Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.8 · 150
Hamel
Hamel dry-farms volcanic hillside vineyards using certified Biodynamic practices.
Reservation
$$$From $95
Sonoma Valley Wineries
17 wineries to explore|Known for Chardonnay
About Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of California's commercial wine industry, dating to the 1850s. Flanked by the Mayacamas and Sonoma mountain ranges, it produces diverse wines across approximately 14,000 vineyard acres. The historic town of Sonoma and Jack London's home in Glen Ellen add cultural depth beyond wine.
Sonoma Valley is where California winemaking began — the site of the state's first commercial winery and the historic 1857 Buena Vista estate. The valley runs north-south between the Sonoma and Mayacamas mountain ranges, creating a diverse range of elevations and exposures.
The town of Sonoma anchors the southern end with its charming plaza and tasting rooms, while Glen Ellen and Kenwood further north offer more rural, vineyard-centric experiences. More than 60 grape varieties thrive here, from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the cooler south to Cabernet Sauvignon on the mountain slopes.
Top Experiences in Sonoma Valley
- Sonoma Plaza — tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops around the historic town square
- Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen (open daily 9am-5pm, celebrating London's 150th birthday in 2026)
- Gloria Ferrer — sparkling wine tasting with vineyard views
- Buena Vista Winery — California's oldest premium winery (1857)
Local Tip
The town of Sonoma is one of the few places in wine country where you can walk between tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops without driving. It's a great base for a relaxed wine country experience.
Known For
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir
Terroir
Diverse valley-floor and hillside vineyards between two mountain ranges
Best Time to Visit
Year-round; the historic town of Sonoma is enjoyable in every season
Wineries in Sonoma Valley
17 wineries to explore — sorted by rating, verified wineries first.
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.5 · 651
Gundlach Bundschu
California's sixth-oldest winery, making wine continuously since 1858 on Rhinefarm.
Dog OKKid Friendly
$From $25
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.8 · 1,588
St. Francis Winery
Joe Martin planted his first vines here in 1971, and St. Francis now farms over 400 certified sustainable acres.
Dog OKKid Friendly
$$From $45Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.6 · 247
Scribe Winery
Andrew and Adam Mariani farm their family's original 1858 Sonoma land as Scribe Winery.
Picnic
$$Walk-in OK
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.4 · 234
Imagery Estate Winery
Imagery Estate Winery bottles Malbec, Tempranillo, and Lagrein instead of Cabernet.
Kid FriendlyPicnic
$From $25
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.7 · 620
Kunde Family Winery
Five generations of Kundes farm 1,850 acres of estate vineyard in Kenwood.
Dog OKKid Friendly*
$From $25Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.9 · 300
Three Fat Guys Winery
Tony Moll, former NFL player, co-founded this Sonoma winery in 2006 with two friends.
ReservationDog OKPicnic
$From $10Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.5 · 725
Buena Vista Winery
California's oldest premium winery, founded in 1857 by Count Agoston Haraszthy.
Dog OKKid FriendlyPicnic
$$From $35Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.6 · 469
Benziger Family Winery
Benziger produced Sonoma County's first Demeter-certified Biodynamic wine in 1995.
Dog OKKid FriendlyPicnic
$From $25Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.6 · 213
Bartholomew Estate Winery
Bartholomew Park's 1922 mission-style building opened as a winery in April 2019 on Agoston Haraszthy's 1857 estate.
Dog OKKid FriendlyPicnic
$$From $45Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.8 · 127
Kivelstadt Cellars & WineGarden
Jordan Kivelstadt sources organic grapes from historic California vineyards for minimal-intervention wines.
ReservationDog OKKid Friendly
$$From $30Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.4 · 390
Ledson Winery & Vineyards
A Norman-style castle stands between Kenwood and Glen Ellen on Highway 12.
ReservationDog OK
$$From $30Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.4 · 232
Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery
A 120-year-old Sonoma producer where antique redwood tanks still stand in the barrel room.
Dog OKKid Friendly
$$From $40Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.6 · 143
Landmark Vineyards
Damaris Deere Ford, great-great-granddaughter of steel plow inventor John Deere, founded this estate in 1974.
Dog OKKid FriendlyPicnic
$$$From $60Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.6 · 136
Deerfield Ranch Winery
Robert and PJ Rex have been making wine here since 1972 and ferment with their CleanWine® process.
Reservation
$$From $35Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.5 · 149
Pangloss Cellars
Winemaker Erich Bradley pours limited-production wines from heritage sites across Sonoma in a 1902 building on Sonoma Plaza.
Reservation
$$From $40Preview
Sonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma4.2 · 302
Chateau St. Jean Winery
Cinq Cépages, their flagship blend, set the standard for Sonoma luxury bottlings since 1973.
Dog OKKid Friendly
$$From $50Preview
Where to Stay Near Sonoma Valley
All Sonoma hotels →
InnRussian River Valley · Sonoma4.6 · 727
SingleThread Farm - Restaurant - Inn
Five guest rooms above a three-Michelin-star restaurant in downtown Healdsburg.
Adults OnlyFoodiesCouples
★★★★★
HotelSonoma Valley AVA · Sonoma5.0 · 485
Sonoma Bungalows
Eight bungalows with gourmet kitchens sit a few minutes' walk from Sonoma Plaza.
Wine EnthusiastsRomantic Getaways
★★★★
HotelRussian River Valley · Sonoma4.7 · 377
The Madrona
Victorian manor on eight acres, with private bungalows and porch views of western vineyards.
Dog OK*Kid FriendlyWine LoversRomantic Getaways
★★★★
Explore More of Sonoma County
Discover neighboring regions, each with its own character and wines.
Sonoma County
Russian River Valley
Russian River Valley is one of California's premier cool-climate wine regions, best known for world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pacific fog rolls through a gap in the coastal mountains each morning, creating ideal conditions for these varieties. Beyond wine, the region offers redwood forests, river recreation, and small-town charm.
23 wineries · Pinot Noir
Sonoma County
Dry Creek Valley
Dry Creek Valley is Sonoma's Zinfandel heartland, with old-vine blocks that survived Prohibition still producing today. The compact 16-by-2-mile valley has a Bordeaux-like climate and remains refreshingly rural — family-owned wineries, no traffic lights, and the Dry Creek General Store (est. 1881) as its unofficial center.
16 wineries · Zinfandel
Sonoma County
Carneros (Sonoma)
Carneros straddles the Sonoma-Napa border and is defined by the cooling influence of San Pablo Bay, making it ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in both still and sparkling wines. It's the closest Sonoma wine region to San Francisco and home to iconic sparkling houses and world-class art.
12 wineries · Pinot Noir
Sonoma County
Alexander Valley
Alexander Valley grows all five classic Bordeaux varietals across 15,000 acres along a 25-mile stretch of the Russian River. With only 33 wineries, it offers an unhurried agricultural experience — Sonoma's answer to Napa's Cabernet country, but with significantly fewer crowds and lower tasting fees.
7 wineries · Cabernet Sauvignon