If you're looking for one of the most genuine, down-to-earth wine experiences in Sonoma County, Barber Cellars is an absolute must. This is not your typical tasting room--it's a family-owned, hands-on winery where you can really feel the passion behind every bottle. Mike and Lorraine make the experience personal, welcoming, and incredibly informative without ever feeling pretentious. You're not just tasting wine--you're getting the story behind it. The wines are excellent--small-production, thoughtfully made, and true to the Petaluma Gap. We enjoyed it so much that we ended up joining the wine club, which has been a great way to stay connected and discover new releases. The setting inside the historic Hotel Petaluma is cozy and relaxed, and pairing their wines with the cheese selection makes it even better. And as a bonus, they also have Barber-Lee Spirits right next door, which is worth checking out as well. Whether you're a serious wine enthusiast or just looking for a fun, authentic stop in downtown Petaluma, this place delivers--great wine, great people, and zero attitude. We'll definitely be back again and again. read more

We love this place!! We have been coming to their tasting room in the Petaluma Hotel since we moved to town seven years ago. Their wines are great, each hand crafted and unique. You will often be served by one of the wine makers, who will answer any questions you may have. Their Pinot Noir is a great expression of the local specialty. The "Kitten With a Whip" rose' is the most flavorful rose anywhere. The Pinot Gris is the best white wine anywhere. The Sangiovese is wonderful with food. They have also become the Petaluma Cheese Shop. They have delicious cheeses from this area and around the world. They also do sandwiches, fondue and dessert treats. The venue is a part of the restored historic Petaluma Hotel, a bright and airy space with cozy couches and some vintage video games. read more

I've been a member since they opened. I love Loraine and Mike but even more I love The Beast go have a taste read more

Barber Cellars - My favorite wine glass - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

Owner served us our wine flight and shared where the grapes used were from; all locally sourced in Petaluma area. Cozy place next to Hotel Petaluma. read more

Barber Cellars - Wine flight menu - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

Lovely little tasting room with equally lovely owners. Always welcoming with tasty cheeses and other menu items. Looking forward to what's next as they adapt their business model. read more

Nothing says Petaluma like this place. You will feel like a local even if you're not! It's a beautiful place to enjoy great wine and connect with friends. Or come by on your own and people watch downtown. read more

some years ago I met Mike and Lorraine when I sat in for a music event at their tasting room. warm welcoming folks and we bonded almost immediately. I joined their wine club that evening and have been a happy member since,enjoying their hospitality, expanding business and family. everytime you walk in the door it's like coming home read more

I LOVE Barber Cellars. First, the wine is absolutely delicious from the Chardonnay, Kitten with a Whip is a favorite, they have the best Sangiovese in Sonoma County. The Sauv Blanc, the Brutal Hill Blend, the Beast, honestly, there's not a wine they make I don't enjoy. The personal craft of each wine is apparent from the first sip to the last. The next thing is the Cheese Shop, I don't eat a lot of dairy, but the choices they offer make it worth the indulgence. They have the best charcuterie board in town, the purses with the balsamic glaze is so luscious I crave it. Then call a friend to join me. And both Lorraine and Mike are such great hosts! I feel at home there, with the engraved glass, the seating arrangements where you can have a personal conversation even if all the chairs are taken. They organize fun events with different organizations, we joined in martini week last year and plan on doing it again this year. Such fun. Love this place! I will have to move from the area before I left the wine club! read more

A visit to Barber Cellars is a must for exploring Petaluma's wine scene. The tasting experience is elevated by the fun food pairings - cheeses from around the world! - the wines however, are as local as it gets. Both locals and tourists gather here, they have membership opportunities for their cheese and wines. Highly recommend. read more

Barber Cellars is special. We have been members for 6+ years. Cozy setting, right at the heart of it all, there is always something for everyone and any mood you arrive in. The wine is phenomenal, my personal favorites are Kitten with a Whip Rose and their Mr. Beast Zin. With their distillery next door and the artisan cheese shop, there is literally always something new to over-satiate your senses with! The membership is structured so cool, you can literally apply your credits to everything and anything, great spot, highly recommend checking out. read more

