Beautiful Wineries of Sonoma County

Some of the most eye-catching wineries in the county are listed below. I don't make any claim to these being the most beautiful as beauty is in the eye of the beholder / beer holder / Chardonnay holder. 

Some are more for the architecture, some for the surrounding landscape, some have artwork. 

 

Autumn at Chalk Hill Winery
image from Sonoma County Tourism

Chalk Hill Winery, southeast of Healdsburg in the Chalk Hill appellation

It's a 1,300 acre (2 sq miles) property with 300 acres in vines. You'll need a road map to find your way around. I'd call the main building's architecture style "French luxury." The founder of the winery in the 1970s had a lot of money and built a heckuva winery estate. You can get a Humvee tour and wine tasting package. They are known for their Chardonnay.

 

Coursey Graves Winery
image from Coursey Graves Winery

 

Coursey Graves Winery, on Bennett Mountain overlooking Bennett Valley 

I haven't been to this winery, as it's fairly new and fairly expensive. It gets a lot of rave reviews for its setting. The grounds look like a French painting, and you overlook the valley below. Small production wines not found in stores.

 

At Donum, the Crouching Spider has its own building
image from Donum Estate

Donum Estate Winery, Southeast of the town of Sonoma in Carneros

The 190 acre farm and art exhibits are amazing. The buildings are quite artsy, also. No expense was spared on showcasing the owner's artwork. Go to the Art tab at their website's main page and make a selection from their site map. Amazing. The wines are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

 

The entrance to Ferrari-Carano
image from Ferrari-Carano Winery

Ferrari-Carano Winery, in the north end of Dry Creek Valley

It's all about the gardens so you almost miss the French chateau-style building. A lot of landscapers have a job because of this winery. I am ashamed to look at my own yard after walking through theirs. They make and distribute a lot of wines to stores, plus have a few small production wines.

 

Seating at Gloria Ferrer
image from Gloria Ferrer 

Gloria Ferrer, south of Sonoma town in Carneros

It's all about sitting outside with a glass of sparkling wine, a plate of charcuterie, while looking over the vineyards. The culinary experience gets rave reviews. Besides the sparkling wines, there are whites, rosé, and reds, mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

 

Hamel Winery, overlooking Sonoma Valley
image from Hamel Family Winery

Hamel Family Wines, north of the town of Sonoma in the Sonoma Valley 

You will be wowed by the building, the food, and the views. This is the spare no expenses winery in the county. If you miss the extravagance and prices of Napa, this is your place!

 

The Jordan Winery estate
image from Jordan Winery

Jordan Winery, in Alexander Valley not too far from Healdsburg

This is perhaps the first high-end winery in Sonoma County. It was a "build a fancy place to taste and charge fancy prices" winery. So he went kind of 17th-18th century French chateau. The prices haven't really gone up much over the years. They are known for Cabernet, and also make Chardonnay. The family has gotten into everything from gardening to beekeeping. After all these years, I have never visited Jordan. It just seemed too fancy for my blue-collar upbringing. Maybe it's the chandeliers in the cellar.

 

One of MacRostie's tasting areas
image from sonoma.com

MacRostie Winery, south of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley

People love the experience here, the combination of wine, food, hospitality, and views. They're known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but make other wines. 

 

Paradise Ridge looking west
image from me :)

Paradise Ridge Winery, Russian River Valley 

The winery sits on 155 acre property in Santa Rosa, overlooking their own vineyards and the Russian River Valley. They might be most known for the collection of outdoor artwork scattered around the property, including the Love sculpture that's been the site of numerous engagements and a few weddings. They make many wines, with the best known are probably the Sauvignon Blanc and the reds from the Rockpile growing area.

Paradise Ridge Winery was rebuilt
after the 2017 Tubbs Fire
image from Paradise Ridge