Five Large Wineries:
Each of these five large wineries produces over a million bottles of wine per year. Because their wines are widely distributed in the United States, you can experience the tasting without feeling obliged to buy something to take home. These wineries either work with many varieties and have many “brands” at different price points, or they focus on one or two wines made in large volume.
In Napa:
Beringer: California’s oldest continuously operating winery.
Hall Wines: Nestled in the Diamond Mountain District of Napa Valley.
Robert Mondavi: Four decades of award-winning winemaking.
Stag’s Leap: Beautiful architecture, gorgeous vineyards, and underground caves!
In Sonoma:
Jordan: A beautiful winery-chateau in the French style.
Five Medium Wineries:
Typically, these wineries have been in business for 30 or more years.
In Napa:
Chappellet: Chappellet’s Pritchard Hill is a stunning setting for tasting wine.
Montelena: The winery boasts a unique stone chateau resembling an English gothic castle.
Opus One: Unique architecture paired with beautiful scenery and wine.
In Sonoma:
Ridge: Sip wine in the presence of gorgeous, 115-year-old vines.
Merry Edwards: Merry Edwards is a female vintner making Pinot Noirs with a sense of place.
Five Smaller Wineries:
These wineries generally make less than 250,000 bottles of wine per year.
In Napa:
Tor: Family-owned, with a focus on single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines.
Pina: Family-owned for eight generations! A small Napa Valley treasure.
Corison: Artisanal, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon by winegrower Cathy Corison.
In Sonoma:
Williams Selyem: Highly-prized Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel.
Peter Michael: Nine family-owned mountain vineyards and thirty-five years of handcrafted wines.
Interested in traveling to Napa and Sonoma? Check out our guide to California’s wine country as well as our recommendations for lodging and unique wine country excursions!