Barber Cellars is one of my favorite places to stop in and have a glass of wine with friends. The atmosphere is adorable, the service is great, and the wine is delicious! Plus I like to support small and local as much as I can. I am a wine club member here and just love it! read more

Barber Cellars is a great family owned and operated winery located right in downtown Petaluma and is in Hotel Petaluma. They were the first tasting room in downtown Petaluma. They are owned by Michael and Lorraine Barber and have been making wine since 2007. You will often see Michael and Lorraine at Barber Cellars. They are both very knowledgably and passionate about their craft and will share their wealth of knowledge. The service from both Michael, Lorraine and their team is always great! The space is very welcoming with large windows, a bar area and a variety of seating with tables and lounge seating.   In 2023, they grew to become the Petaluma Cheese Shop and they now serve a wide variety of local and international cheeses and charcuterie as well as sandwiches to enjoy too. Their wine pairs well with cheeses so it is a win win for all! read more

Not to be missed experience. Barber Cellars/Petaluma Cheese Shop are located in the historic Petaluma Hotel. The decor is quaint and unique. Michael, owner, greeted us and poured a tasting of 6 wines all of which were great. I especially enjoyed the Sangiovese and bought 2 bottles as well as bottles of Rose of Sangiovese and Zinfandel. The fondue we shared was exceptional and some of the dipping choices seemed odd until we tried them. The best by far was the apple first dipped in the cheese and then the chocolate sauce. Thank you Michael for your friendly service and we enjoyed hearing about your wine making experience. Everyone in our party agreed that we will definitely come again. read more

Very cool vibe to enjoy a wine in the lounge area. Lorraine the owner is normally at the bar and is wonderful at suggesting the perfect cheese pairing. read more

Oh man. They've added a full cheese shop with a bunch of tasty stuff. The "cheesy sandwich of the week" was an awesome muffaletta, just terrific. And the cheese tasting board is eight different cheeses with some bread and quince. They are going to regularly change what's on this tasting so you can try new things. Goes great with the wine! read more

Such a fun tasting setup with unexpected snacks to go with each wine! Not only was it a different kind of wine tasting with unique treats to pair, it was an overall fantastic experience thanks to delicious wines and lovely service. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking most of the wines. While I usually don't get too excited about Zinfandels, Mr. Beast was a favorite! You also get helpful info along the way about the story behind Barber Cellars, their small batches, and the meaningful names to each one. The atmosphere is cute and quaint with games available but we ended up getting too wrapped up in the tasting to check out the games. Definitely recommend checking them out! Plus the distillery is just down the road if you're more of a fan of cocktails. read more

See all

While Barbers Cellars left a great impression on me, I will be 100% honest and say that I spent a majority of my time nowadays next door at their distillery. I had the chance to finally give their wines a whirl awhile back and figured I needed to spread the love for them as the owners are such wonderful people! Barber Cellars is a small lot producer, but the wines are very consistent and really show the love that goes into them. I had the chance to taste through several wines in a flight while there, but they also offer by the glass if you are into something in particular. When it comes to the wines, they tend to source the same grapes for the few vintages they have done and so far they have turned out great! I really enjoy their large blend (The Table) and their Sangiovese. The best part is the fact that their pricing is extremely reasonable for the quality, so three cheers to them for that feat! Pricing for by glass and the flight are also quite fair and of course you can get snacks or food to go with your wine as well, so maybe a trifecta of a win here? All and all a great place to stop by and then you can always head next door for their delicious cocktails as well! read more

Cute tasting room in downtown Petaluma. Wine maker was there and she was friendly. We stopped by because my friend had been there before and she became a member while we visited. read more

Delightful! Located adjacent to the hotel. Aimee was a perfect host. Our appointment was at 1pm and by the time we walked out with out purchases every seat was accompanied. We'll be back. Thank you! read more

