Sonoma Vineyards That Don't Need Reservations
Sonoma’s laid-back reputation stops at the driveways of many of its best-known wineries. Many of the county’s busiest vineyards require reservations in advance — for tours, which is understandable, but also for tastings.
That would seem to make planning a casual trip to Sonoma wine country much more difficult. The good news is that Sonoma has a lot of fantastic wineries with tasting rooms that don’t require reservations. Roche Winery & Vineyards is among them, and we hope we’re your first stop up here, but plenty of others deserve mention too.
Here’s our master list of the best Sonoma vineyards that don’t require reservations. Many are dog-friendly, including ours. And many offer walking tours, although the vast majority of those require tour reservations even if you can walk into the tasting room unannounced.
For each vineyard, note whether reservations are “recommended” (which could mean you’ll wait during busy periods without a reservation) and the distance from our own vineyard.
Roche Winery & Vineyards
Our new 17,000-square-foot winery sits in the Tipperary Vineyard in the western Sonoma Valley, just a few minutes by car south of Sonoma proper (and our downtown Sonoma tasting room). We’re squarely within the Carneros AVA, and with a production capacity for up to 50,000 cases annually, we’re looking forward to crafting an array of truly memorable wines in the years and decades to come.
For guests, the centerpiece of our winery is the outdoor “Tasting Plaza,” an expansive quadrangle featuring group-friendly farm tables, quieter seating areas, outdoor fireplaces, and spots reserved for private tastings. One look and it’s clear why we don’t require reservations: There’s plenty of space for our guests to spread out and feel comfortable, even on beautiful, busy days.
Our tasting program includes two distinct experiences without reservations:
Select Family Tasting. This experience includes your choice of four non-reserve wines from our tasting menu. Choose from our excellent reds, whites, sparkling wines, dry rosé, and/or our always-popular sweet wines. Plus, enjoy tastings of our futures wine straight from the barrel, an experience you won’t get anywhere else (besides our downtown Sonoma tasting room).
Reserve Wine Tasting. Enjoy your choice of four reserve wines from our tasting menu. Varietals include Chardonnays, Merlot, Pinot Noirs, Cuveé Genevieve. Our Reserve Wine Tasting also features futures wines directly from the barrel.
Two other experiences do require reservations, preferably with 48 hours’ advance notice:
Private Tasting. You have total control over your tasting experience. During the session, one of our expert staff will lead you through your selections and answer any questions you might have. Weather permitting, you’ll also get a walking tour of the Tipperary Vineyard and winery. The session culminates in a second tasting of select library and limited production wines — along with light handcrafted snacks from our catering partner — in our “Topping Room,” which features panoramic views of Sonoma Valley.
Group Tasting. If you’re bringing a group of six or more to Roche Winery, please call ahead to set up a group tasting experience. Choose from four of our limited-production wines and enjoy straight-from-the-barrel sips of our futures wines as you take in views of the Tipperary Vineyard.
Beginning in spring 2023, we’ll offer yet another signature experience at Roche Winery and Vineyards: a vineyard picnic! The grassy venue is just steps from the winery but entirely private — the perfect place to share a bottle of Roche wine and enjoy handcrafted meats, cheeses, and bites from our catering partner. Picnic blanket and basket included.
Distance From Roche Winery: 0.0 miles. You made it! And our downtown Sonoma tasting room is just about 5 miles or 11 minutes away by car.
Kamen Estate Wines
Kamen Estate Wines offers tasting experiences in two settings: in its downtown Sonoma tasting room and in its beautiful vineyard in the hills northwest of Sonoma proper.
The former doesn’t require reservations — the tasting room is open to the public daily and features two distinct tasting experiences. Reservations are strongly recommended for larger groups, however.
Distance From Roche Winery: The tasting room is 5 miles or about 10 minutes by car. The vineyard is 9 miles or about 10 minutes by car from Roche Winery.
Imagery Estate Winery
Imagery Estate Winery sits in a stunning setting north of Sonoma. They welcome walk-ins when the tasting room is open, both in the indoor serving area and the outdoor wine garden. Weather permitting, you’ll want to be outdoors to take in views of the vineyards and surrounding hills. For a more unique experience, call ahead to reserve a semi-private experience featuring limited-release wines and a tour of Imagery’s onsite art gallery.
Distance From Roche Winery: 10 miles or about 17 minutes by car.
Mayo Family Winery
Not far from Imagery, Mayo Family Winery is another no-reservations tasting room that’s open to the public most days. You’ll find the usual suspects here — Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels — alongside varietals you don’t see as often in California wine country, like Gewurztraminer and Alicante Bouschet.
Distance From Roche Winery: 11 miles or about 18 minutes by car.
B. Wise Vineyards
A bit farther north is B. Wise Vineyards, set in a pastoral hilltop setting near Kenwood, California. For non-private tastings, you’ll want to head into Kenwood itself and stop at the B. Wise Tasting Lounge, which can accommodate groups of up to 10. Note that while the B. Wise Tasting Lounge has a long history of accepting walk-ins, its website asks that you reserve your tasting, so do call ahead to be safe.
Distance From Roche Winery: 15 miles or about 22 minutes by car.
Martinelli Winery & Vineyards
Martinelli Winery and Vineyards has been a Sonoma mainstay for well over a century, and its “family first” approach to both winemaking and onsite hospitality is obvious from the moment you drive through the gate. Some Martinelli tasting experiences do require reservations, but you don’t need one for general walk-in tastings or the signature Hop Barn Tasting experience.
