Day Tripping: Two Winery Neighborhoods

The biggest challenge when wine tasting in Sonoma County is geography.

Our county is made beautiful by its diverse landscape: rolling hills and sweeping valleys, redwood forests and open pasture, as well as the vibrant towns and winding roads that connect them all.

But with 1,384 miles of county roads, sometimes it’s nice to find one location—or at the very least, a neighborhood of wineries—where you can sample local wines without overwhelming your odometer.

Of course, a myriad of in-town tasting rooms provide one-stop wine shopping. I was looking for something closer to the source: something where one could not only taste the terroir, but experience it. My search for an easy wine-tasting day-trip led to me to two winery neighborhoods, both of which offer a convenient day trip for locals and visitors.

North County: Family Wineries Dry Creek Valley
In northern Sonoma County, the obvious choice is Family Wineries’ tasting room in Dry Creek Valley. The first and only cooperatively owned tasting room in Dry Creek, it’s owned in equal shares by Dashe Cellars, Collier Falls, Mietz Cellars, Philip Staley Vineyards & Winery, Forth, and Lago di Merlo Vineyards & Winery.

“It’s a whole cooperative feeling throughout,” said Nancy Mietz of Mietz Cellars. “We all work well together, and we have fun.”

The tasting room is peppered with locally produced treats, and staff is comfortable discussing and pouring any of the six local labels. On weekends, one of the six winemakers can be found pouring and chatting with guests.

“The consumer is getting a unique viewpoint: they get to taste ten different types of Zinfandel in one room,” said Glenn Dixon, general manager.

He noted that the wines offered are select, and difficult to find outside of the tasting room or buying club.

“We have wines that are 100, 70, even 50 cases in some instances. Eighty percent of the wines we have are not readily available elsewhere,” Dixon said.

But the tasting room is only the beginning. It’s not just the cooperative ownership, but the country location that sets this tasting room apart from in-town alternatives. And while you might worry about being stranded in rural Dry Creek, away from the culinary amenities of Healdsburg, never fear: there’s a brand new food truck on hand to facilitate a no-muss, no-fuss picnic.

Todd Muir, the former chef of Madrona Manor, runs Al Fresco Kitchen—a food truck that may have the best view of any food truck or restaurant in Sonoma County. It seems almost sinful to enjoy fine diner fare as you gaze out over the valley floor to the mountains beyond. Customer favorites include the tri-tip sandwich and the cheeseburger with caramelized onions.

If you’re looking for something to accompany that cheeseburger, Muir’s farm-fresh salad—brimming with candied walnuts, goat cheese, a fig chutney vinaigrette, and cut apples—offers a healthy alternative to his French fries.

“It just says seasonal salad on the menu, but when I tell them the ingredients, a lot of people say ‘Oooh, I’ll have that,’” said Muir. “McDonald’s should take note.” Al Fresco Kitchen is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and will remain open through November.

The meal is best enjoyed at shaded picnic tables overlooking Dry Creek Valley. The nearby barn, which towers overhead, was built in the 1880s and is known as the oldest standing barn in the valley.

“It’s a historic landmark,” Dixon said.

Chilled wine and glasses to accompany the picnic can be purchased at the Family Wineries’ tasting room, or from one of the other wineries that share the property.

After lunch, there’s no need to get back in the car. After all, five other wineries ring the hilltop. Kokomo Winery, only a few years old, is the new kid on the block. Trattore’s wine is made by the renowned Kerry Damskey. Amphora, Papapietro, and Peterson wineries round out the mix. Dry Creek Olive Company offers olive oil tastings for a late afternoon snack and there’s a bocce ball court if you feel the urge to play.

Before you leave, don’t forget to pick a few flowers. The property owner has planted a gorgeous garden for visitors to enjoy, and encourages everyone to help themselves—because, as she put it, the more flowers you pick, the more flowers will grow.  

