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Smith Story Wine Cellars

4.9 (36 reviews)
Closed 12:00 pm - 4:00 PM

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Great Space
David C.

What a beautiful space and they do have a wide selection of wines. And great prices. They are super nice here talk to Dusty she's super helpful. They have a space for dogs and dog and kid friendly with a nice large sunny porche. Great selection of reds and whites. Gifts and stemware .

Wine bottles for sale inside Smith Story Wine Cellars in Bacchus Landing in Healdsburg.
Jason F.

Everybody has a story, and at the tasting room that is Smith Story Wine Cellars their story is quite grand. Located in Bacchus Landing, which is a curated collective of world-class wineries, each with its own tasting room, Smith Story Wine Cellars is one of the newer kids on the block as they took their time to move to their new home and open in a corner location a year ago. Smith Story Wine Cellars is a woman-owned winery operated by the husband-wife team of Alison and Eric Story. Founded almost ten years ago and aided by the assistance of a Kickstarter campaign, Smith Story specializes in small-lot wines that sources its grapes from family-farmed vineyards in the Anderson Valley, Mendocino and Sonoma Counties, and the Rheingau region in Germany. Ironically what brought a friend and I here was that we were here to visit another winery in Bacchus Landing and noticed that Smith Story was open and taking in wine lovers, and after our visit to their neighbors, we walked over to Smith Story Wine Cellars to see if they were taking in any wine tasters for their tasting flight, despite the fact we didn't have any reservations. Dusty, their hospitality director was present and welcomed us in as she sat us down in two of their comfy chairs so we enjoyed four of their signature wines from their Current Release Tasting menu. We began our wine tasting journey with a delightful splash of their 2021 Rosé, which was sourced from Mendocino County, and had a beautiful floral aroma on the nose and thanks to a low alcohol content gave this Rosé a serious poolside wine vibe. For our second pour, we enjoyed their 2018 'The Boonies' Pinot Noir, which was sourced from the Nash Mill Vineyard in Anderson Valley. With a lovely color to this wine and a silky smooth finish thanks to its lush earthy fruit tones, this Pinot Noir was the perfect red wine to have with any meal or sip all by itself. For our third pour we enjoyed their 2019 Cabernet Franc, which was sourced from Sonoma Mountain, and had notes of cherries, cinnamon and blackberries. More complex than their Pinot Noir thanks to its elegant finish, they recommend that you save this bottle of wine, if you should choose to do so as it will age like a fine wine. For our fourth and final wine pour, we enjoyed their 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was sourced from the Pickberry Vineyard near the Sonoma Mountain. With an aroma of blackberries, raspberries, and rose petals among others, this lush red wine wasn't too strong in its tannins, which was nice, and would pair in any meal with any medium cooked meat. We had a wonderful time at Smith Story Wine Cellars, as we were the only wine tasters in their homey wine tasting room and Dusty treated us as we were VIPs offering us any extra pours of any of the wines we tasted this afternoon. I loved their 2021 Rosé so much that a bottle being priced at a reasonable 28 dollars only added to my incentive in purchasing a bottle, and since I bought my bottle my tasting fee was waived, while my friend cost 25 dollars, which in this day and age is fairly reasonable. With a total bill of less than 56 dollars, they had two happy wine tasters, and I had a bottle of Rosé to take home, so it made this trip to Bacchus Landing a most productive one. Just imagine we probably would have never even decided to go to Smith Story Wine Cellars this afternoon had we not run into winemaker and cofounder Eric Story in his work overalls while walking to our original wine tasting destination. My only regret is we didn't get to see his and his wife Alli's golden-doodle Lord Sandwich who has been known to make appearances at their wine tasting room, and they even sell a coffee table book with him on the cover. Which just goes to show, everyone does indeed have a story to share, especially when your story is as rich and complex as it is at Smith Story Wine Cellars.

Chloe B.

If you aren't greeted by Lord Sandwich, it's not the same introduction. I may have left with half a case. The antiques, ambience, and owners make this a special treat. The antiques inside are well worth a peak inside. Highly recommend.

Wine
Luly J.

Plan to visit next time I'm in Cali. Grateful they ship to my doorstep. Impressive packing easily recycled Wine is amazing

Steve J.

