California Wine Map

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This article is part of a summer California winery series, California Dreaming. Discover more articles here!

To say that California wine country is vast hardly does the region justice. In the two centuries since the first grapes were planted there in 1812, sprawling vineyards have increasingly dotted the scenic landscapes of Napa Valley, Sonoma County, the Central Coast, and beyond. Yet in addition to its geographic reach, California wine country is also densely packed, home to more than 800 wineries and hundreds of restaurants and hotels. One could spend a month sipping on local Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs without experiencing it all.

However, if you’re game, why not give it a shot? After all, you can’t begin to experience everything wine country has to offer until you take your first visit! We’ve found a few of the finest spots for sipping, dining and more. There are plenty of welcoming wineries offering exceptional small-lot sips, inventive restaurants that do wonders with fresh California ingredients and well-appointed hotels that consistently take luxury to new levels.

Excited to get started? Here’s a guide for where to eat, drink, and sleep in California wine country.

Healdsburg

J Vineyard

J Vineyards & Winery

Exquisite sparkling wines are a major draw at this three-decade-old Russian River Valley institution, which spans six celebrated estate vineyards. But don’t limit yourself to bubbles at this iconic winery: Here, you’ll also find complex Pinot Noir bursting with a bright fruit character, exquisite Chardonnay ranging from crisp to rich, expressive Pinot Gris with its palate-pleasing appeal, and more. Sample them all at the winery’s popular Legacy Tasting. Whether on the shaded garden terrace or in the stylish indoor Lounge, this tasting experience lets you enjoy a seated tasting with a culinary twist. Choose your favorite flight, either an all-sparkling selection or the Varietal Flight that also offers tastes from J’s acclaimed still portfolio, then add the optional artisanal cheese pairing plate for the perfect Sonoma County afternoon.

Campo Fina

Wood-fired pizzas and small plates are the name of the game at this stylish Italian eatery. Start with the refreshing summer gazpacho zinged up with jalapeños before moving onto crunchy balls of saffron-scented arancini. In the pizza department, opt for the umami-rich spicy anchovy pie enlivened with fiery Calabrian chilis. Don’t forget to hit the bocce court afterward!

Campo Fina
Valette

Vallete

Chef-owner Dustin Valette opened this spot with his brother Aaron Garzini to shine a light on the farmers, winemakers, and artisans of Sonoma County — with an Italian twist, of course. Sample dishes like the house-made bucatini topped with aged pancetta, creamy carbonara custard, and whipped ricotta, just one of the innovative and intricate dishes you’ll find on Valette’s ever-changing menu. Finish up with the “ItsNotA ‘Snickers Bar’” dessert, which marries peanut powder and salt-infused caramel atop a crunchy cocoa nib tuile. Also check out Chef Valette’s nearby Matheson, an ambitious, three-level restaurant and cocktail lounge concept slated to open in Summer 2021.

Dry Creek Kitchen

When famed chef Charlie Palmer opened this rustic but sophisticated spot at Hotel Healdsburg in 2001, he brought renewed national attention to Sonoma County and helped cement it as a premier destination for both fine food and drink. Today, the restaurant continues to deliver artful dishes, like Bodega Bay mussels enriched with spicy ‘nduja sausage, red potatoes, and preserved Meyer lemon; duck breast with tart rhubarb, toasted couscous, and crystallized ginger; and golden olive oil cake brightened with tangy strawberry compote and rich crème fraîche.

Dry Creek Kitchen
John Ash Co.

John Ash & Co.

Nestled within the luxe, garden-filled Vintner’s Resort, fine dining spot John Ash & Co. has specialized in wine country cuisine with global flair for over four decades. Start with the crispy-bottomed potstickers, stuffed with five spice-enriched pork belly and beef, before moving onto prosciutto-wrapped pheasant breast saltimbocca, which comes served atop creamy orzo brimming with roasted garlic, spinach, feta cheese, and brown sage butter. Finish up with a dreamy chocolate stout cake featuring layers of espresso-spiked chocolate mousse and coffee crème.

