One of the oldest wineries in the Alexander Valley, Robert Young Estate (pictured above) recently updated its quaint tasting room with a hillside home overlooking the estate’s 448 acres. Dubbed the Scion House, the 2,260-square-foot hospitality center offers multiple tasting areas, including the Barrel Room, which features a barnwood table and a two-way fireplace. Two private rooms are dedicated to tastings of reserve Chardonnay, Bordeaux-style reds, and Cabernet Sauvignon. For a more casual experience, buy a bottle of rosé, order a board of charcuterie and cheese supplied by nearby Jimtown Store, and snag seats around the terrace’s outdoor firepit. By appointment.
The old horse arena at Abbey Road Farm was recently transformed into an 860-square-foot tasting room overseen by sommelier turned winemaker James Rahn. A bar bedecked in turquoise siding reclaimed from the arena will pour eight wines, including Statera Cellars and Stedt, in addition to Abbey Road Farm’s Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Guests can sip on velvet couches and oversize leather armchairs. A large patio lined with Adirondack chairs overlooks the lawn where guests can picnic with artisanal treats from nearby Red Hills Market. If you overindulge, the farm’s grain silos double as luxury suites.
A soundtrack featuring The Killers and Donavon Frankenreiter sets the tone for tasting at Reeve Wines, where winemaker Noah Dorrance and his wife, Kelly, have created an atmosphere that feels like a low-key house party. The indoor tasting area is furnished with Sonoma finds including a black-stained, reclaimed Russian Oak table, a moss-draped manzanita tree chandelier, and paintings by Healdsburg artist Jessica Martin. Outside, a huge umbrella-shaded patio looks over gardens and vineyards and the property’s resident goats and chickens. The tasting room is the only place you’re likely to find some of Noah’s small-batch wines, like his carbonic Sangiovese Bosco. By appointment.