What is not to like here. Family owned and they actually hang there. Make their own blend of wine. It is fantastic and attached to the Hotel Petaluma which is my favorite place to stay now! Very small and quaint, video game table and fun board games to play or just grab a comfy seat on the couch or chair and hang out. Great locals and nice people. read more

Barber Cellars - Rose - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

See all

A really friendly, charming tasting room in downtown Petaluma. The owners have obviously poured (ha!) a lot of love into it. There are 5 good wines available for tasting, including Zins and a savignon blanc. But an equally good reason to visit is the welcoming owners and slightly quirky atmosphere. They aim to be family-friendly --They even have board games, foosball, and a classic video game machine. You can order creative grilled cheeses as well as a local cheese plate. And it opens out out on to the beautiful Hotel Petaluma. read more

See all

I've always wanted to stop by & try the wines here but never seemed to have the opportunity. I decided to stop in here with some friends to taste the wines prior to our dinner plans which was the last day of Sonoma Restaurant Week. When we walked in we were immediately greet by a friendly face & much to my surprise a familiar face. It was Erin from Bitter Girl Bitters, who I had met at an event where she taught us how to make bitters. There was no one else in the tasting room, which was not surprising since it had been raining for quite a few days including this day. The room is spacious with plenty of seating including seating at the foosball table & game table that has classic arcade games such as Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Donkey Kong, Dig Dug & more. Both work & are there for patrons to use at no charge. Tasting fee is $15 for 5 wines & you can revisit the various pours. Fee waived with wine purchase. The wines varied in taste but were all good. It would be hard to choose just one favorite as the Pinot Gris would be so refreshing chilled with a nice goat cheese & citrus salad, where the Sangiovese, to me, would be good to sip all on its on outside on a nice summer day. They also offer various food items from cheese platters to charcuterie to a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches as well as focaccio. They support local business by offering some of their goods for purchase such as McEvoy Ranch Tapenades, Lala's Jams & Jelly's, Petaluma Coffee & Tea Company & more. The feeling that you get when you walk in the front door from Washington Street is like walking into a friends home. You can also enter the tasting room from within the lobby of Hotel Petaluma. There is a wine club & all club members get a personalize glass that hangs on the wall. Wine club prices are very reasonable & you can save some change by picking up in the tasting room, through the shipping fee is not bad at all. There is street parking, as well as a free parking garage just a stones throw away on Keller Street. This is the type of tasting room you can go in, order a grilled cheese sandwich or charcuterie, sip some good wines & read a book or play the awesome arcade games & just unwind after a long week of work or just relax. read more