St. Helena

Louis M. Martini Winery

Louis M. Martini Winery

Louis M. Martini Winery is known for offering an exceptional selection of Napa Valley’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon with an 88-year legacy of superior craftsmanship spanning generations. Today, Winemaker Michael Eddy upholds these standards through his deep understanding of Cabernet and by skillfully crafting a portfolio that celebrates this great variety and the terroir where it is grown. He illustrates the personalities and stylistic differences of the grape by creating different expressions of the variety, as showcased throughout the Louis M. Martini portfolio. Swing by the winery’s outdoor Heritage Terrace for a chance to try small-lot wines from the Crown Cabernet Collection that highlight the best Cabernet Sauvignon from mountain vineyards throughout the Napa Valley.

Orin Swift Cellars

Since 1988, Winemaker Dave Phinney has been serving up stellar wines with memorable names and creative, thought-provoking labels. Case in point, the boisterous Zinfandel blend 8 Years in the Desert, which marks Phinney’s return to the variety that launched his winemaking career. This rich Zin whose distinctive label changes every vintage packs distinctive notes of black and white pepper with a ripe fruit core of raspberry and persimmon with savory notes of allspice. Other notables include China Doll (Rosé), Mannequin (Chardonnay), and Machete (Petite Sirah).

Orin Swift Cellars
Goose and Gander

Goose & Gander

There’s guilty pleasure bar food, and then there’s bar food worth writing home about. Dishes fall into the latter category at elevated pub Goose & Gander, where most of the produce comes from its downtown Napa farm. Nosh includes the grass-fed beef burger piled high with melty Gruyère, bacon, remoulade, and gem lettuces served alongside a heaping helping of duck fat fries. For a true dinner, keep an eye out for even heartier fare like a hefty black Angus bone-in ribeye drenched in a velvety truffle demi-glace.

Market

Set inside an impressive stone-walled building that dates to the 1890s, Market specializes in classic American comfort food made with high-quality produce found at the farmers’ market. Consider the “very adult” macaroni and cheese, elevated with Fiscalini Cheddar, Parmigiano Reggiano, bacon, fresh herbs, and a finishing blanket of toasted panko. Also great: the sweet-and-smoky baby back ribs served alongside onion rings or decadent crab Louie piled high with Dungeness meat, avocado, hard-boiled egg, olives, tomatoes, and pickled red onions.

Market
Press

Press

Chef Philip Tessier hands the mic to the Bay Area’s culinary bounty at Press, which is all about peak-of-season ingredients and innovative culinary technique. The menu changes frequently, but recent hits include the delicate citrus-cured red snapper zinged up with pink grapefruit, refreshing kohlrabi, and slivered jalapeños; yellowfin tuna served atop braised pine nuts, charred eggplant, and sweet peppers; and chocolate profiteroles bursting with banana cream.

Calistoga

Sam’s Social Club at Indian Springs

Sam’s Social Club at Indian Springs

Named after Indian Springs founder Samuel Brannan, Sam’s Social Club is a destination for creative, seasonal fare with a Californian point of view. Roll through at brunch for sugary candy cap churros encrusted with cinnamon orbreakfast pizzas topped with local bacon, mozzarella, and runny eggs. Return at dinnertime for perfectly cooked steak frites with caramelized shallot butter or grilled octopus anointed with roasted romesco sauce.

Yountville

Bottega

Bottega

Expect bold Italian flavors from this Napa hit from Chef Michael Chiarello. Whether you’re inside admiring the warm space lined with Venetian plaster or outside on the sprawling patio, outfitted with twin stone fireplaces, there’s plenty to admire. That includes the tremendous food and drink: Kick things off with a refreshing highball like the citrusy Italian Gin and Tonic, which marries gin with a kiss of limoncello, before progressing to starters like the crunchy Arborio rice-encrusted calamari or creamy burrata sweetened with a hit of pine cone syrup. Leave room for the hefty lasagnetta di zucchini, oven-baked with layers of zucchini, potato, and tomato.

Bouchon

Chef Thomas Keller’s ode to classic French bistro fare is still as stunning today as it was at its opening in 1998. After admiring the vintage light fixtures and expansive mural, hand-painted by French artist Paulin Pari, it’s time to look at the menu: Enjoy staples like the juicy roast chicken with bacon lardons and chicken jus; cheesy Croque Madames overflowing with grilled ham, Mornay sauce, and an oozy fried egg; and ruby-red beef tartare with all the fixings, served with grilled pain de Campagne.