We visited Smith Story this weekend and it was our best experience of the day! Dusty knew her stuff and the tasting was well paced. The wines were all excellent and extremely well priced for the quality. The atmosphere was casual and friendly. I live in the area and will put this on the short list of go to wineries when my friends come to town.

a bottle of smith story wine
Karen L.

You had me at Sparkling wine! I am a big fan of bubbles and on my recent trip to Bacchus I decided to stop in to visit the new tasting room on the property. It was a beautiful warm autumn day and had to order a bottle to share with friends while enjoying a game of bocce. The wine is made in the traditional French style; it's crisp, dry and delicious! I will be back for more to pair with Thanksgiving!

David C.

Ok we stayed the the Madrones and this tasting room was on site. We did the tasting and man I really like there Pinot! It was great and we ended up buying a few bottles. After sip it was nice to experience a wine tasting in a clean location. The dog sandwich was super friendly. So you really got to hit this place and give it a try. You will definitely like their wines.

Inside sitting area

Super cute wine cellar in the area! It had a very modern and laid-back environment that was advertised as dog-friendly. We got to speak with Eric Story (co-founder), who told us about each wine and you could tell he was incredibly passionate about it. The wine was very good without breaking the bank! Lots of other wineries near it and close to downtown Healdsburg, CA.

Where the old corks go
Chris K.

Nice little winery tasting room on the property we were staying. We tasted about 6 wines but the only one we liked was the Rose that they import from Germany. Apparently they can import it cheaper than they can make it. I had to ask if they made sandwiches since I saw that I. The reviews. The owner giggled and said that's the name of their dog who is famous on instagram. We bought a bottle of Rose for a gift!

Outside Smith Story
Stephanie C.

Came here for Sandwich, left with wine! So I follow Sandwich the doodle on Instagram, and I knew I just had to come here and meet him in person. We brought our dog in with us as well (they are super dog friendly!), and of course were welcomed by their dog Sandwich. He is very friendly! He welcomes all guests, is very calm, and loves to be pet. We did the tasting, but our tasting fee was waived because we ended up buying two bottles of the Riesling. Everyone there is so nice and friendly. We got to meet Ali, who co-owns the place with her husband and also manages Sandwich's Instagram account. If you love dogs, you definitely have to come here! It's also super convenient 'cause it's right next to Stone and Ember, which has great wood-fired pizza and also some other wine tasting rooms. Can't wait to come back to visit Sandwich! Oh, and have some more wine!

Jeffrey E.

We have been to Anderson Valley 5 times in the last 2 years. We have stayed at The Madrones four out of five times and on our most recent trip discovered Smith Story Wines. They are one of three tasting rooms attached to the property. We came late at 4:45pm, they could not have been nicer about accommodating us so late in the day, but also let us stay 1/2 past closing to introduce us to their wines and tell us the story of their business. This is a husband wife team that has a true passion for great wines. I can't remember the last time we had a tasting and liked every single offering that we tried. We especially enjoyed their dog "Sandwich" who is apparently a Instagram celebrity with over 62k followers and a champion for charity. Love the wines, love the ambiance, and love Sandwich!

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3 months ago

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Ali S.

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Oh we appreciate you!! Thank you for the kind words! -Ali Story

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8 years ago

I just came here for sandwich (the dog)! Loves him! Wine is excellent too. The perfect stop.

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9 years ago

We love Smith Story wines! Excellent service and very friendly. We are looking forward to returning!

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Ask the Community - Smith Story Wine Cellars

Review Highlights - Smith Story Wine Cellars

We also learned that Lord Sandwich, the winery dog, even has a sock charity to help give socks to those in need of them.

Mentioned in 10 reviews

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We were exploring downtown Healdsburg recently during the Christmas break. Since there were so…read moremany intriguing tasting rooms, we decided to check one out. We chose to drop in Marine Layer Wines. The tasting room is located in a very nice area in beautiful downtown Healdsburg across Healdsburg square. Parking is accessible all around the street and Healdsburg square. The modern decor was beautiful and bright. There were plenty of tables and couches to accommodate all different size parties. The vibe was inviting and family friendly. There was a cozy fireplace in the front as well. We ordered a glass of Lyra Pinot Noir and a glass of Aries Chardonnay. My Pinot Noir was smooth while the wifey's Chardonnay was crisp and refreshing. The wine was great quality. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Marine Layer Wines. The staff was nice and helpful. We appreciated the family friendly environment. It was nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas, by relaxing with a nice glass of wine.

