Wine Country Weekend – Sonoma – September 2019

Overview

We recently spent a long weekend in one of our favorite places, Sonoma County. Even though we’ve been numerous times, it never gets old. There’s always new wineries to visit and new restaurants to try.

For this trip, we split our time between several different sub-regions including Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley. If you are planning a trip to Sonoma, I’d recommend sticking to one sub-region per day. Sonoma is a very large wine region, so you’ll save yourself a lot of time if you can narrow down your tastings to one AVA per day.

In this guide, you’ll find a TON of information including all of the wineries we visited, the restaurants we dined at AND our full 3-Day Itinerary. I also included a recap of each day if you want more specific information about each winery.

Where We Ate

• Campo Fina (Healdsburg)
• Sake’O (Healdsburg)
• Chalkboard (Healdsburg)
• Willis Seafood & Raw Bar (Healdsburg)
• Bear Republic Brewing (Healdsburg)
• El Molino Central (Sonoma)

Wineries We Visited

• Gloria Ferrer (Carneros)
• Scribe (Sonoma Valley)
• Hanzell (Sonoma Valley)
• Jordan (Alexander Valley)
• Reeve (Dry Creek Valley)
• Judge Palmer (Dry Creek Valley)
• Iron Horse (Russian River Valley)
• Gary Farrell (Russian River Valley)
• Wren Hop (Russian River Valley)

Where We Stayed

The first night, we stayed at the SpringHill Suites Napa Valley. This is a great option if you are planning to do tastings in both Sonoma and Napa. This would also be a good option if you plan to visit wineries that are further south in the valley.

The next two nights, we stayed at Bella Villa Messina in Healdsburg. This is a great Bed & Breakfast located within a few miles of downtown Healdsburg. It’s the perfect place to stay if you want to visit wineries in Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley.

Itinerary

Friday (Carneros and Sonoma Valley)

• 10:00 AM – Gloria Ferrer
• 11:30 AM – Scribe
• 1:00 PM – Lunch at El Molino Central
• 2:00 PM – Hanzell
• 5:00 PM – Happy Hour at Bella Villa Messina (Bed & Breakfast)
• 8:00 PM – Dinner at Campo Fina

Saturday (Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley)

• 10:30 AM – Jordan Chateau Block Tasting
• 12:30 PM – Reeve Wines
• 2:00 PM – Judge Palmer
• 4:00 PM – Light Snack and Beer at Bear Republic Brewing
• 5:00 PM – Dinner at Sake’O
• 6:30 PM – Jazz at Hotel Healdsburg

Sunday (Russian River Valley)

• 10:00 AM – Iron Horse Vineyards
• 12:30 PM – Gary Farrell
• 3:00 PM – Wren Hop
• 5:00 PM – Light Snack and Cocktails at Willis Seafood & Raw Bar
• 6:00 PM – Dinner at Chalkboard

The Details

Friday

We started off the day at Gloria Ferrer which is located in the Carneros region of Sonoma. We’ve been to Gloria Ferrer several times and we keep coming back for more. We love the views, the wine and the atmosphere. It’s a great place for a photo, as they have an incredible patio that looks over several amazing vineyards.

You don’t have to make a reservation, but I recommend calling ahead if you are with a bigger group. Also, you are more likely to get a better spot on the patio if you reserve in advance. We always go at 10 AM, so we have never needed a reservation at that time.

Gloria Ferrer offers several different tasting options, and there’s really something for everyone. They are most known for their bubbles, but they also make several still wines like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Tasting flights start at $25, but you can also order by the glass. Of course, if you have a large group, you can order by the bottle as well! They do offer a couple options for food like charcuterie boards, olives and almonds. It’s always nice to have a little snack while you’re drinking wine!

After a beautiful morning at Gloria Ferrer, we made our way over to Scribe for our second tasting of the day. We visited this winery over a year ago and loved it so much that we had to come back. This is one of my personal favorites to visit in Sonoma because it’s such an intimate experience. They really know how to make you feel right at home. All of the wine they produce is incredible, and I’ve never been disappointed with anything I’ve tasted. The Rosé of Pinot Noir is probably my favorite wine that Scribe makes.

