Living in San Francisco, we’re #blessed with close proximity to some of the world’s best wine country regions.
While Napa is, of course, a super popular destination that everyone’s heard of, Healdsburg is a bit of a gem that not as many people know about, but it just might be my favorite.
Today I’m sharing a list of the best wineries in Healdsburg.
Healdsburg is part of Sonoma wine country and it’s as beautiful as it is charming. Surrounded by Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley, these three wine regions lend themselves to fantastic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as old vine Zins and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.
If you like to drink great wine and eat awesome food, you’ll love Healdsburg.
Not to mention, it’s beautiful. From the adorable plaza in downtown Healdsburg to a meandering drive along Dry Creek Road, I always love visiting and doing some Sonoma County wine tasting.
Aside from the great wine, there are a couple other things I love about wine tasting in Healdsburg.
Enjoy my in-depth guide to my favorite wineries in Healdsburg, you can also check out my other Healdsburg content that covers top sights to see, best restaurants, fun things to do, and where to stay.
Things to Do in Healdsburg: Healdsburg Travel Guide
The Best Restaurants in Healdsburg
Harmon Guest House, Healdsburg
Airbnb Healdsburg: Best of the Best
Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA
Hotel Les Mars: A French-Inspired Getaway in Healdsburg
Gary Farrell + Valette Lunch Pairing in Healdsburg
First, because Healdsburg is not a mega tourist destination like Napa, tasting rooms are a bit quieter and it’s easy to make reservations or do a walk-in tasting.
Secondly, tastings are very reasonably priced (and sometimes complimentary), which is always nice!
Best Wineries in Healdsburg
Williamson Wines
Williamson Wines was one of my first discoveries when I visited Healdsburg for the first time almost a decade ago.
They have a lovely tasting room in downtown Healdsburg, and I love their French-style wines.
They offer complimentary wine tastings with small bite food pairings, no reservations required.
We pretty much always go home with a bottle, and some of their other gourmet condiments they make like beet mustard or truffle salt.
Cartograph Wines
If you like Pinot Noirs, you’ll love Cartograph.
Run by the cutest husband and wife team, Alan and Serena, Cartograph has a beautiful tasting room right by Healdsburg’s plaza.
They’re known for their elegant Pinot Noir and dry Alsace-style white wines from Russian River Valley.
Tastings are $20 per person and waived if you join the Cartograph Circle or purchase two bottles of wine. You can make reservations by calling the tasting room.
DaVero Farms & Winery
DaVero takes an old-world approach to winemaking, and their olive oils and Italian wines are all naturally made and biodynamically grown.
During our visit and tour, we got to hear from owner and winemaker Ridgeley Evers on his winemaking philosophy, as well as what got him into winemaking, to begin with.
Chef Mario Batali gave Ridgeley a bottle of 1994 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco, and it was then that Ridgeley decided he would make this wine, in California.
You can book a tour of the farm, culminating in a wine, cheese, and charcuterie pairing and private tasting, for $45.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery
Jordan is a family-owned and operated winery and an iconic producer of classic Cabernet Sauvignon.
Their stunning estate covers nearly 1,200 acres that surround the Jordan Winery Chateau.
At the Jordan Chateau, food, wine and hospitality are combined in such a way that visitors feel as if they’ve traveled to France without leaving California.
You can check out the many tastings and food and wine pairings that Jordan offers, and book your reservation online (reservations are required).
Jordan is also known for throwing incredible parties and events, so be sure to check out their events page to see what’s poppin’.
Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards
Chalk Hill Estate was founded nearly four decades ago and features great views and great wine.
At their estate, their spectacular 1300-acre property features 300 acres of vineyards, wilderness, culinary garden, winery, residence, stables, sports fields, fishing and swimming ponds, and guest houses.
They offer a variety of tasting options, tours and culinary experiences.
Ridge Lytton Springs
Ridge Vineyards has a couple of locations, and the Lytton Springs one is their Dry Creek vineyard.
Their beautiful tasting room is built out of straw bales and vineyard clay and is surrounded by their amazing 115-year old vines. We really enjoyed our tasting and tour here—especially their unique barrel room!
Hartford Family Winery
Hartford Family Winery specializes in single-vineyard wines, which are known for being high risk and high reward.
We loved their wines, and they have several different vineyards in different AVAs, giving them room to play and create different, lovely wines that express the character of each of the unique vineyards.
My favorite was (of course) their old vine zin! We visited their tasting room in downtown Healdsburg where we did their wine tasting + lunch (sandwiches from Costeaux bakery, yum!), but you can also visit their tasting room at their winery near Guerneville.