See all

Looking for some great wine in Sonoma County but don't want to drive all the way up Highway 101 and the bygone regions of the Russian River and Alexander Valleys to actually get to enjoy them? Then there is a new option for wine lovers all over the Bay Area who don't want to drive that far to get to a little authentic Sonoma wine in them. The best thing about Barber Cellars is they are a small operation owned by a husband-and-wife duo, Mike and Lorraine Barber, who are dedicated to sharing their small production, like single vineyard wines grown locally from right here from the Sonoma coast all the way to the mountains. After a great deal of hard work through completely renovating a small storefront in the historic Hotel Petaluma, it is now home to the newest tasting room for Barber Cellars. You could tell by walking in from the lobby of the Hotel Petaluma of all the hard work this family put into Barber Cellars from the refinished antique furniture to the beautiful wooden floor to their marble-top bar, everything is on point here. Thanks to my friend Christine whose husband Chris managed to stumble in here one day, I was able to enjoy a complimentary tasting thanks to them becoming members here since they opened. Nothing like a free sample to taste what they're offering. And since she's a member, Christine got to sip her wine from a personalized wine glass with her last name etched on it that was available to pick up from the wall in the back of the store. What a great and fun concept to make their members feel welcome! Of the three wine tastings I sampled, I really loved the 2014 Sonoma Mountain Zinfandel 'Mr Beast' with a combination of flavors of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet and aged in both new French and American Oak, it was really sublime and smooth. The other two samplings the 2014 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet 'Scuro' and the 2014 Sonoma Mountain Zinfandel 'Mr. Beast' were really solid selections for the tasting menu as it gave a real flavor of the unique work process that Barbers puts into their homegrown wines. Not only that but they have a whiskey coming soon and something that's truly unique for a wine tasting room, Barber Cellars has the best Dolcezza Zinfandel Dark Chocolate Sauce, which when you get a tasting it something that's perfect to drizzle on ice cream or in your egg nog. Imagine that. We were so enamored of the wine and the entire experience of the tasting room that Christine and I decided to try out their cheese tastings which are served with salami, prosciutto, olives, crackers, local jam and your choice of three cheeses from local producers. We selected the Dacheva Brie, Point Reyes Toma, and the Marin French 'Petite Truffle' mainly because they were all cow based cheeses that we knew would not only pair well with our wine but it also wouldn't leave as strong of aftertaste. I was happily surprised on how well rounded this cheese plate not only tasted but was presented as well. There was so much food that we didn't leave hungry. This combined with us deciding to get a plate of focaccia bread served with organic olive oil and balsamic vinegar really filled us up and that's quite a rare feat a wine tasting room! Barber Cellars is lean and mean and dedicates itself to small production and nothing encapsulates that more than their quaint tasting room. It just goes to show the best things come in small packages, without any pretense much like their wine, Barber Cellars is place that more locals and out-of-towners should both able to relax and spend some time enjoying some good bites and sumptuous wines. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the renaissance that is currently hitting downtown Petaluma. read more

See all

The first wine tasting room in Petaluma, a town known as a mecca for beer lovers! My husband introduced me to this hidden gem inside Hotel Petaluma. The hotel has been remodeled, and there's rich history inside these walls...if these walls could talk! Immediately, the tasting room caught my attention, and I meandered down the steps from the hotel side and Lorraine warmly greeted me and had me try some wines. I enjoyed sipping on their Zin, and she explained how the wine membership works. Each new member gets an embossed wine glass with their name on it to place on the wall - SOLD! Quarterly shipments are ready for pick up in the tasting room, or they'll email UPS tracking # for shipping. We can bring friends, families, clients, and colleagues for free tastings as well. Lorraine said they're kid-friendly and to bring our son next time; he can play old school video games while we sip on some vino! For all the cheese lovers out there, her husband Michael was making a delicious looking cheese plate (variety of local cheeses). I only like brie cheese, which they serve ~ score! I asked some questions to learn about their wines and how all this came to fruition. I found out Michael's a South Bay native from San Jose and Lorraine is from Canada. I was an easy sell after finding out Michael is a Bay Arean! Together, they are a dynamic duo putting their passion into these tasty wines and opening up a tasting room in P-town. I'm always happy to support local businesses and meeting a Bay Area native is rare these days! Highly recommended when you're visiting Petaluma. The S.M.A.R.T train will be running soon, let's go wine tasting in P-town woot-woot, or choot-choot! =) 'Til we meet again ~ cheers!!! read more

See all

Second update: Obviously this gal has an issue with me, other table got huge pours of wine, compared to my sip, for their tasting and a very long explanation of the wine. If I could have heard it over the music from the speaker I would have been fine without an explanation, but still finding it very rude that all I'm being told is the name of the wine which I can obviously read for myself on the menu that is on every table. Update: So the longer I spent here, I realized it was just me that the gal behind the counter never bothered to attempt to explain the wine. Not sure why, it wasn't like it was busy when I walked in, only two women talking who had obviously been there for a while. I was even staying at the hotel and willing to leave with a bottle or two for our anniversary on Sunday, treatment here definitely changed my mind and would not recommend other out of town visitors to go here unless you want to be ignored. First Review: So the atmosphere is nice and I think it's a great location with the hotel and the grilled cheese isn't bad. However, I walked in and asked for a tasting and at least the other tastings I've done there is more of an explanation that just the glass being poured and then being told I can go sit down. I think the gal behind the counter spent more time on her phone than the patrons in the tasting room did. No explanation on how the tasting would work or on the wine. read more