Scribe is a reservation only winery, so be sure to book in advance if you want to visit. Even though it can get pretty crowded in the summer months, it still feels like a private experience. They seat you at your own table, and you never really notice anyone else around. It’s a very relaxing setting, and I love that you can take your time and soak in the scenery.

One of my favorite things about Scribe is the food! There’s a vegetable garden on their property, so they make a LOT of dishes with those ingredients. The food is included with your tasting and everything is made fresh. They typically start you out with some nuts and then bring out the salads and vegetables later. Regardless of what you like to eat, you’ll love their food.

Overall, we had another lovely experience at Scribe, and I’m already itching to go back. This winery should be at the top of your list when visiting Sonoma.

We were still a little hungry after our tasting at Scribe, so we decided to head over to El Molino Central for some lunch. If you are looking for delicious and authentic Mexican food in Sonoma, look no further than El Molino. We’ve eaten here numerous times and we’ve always been pleased with the food. They have everything from fish tacos to enchiladas to guacamole. It’s all incredible.

After indulging in some amazing Mexican food at El Molino Central, we made our way over to Hanzell for our last tasting of the day. We had never been to Hanzell before, so we were really excited to learn more about this winery.

Hanzell is located in Sonoma Valley, and it’s kind of tucked away on a hill. If you’re driving to Hanzell, pay close attention because it can be hard to find! I loved the location because it was extremely private and you could see so much of Sonoma from the winery.

When we arrived, our host took us on a little tour and showed us around the property. Since we visited in early September, we were able to see some of the harvest activities in action. I love learning more about the winemaking process, so it’s fun to see it happening right in front of your face.

After the tour, we sat down in a beautiful tasting room that overlooked the vineyards. We tasted two different Chardonnays, a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved everything we tasted, but I was most impressed by their Chardonnay. We actually ended up taking a bottle home because we loved it so much!

I loved that the tasting at Hanzell was very personal and private. We always come away with a greater appreciation of the wine when we have a private experience. It’s a great way to get more information and ask more questions.

I highly recommend a visit to Hanzell if you are looking for something off the beaten path or if you’re looking for a more intimate experience. They are a reservation only winery, so be sure to call ahead if you want to do a tasting. If you go, I can assure you that you’ll love the experience, the views and the wine.

After our wine tasting at Hanzell, we made the drive up to Healdsburg so we could get settled into our Bed and Breakfast. We always stay at Bella Villa Messina when visiting Sonoma. You really can’t beat their location and the hospitality.

We enjoyed a glass of wine with the B&B hosts before heading off to dinner in downtown Healdsburg. We went to dinner at Campo Fina, and it was excellent. I highly recommend a reservation if you want to have dinner here. They have an amazing atmosphere and a really unique menu with plenty of options.

Saturday

We started off the day with a wine tasting at Jordan. We’ve been to Jordan numerous times, but we keep coming back because all of their experiences are phenomenal. They recently started offering a Chateau Block Tasting where you get to taste wine overlooking their new Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. The vines are only 18 months old, so they have a ways to go before they can start making wine with these grapes.

This wine tasting experience involved several different vintages of their Cabernet Sauvignon paired alongside amazing meats from the Journeyman Meat Company. It was fun to be able to try each wine with and without food. It’s always so fascinating to me how much a wine can change when you pair it with different foods.

All of the food was incredible, and I loved that they had a wide variety of cured meats. It was interesting to try the different flavors paired with the Cabernet. All of them tasted delicious, and I honestly couldn’t pick my favorite pairing.

I loved this wine tasting experience at Jordan, and it was fun to learn more about what types of grapes they grow on their property. Interestingly enough, this is the first Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard that they are planting on the property. They did some studies on the soil and determined that this would be a great location to plant Cabernet Sauvignon. Who knew? This new vineyard isn’t very big so Jordan will continue to purchase most of their Cabernet grapes from other vineyards in the area.

Overall, we had another great experience at Jordan and were very pleased with the new experience. I would highly recommend a visit to this winery if you are ever in the Alexander Valley area. Also, if you visit between May and October, be sure to book the Estate Tour and Tasting.

