14 Best Sights in Sebastopol, Napa and Sonoma

Distinguished producers like Patz & Hall and Kosta Browne make wines from grapes farmed by the Chenoweth family, whose ancestors settled in the redwood-studded hills northwest of Sebastopol in the mid-1800s. In 2000, Charlie Chenoweth converted apple orchards to vineyards, in recent years reserving some of the fruit for his wife, Amy, to craft the namesake Pinot Noirs and rosé of Pinot Noir. Her excellent wines alone warrant a visit to the several hundred–acre property, but the lofty Russian River Valley perspectives, down-home hospitality, and hardworking but fun-loving family vibe elevate the experience exponentially. Appointment-only tastings, often conducted by the gregarious Amy herself, include a rollicking UTV tour to sip Pinots where their grapes were grown. If you can't make it to the ranch, Region wine bar in The Barlow pours two Chenoweth wines.

An avid cyclist whose previous credits include developing the wine-making program at what's now Hartford Family Winery, Dan Goldfield teamed up with fifth-generation farmer Steve Dutton to establish this small operation devoted to cool-climate wines. Goldfield modestly strives to take Dutton's meticulously farmed fruit and "make the winemaker unnoticeable," but what impresses the most about these wines, which include Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel, is their sheer artistry. Among the ones to seek out are the Angel Camp Pinot Noir, from Anderson Valley (Mendocino County) grapes, and the Morelli Lane Zinfandel, from fruit grown on the remaining 1.8 acres of an 1880s vineyard Goldfield helped revive. Lauded as a top Sonoma County winery by Wine & Spirits and Food & Wine magazines, Dutton-Goldfield is open by appointment but accepts walk-ins when possible.

A meandering one-lane road leads to this winery known for its sparkling wines and estate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. The sparklers have made history: Ronald Reagan served them at his summit meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev; George H. W. Bush took some along to Moscow for treaty talks; and Barack Obama included them at official state dinners. Despite Iron Horse's brushes with fame, a casual rusticity prevails at its outdoor tasting area (large heaters keep things comfortable on chilly days), which gazes out on acres of rolling, vine-covered hills. Tastings are by appointment only.

Elegant and balanced describe Lynmar's landscaping and contemporary architecture, but the terms also apply to the wine-making philosophy. Expect handcrafted Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs with long, luxurious finishes, especially on the Pinots. The attention to refinement and detail extends to the tasting spaces, where well-informed pourers serve patrons enjoying garden and vineyard views. The Quail Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, a blend of some or all of the 15 Pinot Noir clones grown in the vineyard just outside, consistently performs well. Also exceptional are La Sereinité Chardonnay and the Five Sisters, Anisya's Blend, and Lynn's Blend Pinot Noirs. Most wines can be bought only by belonging to the allocation list or at the winery. Tastings are by appointment only.

Connoisseurs of coastal cool-climate wines gravitate to this small operation that's made Wine & Spirits Magazine's list of the world's top 100 wineries annually for nearly a decade. The estate lineup—Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, and Zinfandel—comes from a 42-acre, biodynamically farmed hilltop vineyard in Occidental. Owner-winemaker Eric Sussman sources fruit from similar marine-influenced sites for the rest of his wines. A visit to his warehouselike Sebastopol production facility isn't about glam or fabulous vineyard views or the mythical Wine Country lifestyle. But if you want to experience "true Sonoma Coast" wines grown with precision and sculpted with minimal intervention by a master craftsman, try to score one of the few weekday appointments (very much required). Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah are Radio-Coteau's stars, though the estate Lemorel Zinfandel, from 1946 vines, shines nearly as bright.

A multibuilding complex on a 12½-acre former apple-cannery site, The Barlow celebrates Sonoma County's "maker" culture with tenants who produce or sell wine, beer, spirits, crafts, clothing, art, and artisanal foods. The anchor wine tenant, Kosta Browne, receives only club members and allocation-list guests, but other tasting rooms are open to the public, among them Region wine bar, which promotes small Sonoma County producers. Crooked Goat Brewing makes and sells ales, Golden State Cider pours apple-driven beverages, and you can have a nip of vodka, gin, sloe gin, or wheat and rye whiskey at Spirit Works Distillery. Over at Fern Bar, the zero-proof (as in nonalcoholic) cocktails entice as much as the traditional ones. The bar serves food, as do Blue Ridge Kitchen (Southern-influenced comfort fare), Acme Pizza, Red Bird Bakery (excellent breakfast and lunch fare), Sushi Koshō, and the affiliated Oyster Bar, and a few other spots.

Old-timers recall the superb apples grown at Hallberg Ranch, since 2000 an elite Pinot Noir vineyard. Founder Brice Jones coveted this land for its temperate climate and layer of Goldridge sandy loam soil atop a bed of Sebastopol clay loam. Along with dry-farming (no irrigation), this soil combination forces vine roots to work hard to obtain water, yielding berries concentrated with flavor. Emeritus sells grapes to boutique and larger wineries, reserving much of the remainder for the flagship Emeritus Hallberg Ranch Pinot Noir. Less than 10 miles away, the winery farms the estate 30-acre Pinot Hill Vineyard, whose wines are often denser and more complex. You can sample the Pinots at a structure whose floor-to-ceiling windows are retracted in good weather to create an extended open-air space steps from the vines. Tastings are by appointment, with same-day visits sometimes possible.

