Are you thinking of taking a trip to Wine Country but don’t know where to go? Well, you’re in luck, as we have compiled this list of some of the best Sonoma Wineries you can experience. (Not in any specific order.) From stunning architecture, immersive tours, delicious bites, breathtaking views, and, most importantly, tastings of some of the best wines ever produced, these winery visits are guaranteed to be lifetime memories.
Here at Black Tie Transportation, we’ve been giving Wine Country tours for decades and have developed unique relationships with exceptional Wineries with exclusive private tastings with the Winemakers and Vitners behind it all. Call us today, and we’ll curate your own personal wine tour with one of our luxury Limos, BMWs, or Navigators. Click here to learn more about our famous Wine Country Tours!
If there were only one word to explain The Donum Estate, it’d be “surreal.” From one of Bourgeois’s steel spiders, an extensive collection of open-air sculptures, a kaleidoscopic pavilion, and a maze of steel bars, you’ll have to pinch yourself to see if you’re not in a hay feverish dream. At The Donum Estate, they offer four separate experiences ranging from 1.5 hours to 3 hours, depending on how deep you want to throw yourself into this mad beautiful world. Each adventure begins with a tasting of their award-winning wines, followed by a guided tour of their open-air sculpture collection and farmland, then a final full-flight tasting.
Also noteworthy is their refreshing non-alcoholic sparkling wines for non-drinkers or designated drivers, including a sole art tour.
Highlights: Unreal Sculpture Collection | Immersive Tours | Serves Food | Drinks/Tours For Non-Drinkers
With a dazzling lap-pool-sized fountain and majestic gardens, this Italian Renaissance Revival-themed winery is nothing short of cinematic. Offering multiple types of tasting experiences, you can sip on their award-winning wines in their Villa Salon, Enoteca, Fontana Pergola, or on the terrace overlooking Carano’s stunning vineyards and gardens. You may also be interested in their Sunday Wine & Brunch, featuring heavenly dishes such as Prosciutto Benedict, Croque Madame, or Yannis Sausage & Farm Fresh Egg Strata, the perfect early break for a Wine Country Tour.
Highlights: Beautiful Fountain & Gardens | Brunch | Food and Wine Pairings
Located in the heart of Sonoma Valley, Deerfield Ranch is known for producing wines low in sulfites and histamines, which are known to cause “red wine headaches.” While that’s quite impressive, there’s far more than meets the eye at Deerfield (literally), as they have a 23,000 square-foot wine cave where they barrel age their award-winning wines. In the center of their 23,000 Sqft cave is their tasting room, where you can relax on a sofa and enjoy a cheese plate with your wine. Also available is lunch with the man behind it all at his Ridgetop home on the veranda, which has quite the view!
Highlights: 23,000 SQFT Cave | Event Space | Food and Wine Pairings | Lunch With A View & Winemaker
The Ledson family history is a story of hard work, triumph, and inspiration that has all led to building this striking castle-style Winery constructed in 1989. At Ledson, you can enjoy one of their many tasting experiences of their award-winning wines in one of their several tasting rooms or in a private setting such as the Trophy Room or on the scenic Veranda. Another focus of Ledson is their food; you can enjoy a Cheese & Charcuterie plate or a sandwich with or after your tasting. And if you like that, make sure to stop by their gourmet marketplace to browse and purchase their olive oils, mustards and dessert sauces.
Highlights: Rich History | Gourmet Shop | Food Pairings | Beautiful Architecture
For movie buffs, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery is a must! Their award-winning wines and tastings are only the tip of the iceberg at this winery castle, where you’ll enjoy a movie memorabilia gallery, bocce, pools, and cabins. While your heart may be full from the incredible atmosphere, your stomach will be too, as you enjoy Ford’s personal favorite dishes from around the world, such as Pizza Luigino, Rack of Lamb Madame Bali, and Classic Fiorentine Steaks for two. Make sure you hit up the gift shop on the way out to browse and purchase unique items that are also from around the world. Just like The Godfather or Apocalypse Now, this is another remarkable experience from Coppola you won’t want to miss.
Highlights: Family Friendly | Bocce Ball | Swimming | Movie Memorabilia | Rustic Restaurant
Rustic but recent with a heavy modern influence, Ram’s Gate Winery is the gate to Wine Country as it’s the first winery you’ll go to or pass if you’re coming from the SF Bay Area. The minimal, extremely balanced indoor and outdoor seating sets a sophisticated mood for one of their great-tasting experiences. What we love most about Ram’s Gate is their food and wine pairings, focusing on how when certain foods and wines are paired together boost each other’s “transcendent qualities.” For when the sun is out, Ram’s also offers a Sip & Savor at the Pond, where you can relax with friends in Adirondack chairs pond side while enjoying a bottle from their curated wine list.
Highlights: Wine & Food Pairings | Closet To SF Bay Area | Event Space | Chef Onsite
This historic dapper Chateau built in the 1920s as a Summer home for the Goff family is the picturesque escape we all desire. At Chateau St. Jean, there is much to experience. You can play bocce ball while enjoying a charcuterie board and sipping on their award-winning wines in their serene courtyard. Or you can “step into a dream” and explore the Estate’s gardens featuring exotic plants and fountains or tour their magnificent Chateau that has a story around every corner. Also noteworthy is their selection of French Deli items, from sandwiches on buttered baguettes or salads with a hard-boiled egg.
