322 Best Sights in Napa and Sonoma, California

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.

Winemaker Merry Edwards long extolled the Russian River Valley as "the epicenter of great Pinot Noir." The winery that bears her name, since 2019 owned by the Roederer Estate sparkling-wine house, produces single-vineyard and appellation wines that express the unique characteristics of the soils, climates, and grape clones from which they derive. The winery also makes Chardonnays and a Sauvignon Blanc that sees some French oak.

Entrepreneur-winemaker Samantha Sheehan serves separate flights of her Mommenpop citrus aperitifs and single-vineyard Poe wines inside a glass-walled downtown tasting room often abuzz with chipper sippers on weekend afternoons. The palate-cleansing Mommenpop sparkling-wine spritzes, all their ingredients organic, include Seville orange, ruby grapefruit, and blood orange. Four notable vineyards supply organic grapes for Sheehan's low-intervention, low-sulfur wines (“never any additives”), among them a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, and a Dolcetto.

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.

When Champagne Mumm of France set about establishing a California sparkling-wine outpost, its winemaker chose the Napa Valley, where today the winery sources grapes from more than 50 local producers. Made in the méthode traditionnelle style from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and occasionally Pinot Gris, the wines are all fermented in the bottle. Most guests enjoy them alfresco, by the glass or flight, on two patios with vineyard views. Small-batch cuvées are served with artisanal cheeses under the sprawling branches of a nearly-two-centuries-old blue oak.

Entertaining educators keep the proceedings light and lively at Napa's first distillery since Prohibition. The distillery makes rum, whiskeys, ginn (ask about the odd spelling), a flagship grape-based vodka, brandies, and bottled cocktails. The speakeasy-like Hollywood Room upstairs hosts many tastings, at which such subjects as "booze yoga" and "proper spirits sipping" are taught.   If you just want to sample the wares, the distillery also operates an Oxbow Public Market tasting bar (minus the whiskey and rum) as well as the the downtown cocktail bar The ArBaretum, both open daily.

"Land and People of Napa Valley,” a concise but well-mounted permanent exhibition on this hillside facility's lower level, surveys the people and natural conditions that have shaped the valley's history. Temporary shows in the main upstairs gallery often feature the works, some from the museum’s permanent collection, of local and regional fine artists.  The museum’s flagship location, The MAC—Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture, is in St. Helena.

At a contemporary tasting barn with an outdoor patio and cabana seating, father-daughter wine-growing team William "Bill" Hill and Elana Hill showcase the Bordeaux-style reds of their Prime Solum label and the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of the Expression brand. Unlike many tastings where the wines are a few years old at most, sessions here focus on older vintages, not just of the Bordeaux reds but also the Pinots and even some of the Chardonnays. The Pinots come from as near as Sonoma County and as far as Sta. Rita Hills and Oregon.

Guests on this Napa Valley fixture travel the corridor established in 1864 to transport passengers as far north as Calistoga's spas. The rolling stock includes restored Pullman cars and a two-story Vista Dome coach with a curved glass roof. The train, as of 2024 pulled by "near-zero-emission" locomotives, follows a leisurely scenic route between Napa and St. Helena. Patrons on some tours enjoy a multicourse meal and tastings at one or more wineries. Some rides involve no winery stops, and themed trips are occasionally scheduled. It's best to make this trip during the day to enjoy the vineyard views.

A scenic drive east of the Silverado Trail twists past Lake Hennessey to Nichelini, a throwback to Napa’s past, which bills itself as the county's oldest continuously family-owned and operated winery. Structures Anton Nichelini, an Italian-Swiss immigrant, built in the late 1800s still cling to a steep embankment where the road skirts a cliff. Anton's great-great-granddaughter Aimée Sunseri makes whites that include a sparkling wine, a barrel-fermented 100% Semillon named Caterina, after Anton's wife, and Muscadelle (aka Sauvignon Vert) from vines planted in 1946. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Bordeaux-style blends are the primary reds.

A mid-block alley off 1st Street leads to this Japanese-influenced indoor-outdoor garden tasting room, whose charcoal-gray exterior draws inspiration from the volcanic glass–bestrewn estate Obsidian Vineyard. Cabernet Sauvignon and other red grapes from that vineyard, north of Napa and Sonoma in the Red Hills Lake County AVA, grow at elevation 2,340–2,640 feet. Unusual for California Cabs, Obsidian's are aged in Hungarian—rather than French—oak, contributing to their potent flavors. The label's Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, also aged in Hungarian barrels, come from the Poseidon Vineyard in Los Carneros. Alternative wines like the Pezsgö "pét-nat" Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah sparklers are among this adventurous winery's other preoccupations.

The Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi and France's Baron Philippe de Rothschild joined forces in the late 1970s to produce Opus One, a Bordeaux blend often credited as Napa's first ultrapremium wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant wine is made and presented at a low-slung limestone structure, much of it concealed by a crescent-shape berm of native grasses and plants. The Courtyard Experience provides a suitable introduction to winery and wine, but consider booking the Opus One Experience. Involving small gourmet bites and including a visit to the semicircular subterranean barrel room, it takes place in a sumptuous salon with views north to Mt. St. Helena.

A Bank of Italy branch once occupied the stone-walled downtown tasting room of industry maverick Dave Phinney. The snazzily appointed locale befits a guy crafting bold, unabashedly fruit-forward wines. Phinney scored big early in his career with the multivarietal The Prisoner red blend, subsequently selling the brand for a hefty sum. The Orin Swift flagship, Mercury Head, is a Cabernet Sauvignon, and Papillon is a straight-up Bordeaux red, but the most widely distributed wine, Abstract, contains Grenache, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. In addition to making the wines, Phinney creates their labels and provides compelling backstories well told by high-spirited hosts.

