Best Wineries in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, California

One of my favorite things to do when I travel to California is to go wine tasting. Most of my recent tasting trips have been to Russian River, which is famous for its Pinot Noirs. Last week, however, I decided to venture a bit farther north to some of the best wineries in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County.

Best Wineries in Dry Creek Valley

Located northwest of Healdsburg, Dry Creek Valley is a picture-pretty American Viticultural Area (AVA) and a classic Sonoma Valley wine region.

Comprised of almost 80,000 acres—9,000 of which are covered in vineyards—the land is home to over 70 wineries and dozens of grape varietals. It makes a great day trip from San Francisco.

Like its southern neighbor Russian River, Dry Creek Valley experiences cool morning fog and warm days.

However, its warmer weather makes it better known for Zinfandels than Pinot Noirs. The best wineries in Dry Creek Valley also produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot.

The wine region is home to every kind of winery, from large producers to small family-run operations.

I recently had the opportunity to visit three of the best wineries in Dry Creek Valley: Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Bella Winery, and Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate.

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery

I was in California recently to spend 8 days in San Francisco. During that time, my mother, brother, and I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge to spend a day tasting our beloved California wines.

The drive from San Francisco took just under two hours, and we arrived at Ferrari-Carano winery ready for a tasting.

There was a wine club event going on that day, so the tasting fee was happily waived. We sampled everything from classic California Chardonnays to powerful dark fruit-laden Cabernet Sauvignons. They set a good tone for the day.

On the way out, we spent a few minutes exploring the winery’s gorgeous gardens.

They were full of bridges that spanned small ponds and sculptures that sat in fields of flowers. The colors and greenery were dazzling in the Sonoma sunshine.

Bella Winery

After enjoying the gardens we were off to Bella Winery, which my mother considers one of the best wineries in Dry Creek Valley.

The wine cave there was buzzing with visitors and wine club members. As we walked into the cool, dark space we saw a beautiful flower-covered table set for a special event.

Our wine tasting at Bella focused on one thing: Zinfandel. Bella is best known for its Zins, many of which have received accolades from the likes of Wine Spectator over the years.

We tried three that afternoon, and loved the 2009 Belle Canyon Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel so much that we each bought a bottle. My mother even joined the wine club.

After our tasting we were in need of a rest. We sat down at one of the winery’s picnic tables and shared a chocolate cake and a lemon tart from Miette patisserie in San Francisco.

Then we went to the rustic-chic Dry Creek General Store for sandwiches from its delicious deli.

Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate

Refreshed, we continued our tour of the best wineries in Dry Creek Valley with a visit to the Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate. On our way in, we stopped to watch the winery’s beekeeper hard at work.

Then we came across an exhibit showing the winery’s commitment to organic farming using animals to do the job of pesticides.

Everything from bats to owls and sheep was employed in the effort. It made for a unique winery tour.

Our wine tasting at Michel-Schlumberger winery consisted of a Chardonnay that was a nice blend of oaky and buttery flavors, a Malbec, and a Syrah.

We also tried a Cabernet Franc from the winery’s Humanitas label, which donates proceeds to the local Habitat for Humanity.