West Sonoma County Wineries: Eleven within Eleven
In West County, 11 family wineries have banded together to support one another, describing themselves as “Eleven family owned wineries within eleven miles.”

Eleven miles was a bit too far to meet my winery neighborhood criteria, but luckily there are several of these family wineries centered around Graton: Red Car Winery, Dutton-Goldfield Winery, Graton Ridge Cellars, Dutton Estate Winery, and Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery. Each tasting room has a unique feel and all exist within a couple of “country blocks”—that is to say, miles—of one another.

“It’s a tasting room collective in a way,” explained Red Car Winery tasting room manager Jenny Harrow.

She noted that all 11 of the wineries are family owned, and focus on small production of quality wines.

“When we refer our guests to the other tasting rooms, we know that they’re really local families with smaller production,” Harrow said.

Which brings us to Harrow’s tasting room at Red Car Winery. Don’t be intimidated by the hip vibe. The tasting room is very chic—naked filament bulbs, the grill of a car hung from a wall, a turntable heaped with old vinyl—but the atmosphere is welcoming. In fact, it’s one of the few tasting rooms which offers stools (1940s sewing stools from India, in fact) for guests to perch on and make themselves at home while wine tasting.

“We were going for a modern, but comfortable feeling… that’s why we went with stools. It’s kind of an unconventional choice, but we want people to feel like they can stay a while,” Harrow said.

For a style at the opposite end of the spectrum, head down the road to Dutton Estate Winery. The tasting room is found in a country home surrounded by hydrangeas, and filled with rustic charm—a decidedly authentic charm, noted general manager Ruben Lopez.

“I’ve definitely noticed, over the last year and a half, a group of customers who used to tour Napa and now come here because it’s what Napa was 30 years ago,” Lopez said. “It’s that small cozy feeling. Joe and Tracy [Dutton] could be in the tasting room at any time. It’s really a neighborhood here.”

And if you’re in the winery neighborhood, flitting from Dutton Estate to Graton Ridge to Marimar Estate, there is of course a neighborhood eatery beloved by all. Nearly every tasting room manager recommends Underwood Bar & Bistro or Willow Wood Market Café for lunch—a wonderful way to top off a visit to the Graton winery neighborhood.


[FIND THE WINE]
Area codes 707 unless noted.

Family Wineries Dry Creek Valley
(Dashe Cellars, Collier Falls, Mietz
Cellars, Philip Staley Vineyards &
Winery, Forth, and Lago di Merlo
Vineyards & Winery)
4791 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg
888-433-6555 x1; familywines.com

Also at this address:
Amphora, Kokomo, Papapietro, and
Peterson wineries, Trattore Estate Wines,
and Dry Creek Olive Company

West Sonoma County Wineries
(Eleven within eleven miles)
westsonomacountywineries.com

Balletto Vineyards & Winery
5700 Occidental Rd., Santa Rosa?568-2455 x101; ballettovineyards.com

Dutton Estate Winery
8757 Green Valley Rd., Sebastopol?829-9463; duttonestate.com

Dutton-Goldfield Winery
3100 Gravenstein Hwy. N.,Sebastopol
827-3600; duttongoldfield.com

Freestone Vineyards
12747 El Camino Bodega, Freestone?874-1010; freestonevineyards.com

Graton Ridge Cellars
3561 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Sebastopol?823-3040; gratonridge.com

Hanna Winery ?& Vineyards
5353 Occidental Rd., Santa Rosa?575-3371; hannawinery.com

Iron Horse Vineyards
9786 Ross Station Rd., Sebastopol
887-1507; ironhorsevineyards.com

Marimar Estate Vineyards & Winery
11400 Graton Rd., Sebastopol
823-4356; marimarestate.com

Red Car Winery
8400 Graton Rd., Sebastopol?829-8500; redcarwine.com

Russian River Vineyards
5700 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Forestville
887-3344; russianrivervineyards.com

Taft Street Winery
2030 Barlow Lane, Sebastopol?823-2049; taftstreetwinery.com