10 Sonoma Wineries with Gorgeous Gardens

All of Sonoma County can seem as green as a garden in springtime: Hills are lush, trees are leafy, and grapevines are beginning to bud. At Sonoma County wineries, there’s even more to see from the first tulips of spring to blooming winery gardens.

Here are the prettiest winery gardens to check out in Sonoma Wine Country.

1. Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Healdsburg

Ferrari-Carano’s Italianate Villa Fiore visitor center and winery are surrounded by four acres of gardens. Call the “Tulip Hotline” (707-433-5349) in late winter and early spring for an update on the first blooms. An array of flowers bloom year-round, and stunning roses are on display in spring. A secluded tea garden is outfitted with benches and gazebos along meandering paths and bridges over burbling streams.

2. Matanzas Creek Winery, Santa Rosa

This place of beauty embraces a serene, naturalistic style. Soft colors of native drought-hardy plants culminate in three acres of lavender. From May to July, the winery celebrates the blossoming lavender, and the gorgeous gardens have become a popular spot for marriage proposals. The estate manager confirms, “So far, out of seventeen proposals, we’ve had seventeen I do’s.”

3. Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens, Santa Rosa

Roses greet visitors at K–J’s visitor center within a two-and-a-half-acre botanical and viticultural extravaganza. Wander the demonstration vineyard, where each short row of grapevines is labeled with the varietal, from Cabernet to Symphony. There’s a produce garden with edible flowers and tomatoes galore. A wine sensory garden includes plants with aromas that you may experience in the wines you taste, like lemon verbena.

4. Quivira Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg

Quivira’s gardens are more than just pretty; they provide an opportunity to witness the winery’s impressive biodynamic practices. Herbs are grown for preparations, which naturally come from the impressive “preparations tower” in the center of the garden. They grow so many vegetables and herbs, in fact, that the restaurants of Sonoma Wine Country are grateful to procure Quivira’s harvest for their own farm-to-table dishes. This well-rounded, sustainable vineyard also raises bees and chickens.

5. Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen

Don’t miss the popular tractor-tram tour to discover Benziger’s most important gardens. To farm this Sonoma mountain hillside with sustainable and biodynamic methods, Benziger got creative. Hop aboard this memorable tour to learn about the “insectaries” — islands of gardens planted as habitats especially for the most beneficial insects. The science is fascinating, the scenery is beautiful, and the result is healthy grapes and tasty wines.

6. Cline Family Cellars, Sonoma

Tours, tastings, and picnic table seating are all available at the extensive, parklike grounds of Cline Family Cellars. Peaceful, reflective ponds are home to carp you can feed on your visit. Say hello to a collection of rescued exotic birds that stroll the property. Stop to smell one of the 5,000 blooming roses in an array of colors that line the paths and beautify this site.

7. Arista Winery, Healdsburg

The owners of this small family winery have made creative use of the naturally rocky hillside setting above the Russian River Valley. Arista Winery created a gorgeous Japanese-style water garden that winds along a path through massive boulders with inviting places to sit and appreciate all that is good.

8. Korbel Champagne Cellars, Guerneville

The Korbel family gardens were created by a master horticulturist to embrace an array of colors, textures, and aromas that shift with the seasons. The garden blooms each spring and continues into summer and fall with more than 250 varieties of antique roses. It also features more than 1,000 other types of flowers, set in microclimate gardens that celebrate different areas of the world. Admission is free, and garden tours are offered mid-April to mid-October.

9. Hans Fahden Winery, Santa Rosa

This winery features a lush garden inspired by Monet’s paintings of his gardens at Giverny. Stroll through the flowers, with a profusion of roses, and get lost in an Impressionist painting while enveloping yourself in the scent of springtime blooms. The 100-acre property includes a volcanic cave, a teahouse overlooking ponds filled with water lilies, and plenty of vineyard views. To visit, book a property tour.

10. Chateau St. Jean, Kenwood

Chateau St. Jean is a historic winery and vineyard estate, featuring exquisite gardens and architecture, including the romantic “wine castle” in the style of a French abbey. The European atmosphere includes gardens of elegant roses, courtyard walls, and dwarf citrus. Set against volcanic peaks, Chateau St. Jean offers breathtaking views. Enjoy a tasting experience or peruse the French-inspired deli for a picnic in the picture-perfect gardens.

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Written by Sonoma Insider James Knight