4 Sonoma Wineries for an Authentic Harvest Experience

Visit these local wineries in person, or via video, to get a sense of the harvest season.


Experiencing the wine grape harvest is a must-do for visitors to Sonoma County and an annual ritual for locals.

During harvest, intoxicating aromas of fermenting grapes welcome winery visitors; even pomace — the skins, seeds and stems leftover from fermentation — has its own inviting scent. Workers bustle up and down vineyard rows, cutting clusters from vines with jaw-dropping speed, reminding us that winemaking, at its heart, is agriculture and hard work. Trucks hauling bins of just-picked grapes delay impatient drivers along back roads. But they also suggest that the production of great wine takes time — so slow down, enjoy the scenery and the wafting fragrance of fermenting fruit.

These local wineries offer a taste of the harvest season. In all cases, appointments are required.

Benziger Family Winery

This iconic winery in Glen Ellen continues to excel at educating guests on how grapes are grown biodynamically and organically on its Sonoma Mountain estate. A seated tasting ($30 per person) is on the menu, with five wines poured on the patio for groups of up to six, Thursday through Monday.

The best way to view the estate at harvest time and experience its green-growing efforts, is the Tribute Estate Tour ($60 per person). It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how the vineyards are farmed using eco-responsible practices, with estate wines served along the way. Also available Thursday through Monday, for small groups only.

883 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen, 888-490-2739, benziger.com

Kamen Estate Wines

Screenwriter Robert Kamen (“The Karate Kid,” “Transporter”) has a tasting room in downtown Sonoma; his winery is on the outskirts of town. For a harvest-time vibe while tasting his ripe, rich, top-tier sauvignon blancs, Bordeaux-style reds and syrahs, take a drive to his Moon Mountain District vineyard. There, at an altitude of approximately 1,200 feet and with sweeping views of Sonoma Valley and San Francisco Bay, guests sample four wines, served with artisan cheeses, after a tour of the certified organic vineyard. It’s a calming, quiet site, though the hubbub of harvest in the valley below can be heard and seen. The address and directions are provided at the time reservations are made. $80 per person.

707-938-7292, kamenwines.com

Lynmar Estate

The Sebastopol winery has a long history of pairing its chardonnays, pinot noirs and rosés with lunches prepared by its estate chefs, currently David Frakes. The open-air tasting room and patio are surrounded by an amphitheater of grapevines, including Lynmar’s signature Quail Hill Vineyard, as well as a bountiful culinary garden.

With fall afoot, Frakes taps the garden for ingredients for the Lynmar on Your Own Lunch Pairing, a premade meal for two that includes a half bottle each of chardonnay and pinot noir ($225 for two people). It’s offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with a maximum group size of six.

Depending on the day of a visit, guests might see grapes being harvested and fruit from other vineyards being delivered, smell the fermentations and see grape leaves, once a vibrant green, turning to autumnal orange and brown.

3909 Frei Road, Sebastopol, 707-829-3374, x102, lynmarestate.com

McEvoy Ranch

Harvest time isn’t limited to grapes. At McEvoy Ranch in southern Petaluma, fruit picked for vino is grown alongside olive trees used to make McEvoy’s world-class olive oils. This sprawling ranch blends a Tuscan ambiance from the olive oil side with a Sonoma winegrowing flair, best seen from a public walkabout tour ($55) through vineyards and orchards and commencing with a tasting of olive oils.

The Patio Lunch ($35-$45) includes a choice of one of three lavosh flatbread wraps and a sampler flight of wines, which might include rosé, pinot noir, syrah and cabernet sauvignon. Add to the lunch a tasting of McEvoy’s several estate-grown olive oils ($25), extra virgin and made from certified organically grown trees, and a loaf of bread for dunking. Visitors might catch a glimpse of grape harvest activity; the olive harvest typically begins in November.

5935 Red Hill Road, Petaluma, 866-617-6779, mcevoyranch.com