Highlights: Beautiful Garden | Bocce Ball | Salads + Sandwiches | Event Space | Family / Pet Friendly
This incredibly modern winery nestled in the Dry Creek Valley, Ridge Vineyards’ Lytton Springs, is nothing but impressive. You’ll feel at ease as you stand on their shaded terrace gazing over what seems to be an infinite sprawling land of vineyards. Lytton Springs offers some fairly priced flight tastings starting at just $30 per person, which you won’t want to miss as our resident wine expert Jeannette claims their wines are some of the best. Ridge also offers a motorized tour of their nearly 12-decade-old vineyards that is not only educational but quite colorful; the tour concludes with a library tasting taking you through the vineyard’s history.
Highlights: Scenic Views | Guided Tours | Dog Friendly | Fairly Priced
Rediscover Napa or Sonoma through one of our custom Wine Country Tours with a masterfully planned itinerary. Experience some of Wine Country’s most tastefully exquisite winery luncheons, dinners, and a carefully curated selection of wines recommended by our in-house wine specialist.
Rediscover Napa or Sonoma through one of our custom Wine Country Tours with a masterfully planned itinerary. Experience some of Wine Country’s most tastefully exquisite winery luncheons, dinners, and a carefully curated selection of wines recommended by our in-house wine specialist.
At Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, you’ll enjoy not only their delectable wines but their famous classic Italian and Medetrarian dishes paired with their award-winning “liquid gold” Extra Virgin Olive Oils. Not only will you be charmed by this winery’s classic exquisite Italian architecture from their Grand Piazza, Barrel Room, and Vineyard Vista, but by how the staff treats you like family. Come for a four-course food and wine pairing with a “Journey Through Jacuzzi,” a public walking tour where you’ll learn about their winemaking practices and deep family history. Lastly, our Wine Country Expert Jeannette says you won’t want to miss their olive oil tastings.
Highlights: Olive Oil Tastings | Walking Tours | Event Space | Delicious Dishes
Well known for their Irish Hospitality, family-owned Roche Winery, located just south of Sonoma, is a private grassy venue surrounded by vineyards on all sides. What we really can’t get enough of besides their wine is their mouth-watering wine and food pairings of gourmet meats and cheeses. Also available are intimate walking tours of Roche’s vineyard and winery, where you will be educated on their process and history as you sip on their palatable wines. As for when you’re feeling peckish, you can enjoy a picnic in Roche’s vineyards, where they’ll supply blankets, food, and chairs!
Highlights: Picnic | Food Pairings | Vineyard & Winery Tours | Private Tastings | Family Friendly | Dog Friendly
In the heart of the Russian River Valley is this quaint family-owned Winery, founded in the 1980s, offering some fantastic tasting experiences and tours, all in a cozy atmosphere. At Matrix, you can enjoy an outdoor 5 flight tasting while soaking in the beautiful scenery of topiary and panoramic views of the Russian River Valley while munching down on one of their tasty cheese and meat platters. While this family-owned winery is not only dog-friendly but also is kid-friendly and includes activities such as bocce ball that all can enjoy.
Highlights: Bocce Ball | Family Friendly | Dog Friendly | Snacks and Food Available
This contemporary winery with impressive sweeping views of the Dry Creek Valley makes Sbragia Family Vineyards another stop you can’t miss. At this Family owned winery, you can enjoy an outdoor 4-flight tasting along with an optional hearty cheese and charcuterie board or scrumptious Black Truffle with Black Garlic popcorn on the terrace. For a more intimate experience, there is guided comparison and sensory tastings in their library room. Guided tours are also available when you’re ready to stretch your legs, where you’ll get to explore the vineyards and learn about Sbragia’s rich family history dating back to 1904.
Highlights: Beautiful Terrace Views | Food and Wine Pairings | Black Truffle Popcorn
Gloria Ferrer is one winery that never gets old as they offer a rich collection of estate experiences from wine cave tours, winery tours, brunch, food/wine pairings, and a bevy of tastings, including caviar. For their hour-and-a-half-long “Terrace Brunch,” an in-house chef will prepare you a four-course meal, with each course paired with one of Gloria’s Sparkling wines, which you’ll enjoy as you gaze over what feels like an infinite array of vineyards. GF’s Extend Triage Experience is one tasting you won’t want to miss out on as they’ll take you on a tasting journey through their history of sparkling wines.
Highlights: Brunch | Food and Wine Pairings | Caviar Tastings | Kid Friendly | Dog-Friendly Experiences | Live Music
Surrounded by towering Redwood groves and nature as far as the eye can see is Flowers Winery featuring exuberant gardens, comfy outdoor seating, and a modern interior. Flowers’s premises gives off a rather new age and Earthy vibe with matching events that feature art and music, all making for a more than relaxing getaway. We can’t recommend working in one of their Luncheons into your wine tour, which offers an “array of coastal delicacies, farm-fresh vegetables, and heartier fare from our wood-fired oven” paired with their curated selection of estate wines.
Highlights: Luncheons | Live Music | Art | Surrounded By Nature | Beautiful Gardens
San Francisco Magazine had this to say about MacRostie, “A place to slow down, unwind, and savor the beauty,” and well, we couldn’t agree possibly anymore. With beautiful panoramic views, stylish modern architecture, a patio lounge overlooking the vineyard, and a policy where all is welcome, from your children or dogs, this is one charming stop you’ll want on your wine tour list. At MacRostie, you can join a senior ambassador for a Library Vintage Experience, where you will go through two 3 flight tastings of their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs that have been aged up to 10 years. You can also have a charcuterie board from Healdsburg’s renowned Journeyman Meat Co.
Highlights: Panoramic Views | Event Space | Family Friendly | Dog Friendly | Food Pairings