For our next tasting, we made our way over to Reeve Wines in Dry Creek Valley. This was our first visit to Reeve, and I honestly had never heard of it before. I found out about this winery through one of my social media friends who lives in the area. We called them the day of to book a tasting, but I would recommend reserving a few days in advance if you can.

Reeve did a great job with the tasting room atmosphere. I loved the feel of the winery and they had amazing interiors. Both the indoor and outdoor space were adorable. I took so many pictures of the tasting room because I want to try and copy some of this design for our own home!

We sat outside for our tasting where we had a lovely view of some vines on the property. Since they are only a few years old, they don’t grow many grapes on their own property, but they are looking to plant more vineyards in the near future.

We started out with a little rosé before we got into the structured tasting flight. Reeve offers two different tasting options, so we did one of each. It was nice to be able to try more varietals and see what we liked the best. Honestly, everything we tasted was fantastic and it was hard to pick favorites. We also got a complimentary plate of hummus and veggies with our tasting. I thought that was a really nice touch to have a little snack!

Funny enough, it was a little chilly at the winery when we visited so they offered us complimentary blankets. I took full advantage of this and decided to cozy up with the blanket. It made me feel right at home! Alex decided he didn’t the blanket. Must be that Minnesota blood.

Overall, I loved our wine tasting experience at Reeve, and I will definitely be returning. We took a couple bottles of wine home with us because we loved it so much. It checked all of my boxes for what I want in a winery and they were so welcoming. Check them out the next time you’re in Dry Creek Valley!

Our last stop of the day was a smaller, lesser-known winery called Judge Palmer. We discovered this winery after dining out at a local restaurant called Tris. We saw this wine on the list and decided to try it out. We were really impressed with the wine at dinner that night, so we decided to visit the winery while in Sonoma. Funny how life works like that sometimes!

This was a really unique wine tasting experience because we were hosted by the owner/winemaker himself, Palmer. I LOVE when you can get these kind of experiences because it’s so rare nowadays.

We had a great time learning more about the winery and why he started it. Palmer was a really interesting person and he had such a passion for wine. It really makes you feel good inside when you see someone living out their dream.

They don’t really have a super official tasting room/winery, but they do have a nice set-up outside where you can sit and overlook one of their vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. What an incredible sight to see! It was a super casual tasting, but so relaxing. I love that it was unlike any of the other tastings we did this weekend.

If you’re someone who appreciates smaller wineries and a personal experience, be sure to check out Judge Palmer. You’ll love their wines and their story.

We were pretty hungry after all the wine tastings and no lunch, so we stopped at Bear Republic Brewery for a quick beer and a snack. We always crave a beer or cocktail after a full day of wine tasting!

Later on, we went to Sake ‘O for an early dinner. We love their sushi rolls and fresh sashimi, and we try to go for dinner each time we visit Sonoma. If you’re looking for good sushi in the Healdsburg area, this is your place! They are super small, but we’ve never had a problem getting a seat. If you go at a peak time, you may have to wait a few minutes.

We ended the night with Jazz at Hotel Healdsburg. We discovered this event years ago on one of our Sonoma trips and fell in love. We make a point to go to Jazz Night each time we visit Sonoma. It’s so relaxing and the perfect way to unwind from a busy day of wine tasting. I love their cocktails, but they also serve wine and beer. Also, you can order food if you’d rather do dinner there! We’ve never eaten there, but the food looks good.

Sunday

We spent all of Sunday in Russian River Valley which is located about 20 minutes south of Healdsburg. We decided to visit Iron Horse for our first tasting of the day. This winery has been on our list for quite some time, so I’m glad we finally made a point to visit! Iron Horse is most known for their sparkling wines, but they make still wines as well.

When you arrive, one of the first things you’ll notice is the amazing views of Russian River Valley. The amount of vineyards you can see from their property is incredible! It was the perfect backdrop for a wine tasting.

We booked our tasting in advance, but the atmosphere was pretty casual. I’m not 100% sure if they require a reservation, but I always recommend one if you can plan ahead. On Sundays, they bring in fresh oysters from the coast, so it was starting to get busier as it got closer to lunchtime!

