I’m sure you’ve all seen photos of people on boats and flooded cars as California deals with torrential downpour after torrential downpour and the Russian River keeps rising. I’m choosing, however, to focus on the good times ahead as the water clears, because Russian River Valley is definitely a place you want on your radar to visit in 2023. Not only is this region gorgeous, but it boasts so many of Northern California’s best wineries. Here are five that I recommend visiting:
Flowers Winery: Quite simply, the most gorgeous tasting room in Healdsburg. Flowers’ “House of Flowers” boasts several semi-private areas to enjoy your wine flight, including small cabanas. Each wine will be a paired with a curated bite from their in-house culinary team and these are some of the most well-thought out pairings you’ll encounter (think a mini Dungeness crab cake with their crisp Camp Meeting Ridge chardonnay). It is a pricier experience, but well worth visiting at least once, though you’ll want to come back, because the experience is lovely.
Macrostie Winery: You will feel welcomed and relaxed at Macrostie from the second you step out of your car (quite literally, since you’ll be greeted with a pour of welcome wine upon arrival). Like many of the wineries on this list, Macrostie specializes in single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but they also make fun sauvignon blanc, rosé, bubbles and Cabernet Sauvignon that you might get to taste during your visit. This place is definitionally dog friendly as well, so don’t be surprised if you see plenty of pups taking in the gorgeous views while their owners sip on wine.
Merriam Vineyards: It has been YEARS since I’ve actually been to Merriam at a Wine Road event, but I was recently reintroduced to their gorgeous wines and love the variety they produce. While they have the RRV standard chardonnay and pinot, you will also see inclusion of several Bordeaux varieties, including red blends and a gorgeous Merlot. This family-owned winery is a hidden gem, with several reasonably priced options in comparison to some of the area’s other producers. It will definitely be on my list to visit in 2023!
Gary Farrell Winery: While you may be scared driving up a steep hill to get to the tasting room, what awaits you when you get up there is well worth it. Gary Farrell has vineyard contracts with many of California’s best single vineyards, not only from Sonoma County, but from Santa Barbara County as well. Because they produce so many different wines, you will always be introduced to new bottling of their cult favorite Chardonnay and pinot Noir on repeat visits, paired with some incredible cheeses.
Copain: Oh Copain, one of my all-time favorite wineries (and the place where I actually got engaged). Copain recently did a remodel of their tasting patio and there are now even more gorgeous places to sit back with one of their wine flights and take in the single best view of the valley. Copain excels in making incredible pinot noir, chardonnay and Syrah from cool climate sites on the Sonoma Coast and in Anderson Valley, all paired with cheese and some other fun bites.
2023 is just beginning and I hope that you, like me, are already planning to see where your wine travels take you. Here’s to visiting more beautiful places this year and let me know where else you think I should go in the Russian River Valley!