Find out what makes small family-owned wineries tick at this operation producing fewer than 2,000 cases annually. In northern Sebastopol almost to Forestville, Michael Kobler farms 4½ acres of Viognier and Syrah. His son Mike makes wines from these grapes, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir purchased from the esteemed Bacigalupi Vineyard. Michael's wife (and Mike's mom), Debbie, keeps everything running smoothly at the family's 1870 Victorian farmhouse, where guests enjoy tastings on a vineyard's-edge patio. With an old water tower looming overhead, chickens clucking in a nearby coop, and views west to Green Valley's wooded hills, the setting is laid back and idyllic. Visits are by appointment. If you can't get one, try Region wine bar in downtown Sebastopol, which always pours a white and a red.

Winemaker Merry Edwards has long extolled the Russian River Valley as "the epicenter of great Pinot Noir." The winery that bears her name, since 2019 owned by the Roederer Estate sparkling-wine house, produces single-vineyard and blended wines that express the unique characteristics of the soils, climates, and grape clones from which they derive. (Edwards's research into Pinot Noir clones has been so extensive that one is named after her.) Edwards preferred the Russian River as a growing site, believing that the warmer-than-average daytime temperatures encouraged more intense fruit, with the evening fogs mitigating the extra heat's potentially adverse effects. The winery also makes Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Appellation Tasting provides a three-wine, 30-minute introduction to the brand and the Russian River Valley, but consider stepping up to the Terroir Tasting of several Pinot Noirs.

The whimsical sculptures of local junk artist Patrick Amiot and his wife, Brigitte Laurent (he creates them, she paints them), can be seen all over Sonoma County, but you can see many works on Florence Avenue three blocks west of Main Street. Amiot reclaims old car parts, abandoned appliances, and the like, refashioning them into everything from pigs, dogs, and people to mermaids and Godzilla.

Wine critics routinely bestow high-90s scores on the Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Cabernet Sauvignons produced at this appointment-only winery set amid gently rolling vineyards in northwestern Sebastopol. Owner-winemaker Paul Hobbs's university thesis investigated the flavors that result from various oak-barrel toasting levels. He continued his education at Robert Mondavi Winery, Opus One, and other storied establishments before striking out on his own in 1991. Tastings take place in a space designed by winery specialist Howard Backen's architectural firm. Guests on a Signature Tasting visit the winery and sip several wines; the Vineyard Designate Experience includes the tour plus small bites paired with limited-edition single-vineyard wines.

"Come for the Primus, stay for the wines" is the unspoken motto of this winery the funk-metal band Primus's bassist and lead vocalist, Les Claypool, founded (as Claypool Cellars) with his wife, Chaney. The trailer hot dog stand out back and the 21st-century hippie-casual tasting room—a former boat-repair shack with an unpainted-wood interior and catchy Craigslist-castoff furnishings—are two signs this isn't an aren't-we-fabulous vanity project. So, too, are the cool-climate Pinot Noirs from Sonoma Coast grapes. Made by Ross Cobb, a local master of the genre, these wines would earn serious consideration no matter who was fronting them. The only upscale touch is the welcome wine, Champagne from a French producer Claypool admires. Frivolity reigns at Wines and Weiners, the latter gourmet Niman Ranch hot dogs, on Friday and weekends.

Some ex–movie folks started Red Car as the new millennium dawned, naming it for Los Angeles's old streetcars and producing wines out of Southern California before moving operations to Sonoma County. Coastal, cool-climate wines are the specialty. The Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah, among the best, come from grapes grown in the far-coastal Fort Ross–Seaview AVA. Other wines that consistently shine include the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, the rosé of Pinot Noir ("hits the mark year after year," enthused one critic), and Heaven & Earth Pinot Noir. The tasting room's hip country-casual decor pairs well with the rock playlist and the hosts' low-key approach. On a sunny afternoon the shaded outdoor patio is the place to be. Red Car shares a parking lot with Dutton-Goldfield, making this an excellent two-for-one stop.

"Drink your region" is the motto of this combination wine bar and shop whose self-serve stations dispense two wines by 25 small Sonoma County producers in 1-, 2½-, and 5-ounce pours. Each week a different operation takes center stage, with vintners, winemakers, or staffers from the featured winery discussing wines during meet-the-makers happy hours. Convene by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne's Chev, the new (separate) projects by the founders of Kosta Browne are among the labels represented, along with Chenoweth, Eric Kent, Trombetta, Young Hagen, and other local brands worth learning about. (If you've never heard of them, there's your reason to check this place out.) Region, which encourages appointments but strives to accommodate same-day guests, opens at 1 pm and closes at 8.