Barber Cellars - Bar area - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

Cute little winery attached to the Petaluma Hotel. Great stop to start or end your day as a tourist. The staff was friendly, the pours were generous, and the grilled cheese sandwich was so tasty! read more

Barber Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

I came here for the cheese platter, not the wine tasting. I ended up having a glass of their 2019 Zinfandel as well. Cheese platter was tasty overall. I couldn't care much for the meats, but the cheeses were good. There was a mild medium soft cheese, a goat cheese brie and a hard peppercorn cheese. All were good but without a doubt, the peppercorn hard cheese was my absolute favorite. Paired well with the serves mustard. I did order the foccacia as well. I would not order again. It's just a dry old focaccia that gets reheated. In comparison of everything else, this is the weakest thing they offer. Not sure why it's on the menu. The wine, well I generally prefer heavy reds, like Cabernet Sauvignons or some Pinor Noirs. The Zinfandel was ok, but didn't hit my fancy. In general seeing others going through the wine tasting experience, I think you'll have a better experience at any of the vineyards closeby. It's convenient because it's right in downtown Petaluma though. read more

The tasting room is small but cute and low key. It's nice that it's right in town but I wouldn't say the wines or the grilled cheese we ordered was anything that great. All the stars for the woman serving us and it being dog friendly but everything else just sort of average. read more

After finishing some fresh and delicious oysters at the shuckery we took stroll through the rainy streets of petaluma and explored this hidden gem. Upon entering I was seduced by the aroma of fresh baked bread and local cheeses hot off the panini press for their signature grilled cheese....the server immediately greeted us and was very friendly, welcoming, and pleasant. The house was packed but they had our reserved table ready and on time for our 3:00 reservation. We accompanied our friend for a cool and spontaneous Yelp event. The server immediately brought the wine pairing which I found unique and delicious as well as quirky with takis, goldfish, jerky, tamarind pops(my personal fave) and each wine pairing was beautifully paired with these unconventional snacks. We ordered a simple grilled but far from simple it was, the combination of crunchy fresh bread and the melted cheese was an explosion of sweet savory texture that i have been craving since i was small child. It brought back so many memories. We ended up taking home a bottle of the Sangiovese and the barbosa ... they barely lasted a day in our wine fridge and not because we are alcoholics but because these wines were absolutely phenomenal read more

Barber Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

See all

I loved this tasting room. A group of ladies and I spent the day downtown to shop and wine our way around. We truly enjoyed meeting Lorraine and trying her wines. It was the kind of tasting room where you were made to feel like family. We also tried two different grilled cheeses and they were wonderful. This would be a great place to go for lunch. A bottle of wine and a couple grilled cheese, what could be better? The tasting room is a beautiful space located just off the lobby of the Petaluma Hotel. I loved the remodel work in the lobby and courtyard. We had such a great time, I look forward to returning on a evening for some live music. read more

Barber Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

See all

I have come here twice. Very cute little place inside the Petaluma Hotel, which has a darling lobby with a bar. They had 4 wines, I think they were whites. The order they had them in was not great but I asked for them the way I liked them the 2nd time around and the lovely young lady pouring obliged by my request. Place s really cute and they have many types of grilled cheese sandwiches that they make right there in a press. Smells so damn good. PROS: - Location in downtown Petaluma. One of 2 wine tasting rooms in town - Nice staff - Open until 8pm, thank goodness! CONS: - None really read more

Friendly staff, a free retro arcade game and good wine....what else could we want? The wine was excellent and they also had a wine club you could join for discounts. The food looked and smelled delicious. Looking forward for Covid to end so we can head back and have another wonderful experience. read more

