritage vineyards 100 years old and more hold the spotlight, with Petite Sirahs in a supporting role. Nearly every pour comes with a fascinating backstory, starting with the flagship Black Chicken Zinfandel. In the 1940s, the Biale family sold eggs, walnuts, and other farm staples, with bootleg Zinfandel a lucrative sideline. Because neighbors could eavesdrop on party-line phone conversations, "black chicken" became code for a jug of Zin. These days the wines are produced on the up-and-up, steps from the 10-acre property's tasting area. A stone's throw from Zinfandel vines, with views of two mountain ranges, the open-air space has a back-porch feel. Visits are by appointment; call ahead for same-day.

Based way up Howell Mountain but with meticulously farmed hillside sources on both sides of the valley, Robert Craig has established a loyal following for its textured full-flavored Cabernet Sauvignons. Hosts pour the wines inside a refurbished 1890s downtown Napa Folk Victorian and on its front porch and redbrick patio. Tastings, by appointment but usually possible on short notice, often begin with a Sonoma County Chardonnay or, while it lasts, La Fleur Craig Grenache Rosé from Howell Mountain. One trait all the wines share is how well they age. The Zinfandel from Howell Mountain's Black Sears Vineyard does its varietal proud.

Panoramic Alexander Valley views unfold at Scion House, the knoll-top tasting space of this longtime Geyserville grower. The first Youngs began farming this land in the mid-1800s, raising cattle and growing wheat, prunes, and other crops. In the 1960s, the third generation's Robert Young began cultivating grapes, including one later designated as the Robert Young Chardonnay 17 clone, and the valley’s first Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery's fame rests on its reds—small-lot Cabernet Sauvignons plus individual Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot wines.  Cab fanatics should consider the Ultimate Cabernet Lovers Experience of top-tier estate wines.

Ryan and Megan Glaab, the husband and wife owner-winemakers behind Ryme, make a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Franc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the real story here is their quest to craft food-friendly wines from unsung white (Fiano, Greco, Ribolla Gialla) and red (Aglianico, Frappato) Italian grapes. The Glaabs also make "His" and "Hers" Vermentinos in wildly different styles. That they source fruit from respected vineyards and keep prices low is a credit to their talent and ingenuity. A weathered board-and-batten structure attached to their cinder block winery serves as a tasting room, though good weather finds most guests sipping in the shade of the front patio’s arbor.

An unexpected bit of wilderness in the Wine Country, this preserve with African wildlife covers 400 acres. Begin your visit with a stroll around enclosures housing lemurs, cheetahs, giraffes, and rare birds like the brightly colored scarlet ibis. Next, climb with your guide onto open-air vehicles that spend about two hours combing the expansive property, where more than 80 species—including gazelles, cape buffalo, antelope, wildebeests, and zebras—inhabit the hillsides. If you'd like to extend your stay, "glamping” in Botswana-made tent cabins is available.

Since this winery founded in 1961 changed hands a few years back, its valley-floor tasting room has morphed from a humble site to sip collector-worthy wines like the legendary Martha's Vineyard Oakville Cabernet into the tony white-tablecloth Salon at Heitz Cellar. Two sessions unfold inside the salon or on the stone structure's terrace, which juts into a Cabernet vineyard. One surveys current releases, the other single-vineyard wines. Crafted from certified organic grapes, the wines are magnificent, and the reasonably priced optional food pairing reveals additional complexity. A third experience involves touring a Rutherford vineyard followed by a tasting at the salon. It's wise to make a reservation here.

Several dozen wineries produce Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from grapes grown by the Sangiacomo family, whose Italian ancestors started farming in Sonoma in 1927. The family didn't establish its own label until 2016, but its cool-climate wines and a Napa Valley Cabernet quickly earned critical plaudits. Chardonnay vines and the Carneros District's western hills form the backdrop for tastings, usually outdoors, at the 110-acre Home Ranch, the first of a dozen-plus vineyards the Sangiacomos have acquired or leased. At appointment-only visits, you're apt to encounter one or more third-generation members, who enjoy meeting guests and sharing the family's legacy.