Bouchon
Ad Hoc

Ad Hoc

Chef Thomas Keller takes a walk on the casual side at Ad Hoc, his American comfort food spot that opened in 2006. Originally intended to be a temporary concept, it proved so popular that Keller decided to make it permanent. The menu features four-course, family-style fare that changes constantly, but diners can expect dishes like buttermilk fried chicken served alongside creamy Anson Mills grits; gnocchi dumplings stuffed with an unctuous braised beef ragout; and chocolate chip bread pudding draped in butterscotch sauce.

RH Yountville

The dynamic grounds at RH Yountville offer five contemporary structures, each specializing in premium food, wine, art, and design. Visit the compound to taste a glass from the two-story wine vault or dine indoors below a dramatic glass roof –– or outdoors surrounded by olive trees. A boutique gallery boasts stunning installations of shoppable design elements beside rare objects, and experts will love visiting the premium design atelier for professional tips and services.

RH Yountville

Napa

William Hill Estate Winery

William Hill Estate Winery

Set within the rolling hills of the Silverado Bench with unparalleled views of Napa just 10 minutes from downtown, William Hill Estate Winery's' 200-acre parcel is home to rocky, thin, and nutrient-deprived soil — just the thing to produce small, colorful berries packed with intense flavor. Don’t miss their Winemaker’s Series Carneros Chardonnay that captures the nuanced complexities of Napa Valley’s most renowned Chardonnay region and boasts compelling notes of yuzu, honeysuckle and golden peach interwoven with brioche. Also great? Thesilky Benchmark Red Blend, which calls on Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes for notes of blueberry liqueur, raspberry pie, black currant, and dark chocolate.

California Brandy House

Don’t forget that an abundance of good wine means that excellent brandy is never far behind. Some of the region’s best is made by Argonaut Brandy and Germain-Robin, available at one of downtown Napa’s newest (and most stylish) tasting destinations, California Brandy House. Argonaut is one of the very few brandy producers that owns and manages its production process from start to finish overseeing everything from growing grapes in the field to distilling and blending the final product. Try the Speculator bottling, a complex 86-proof offering with notes of bright green apple, stone fruit, orange blossom, nutmeg, ripe banana, and pineapple. Germain-Robin is one of the first brandies distilled from non-traditional California varietals like Pinot Noir, Riesling, Viognier, and Semillon. Germain-Robin offers the refined style of a fine French Cognac with an innovative approach and bold flavors of a California spirit. Particularly flavorful is the Germain-Robin XO, an iconic Pinot Noir-based offering aged in Limousin oak barrels. With notes of dark cherry, fresh apple, peach, and apricot, it’s smooth with a decadently long finish. With both portfolios featured at California Brandy House, you can learn how to taste and serve fine brandy — then pick up a bottle or cocktail kit to take home (Pro Tip: Get your bottle engraved on-site with a personalized message as an innovative gift or tasty souvenir of your trip).

California Brandy House
Avow

Avow

Ensconced in a Renaissance Revival landmark building dating to 1908, Avow offers moody, modernist interiors and an inventive menu with Italian and American influences. Don’t miss the grilled oysters saddled with Calabrian chilies, green garlic butter, and herbed breadcrumbs, nor the double-fried pork schnitzel served with a fermented honey mustard dipping sauce.

Cole’s Chop House

Located in downtown Napa, Cole’s Chop House is exactly the type of classic steakhouse you’d hope to find in the historic Williams-Kyser building. Built in 1886 with local rock and sturdy Douglas fir, it was part of the first commercial block constructed north of the Napa Creek. Today, it's an old-school Napa Valley backdrop to dishes like the 21-day dry-aged New York steak; luxe lobster and shrimp bisque encased in crispy puff pastry; and a fine-tuned iceberg wedge salad drenched in blue cheese dressing.

Cole’s Chop House
Morimoto

Morimoto

Got a hankering for sushi? Some of the best in the country is found at Morimoto, a high-end sushi den from Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto. Outfitted with stark tones of wood, concrete, and playful, architectural chandeliers, the space is a fitting setting for fresh-as-can-be fish like golden big-eye snapper, horse mackerel, fatty tuna belly, and more. In the sushi department, go for offerings like the soft-shell crab roll stuffed with deep-fried crab, asparagus, tobiko, and avocado.

Andaz Napa

Airy rooms outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, marble bathrooms with soaking tubs, and well-stocked minibars can be found at this relaxed Napa getaway. Opt for a room with a private furnished terrace, which is just the place to take in eye-popping Napa views over breakfast or an afternoon glass of vino. Before leaving, book yourself an in-room massage — Swedish, hot stone, deep tissue, and more — from the nearby Greenhaus European Day Spa.

