Lynmar Estate

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 4/5

  • QPR: 4/5, average price $50-100

  • Main varietals: Sparkling, Pinot, Chardonnay

  • Tasting fee: $60, waived with membership

  • Average wine rating on Vivino: 4.4

In Sebastopol, the more quiet town of Sonoma, you will find various small wineries that offer great Pinot and Chardonnay. Lynmar is one of them and welcomes you with a modern tasting room in the middle of vineyard hills and an adorable garden. Tasting is accompanied by gourmet popcorn that pairs really well with their line up of Chardonnay and Pinot. I ended up really liking their intro level Russian Valley Pinot and left with a few bottles! Our group of 6 enjoyed tasting in the garden with a vineyard view and it was definitely difficult to leave.

More about Lynmar: Website, Yelp , IG

Amista Vineyards

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 4/5

  • QPR: 5/5, average price $30-60

  • Main varietals: Various of sparkling, Rhone blends, Zin, Cab

  • Tasting fee: $30 for still $40 for sparkling, waived with 2 bottles purchase or membership

  • Average wine rating on Vivino: 4.0

If you are tasting in Healdsburg (which you absolutely should!) Amista is a good option for anyone who like Rhone blends or sparkling wines! They have two different flights so it’s also good for a group. Outdoor tasting area has a view of their vineyards and is so great to spend the morning or afternoon. They serve popcorns with the tasting that goes well with their fun and easy drinking wines.

More about Amista: Website, Yelp , IG

A Rafanelli Winery

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 3/5

  • QPR: 4/5, average price $40-100

  • Main varietals: Cab, Red Blend

  • Tasting fee: $10, Waived with a bottle purchase per tasting

  • Average wine rating on Vivino:

Depending on the time of the year, they might have 2-3 red wines available to taste. It is a small winery that produces Merlot, Zin, Red Blend, Cab Sauv, and Premium Cab Sauv (Terrace Select). Casual but also private experience. When we visited, they showed us around the cave and wines were pretty good. They usually sell out of their Cabs within couple months of release so we didn’t get to taste. We left with a bottle of their blend and ended up purchasing their cab when I saw it for sale online. If you are planning a trip to Healdsburg and like small wineries with a private experience, definitely recommend!

More about A Rafanelli: Website, Yelp, IG

Lancaster

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 4/5

  • QPR: 3/5, average price $90-150

  • Main varietals: Cab Sauv

  • Tasting fee: $40, waived with 2 bottle purchase per tasting

  • Average wine rating on Vivino: 4.3

We stumbled across this winery on a rainy day in March so didn’t get to enjoy the ground and view as much. However, I could still tell how beautiful the winery and vineyard view would be during the peak season. They are known for their big bold reds and all were pretty good, albeit being a bit on the pricy side.

More about Lancaster: Website, Yelp, IG

Lambert Bridge

TL;DR

  • Cute for pictures: 4/5

  • QPR: 3/5

  • Main varietals: Cab Sauv, Cab, Franc, Bordeaux varietals

  • Tasting fee: Waived with membership

  • Average wine rating on Vivino: 4.3

Titus, where I’m a member, had a “Become a member for the day” event with Lambert Bridge and we decided to make a trip out of it and headed to Healdsburg for a weekend trip. We didn’t know until we got there but were told that they are members only winery (at the time of visit in early 2020 before SIP). It is a little out of the way but totally worth the drive if you can get a tasting spot. Private experience with a dedicated host in the tasting room that feels luxurious and cozy. Bottles are not cheap at $55-140 but we ended up buying two bottles of their Cab Franc.

More about the winery: Website, Yelp, IG