Sonoma Wineries for Reds

If you're all looking for specific red wines where should you go?  Following are some ideas of Sonoma County wineries that do certain varietals really well. This is not an all-inclusive list. It's not the best bargains. They aren't all available in your local store, but all are places you can visit if you are in the area.

Where to go for red varietals.

Jordan Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon

Arrowood. A number of pricey cabs. They are part of Kendall-Jackson.

Jordan. Their cab shows up in fancy restaurants everywhere. The chardonnay is good, too.

Laurel Glen. Several decades of great cab. They are a bit pricey now.

Robert Young. Better-known for chardonnay, but the cabs are where they really shine.

Sbragia. Cool spot at the north end of Dry Creek Valley. Lots of cabs available.

Silver Oak. Known for their two cabs; one from Napa, one from Alexander Valley in Sonoma County.

Soda Rock. Soft, fruity cabs.

Stonestreet. Lots of cabs. Winery is owned by Kendall-Jackson.

Stuhlmuller. Yep, it's a funny name, but the wines are top-notch.

 

Merlot

Gundlach Bundschu. It's not a wimpy merlot.

Matanzas Creek. Making several merlots and merlot blends.

St. Francis. The wine that put St. Francis on the map.

 

Pinot Noir

Benovia. A bit of a hidden secret.

DRNK. Highly rated.

Dutton-Goldfield. Several good pinots and chardonnays. 

Flowers. Highly rated, priced accordingly.

Furthermore. It's all about pinot.

Gary Farrell. Numerous owners over the years and Gary is long gone, but the wines are still great.

Hanzell. Been around forever and has a loyal following. It's a bit pricey.

Joseph Swan.  Fifty years of Sonoma County pinot noir.

Lynmar. A great place to visit and try numerous excellent pinots.

Merry Edwards. One of the best.

Moshin. Pinot is the family's specialty. 

Papapietro Perry. Pinot is their specialty, too.

Rochioli. A pinot pioneer. They own some of the best pinot vineyards in the county.

Walt. Many pinots from different West Coast locations.

Walter Hansel. Several pinots available.

Williams Selyem. A pinot mainstay for a long time; even before pinot was trendy!

Zinfandel

It is particularly difficult to pick just a few wineries because there is so much great zin in Sonoma Co.

Bedrock. Most wines sold by mailing list, but they have a tasting room in Sonoma.

Carlisle. Lots of zins here.

Dry Creek Vyds. Many excellent zins; and many other wines.

Mauritson. Dry Creek Valley and Rockpile -- the two best areas for growing zin.

Preston. Lou sells one zin and many other great reds. You can only find them here.

Rafanelli. Very limited. People come from all over seeking it out.

Ridge. Zin is their specialty, as it has been for a long time.

St. Francis. Several zins available.

Seghesio. They are all about zin.

Wilson. Big award winner for their big zins.

Other red varietals

Imagery, Jacuzzi, VJB for sangiovese.

Imagery, Preston, Unti for barbera.

Dutton Estate, Dutton-Goldfield, Red Car, Kobler Estate for syrah.

Gundlach Bundschu's Rhinefarm Vineyard