Watching the Summer Olympics in Paris may bring about travelers’ envy for wine tasting adventures in the City of Light. A handful of Sonoma County wineries are prepared to satisfy those desires with a local taste of France.
Check out our roundup of the six best French wineries and tasting rooms in Sonoma County. Feeling hungry after all that wine? These local eateries offer a bon voyage into French cuisine.
Chateau St. Jean Winery
Founded in 1973, Chateau St. Jean resides on the 1920s-era estate of Ernest and Maude Goff in the Valley of the Moon, where they built their French country-style summer home that now serves as the winery’s Reserve Tasting Room. The preserved chateau, which is listed in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, includes various European features along with a rustic rose garden reminiscent of bucolic villas in Southern France.
Chateau St. Jean offers a number of tastings where guests can sip wines sourced from local Bordeaux varietal vineyards and other Sonoma County AVAs. Enjoy a selection of five estate wines with vineyard views on the patio or within the historic, wood-paneled chateau rooms during the Chateau Experience tasting ($65 per person). Or invite a group of friends to a Bocce, Bordeaux & Burgundy Experience tasting ($55 per person) to play a game of bocce ball while sipping estate wines and snacking on French-inspired bites from the deli amid lush settings. Reserve tastings on Tock. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
8555 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, 707-257-5784, chateaustjean.com
Jordan Vineyard & Winery
After a day of wine tasting, guests can stay the night at Jordan Winery’s French-style chateau. Founders Tom and Sally Jordan added the lodgings in the 1970s, complete with a commercial kitchen and dining room, for members of the winery’s loyalty program, Jordan Estate Rewards. The three guest suites are adorned with Old World French architectural features and rare antiques from as early as France’s Baroque period, such as a Louis XV-era armoire decked out with a Victrola record player, French classics on vinyl and vintage playing cards.
Non-rewards members can explore the Jordan chateau followed by a wine and food pairing during the Winery Tour & Tasting experience ($85 per person). Available on select days from July through September, the Chef’s Terrace Tasting ($110 per person) offers guests sweeping views of the winery’s vineyards, chateau and culinary garden as they enjoy a seasonal, French-inspired wine and food pairing prepared by Michelin star rated chef Jesse Mallgren. Reserve online. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.
1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com
Matanzas Creek Winery
A visit to Bennett Valley’s Matanzas Creek winery resembles a stroll through Provence, France, one of the world’s largest producers of lavender. The winery established 3 acres of lavender on its property in 1991, greeting guests with its welcoming fragrance and dazzling purple hues. The lavender gardens also source the estate’s Lavender Market, which sells infused honey, candles, soaps, balms, body butters, and other home and body products made with the aromatic flower.
Admission for the self-guided Lavender Stroll is $10 per person. Reservations are required and available daily from June through August, when the gardens are in full bloom, before harvesting — though the market is open year-round. Get the full Provence winery experience by adding the Matanzas Creek Estate Tasting ($35 per person) to try six estate wines while overlooking the dreamy gardens. Reserve on Tock. Open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
6097 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, 707-521-7019, matanzascreek.com
Vérité Winery
The late Vintner’s Hall of Famer Jess Jackson, of Santa Rosa’s Kendall-Jackson Wines, and French winemaker Pierre Seillan launched Vérité in 1998 to create distinctive, Bordeaux-style reds, like Merlot and Cabernets. In 2022, Vérité upped its French factor when it unveiled a grand chateau to house its winery and visitor center, completed last year with the construction of a 9,000-square-foot barrel chai (pronounced “shay,” a French term for a storage cellar).
The Estate Tasting ($200 per person) and Library Comparison Tasting ($350 per person) offer guests selections of estate vintages along with French-inspired accoutrements. Tastings take place in private rooms, luxuriously appointed with velvet pillows, chandeliers and stone floors from France. The tastings are available by appointment only; request an appointment online or by emailing info@veritewines.com.
4611 Thomas Road, Healdsburg, 707-433-9000, veritewines.com
Maison Healdsburg
Three SingleThread alums, including French wine scholar and sommelier Evan Hufford, opened one of Healdsburg’s only wine bars late last year. It’s a little slice of Europe on Healdsburg Avenue — a place where people can enjoy an after-hours glass of wine late into the evening while nibbling on upscale bar bites.
A vast selection of libations at Maison includes Old World wines from the Champagne and Burgundy regions of France and other European locales, in addition to old California vintages and a fine sampling of sakes and beers. Accompaniments to your late-night Champagne or Pinot Noir include caviar, salumi, smoked oysters and international cheeses sourced by Doralice Handal, formerly of the Cheese Shop of Healdsburg. Open from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Tuesday.
210 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, maisonwinebar.com
Bubble Bar Healdsburg
Opened just in time for Valentine’s Day this year, the Bubble Bar tasting room offers visitors a glimpse of a Parisian café in downtown Healdsburg. A fancy chandelier, vintage coupe glasses, tufted bench seating, and fleur-de-lis tile floors and ceiling evoke a romantic setting fit for any Francophile. The Bubble Bar even provides a short-term, two-bedroom rental housed in a 1905 Victorian home, called the Cuvée House.
The wine list reads as a who’s who of premium bubbles, from French Champagnes and Italian Proseccos to Spanish Cavas and German Rieslings. Of course there’s also bubbles sourced from Wine Country, like Cuvée from Iron Horse and sparkling Chenin Blanc from Leo Steen Wines. French-inspired bites include caviar, tinned fish, charcuterie and Costeaux French Bakery macarons. The wine bar curates a blind tasting flight each month highlighting three standout wines — the month of August features Brut Champagnes. Open noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Walk-ins welcomed.
134 North St., Healdsburg, 707-395-4434, healdsburgbubblebar.com