Where to Taste Wine in Cloverdale

The northern Sonoma County town of Cloverdale, on the banks of the Russian River, makes a great start to your visit to unique tasting rooms in the nearby Alexander and Dry Creek valleys.

Just outside of Cloverdale is the small hamlet of Asti, home of the historic Italian-Swiss Colony, once home to the first winery tasting room in California, and formerly the second-most visited spot in the state.

Wineries found around Cloverdale and Asti include:

Blue Rock Vineyard

This beautifully maintained, 100-acre Alexander Valley winery and inn dates to the 1880s, and includes a stone-walled Vintner’s Cottage set in 8 acres of private gardens, as well as 46 sustainably-farmed acres of Bordeaux varietals and Syrah.

Blue Rock is known for its Vintners’ Table Winemaker Lunches, two- or  four-course meals that are made to complement Blue Rock’s wines with local, seasonal ingredients. Allow three hours for the experience.

BobDog Wines at Sky Pine Vineyards

Rising 2,000 feet above the Alexander Valley, this is the highest winery in Sonoma County, and the only winery within the Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak appellation. Morning or afternoon tours can be booked only by appointment, and generally include vineyard walks and barrel samples of their Bordeaux varietals.  

Fritz Underground Winery

Carved into the side of a tree-rimmed hilltop at the northern end of the Dry Creek Valley, this quiet spot features tours of their cave cellar and a broad tasting patio overlooking a bucolic pond. In addition to acclaimed Chardonnays and Pinot noirs, Fritz makes Sauvignon blanc, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as olive oil from their own estate grove. 

Icaria Winery

High above Asti, this Alexander Valley winery initially made a name for itself as a grower, supplying its neighboring wineries with premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 1997, though, they’ve made Cab, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from throughout Sonoma County under under their own label, offering private tastings (by appointment only) in their cellar or on an outdoor patio, with stellar valley views. 

J. Rickards Winery

The first Zinfandel vines planted on this renowned 60-acre Alexander Valley property date to 1908, and the owners continue to replant clones of those original vines.  Some of these grapes (as well as some Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah) go to famed area wineries, but J. Rickards happily reserves some heritage Zin and Bordeaux varietals for their own bottlings. 

Appointments are required for outdoor tastings overlooking the vineyards, and wines can be paired with Sonoma- made picnic items like charcuterie and goat cheese, or boxed lunches arranged in advance. 

Kelley & Young Tasting Room at the Library

Both a bed-and-breakfast and a winery, this charming spot enables you to make an appointment for a downtown Cloverdale tasting (with or without cheese and charcuterie), or make a whole weekend of Wine Country living. 

Using grapes from Alexander Valley winery Robert Young (Kelley & Young’s owner Jim Young is their CEO), this small, 1,500-case winery always makes Sauvignon Blanc, two Bordeaux-varietal roses, Zinfandel, and Malbec, and sometimes late-harvest dessert wines, as well. 

For a complete list of wineries in and around Cloverdale, please see the wineries page. And there’s more than just wineries in this northern Sonoma County town: enjoy A Stroll In Cloverdale, and learn about 5 Fun Things to Do in Cloverdale.