Wine Tasting in Healdsburg and Sonoma County: 5+ Spectacular Wineries to Visit

A smaller wine region, the Russian River Valley is tucked away just north of Napa and Sonoma. The Russian River Valley has a cooler climate, which makes for some fun and unique wines. The most popular varietals from this area are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Russian River Valley includes the areas of Healdsburg and Forestville to the north and Sebastopol and Santa Rosa to the South. Spending a weekend wine tasting in Healdsburg is a great couples or girls’ getaway. 

History of Healdsburg

The first people to the Healdsburg area were the Pomo people. They built a bunch of villages along the Russian River. Later in the 1800s, the area became inhabited by American and Russian settlers. In 1857, the town of Healdsburg was founded and in 1872, the North Pacific Railroad reached Healdsburg. Present-day, Healdsburg has grown into an adorable little town with over 400 wineries in the area. 

How to get to Healdsburg

The closest airport to Healdsburg is the Sonoma County Airport. Many cities from across the United States fly into this airport including Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. From the Sonoma County Airport, take the 101-North for 15 minutes to get to downtown Healdsburg. 

You will get a better flight deal either flying into San Francisco International Airport or Oakland International Airport. From there, it is about an hour and a half drive to Healdsburg. 

From the San Francisco International Airport, take the 101-North to the 80-East. Get on the 580-West to get back to the 101-North to Healdsburg. From the Oakland International Airport, take the 101-North to Healdsburg.  

When to Visit Healdsburg

There is no wrong time to visit wine country, especially Healdsburg. Depending on which season you visit, you will get a totally different experience. To avoid the crowds, do not visit during summertime. However, summertime offers the fullest and greenest vineyards. Fall brings about harvest season and gorgeous fall colors. During wintertime, Healdsburg will be less busy and colder but the vines will be bare. Spring is always a gorgeous time to visit, and will be a bit cooler and less busy than in the summertime. 

Where to Stay in Healdsburg

TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Healdsburg hotels here!

The Healdsburg area has a ton of different boutique and chain hotels scattered throughout the region. We opted to stay in Windsor which is about 10 minutes south of Healdsburg to save some money. The Hampton Inn and Suites Windsor cost about $100/night, which is pretty inexpensive for the area. Make sure to always check out Priceline Express Deals, as these can save you tons of money. Have a larger group? Check out Airbnb for some other housing options! New to Airbnb? Sign up here to get $55 off your first stay.

Transportation around Healdsburg

To get around when wine tasting in Healdsburg, you will need a car. I recommend using Autoslash to get your rental car as they usually have the best prices. You can also hire a driver to take you around the area, but that can be pretty costly. 

Best Wineries to go Wine Tasting in Healdsburg

Arista Winery

Cost: Free

Hours: Daily by appointment -10 am, 12 pm and 2 pm

Best Wine: Mononi Pinot Noir

Arista was founded by a couple in 2002. They offer a lot of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Most of their grapes come from the Russian River Valley. The winery is gorgeous and has tons of lovely places to sit around a sip on some wine. A tasting come with five wines for you to try and they also gave us one bonus pour. It was well worth a free tasting stop. 

Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery

Cost: $35/person

Hours: 10am-3pm

Best Wine: Sanford and Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir

Disclaimer: Special thanks to Gary Farrell Vineyards for hosting me on my visit. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own. 

Gary Farrell might have been the favorite stop when wine tasting in Healdsburg. The views from the tasting room were gorgeous. What is unique about Gary Farrell is the winery sources its grapes from many other vineyards in the area, mostly in the Russian River Valley. They are more focused on the wine making process than the wine growing process. Your tasting fee includes a 60 minute tasting of five Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. I especially enjoyed their Pinot Noirs. 

J Rochioli Vineyards and Winery

Cost: $25/person

Hours: Daily by appointment -10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm

Best Wine: Estate Pinot Noir

Rochiloi is one of the original Russian River Valley wineries. Their wine making process began in the 1950s with the purchase of the estate and began producing quality wines in the 1960s. They are now onto their third-generation of winemakers. The Rochioli tasting flight comes with a sample of three different wines that you can taste while overlooking their gorgeous vineyards. 

Kistler Vineyards

Cost: $100

Hours: Daily by appointment

Best Wine: Laguna Ridge Chardonnay

Disclaimer: Thanks to our friends for gifting us a tasting at Kisler. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own. 

Kistler Vineyards is a very unique winery that specializes in Chardonnays. They take a single clone of Chardonnay and plant it in various locations around the area, including the Russian River Valley, Carneros, and the Sonoma Coast. Your experience at Kistler includes a private tour of the Trenton Road House where they explain the wine-making process, a tasting of 5 wines with a bonus pour or two, and a snack box that included fresh cheese, hummus, crackers, and nuts.

To visit Kister, you must make a reservation by emailing: reservations@kistlervineyards.com as they only allow a few people to visit each day. Although the price point is pretty high, it was a very unique experience and fun to try at least once. 

Papapietro Perry Winery

Cost: $25/person

Hours: 11am-3pm

Best Wine: Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Papapietro Perry Winery is a smaller winery that specializes in Pinot Noirs. They also make a few Chardonnays and Zinfindales. The winery was originally started in a garage by two friends. Throughout the years, they have grown a bit bigger and offer a cute wine tasting location. A tasting includes 5 different wines to try and thay also ended up giving us two bonus pours. Another cool things about Papapietro Perry is that it is located next to several other tasting rooms. You could easily spend a day in the area trying the different rooms. 

Other noteworthy wineries in the area include Copain Wines, Flowers Vineyards and Winery, Carlisle Winery and Vineyards, and Siduri Wines. 

Tips for Saving Money When Wine Tasting in Healdsburg

The Napa and Healdsburg areas are some of the more expensive wine regions in the world. However, there are several ways you can save some money when wine tasting in Healdsburg. 

Do your research on wineries. Wineries in Healdsburg are a lot cheaper than in Napa proper, but some of them are still pretty pricey. There are some awesome wineries out there where you do not need to pay lots of money to taste at and some are even free! Some wineries even let you split tastings. 

Go to Costco to get some bottles of wine. They usually have tons of Napa wines and you do not need a membership to buy wine there. 

Buy wine in bulk from the wineries to get a case discount and split with friends and family (or stock up for presents). 

Fly the wine home instead of shipping it. Alaska Airlines flies a case of wine home for free. On Southwest Airlines, you always get two checked bags for free. 

Note: Due to COVID, you will need to make reservations for all of these wineries ahead of time. You will not be allowed in without a reservation. To make a reservation, go to each winery’s website. All tasting will be held outside and face coverings are required unless you are sitting at your table. 

Wine Tasting in Healdsburg during COVID

Note: Due to COVID, you will need to make reservations for all of these wineries ahead of time. You will not be allowed in without a reservation. To make a reservation, go to each winery’s website. All tasting will be held outside and face coverings are required unless you are sitting at your table.

What to do Besides Wine Tasting in Healdsburg

Healdsburg also has some of the best restaurants to eat at. I loved every single one we ate at. Do not miss breakfast at Costeaux French Bakery, where I had the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had. You cannot visit Healdsburg without visiting Valette. Make sure to do the tasting menu where each course is a surprise. Other delicious restaurants include Barndiva, Bravas Bar de Tapas, and Campo Fina. Make sure to grab an Italian Ice at Amy’s Wicked Slush to cool down on a hot day.

California and the United States have some of the best wine regions in the world. If you have more time after wine tasting in Healdsburg, head over to Napa and Sonoma to some of the excellent wineries there. Paso Robles and Temecula are two other fabulous wine-tasting regions in California. 

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