Distance From Roche Winery: 31 miles or about 40 minutes by car.
Sunce Winery & Vineyards
“Sunce” means “sun” in Croatian. It’s an appropriate name for this sun-drenched winery and its light, airy tasting room near Santa Rosa. Sunce’s expansive menu features more than three dozen wines, with a heavy focus on the Russian River Valley appellation. You don’t need a reservation for tastings here, but space does fill up quickly, so it doesn’t hurt to call ahead.
Distance From Roche Winery: 34 miles or about 40 minutes by car.
Hartford Family Winery
Hartford Family Winery is another family-run winery that makes guests feel right at home — which you’ll no doubt appreciate after the trek up from Sonoma. Vineyard tastings are by appointment only, but there’s usually space at the downtown Healdsburg tasting room, which showcases the full breadth of Hartford’s three core varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel.
Distance From Roche Winery: The winery is 39 miles or about 50 minutes by car. The tasting room is in downtown Healdsburg.
Longboard Vineyards
Longboard Vineyards is another Healdsburg favorite. The vibe is totally different — more warehouse-turned-brewery than century-old family winery — but the wines are worth the trip.
Customize your experience in the casual outdoor tasting area or the tasting room off the main production floor. Or simply buy wines to enjoy by the glass. The a la carte menu includes Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, Malbecs, and more.
Distance From Roche Winery: 42 miles or about 45 minutes by car.
BACA Wines
BACA’s tasting room sits just outside Healdsburg, in the heart of the Russian River Valley. It’s one of the bigger vineyard tasting areas on this list (though considerably smaller than Roche’s new winery Tasting Plaza) and rarely gets overcrowded, making it an ideal last-minute stop for wine country tourists in northern Sonoma County. Clear the minimum bottle purchase and enjoy a self-catered picnic with panoramic vineyard views.
Distance From Roche Winery: 40 miles or about 45 minutes by car.
Sbragia Family Vineyards
Willing to venture a bit farther? Sbragia Family Vineyards is a hidden gem in the picturesque Dry Creek Valley. Lounge on one of the tasting room’s cozy couches and sip signature varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. Don’t forget to snap a few photos of the vineyards and surrounding hills before you leave — unless you’re continuing on to another Dry Creek Valley winery, in which case you’ll have another opportunity or two.
Distance From Roche Winery: 50 miles or about 1 hour by car.
Ridge Vineyards (Lytton Springs)
Perched in the hills near Healdsburg, Ridge Vineyards is another Dry Creek Valley institution known for standards like Chardonnay and Zinfandel as well as less common varietals like Evangelho and Valdiguie. The experience is well worth the trip but call ahead to be safe, as Ridge Vineyards’ reservation policies are subject to change.
Distance From Roche Winery: 46 miles or about 50 minutes by car.
Amista Vineyards
Amista Vineyards is a homey establishment near Healdsburg. Despite its family vibe and rustic surroundings, it offers a wide variety of tasting experiences, including food pairings showcasing the bounty of the Dry Creek Valley and greater Sonoma region. Add charcuterie to any tasting, with or without a reservation, and be sure to ask your host to add Amista’s signature Rhone varietals to your tasting menu.
Distance From Roche Winery: 43 miles or about 50 minutes by car.
Trattore Estate Wines
Trattore has two locations in the Healdsburg area: the Estate Winery in the Dry Creek Valley and the tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. The latter doesn’t require reservations, so it’s a better bet for last-minute tastings. The standard “downtown flight” includes one sparkling wine, one Rhone white wine, and two red wines, with specific selections varying seasonally.
Trattore is also known for fine olive oils crafted by its Dry Creek Olive Company brand. Sample them at your tasting and purchase a bottle or two on your way out if you’re so inclined.
Distance From Roche Winery: The winery is 48 miles or about 1 hour by car. The tasting room is in downtown Healdsburg.
Amphora Wines
Amphora Wines is a laid-back establishment specializing in varietals that grow well in the Dry Creek Valley, including some you don’t see every day (Barbera, Anglianico, among others). Its small tasting room can accommodate walk-ins, but full disclosure: Amphora strongly recommends reservations for guests who don’t want to wait.
Distance From Roche Winery: 45 miles or about 55 minutes by car.
Wilson Winery
If you’re a fan of Zinfandels, make time for a stop at Wilson Winery, whose unswerving devotion to this particular varietal has earned it a well-deserved reputation in the Dry Creek Valley. Do call ahead to confirm that you can walk in, as the tasting room is small and the reservations policy may be subject to change.
Distance From Roche Winery: 44 miles or about 50 minutes by car.
SIMI Winery
In near-continuous operation for 140 years, SIMI Winery is a Northern California winemaking institution and a must-visit if you’re in the neighborhood. The indoor-outdoor tasting room outside Healdsburg accepts walk-ins daily, but call-aheads are encouraged for larger groups.
Distance From Roche Winery: 44 miles or about 50 minutes by car.
Selby Winery Tasting Room
Selby Winery’s downtown Healdsburg tasting room has plenty of outdoor space for a relaxed, sun-soaked tasting experience. Signature varietals include Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, and old-vine Zinfandel. If you’re in the mood for something different, ask about Selby’s port wine, something of a rarity in this part of the wine world.
Distance From Roche Winery: 41 miles or about 45 minutes by car. The tasting room is in downtown Healdsburg.