We spent a lovely few hours at Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen on a recent Sonoma trip…read more Although they were busy, we appreciated being able to walk in without a reservation and still enjoy tastings at the main bar. Our server, Patrick, was personable, knowledgeable, and truly went above and beyond. He gave us a great understanding of the history of the family winery as well as the nuances of the various wines. He never made us feel rushed, and we enjoyed sitting outside, taking in the beautiful views--and watching the tractor tours pass by--while we tasted. Patrick even shared side-by-side trios of Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons to highlight differences in winemaking methods, vineyard sites, and soils, which made for a particularly interesting and educational tasting experience. In fact, it was every bit as informative and enjoyable as other tasting experiences we've had that were far more expensive, more formal, and required advance reservations.    The tasting room also features a wonderful selection of gifts and specialty items. By the end of our visit, we left with three bottles of wine (2025 Frank Johnson Sauv Blanc and two 2022 Three Blocks Cab Sauvs) along with several gifts and mementos. Benziger has a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere and is both kid and pet-friendly. We also stopped by their sister winery, Imagery, afterward and found it to be another Sonoma gem. We wouldn't hesitate to return to either.

We did the sit down, more formal tasting. It was quite nice, on the great patio. But they also have…read morethe stand up tasting in the shop for a little less money. We didn't do the tour, but they have a trolley tour if you are looking for something with out having to walk a lot.

Unbelievable service and wine. Highly recommend this hidden gem. Came for my bday with a group of…read more10 and they took care of us beautifully.

Lasseter Family Winery was the third and final stop on our Platypus Wine Tour. I highly recommend…read morePlatypus Wine Tours: https://www.yelp.com/biz/platypus-wine-tours-napa. Our first two stops were Loxton Cellars and Mayo Family Winery. Lasseter, Loxton, and Mayo are all located in Glen Ellen. I enjoyed our wine tasting experiences at all three places. Lasseter Family Winery was by far the most different of the three because it was the biggest, most modern and "luxurious," backed by the most money, and it felt the most corporate/commercialized. Lasseter Family Winery is owned by John and Nancy Lasseter. John is known for being a former executive at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the director of popular animated movies like Toy Story (1995), A Bug's Life (1998), and Cars (2006). In this sense, the Lasseter Family Winery reminds me of another Sonoma County winery, Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyersville. It's cool, but as my friends and I discussed during our visit here, these types of wineries struck us as when rich guys get enough money to open their own winery "for fun." The other wineries, Loxton in particular, are much smaller "mom and pop" businesses. They're more genuine labors of love. This one, and others like it, feel completely different. I think one of the guys in our group liked Lasseter the best. He bought several bottles. My favorite from this particular tour was Loxton, but Lasseter was good too. I liked Lasseter better than Mayo. We visited Lasseter on an ordinary Friday around 2:30pm and stayed for about two hours, maybe a little longer. It wasn't very busy during our stay. Alex was our guide and he was great. He explained everything well and had a good sense of humor. In terms of presentation and details (e.g., tasting sheet, menu, order form), Lasseter was among the best I've seen. High-quality materials, well-designed, etc. Our tasting menu was customized and printed just for our group of six. Here's what we had (all Sonoma Valley estate wines, priced per 750 mL): * 2021 Enjoue ($35) * 2020 Voila ($55) * 2016 Chemin de Fer ($56) * 2016 Paysage ($62) * 2015 Amoureux ($64) Our order form had seven additional wines including a couple non-estate wines (12 total). Along with the five listed above, Alex brought one or two extra wines for us to try. By this point in the day, I was 17+ wine tastings in and don't remember much. I'm a lightweight and not a wine connoisseur, but I do like wine, especially with a nice meal. I don't recall any one of Lasseter's wines standing out from the others. I just remember each one tasted high-quality and delicious. We ordered some cheese and charcuterie boards to go with our tasting and they were tasty as well. Something else we thought was neat was the wine label artwork by Dennis Ziemienski. His designs are fun and colorful. His paintings were on display inside the main building and there was merchandise featuring his artwork that was available for purchase. When we visited, the weather was perfect (sunny and in the 60s) and the grounds and facilities were beautiful. Really nice. We walked around a bit, but weren't able to get far as the road heading south from the main building was closed off. The cost for the tasting at Lasseter was $40 per person (double the rates at both Loxton and Mayo) and each cheese tray was $25.

Intimate, rustic & exclusive wine tasting experience. Loved the cozy setup & in depth, candid chat…read morearound each wine. Highly recommend compared to a typical mass hyped winery.

When looking into wineries in the area, Schermeister stood out to me because everyone said the same…read morething - that Rob and Laura are amazing and that you have to come by. After a few tours of very large wineries, we ended our week in Sonoma and Napa with Schermeister and it was, undoubtedly, our favorite stop. Not only was the wine our favorite we had, but, as reported, Rob and Laura were just so welcoming and wonderful. They felt like old friends even though we had just met. Also, their tasting room is just gorgeous and in a lovely area. I whole heartedly recommend stopping in at Schermeister if they're open (they close when they sell out of wine) and I plan to come back any time I'm in Northern California.