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 high-ceilinged tasting room of this winery named for the optimistic doctor from Voltaire's satire Candide occupies a restored 1902 stone building across from Sonoma Plaza. Originally a general store, it's a striking setting to sip white and red blends and single-varietal Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and Syrah wines. You can enjoy them by the flight or glass, with or without small bites. Walk-ins are usually possible on weekdays.

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.

The whimsical sculptures of local junk artist Patrick Amiot and his wife, Brigitte Laurent (he creates them, she paints them), are installed all over Sonoma County, but you can see many works on Florence Avenue three blocks west of Main Street. Amiot reclaims old car parts, abandoned appliances, and the like, refashioning them into everything from pigs, dogs, and people to mermaids and Godzilla.

Wine critics routinely bestow scores in the high-90s on the Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernet Sauvignons produced at this appointment-only winery set amid gently rolling vineyards in northwestern Sebastopol. Owner-winemaker Paul Hobbs's university thesis investigated the flavors that result from various oak-barrel toasting levels. He continued his education at Robert Mondavi Winery, Opus One, and other storied establishments before striking out on his own in 1991. Guests on a Signature Tasting visit the winery and sip four wines with dips, bread, and vegetables; the Vineyard Designate Experience includes the tour plus seasonal plates paired with limited-edition single-vineyard wines.

Winemaker Mat Gustafson and his wife, Barbara, specialize in low-alcohol, food-friendly Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs; other reds include a Cabernet Franc, a Dolcetto, and a Grenache. On a hot summer day, their Muscat Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier whites make for delightful sipping in the picnic area behind the tasting room, which occupies a century-old Edwardian storefront.

The descendants of Albino Pestoni, a Swiss-Italian immigrant who entered the wine business in 1892, run this winery whose family story encompasses Prohibition hijinks and pioneering composting efforts. A Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, and a Petit Verdot—the winery’s best offerings—come from fruit grown high up Howell Mountain. In 2024, the Pestonis hired well-regarded Aaron Pott as consulting winemaker to add polish to these wines and ones from Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, and other grapes grown on three Rutherford parcels.  Rare in the Napa Valley, guests can bring their own provisions and picnic in the winery's tree-shaded pavilion after a tasting.

The headquarters of General Mariano Vallejo’s vast (66,000 acres at its peak) agricultural domain from 1836 to 1846, this restored compound is the largest extant 19th-century residential adobe in the United States. The mostly low-tech exhibits explain Vallejo’s role as Mexico’s head honcho before California joined the United States and depict daily life for native peoples and Spanish and Mexican settlers.

The Piña family, whose Napa Valley heritage dates from the 1850s, is known locally as much for its vineyard-management company as its modest winery specializing in single-vineyard, 100% Cabernet Sauvignons. Winemaker Anna Monticelli crafts these robust Cabs from mostly hillside fruit, all estate grown. Though she doesn't blend in other varietals, commonly done to soften Cabernet, the winery doesn't release its wines until age has mellowed them. Tastings here are a throwback to the no-frills 1970s (i.e., strictly about the wine).

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.

"If door is locked, ring bell," reads a sign outside the weathered-redwood tasting shack at this family-run winery known for red, white, and tawny Ports. The sign, the bell, and the thousands of dollar bills tacked to the walls and ceilings inside are your first indications that you're drifting back in time with the old-school Pragers, who have been making regular and fortified wines in St. Helena since 1979. In addition to Ports, the winery produces a late-harvest Riesling dessert wine. Some tastings take place in a garden outside the tasting room or on the crush pad.

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.

A wildly original local designer conceived the industrial-chic interiors for The Prisoner red blend’s tasting room. "Getting the varietals to play together" is senior director of wine making Chrissy Wittmann's mission with that wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Sirah in a recent vintage). The aim's the same with siblings like the Blindfold Blanc de Noir—mostly white Pinot Noir (no skin contact, so no purple color), with some Viognier and Gewürztraminer. Some experiences involve boldly flavored cuisine that pairs well with the company’s fruit-forward wines.  A separate salon showcases the Domaine Curry wines of entrepreneurs Ayesha Curry and Sydel Curry-Lee, the wife and sister, respectively, of NBA star Stephen Curry.

Zesty limoncello was the first claim to fame of this distillery, whose nearly three dozen artisanal offerings also include other cellos (try the fig if it's being poured), gins, brandies, liqueurs, and bottled cocktails. You can sample six at the tasting room, down an alley due east of Sonoma Plaza. In addition to the alcoholic beverages, the shop sells bar paraphernalia, cocktail-related books, snacks, and coffee aged in bourbon barrels.

"Come for the Primus, stay for the wines" is the unspoken motto of this winery the funk-metal band Primus's bassist and lead vocalist, Les Claypool, founded (as Claypool Cellars) with his wife, Chaney. The weiner stand out back and the 21st-century hippie-casual tasting room—a former boat-repair shack with an unpainted-wood interior and catchy Craigslist-castoff furnishings—are two signs this isn't an aren't-we-fabulous vanity project. So, too, are the cool-climate Pinot Noirs from Sonoma Coast grapes. Made by Ross Cobb, a local master of the genre, these wines would earn serious consideration no matter who fronted them.  On Fridays and weekends, frivolity reigns at Wines and Weiners, the latter Niman Ranch gourmet hot dogs.