During cold and rainy winter months, you may be tempted to hunker down on the sofa and stream until springtime. But why stay home when you can get out and sip wine in a warm and welcoming space with cozy lounge seating and a crackling fireplace? It sure beats cabin fever. Here are five winter-worthy tasting rooms that are well worth venturing out for.
Anaba Wines
Stylish and contemporary, Anaba’s Vintners House features plush sofas and armchairs, plus table seating for larger groups. There’s also a dramatic fireplace to keep you nice and toasty on rainy afternoons. As gorgeous as the space is, it just might be upstaged by the wines — a mix of Rhône varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. For a true winter warmer, try the new Sips & Sweets experience featuring local Sjaak’s chocolates paired with luscious port-style dessert wines.
62 Bonneau Road, Sonoma, 707-996-4188, anabawines.com
Benovia Winery
Curved leather lounge chairs and a ceiling-high hearth invite visitors to relax and get cozy by the fire. Who wants to leave when the Ranch House tasting room offers lovely views of the Martaella estate vineyard and seated sips of Benovia’s acclaimed single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir? The winery is kicking off 2023 with a series of curated culinary events that will run throughout the year—bubbles and oysters, anyone?—so check the events calendar for updates.
3339 Hartman Road, Santa Rosa, 707-921-1040, benoviawinery.com
Lambert Bridge
Specializing in Bordeaux varieties, Lambert Bridge also boasts a tasting room featuring a large fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a bar made of a single felled redwood tree. Glass walls provide a view into the barrel room. The Barrel Room Tasting Experience is $75 and includes four hand-selected wines.
4085 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-9600, lambertbridge.com
Purple Pachyderm
Pachyderm Station is what Primus singer Les Claypool calls his quirky roadside tasting room on Gravenstein Highway. Casual, intimate and devoid of pretension, the joint has a saloon-meets-circus vibe courtesy of an old-timey bar, wood paneling, and a lounge corner decorated with Primus concert posters. Homey? Yes. Weird in the best kind of way? Also, yes. Fridays through Sundays, pair Purple Pachyderm’s excellent array of site-specific Pinot Noirs with fancy hotdogs from Claypool’s own Whamola Wieners cart.
5425 Gravenstein Highway N., Sebastopol, 707-820-1263, purplepachyderm.com
Siduri Wine Bar and Tasting Lounge
Pinot Noir specialist Siduri hosts a reservations-only tasting lounge on the Healdsburg Plaza that’s great for chilling on a chilly afternoon. It offers a variety of hip sipping spaces, from sleek leather chairs to table seating, all with a colorful, midcentury flair. Wine flights include an exploration of distinctive Sonoma County vineyard sites, a north-to-south tasting of Pinots from Oregon to Santa Barbara, and more. Pair those tasty wines with a cheese and charcuterie board, or spin some vinyl on the old-school turntable.
235 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-578-3882, siduri.com
Three Sticks Wines at the Adobe
Three Sticks’ Adobe tasting salon is housed in one of Sonoma’s oldest residences, built in 1842 by the brother of General Mariano Vallejo. Winery owners Bill and Eva Price purchased and restored the historic property in 2012, transforming it into a beautiful and unique tasting room that combines the original adobe design, including the original wood beam ceilings, with contemporary accents. Taste Three Sticks’ vineyard-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines by the flight, or book a curated culinary experience.
143 West Spain St., Sonoma, 707-996-3328, threestickswines.com/adobe