Robert and Laura Schermeister, the husband and wife behind this winery known for aromatic, densely flavored single-vineyard wines, conduct tastings in a small space within a historic Glen Ellen building or on a nearby patio facing Sonoma Creek. Robert makes vegan-friendly unfiltered wines that include a Viognier white, an intriguing Bordeaux-blend rosé, and Grenache, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon reds, intervening as little as possible once fermentation (with native, not commercial, yeasts) begins. Either Robert or Laura, perhaps both, will conduct your tasting. Their romance began after he charmed her over a bottle of his Pinot Noir.   It's best to make an appointment because this highly regarded winery with a small annual output temporarily closes when the wines run out.

On a Diamond Mountain site the German-born Jacob Schram planted to grapes in the early 1860s, Schramsberg pours its esteemed méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines. Author Robert Louis Stevenson was among Schram's early visitors. After the vintner's death in 1905, the winery closed and fell into disrepair, but in 1965 Jack and Jamie Davies purchased the 200-acre Schramsberg property and began restoring its buildings and caves. Chinese laborers dug some of the latter in the 1870s. In the 1990s, the family set about replanting the vineyard to Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals for the Davies Vineyards label's still red wines. Tastings at Schramsberg can include pours of only sparkling wines, only still wines, or a combination of the two. All visits are by appointment.

Trying to sell his wife, Sally, on his late-1970s notion of planting a vineyard on their woodsy Spring Mountain property, contractor Fred Schweiger assured her, "It'll just be a hobby." Over time that hobby evolved into the lifestyle the family now shares with guests to its indoor and outdoor tasting spaces, whose 2,000-foot-elevation views extend across the Napa Valley to Howell Mountain. A mentor advised Fred to plant the "king and queen of grapes," Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The family sold the fruit for a decade before son Andy began making Schweiger wines, eventually adding Sauvignon Blanc, more Bordeaux reds, Pinot Noir, and Port-style dessert offerings. For an exhilarating ATV ride through sometimes steeply terraced vines, book (mid-May–mid-August) the VIP Vineyard Experience.

Flashy Napa recedes at this family-owned winery on land once farmed by the 19th-century Franco-Swiss Winery. Founded by William and Mary Seavey in 1979 and now run by their children, the operation prides itself on sustainable and fish-friendly farming practices and tastings incorporating Cabernet Sauvignons from the extensive library of older vintages. French-born Philippe Melka, who established the lush yet powerful house style, still consults with current winemaker Jim Duane. Visits begin with a short walk to see the goats, cows, and other animals in residence, after which guests proceed into a stone former dairy barn William Seavey converted into a production facility. Sessions often start with a Chardonnay and a Merlot before moving on to the Cabernets.  A stop here feels at once elevated and country-casual.

Sequoias shade the outdoor areas and century-old barn of this winery acclaimed for single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons. The winemaker supplements fruit grown on this and another Rutherford property with grapes from other valley-floor and mountain vineyards. A current-release tasting—Sequoia Grove also makes Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and a few other wines—usually includes the flagship Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. For a greater sense of how variations in terrain and microclimate influence Cabernet, consider booking one of the elevated experiences.  For the insightful A Taste of Cabernet, the executive chef prepares small bites to illustrate Cabernet Sauvignon’s versatility in pairings.

You'll always meet a family member at this approximately 200-acre Sonoma Valley ranch established in 1924. The land's history stretches back further, to at least the 1850s, when General Joseph Hooker, later of Civil War fame, planted vines. The Serres family has grown and sold wine grapes for decades; the fifth generation—a sister and her two brothers—began producing wine in 2017. A Merlot, a Bordeaux-style red blend, and a Cabernet Sauvignon have all received good notices, as has a more recent Malbec. When the weather's fine, tastings, accompanied by a charcuterie and cheese pairing, include a UTV ranch tour with a stop at a grove of thick-branched valley oaks. Book at least two days ahead here.