Andaz Napa

Sonoma

El Dorado Hotel and Kitchen

El Dorado Hotel & Kitchen

Californian-inspired cuisine is the calling card of this seasonally driven restaurant from executive chef Armando Navarro. Go for the saffron-infused seafood paella brimming with shrimp, mussels, calamari, flaky fish, chorizo, and crispy bomba rice or the crispy rock cod served atop a bed of truffled potato puree, leeks, spinach, and lemony beurre blanc. Want to enjoy a few days in the Valley rather than a few hours? Stay in one of the boutique property’s 27 rooms, each a cozy sanctuary outfitted with crisp linens and elegant furnishings. Stick around, too, for a dip in the solar-heated pool.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

There’s everything you need for a world-class vacation at this luxury resort, from an 18-course championship golf course to a top-notch spa fed by its own thermal spring. Anchored by a Spanish mission-style building, the 228 rooms are stylishly (and comfortably) appointed, especially its generously sized suites — all of which feature a balcony or patio. Be sure to stop by the Michelin-starred Santé restaurant, which serves up seasonally driven Californian cuisine.

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Talbott Vineyards

Talbott Vineyards

For nearly four decades, Talbott Vineyards has dedicated to mastering estate-grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its renowned Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, first planted in 1972 in the Santa Lucia Highlands, was designated by Wine Enthusiast in 2016 as one of California’s “Grand Cru” vineyards — meaning that it consistently produces distinctive wines of world-class quality. Swing by Talbott’s airy Carmel-by-the-Sea tasting room, the only place their exclusive single-block series and barrel-select wines are poured. Whether you sip a bright Fidelity Chardonnay showcasing Sleepy Hollow’s signature minerality or a single-block Pinot Noir with finely tuned tannins from marine-breeze-thickened grape skins, you’ll experience how the coast comes alive in the glass.

Lodge at Pebble Beach

Attention, golf lovers! The Lodge at Pebble Beach, a landmark destination since 1919, is just the place to rest your head. Set on California’s majestic Monterey Peninsula, the property’s 199 guest rooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the coastline, lush private gardens, and the first fairway of the famous Pebble Beach Golf Links. Feeling peckish? Choose between seven different dining experiences (yes, seven), from steak offerings at The Tap Room to wood-fired specialties at The Bench. The Lodge at Pebble Beach’s sister property, the Inn at Spanish Bay, offers cozy in-room fireplaces, equally stunning ocean views, and groves of Monterey pines.

Lodge at Pebble Beach
The Pocket Carmel

The Pocket Carmel

Inspired by his heritage and travels throughout Italy, Mexico, and California, The Pocket is a love letter from Rome-born executive Chef Federico Rusciano. Don’t miss the charcuterie board, generously filled with imported cured meats and cheeses, nor the orecchiette dressed in a garlicky kale-and-broccoli-rabe pesto alongside Italian sausage and Pecorino cheese. Also great: tender lamb Osso Bucco served atop saffron risotto and braised short ribs with red wine glazed shallots.

Grasing’s

Since 1998, Grasing’s has been synonymous with ultra-fresh California ingredients served in an inviting setting. Chef and owner Kurt Grasing’s menu is packed with steakhouse favorites, from juicy filet mignon served with whipped Yukon gold potatoes, to double-cut heritage pork chops wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon. No meal is complete, however, without the house-made, panko-crusted onion rings, which arrive alongside a tempting aged balsamic ketchup.

Grasing’s
Casanova Restaurant

Casanova Restaurant

French and Italian fare with a Californian accent is the aim of Casanova Restaurant, which true to its name, also serves up a romantic atmosphere. Start with a decadent foie gras Torchon, served with a tangy rhubarb compote and soft milk bread, before moving onto an eye-popping whole roasted lobster frites. For dessert, don’t skip the burnt Basque cheesecake, best enjoyed while gazing into your lover’s eyes.

The Treehouse Cafe

True to its name, the Treehouse Cafe is a whimsical escape with menu items that zigzag from the Mediterranean to Greece to Thailand. Sit in its charming terrace, then dig into the complex yellow Thai curry cut with coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes or the tender New Zealand lamb kabobs served atop saffron rice. Round out the meal with creamy Monterey Bay clam chowder and roasted whole garlic served atop olive oil-slicked toast.

The Treehouse Cafe