A fantastic gem in a city location, definitely worth your time. They are a husband and wife winemaking team, with a tasting room located right off the lobby of a boutique hotel. Very cool vibe with good wines, and a variety of locally made cheese that can be enjoyed with the wine. They even have some vintage board and video games in the tasting room, and have life music on Thursday nights. In addition to their strong selection of wines, we discovered they also make a Rye, it's incredible!! It's not available for sale at the tasting room, but can be purchased at a local grocer just down the block -- we picked one up and brought it home :-) read more

Barber Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California

Barber Cellars is wonderful. The owners are so friendly and attentive, the wine is memorable and reasonably priced, and I loved the decor, not to mention the working Pacman 2-player machine they have. So quirky! They have of late been heavily involved in bringing the local foodie and beverage community together through their many events and giving back, and I believe they are just about to open a whiskey tasting place too. One of our favorite local places to visit on a day or night out, and nicely placed within the Hotel Petaluma/Shuckery Retaurant, two further great places in downtown Petaluma. Visit when you can! read more

So glad that we got a recommendation to check this place out! Really fantastic addition to the Petaluma wine scene. They have a good range of different wines (both whites and reds). I liked them all and thought they all had great, balanced flavors and were still unique. What really makes this place special is the owners. It's a husband and wife run operation and they are simply awesome. Not only are they great people, but they really paid attention to the details. The tasting room is gorgeous, they have arcade games/board games, they make GRILLED CHEESE and have cheese tastings you can do, and if you live in the area they have awesome nights that they host like a cheese maker's night or trivia nights. Such a gem in Petaluma. Definitely recommend checking them out! Make sure you get a chance to talk to the owners!! read more

We always enjoy going to Barber Cellars. A warm and inviting tasting room downtown with wonderful wines can't be beat! The charcuterie is delicious! Mike and Lorraine are friendly and knowledgeable. Love going there after work to relax with a glass or a tasting and a snack! Wonderful ~ read more

We scored two last minute tickets to the first of what apparently will be monthly special wine and cheese pairing events. As is often the case - the thing we decide to do a few hours beforehand was more fun than some things we plan for months in advance. Since this was their first event things were a little slow getting started but it is a nice place and we enjoyed just relaxing while we waited. This event paired a flight of four cheeses from Redwood Hill Farm with two of their wines. We had two very generous glasses of wine - a 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinto Gris 'Rougissant' and a 2013 Sonoma Mountain Zinfandel 'Mr Beast.' Our cheese samplings were the wonderfully fluffy and lemony fresh chèvre; a surprisingly complex cheddar (goat cheese cheddar - who knew?!); A bloomy bucheret and a classic french style award winning crottin. Some wonderful bread, salami and prosciutto completed the offerings. Cher from Redwood Hill was great -- very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. My only complaint per se is that I think the Barber cellars folks did themselves a disservice. This was our first visit to the tasting room and we knew nothing about them. While we heard a lot from Cher about Redwood Hill Farms and their process and cheeses we were never given the Barber cellars story. I realize we may have been in the minority as far as not having visited the tasting room prior to the event but I think everyone enjoys learning about the back story and the wines themselves. Nevertheless we bought a bottle of the Zinfandel and some of the cheese to enjoy again and plan to go back for the next month's pairing. Hopefully we will learn more about Barber cellars then! read more

See all

Cute downtown tasting room and very small operation with good wines. The owner was working when we did our tastings. Having him explain the wines really enhanced the experience! read more

My favorite cocktails in Petaluma for sure! They make everything in house. Everything is delicious. I like all the people I've met that work there. They all make you feel very welcome. If you don't really know what you like to drink, they will help you figure it out. read more

Highly recommend! We heard about Barber Cellars but went here for the first time following the classic car show in Petaluma on July 4th. We walked in the door to the smell of grilled cheese. Is there anything better than that smell? The environment was welcoming and friendly. The wines poured were more limited than usual (their Zin and Sangiovese aren't available yet) but all those we tasted were excellent: Rosé, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We can't wait to return. read more

Barber Cellars - Kitten With A Whip - Wineries Near Me - Petaluma, California