If you’re looking for a winery with great food to go along with your wine tasting experience, you’ll want to check out our list of the best wineries with food in Napa Valley and Sonoma County wine country. Each of these wineries offers an amazing culinary experience that will pair perfectly with the wines you taste. So if you’re looking for a delicious way to spend the day, be sure to check out one of these wineries!
Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are two of the most popular wine regions in the United States. In the past few years, wineries in Napa and Sonoma have been upping their tasting game by offering well-crafted food options to create a better experience. A short drive from San Francisco, wine country is a destination for local foodies and wine lovers from all over the world alike.
Best Wineries with Food in Napa Valley
Napa Valley is one of the most popular wine regions in the United States, famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon and world class winemakers. While famous, that’s not the only reason to visit Napa Valley. Where great wine is made, food will follow. However, there are only a handful of wineries crafting special food pairing experiences with their wine. Here are the top wineries with food in Napa Valley.
Ashes & Diamonds
Ashes & Diamonds is one of the best wineries with food in Napa Valley. As soon as you exit Napa proper going North on Hwy 29, you’ll notice the first winery, with its white retro modern building standing out against the vineyards of wine country. The wines at Ashes and Diamonds are also some of the best in the region, with light-hand winemaking at its core. Cabernet Franc is a crowd favorite here. A&D has an amazing tasting menu that includes a variety of wood-fired small plates to accompany the wine. ashesdiamonds.com
B Cellars
B Cellars winery was born with the idea that food and wine were made for each other. Naturally, their wine tastings are paired with well-crafted food. This is especially true for their tasting experience called The Oakville Trek, where five wines are paired perfectly with small bites to showcase their best qualities and enjoy them as they were intended. At B Cellars, wine is produced from common Napa varietals, including a generous selection of single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. bcellars.com
Domaine Chandon
At its inception in the 1970s, Domaine Chandon was one of the first French-owned sparkling wineries in California, a modern spinoff from Moët & Chandon. They offer several different tastings with a food menu, from a casual food menu to a five-course Chef’s Table Epicurean experience pairing food with five wines. chandon.com
Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Robert Sinskey is another favorite winery to visit for wine and food in Napa Valley. Their wines are a wide selection of white and red blends plus single vineyard expressions, including Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc, and more. There are two options for a wine and food pairings, both crafted with bounty from the property. The Root to Table tasting includes seasonal food made from farm products, from stuffed gougères to a vegetable tart. robertsinskey.com
Clif Family
The Clif Family offers three different experiences through the Tasting Room, Food Truck and Enoteca Tasting Salon in St. Helena. Organically farmed produce and vineyards create pairings that come together at the table, like the 4 Howell Mountain wines with 4 uniquely crafted bites. Wednesdays through Sundays, you can lunch on bruschetta, porchetta and more from the Food Truck outside Clif Family Tasting Room. cliffamily.com
Brian Arden Wines
Another Napa Valley winery offering food and wine pairings is Brian Arden Wines. Located on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga,
You can try the 5 glass Cabernet Sauvignon wine pairing with local cheeses or go all out with the Chef’s Table Experience, a lovely crafted meal and conversation with the estate chef, while sampling Brian Arden Wines. brianardenwines.com
Sequoia Grove
Located in the heart of Rutherford, Sequoia Grove is a great spot if you want to be outside instead of in a tasting room. Spend a relaxing afternoon on the patio among the vines and redwood trees tasting wine. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, Sequoia Grove offers a Cabernet Sauvignon wine pairing with unconventional foods to show you how versatile the wine can be. sequoiagrove.com
Joseph Phelps
For a really premium food and wine tasting experience, Joseph Phelps is one of the best wineries with food in Napa Valley. This multi-course semi-private lunch pairs the best Joseph Phelps wines with seasonal bounty from the area, presented impeccably. The two culinary experiences will set you back a few dollars, but are a great option for a special occasion. josephphelps.com
Best Wineries with Food in Sonoma County
Sonoma County lies just over the Mayacamas mountains from Napa Valley but seems a world apart. That’s because the climate is quite different, especially the closer you get to the Pacific Ocean. Like Napa, Sonoma County is home to some remarkable wine producers, but it’s more spread out and variable in climate and terroir.
While many of the same varietals are grown in Sonoma and Napa, if you are interested in Pinot Noir, Sonoma is where you should visit. Below are some of the best wineries with food in Sonoma County.
Reeve Wines
Tucked off the main road that winds through Dry Creek Valley is Reeve Wines. Winemakers Noah Dorrance and Katy Wilson are crafting amazing wines: terroir driven, elegant, and memorable. Sit on their shady tree covered patio and sample single vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley while nibbling on a fresh wood-fired pizza. Then, try to remember the rest of your plans. reevewines.com
Scribe Winery
The Scribe property is a magical place, perched on a hill outside the city of Sonoma with sweeping vineyard views. Food and wine tastings are held in the Hacienda, a beautifully renovated house with perfectly landscaped surroundings. Sample no-oak Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with delicious food straight from the beautifully tended garden in front of you. Tasty bites like almonds, olives, cheese, and fruit from the property accompany the famous Scribe salad. There’s always an additional seasonal plate or two added to the fun. Scribe wines are unique and terroir-driven. It’s hardly a hidden gem, but you have to be a club member to visit. Trust us, it’s worth it. scribewinery.com/
Hamel Family Wines
Hamel Family Wines are made from organically and biodynamically grown grapes from Sonoma Valley and Moon Mountain vineyards. Small production Cabernet and Cab blends are prominent at Hamel, though they offer more wines. This Sonoma winery has a food and wine experience that includes a tour of the vineyard and winemaking facility, plus a 4-course meal with a wine pairing. hamelfamilywines.com
Flowers Winery
Driving along the winding Westside Road, it’s hard not to get distracted by all the beauty and miss Flowers Winery. Then you would miss you chance to sample Sonoma coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Flowers offers a couple different tasting options, with small gourmet bites to enjoy while you have a peaceful afternoon hang out on the well-designed grounds. flowerswinery.com
McEvoy Ranch
When you search wineries in Sonoma, you might not find McEvoy Ranch, because it’s a little further to the south in Petaluma. The 550-acre estate is impressive, including an olive farm and winery. Plus, they offer tours, an olive oil tasting, and wine tastings. You can add a full lunch plate to your wine tasting at McEvoy, with the dishes changing seasonally. mcevoyranch.com
Tasting Room vs Outdoors
Northern California wine country is a great place to spend outdoors. There’s nothing quite like gazing at vineyards all around you while you sip nature’s treat. Compare these wineries with food to craft your best experience, whether that be an upscale tasting room coursed meal or a wood fired pizza on the patio.
Tips for Wine Tasting in Napa and Sonoma
- Napa and Sonoma are popular destinations. With limited options for wineries with food, you need to book in advance. Luckily most of the wineries make booking online easy.
- All of the seasons are great in these two wine country regions. Spring is bud break, fall brings changing colors, and even winter can be beautiful with mustard flowers blooming between the rows of vines in February.
- If you’re driving up from San Francisco or anywhere south in the Bay Area, leave earlier in the day or you will get stuck in traffic.
Whether you’re visiting for a Sunday afternoon day trip or all the way from the other side of the world, time spent in wine country never gets old. If you’re looking for a delicious way to spend the day, be sure to check out one of these wineries with food in Napa and Sonoma!