Its Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon long one of the Napa Valley's most sought-after bottlings, Shafer conducts appointment-only tastings at a hospitality space with views of the rugged Stags Leap District incline where the prized wine's grapes grow. A Terrace View Tasting usually starts with the Red Shoulder Ranch Carneros Chardonnay, followed by TD-9 (a Cabernet Sauvignon–based Bordeaux blend), the One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon, and Relentless (a Syrah–Petite Sirah blend), concluding with the 100% Cabernet Hillside Select. The Private Collectors Experience includes an older Hillside Select vintage. Expertly farmed and masterfully balanced, Shafer's collector-quality wines deserve the high praise they receive.  The deluxe experience here consists of a Champagne and caviar greeting, a UTV spin through the vineyard, and tastes of current and older Hillside Select wines.

The views and architecture are as impressive as the wines at the 113-acre Sonoma County outpost of the same-named Napa Valley winery. As in Napa, the Healdsburg facility—an ultramodern, environmentally sensitive winery with a glass-walled tasting pavilion—produces just one wine each year: a well-balanced Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon aged in American rather than French oak barrels. Reservations aren’t needed for at-the-bar sips of the current Alexander Valley and Napa Valley Cabernets, but make one for other tastings, including pours of older vintages.

For a glimpse of the Napa Valley before things got precious, head up Spring Mountain to the vineyard Stu Smith purchased in 1970 and still farms. His low-tech winery is a family affair: brother Charlie has made Smith-Madrone's critically acclaimed wines for more than four decades, and son Sam is Charlie's assistant. Blissfully informal outdoor tours and tastings of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling wines take place by appointment three days a week, starting at the weather-worn no-frills redwood barn where Charlie makes the wines. He mostly lets the grapes do the talking, but profound wisdom underlies his restraint: these food-friendly wines are marvels of acidity, minerality, and flavor.  The view across the valley to Howell Mountain is often fantastic.

A historic winery with a forward-looking agricultural perspective, Spottswoode makes a flagship estate Cabernet Sauvignon that critics and collectors champion for its structure, grace, and purity of fruit. Tastings also include another Cabernet and a delectably suave Sauvignon Blanc. The estate vineyard, certified organic and biodynamic, sits at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains on a site where wine grapes have been cultivated since the 1880s. Three structures remain from that era, but the winery's current cachet dates to 1972, when the Novak family purchased adjoining parcels totaling 46 acres. Appointment-only Spottswoode allows only a few dozen visitors a week (book well ahead in summer).

Cabernet Sauvignon was first planted on this estate in 1873, kick-starting an illustrious century and a half whose notable moments include the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting (a white placed in the top half), a cameo in the sudsy 1980s TV drama Falcon Crest, and a heroic vineyard manager's efforts to save vines and structures during the 2020 Glass Fire. With so many tales for hosts to relate—not to mention the craftsmanship of the 1885 Miravalle mansion where tastings unfold—the Bordeaux-style reds, bold and robust, reflecting their mountain origins, might get lost in the conversation were they not so stunningly well put together. Tastings showcase vintages slightly older than at most Napa Valley venues, allowing guests to sense how the newer wines, though drinkable now, will age.

A country road occasionally narrowing to a single lane winds up Moon Mountain to Silver Cloud, this Cabernet Sauvignon producer's 160-acre estate vineyard. From the deck of the tasting room, a restored century-old farmhouse, the views extend almost to the Pacific. A Sauvignon Blanc from estate grapes begins most tastings, followed by Cabernets. Made to age gracefully in the manner of European wines, the latter are at once dense yet smoothly powerful, almost intellectual. The Continental perspective extends to the courtly, unhurried hospitality. Reservations are essential for all visits.  Two other places to sample these collector-quality wines are in downtown Sonoma at the winery's office ($50) and nearby restaurant, Enclos.