Excellent wine tasting experience in charming Healdsburg. Our sommelier, Trevor, was super…read moreknowledgeable and went out of his way to ensure we had an appreciation for every sip. Patrons can have wine by the glass or bottle and opt for single vineyard or seasonal tasting menus. Modern, beautifully appointed tasting room. Highly recommend.

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Front seating area with fire place
Front seating area with fire place
Beautifully appointed tasting room
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Booth in the tasting room.

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Seghesio Family Vineyards

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We finally came back to give them a try. We came like maybe 6-7 years ago, without a reservations…read moreand they weren't really accommodating or nice to us. Basically told us to get the hell out of there without a reservations even though there were only 2 couples at half past opening and the guy said he's going to have a busy day, with an attitude. So we hated this place for so long. Our aunt also had a bad experience here too, at that time people here were mean. Geez. So we avoided for a long time. Fast forward, just checking around wineries and saw Seghesio again since our favorite Zin winery (Stephen & Walker) went out of business. I checked their website and wow, they accept walk ins now! Although we could have made a reservation, we decided to go without one to see what the new experience was like. We came in a Friday afternoon and were super cautious. We came, nobody was there. The front greeted us and explained the tasting. You can't do split so my MIL wanted the Italian varietal tasting, which we wanted the Zin but she was adamant. Bummer bc they are known for their Zins! We went with the Italian. Sat outside. Beautiful grounds! Have huge play area for dogs and kids, cornhole, bacchi ball, and beautiful lawn. Lots of trees and shade and it was very peaceful. Our server was super nice and attentive. He also provided a small nut snack and generous pours. We stated that we were going to buy many bottles and really into Zins so he let us taste a couple. We loved it so much we bought a whole case! We got the Italian varietals and the 2 Zins that we were able to taste. Due to the new positive experience, we would come back and try their Zin tasting and possibly look into membership.

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Cellar tanks
Cellar tanks
Outside
Outside
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Interior of their private tasting room at Seghesio Family Vineyards in Healdsburg.
Furthermore Wines

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I came across an article that mentioned some of the top places to get amazing Pinot Noirs. I can't…read moreremember what the article was and I've been trying to locate it again, but of all the 5 places the article named, I was pleasantly surprised to see that a spot in Healdsburg made the list. Being a member at another place in the area, Healdsburg was a familiar place to me. I came across the article at the perfect time as my husband and I were making a day trip to pick up my shipment. We live in Sacramento to Healdsburg is only a two hour drive away. I was beyond happy to see that we're wasn't a wait when we arrived. They are tons of cute velvet couches in all different colors and the busking itself is very tall with huge ceiling and really amazing decorations. We received excellent service and I was blown away at how amazing their Pinot Noir selection was. Only $35 for 5 pours! I felt so relaxed and not at all rushed. Some live music was getting ready to start when we left and I was sad we couldn't stay for that but now I know for next time. This was such a beautiful wine and music lounge and i'm very excited to visit again.

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Lounge and sip!
Lounge and sip!
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Inside
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Love being a member at Lioco. Always greeted with a huge smile & hugs and always able to bounce…read morearound, customize my tastings. They have indoor/outdoor space to sit, the bar as always the best with faster service, and although i love being in the sun on a nice day, it can get really hot. Unfortunately, there are no food options offered, just delicious wine. Oh, and they have the best release parties and the other members become friends outside of the tasting room. It's a whole vibe and you really become apart of the Lioco family.

Photos
The wine library
The wine library
Tasting Room exterior as seen from Oakville Grocery.
Tasting Room exterior as seen from Oakville Grocery.
Owner Matt Licklider on the turn table.

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Owner Matt Licklider on the turn table.

Smith Story Wine Cellars - winetastingroom - Updated July 2026

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