Copain Wines
Copain’s winery specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah.
The winery overlooks the beautiful Russian River Valley and is just minutes from downtown Healdsburg. Their curated tasting experiences are by appointment only.
Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves
Bella is a small, family-run winery focused on small lot Zinfandel.
They focus on making wine with their century-old vineyards, as well as those tended by other small, passionate growers.
We love stopping by here for a tasting in their wine caves—it’s always such a fun experience and everyone there is so friendly.
MacRostie Winery
Love MacRostie! If you’re looking for delicious wine tasting in a gorgeous setting with stunning views, this is the spot for you.
MacRostie is known for its bright, balanced, and age-worthy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and I also love its Rosé. You’ll love it here, promise!
Seghesio Family Vineyards
Established in 1895, Seghesio Family Vineyards produces Zinfandels and Italian varietals that combine the history of Sonoma County and the Seghesio family.
In addition to their classic tastings, they also offer a Chef’s Table experience that celebrates the Italian tradition of food and wine with an intimate tasting of library wines, paired with seasonal recipes from Executive Chef Peter Janiak.
J Vineyards
J Vineyards has a beautiful tasting room and is known for its excellent tasting experiences featuring their Russian River Valley wines.
We enjoyed tasting a range of their sparkling and varietal selections in their chic and modern space.
They offer a number of different tasting experiences, and you can make a reservation online.
Gary Farrell Winery
Gary Farrell Winery is one of the OG winemaker pioneers in the Russian River Valley.
Their tasting room is stunning and offers sweeping, magical views, with both indoor and outdoor seating. We did their Exploration and Tasting Tour, where you begin with a behind-the-scenes tour of the winery and learn about the intricacies of winemaking at Gary Farrell.
You then enjoy a communal tasting of five wines, each paired with artisan cheese.
Be sure to leave yourself more time to sip and enjoy the views from the patio afterward—you won’t want to leave!
Robert Young Estate Winery
Robert Young Estate is a beautiful spot to spend an afternoon.
Their gorgeous estate has a lovely patio for outdoor seating, as well as various indoor seating and rooms in their tasting room.
The views of their vineyards from the patio are photo-worthy, although it’s hard for pictures to do it justice.
There are several different tasting experiences available that you can book online, and we loved their delicious Scion Experience—an in-depth flight of single-block reserve wines, paired with light bites.
Silver Oak Cellars
Silver Oak likely needs no introduction—but just in case, it’s a family-owned winery that is dedicated to producing only Cabernet Sauvignon.
They have a location in Napa as well as Healdsburg, and they offer tours, tastings, and food and wine pairings.
Ferrari-Carano
Ferrari-Carano has a really unique setting in Dry Creek Valley, situated on five acres of award-winning gardens paired with breathtaking vineyard views.
The amazing grounds and fabulous wines make for a very memorable experience.
They offer a variety of tours and tastings (wine, cheese, and chocolate pairing, anyone?) and you can submit your reservation request online.
That’s it for my list of top Healdsburg wineries! There are so many great wineries to visit in the area, but in my opinion, these are the best wineries in Healdsburg.
If you visit any of them per my recommendation, I’d love to hear what you think and see your experience! Tag me in a Story or post on Insta, @wtfab!
Explore my other Healdsburg travel guides here:
Things to Do in Healdsburg: Healdsburg Travel Guide
Airbnb Healdsburg: Best of the Best
Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA
Hotels in Healdsburg: Top 10 Hotels to Stay in Sonoma Wine Country
FAQs
There are over 425 wineries in Sonoma County.
Healdsburg is less expensive than Napa, and tastings are usually around $20 – $30. However, for more in-depth experiences or food and wine pairings, prices can range from $50 – $75.
While you can’t walk to wineries, the best part about Healdsburg is its adorable downtown plaza area, which has tons of tasting rooms that are easily walkable.
For a luxury stay, check out Hotel Les Mars. For a more affordable option, look into Harmon Guest House.
Elise Armitage is an entrepreneur and founder of What The Fab, a travel + lifestyle blog based in California. At the beginning of 2019, Elise left her corporate job at Google to chase her dreams: being an entrepreneur and helping women find fabulous in the everyday. Since then, she’s launched her SEO course Six-Figure SEO, where she teaches bloggers how to create a passive revenue stream from their website using SEO. Featured in publications like Forbes, Elle, HerMoney, and Real Simple, Elise is a firm believer that you can be of both substance and style.