We each did a flight of sparkling wine, and we LOVED everything we tasted. All of their sparkling wine was incredible, and I liked that all of it was on the drier side. I don’t like any sweetness in my wine, so it was the perfect tasting for my palette.

I’d highly recommend a visit to Iron Horse if you love bubbles and a nice view. The winery was really laid back and welcoming. I hope we get to return someday soon!

After our wine tasting at Iron Horse, we wanted to go find some lunch in a nearby town called Forestville. Turns out, almost everything is closed in Forestville on Sunday and the only restaurant that was open was an hour wait! I couldn’t believe it. Basically, don’t try to stop in Forestville for a bite to eat unless you have a reservation!

We ended up heading to our next tasting at Gary Farrell since we couldn’t find any lunch options. Wine counts as lunch, right?

Since we were a little early, they started us off with a little Sauvignon Blanc and let us enjoy the outdoor patio. We had the whole place to ourselves, so it was nice to be able to relax and soak in the scenery. Gary Farrell has some incredible views of the Russian River Valley from their tasting room.

Our tasting took place on the patio outside, but they do have an indoor tasting room as well. The nice thing is that the indoor tasting room still has the same amazing views of the valley. I love it when wineries have beautiful spaces.

The tasting flight consisted of a Chardonnay to start and was followed by several different Pinot Noirs. We fell in love with all of the Pinots. They were so delicious! We also had a little cheese pairing with each of our wines. All of the cheeses paired really nicely with the wines, and it was a nice little snack since we didn’t get lunch.

Overall, we had a nice and relaxing time at Gary Farrell. I loved how private the experience was, and the atmosphere was incredible. I’d highly suggest this winery if you are a Pinot Noir lover. We ended up taking four bottles of Pinot home with us because we were obsessed. Also, if you do decide to visit, be sure to book a reservation!

Our final stop of the day was a smaller, boutique winery called Wren Hop. Not many people know about this winery, but I think that’s what makes it so special. I love finding these kinds of places because you always get a more personal experience.

They have a small tasting room that overlooks some of their vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Fun Fact: You can actually see Mount Saint Helena from their tasting room patio!

Wren Hop’s tasting room was gorgeous, and I loved the vibe. They had plenty of seating, and it would be a good winery to visit if you had a larger group!

Our tasting consisted of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They said that their Pinot Noir can be best described as “the Pinot for the Cab lover.” I thought this was the perfect description because their Pinot Noir was definitely heavier and more full bodied than a typical Pinot. It tasted completely opposite from all the other Pinots we had on this trip. Either way, we still enjoyed it and appreciated how unique it was.

You will absolutely need a reservation if you plan to visit Wren Hop. Since it is so small, it isn’t really a place where you can just walk in. I would suggest a visit if you are looking for a private experience in the Russian River Valley. It would also be a good experience if you tend to prefer heavier wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah.

We ended the day by driving back up to Healdsburg for cocktails and dinner. We first went to Willi’s for cocktails and ceviche. This is a great restaurant in downtown Healdsburg if you are in the mood for seafood! They have a pretty big menu and there’s bound to be something for everyone. They have both indoor and outdoor seating available.

After having a quick appetizer at Willi’s, we went over to Chalkboard for our actual dinner. We sat at the bar and realized it was still happy hour, so I was excited to get a deal. I LOVE the menu at Chalkboard because it’s so diverse and it includes a wide variety of dishes. You can get everything from pastas to salads to street corn to fried chicken. Everything they make is incredible, but some of our personal favorites are the fried chicken and the street corn salad! Everything comes out family style and is meant to be shared with the table. It’s a great restaurant if you’re staying in the Healdsburg area.

If you’re looking for more information on Sonoma, check out my other travel guides linked below:

• Sonoma February 2019
• Sonoma July 2018
• Sonoma VLOG
• Sonoma – No Reservations
• Two Perfect Days in Sonoma
• Wine Country Weekend – Sonoma
• Hamel Wine Tasting Experience
• Robert Young Wine Tasting Experience

As always, let me know if you have any questions about wine country travel (Napa or Sonoma)! I’m happy to suggest more wineries to visit and give additional advice when planning your trip. Cheers!