This boutique winery with a tasting room in downtown Forestville specializes in red wines—Zinfandel, Cabernet, Pinot Noir—with tasty Chardonnay thrown in. Founder and winemaker Jigar Patel works with the best grape growers in the surrounding area to create wines full of character. Enjoy a walk-in tasting in their stylish, centrally located tasting room as you explore Forestville.

Insider Tip

If you’d like a private tour with behind-the-scenes action, schedule a private tasting at their cellar in Healdsburg.

Directions

Turn left out of Wine Guerilla, walk 1 block, the tasting room is on your left.

Friends Micah Joseph Wirth and Adrian Jewell Manspeaker teamed up to make wine together in 2006, and haven’t looked back since. The single-vineyard Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel they produce are classic reflections of Sonoma County terroir, and make great wines to pair with food at home. The newly opened tasting room in downtown Forestville exudes rustic charm.

Insider Tip

After sampling some wines, head next door for a pick-me-up at Twist Eatery, which serves fresh California dishes like brown-sugar-brined roast chicken and Stone Soup with griddle toast.

Directions

From Jigar Wines, turn left and walk 1 block. Cross the street to Joseph Jewell Wines.

Hartford Family Winery is a family-owned winery just 15 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Their winemaking philosophy is “character through adversity,” and the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and old vine Zinfandel certainly carry this quality in spades. The winery offers a variety of tasting options, from a casual bar tasting to a seated library tasting, but each one allows you to soak up the friendly atmosphere and gorgeous vineyard views.

Insider Tip

Try the boxed lunch option paired with the signature flight for a full wine country experience (available April through September).

Directions

From Joseph Jewell Wines, drive west out of downtown Forestville on CA 116, make a right onto Martinelli Road, then make a right onto Denno Lane, and look for the winery on your right.

Joseph Swan Vineyards has come a long way from Joe Swan’s first “vintage,” rhubarb wine, made using his mother’s washing machine many years ago in North Dakota. Today, the winery is known for producing some of Sonoma County’s best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with layer upon layer of elegant fruit. The winery’s tasting room is set up inside the barrel room, where you’ll get to see the inner workings of the winery.

Insider Tip

Bring a jacket, since the tasting room is the barrel room, and the barrels are stored at a crisp 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Directions

From Hartford Family Winery, get back onto CA 116 going east, drive 0.2 miles, then make a left onto Mirabel Road. Drive on Mirabel Road for 2 miles, then make a right onto River Road. After 2 miles, bear right to get onto Trenton Road, then look for the winery on your right.

By appointment, visit this winery and newly remodeled tasting room to try award-winning wines. The beautiful property offers sweeping views, a lovely cottage and a serene pond.

Kistler Vineyards embodies the best of Sonoma County, from the exquisite wines to the quaint farmhouse. The tasting room is technically located in Sebastopol, but it’s just a short five-minute drive from Forestville. The Kistler family applies traditional Old World techniques to their modern, New World vineyards on the Sonoma Coast to create beautifully balanced Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which rival the great wines of Burgundy. Tastings are hosted in the Trenton Roadhouse, a picturesque white farmhouse surrounded by vineyards.

Insider Tip

Just down the road is Mom’s Apple Pie, and it doesn’t get more authentic or country than Betty “Mom” Carr’s homemade pies. Their newly opened café is a great place to stop for lunch between wineries.

Directions

From Joseph Swan Vineyards, head west on Trenton Road for 0.2 miles. Make a sharp left onto Laguna Road, drive for two miles, then make a right onto Vine Hill Drive. The winery is on the left.