Top Wineries With Wine and Food Pairings

Combining the talents of local chefs with this area’s fresh, seasonal produce means Sonoma County wineries dazzle visitors with extraordinary wine and food pairings. Just a few California wineries are allowed to have full-service restaurants, but in Sonoma County, wineries are able to offer gourmet bites with a flight of wine for educational purposes — and what a delicious education it is!

Here are some of the top Sonoma County destinations for wine and food pairings.

1. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, Santa Rosa

A Certified California Sustainable Vineyard & Winery, St. Francis has been named multiple times by OpenTable as “Best Restaurant in America.” The winery’s pairing experience includes tastes of five wines chosen to complement a five-course, seasonally rotating menu created by their executive chef. 

Savor the likes of parsnip bisque starring curried shrimp, ginger, and shiso, paired with the citrusy notes of a Cuvee Blanc, or five-spice pork belly with rainbow carrot and golden beets, coupled with Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Find more top wineries in Santa Rosa.

2. Ram’s Gate Winery, Sonoma

Set in the hilly Carneros region at the southern end of the Sonoma Valley, Ram’s Gate is known especially for its Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, but also boasts a rainbow of other varietals. 

Wine and food experiences here may start with a tour of Ram’s Gate and a fascinating look at the winemaking process. Guided tastings include their famous Pinots and Chards paired with dishes like vegan miso carbonara or sous-vide salmon with garlic fried rice and marinated lotus root.

3. Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Healdsburg

This French-inspired Alexander Valley winery offers several distinctive, intimate food-and-wine experiences, featuring its Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay paired with farm-to-table menus showcasing foods grown on its nearly 1,200-acre property. Jordan’s culinary team takes sustainability to the next level, foraging the estate and nearby areas for wild herbs, aromatics, and mushrooms — all of which pair divinely with the wines grown on-site, as they share a common ground (literally!). 

Enjoy stunning views and choose from several experiences featuring estate tours, wine flights, winery olive oil, hilltop terrace vistas, and seasonal food pairings, such as hiromasa crudo and beef tartare. Check their calendar for special pairings, like harvest festivals and holiday events. 

Find other top wineries in Healdsburg.

4. Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Sonoma

Established in the 1980s, Gloria Ferrer was the first sparkling wine house built in the Carneros region. Its Vista Terrace offers scenic views of sun-drenched estate vineyards and the rolling hills.

Gloria Ferrer offers several pairing experiences, including seasonally curated tasting menus guided by a wine educator. The winery’s sparkling and still wines are expertly paired with delights such as pan-roasted local halibut wrapped in serrano ham with mint puree or shrimp ceviche with jalapeño, citrus, cucumber, and herbs. Desserts scream rustic decadence with options like Demi-Sec paired with strawberry-rhubarb panna cotta.

This Certified California Sustainable Vineyard & Winery also offers a curated brunch on the terrace, as well as a luxury caviar pairing. 

Find more wineries with caves you can visit.

5. Mayo Reserve Room, Kenwood

This small, family-owned winery in the heart of Sonoma Valley specializes in single-vineyard wines that pair terroir with varietal. Tastings in the intimate Reserve Room, which overlooks vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains, are extensive affairs featuring seven dishes, each designed to pair with a different Mayo Family wine — whether it’s Zinfandel, Merlot, or Viognier. 

A sample menu here will take you around the world, from Vietnamese spring rolls bursting with herbs to house-made ravioli with tarragon pesto, Creole gumbo, or quesabirria with aged white cheddar. 

6. Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens, Santa Rosa

This elegantly sprawling, chateau-style winery boasts many certifications and honors when it comes to sustainability, and you’ll see why during a paired tasting. The estate is home to one of the most spectacular culinary gardens in California. Much of the bounty ends up in its tantalizing cuisine, which showcases K-J’s limited-production, single-vineyard whites and reds. 

Premium wine and food pairings match K-J’s wine with farm-to-table masterpieces. Menu items might include palate pleasers like pork belly served over black rice noodles in soul-warming dashi broth, or steak with farro and sweet soy sauce. Other options may include cheese and charcuterie, and picnics, so you can sprawl in the shade with gourmet bites and wine as you take in the views. 

7. Lynmar Estate, Sebastopol

The seasonal Collectors Lunch Pairing from this Russian River Valley winery is an opulent affair. Enjoy a seated, multi-course meal thoughtfully coupled with Lynmar’s handcrafted Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. You’ll be expertly guided through the meal and tasting, which takes place in their enchanting Quail Hill Vineyard.

Or opt for other pairings that tantalize the taste buds with gourmet plates and seasonal ingredients such as grilled Basque-spiced tenderloin of lamb or herbed purses filled with ricotta and garden flowers. Many courses showcase estate-grown ingredients, including bay laurel, olives, olive oil, and blood oranges.

Check out this Sebastopol wine-tasting guide. 

8. J Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg

A Sonoma County favorite for sparkling wine, J Vineyards offers several sipping and nibbling options at its Healdsburg-area headquarters. The premier option is a tasting in The Bubble Room, a comfortably cushy lounge within this modern fortress of fizz, where five small courses add up to one epic experience.

Menus are seasonal, and past offerings have included melt-in-your-mouth lamb kofta with sweet potato gratin, green garlic risotto with estate olive oil, and orange creamsicle parfait with brûléed marshmallow.

Want to keep the good flavors coming? Explore winery tours in Sonoma County, more Sonoma County Wine Country wine and food, and the area’s Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Note that wineries may accommodate dietary restrictions with advance request. Contact each site to learn more.