The winery is so pretty! Love the space and they now do BYO picnic style so you can bring family,…read morefood and enjoy their wine. Tucker was fantastic and helped us with everything from our very first step in. I learned so much about their wines and process! While their wines won't be my favorite of all time, I'd be back when I'm in town for a girls weekend or just because! We did the standard flight and not the premium version. My favorite was the red but a lot of my friends loved the Spirit Rock!

Loved the vibe of this spot. Everyone was so unbelievably nice. Very cozy. Also dog friendly. All…read moreindoors but beautiful space. I didn't really get to enjoy all the wines so I'll 100% be back to try more

Imagery is such a fun winery! The wines are all incredible and very innovative . The art on the…read morewine bottles is so fun too. We've been a few times and it's always a great time, super chill place, everyone is super nice, and service is great. 10/10 would recommend

Beautiful grounds and a relaxing experience with delicious wines…read more Setting: Scenic and relaxed with bocce ball, cornhole, ample indoor/outdoor seatingand beautiful vineyard views. Service: Mixed--waited 30 minutes before being greeted or given any direction, but the wine experts were warm, knowledgeable, and made up for the rocky start. Experience: The picnic for two was charming and tasty, with generous pours and a laid-back vibe. Great place to sip, snack, and soak in Sonoma.

Both Wine Snob* and Wolves Lovers + Thieves are a must-stop in Glen Ellen!…read more The husband and wife duo, Ryan and Lindsey, are incredible, welcoming hosts, winemakers, servers, you name it.. offering some delicious wines along the way. Both locations are walking distance from each other, and easy to stop in without reservations for a tasting or even if you just want a glass. We first stopped at Wolves Lovers + Thieves for their tasting of 4 sparking wines. Each sparking is produced from different methods: pétillant-natural, Champagne method, and Charmat method. There were a variety of grapes too, one of which I had not had before, the chardonnay musqué, which they offer in a still version at Wine Snob*! Ryan and Lindsey are so knowledgeable and were happy to share their love for wine with us. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a wine snob, but I know what I like and these two tasting rooms are the places to be!

Super nice people. Their unique blends are fun and interesting. Super chill. Give it a try for a…read morechange of pace.

Really great and thoughtfully crafted wine tasting experience in a beautiful setting. We did the…read moremost basic tasting which came with a chef created bite and a tour to the wine cave. The tasting took place in the tasting room which had floor to ceiling windows looking out at the vineyard, then we strolled past the garden, into the cave, and back to the tasting room. The property is absolutely gorgeous, both the buildings and the views. Reservations are required as the tastings are very intimate with one person from the tasting team assigned to each group. We were helped by Rachel who had a plethora of knowledge, it was actually amazing how much she knew. The tasting menu had four wines, but we did get to try some additional pours that were open, including fun side-by-side comparisons. The wines were good, but my favorites were on the pricey side, so unfortunately I didn't bring any home with me.

I recently did a tasting at Hamel, and it was such a nice experience! The wine and the tasting are…read moredefinitely on the pricier side, but they were all very delicious. The food that they brought out for us to taste was also delicious. It was very cool to tour the facility and learn about their dry farming, organic & biodynamic farming, and more. Service was great, the place is absolutely beautiful and gives off a fancier feel than other wineries. I would definitely come back.

Little Vineyards in Sonoma feels less like visiting a winery and more like being welcomed into…read moresomeone's beautiful home. We had the pleasure of attending their Sunset Sips and Sounds event, where owners Rich and Joan were incredibly warm and hospitable from the moment we arrived, creating an atmosphere that makes you instantly relax and want to stay awhile. The setting itself is stunning, peaceful vineyards, rolling hills, and live music. Rich performing on his Chapman Stick and guitar was the perfect complement to the surroundings. It added this soulful, intimate feeling that made the entire experience unforgettable. We had two bottles of their Double Gold winning 2021 Syrah Zinfandel blend, and it was delicious. Layered, smooth, and dangerously easy to keep drinking. Places like this are rare now. Authentic, personal, creative, and completely unpretentious. We'll definitely be back!

Relaxing, amazing, beautiful, just amazing! Wine was…read moredelicious, they have wonderful reds. Hospitality was outstanding!

Wellington is an easy stop in Sonoma. The tasting room is bright and clean, very classy, modern and…read morewelcoming. We sat at the bar and shared a tasting. Good wines and great service.

Still four stars a lovely young girl waited on us. On the receipt it says MF also another guy that…read morewas there. He was very knowledgeable and he talked to us also. We ended up buying a rosé bubble, sparkling, four Merlot's which we love the most and one Sauvignon Blanc, which I did not taste, but I thought why not. Was pleasantly surprised about the wines. I belong to VJB and they are a sister winery. It is a beautiful place inside unfortunately I forgot to take pictures.

Chris Loxton gave us one of the most memorable and humor infused tours. We were SO fortunate to…read moremeet him and be able to see this vineyard from HIS perspective as well! He truly gives his heart and soul to making these wines!

The service was wonderful, pretty grounds & vineyards! The tasting room is in the barrel room where…read morethey keep the wines, very cozy kitsch. Our favorite was a Syrah and a port. We bought a few bottles and will definitely be back!