Just opened a bottle of my 2021 Zinfandel it is fantastic! Pure happiness thank you
Vanessa Gaviola
Fantastic winery in Sonoma County, very personable..Great wines..Appointment needed..Lovely picnic area overlooking a lake.
Shelli Elliott
My favorite wine/vineyard in Sonoma. They have been making amazing wine since the early 1900s and still family owned and run. The grounds are stunningly gorgeous and the wine is superb. Old school, non filtered, French oak barrels, good red wines. The owner, Mr. Rafanelli, sat down with our group of four for over 40 minutes and shared the history of the vineyard, starting with his grandmother coming to America from Italy. He was an absolute delight and it was the highlight of our weeklong trip! Of note- you must have an appointment to visit as they do not take walkins. However, it is well worth your time and effort to visit.!
Gregory Puckett
A beautiful property with some of the best vineyard views in the valley. Very friendly staff and damn delicious wine. Grab a tasting and plan to spend some time walking through the property and sitting by their pond.
Kevin G.
Superb winery with superb wines! Always a great experience here and the patio is the place to be in the summer. Be sure to reserve early.
Mark Nickerson
Tremendous wines and a beautiful property. Limited vintages available right now due to recent wildfires. One of the most iconically beautiful vineyards and cellar doors in the entire county in my opinion but missing opportunities by not serving light bites along with their wines in the various seating areas around the property. Instead they seem to have a policy of rushing visitors out the door pretty quickly. That’s the only reason for the missing fifth star. - Certainly not because of the wine or the location! A must visit for any Zinfandel or Cab enthusiast.
Kim D.
Small number of visitors; beautiful setting for a lunchtime picnic on the dam; Mac is a big, friendly lab; attentive service; excellent wine. We have been members for 15+ years. The feel of a small family owned winery never disappoints!
Jack A.
Undoubtedly the finest wine in the Valley. Call ahead for hours and appt . Helpful staff and lovely to sit outside tasting room. Parking is not easy...
Julie M.
We made reservations to visit. Stacy did our tasting. She gave us a tour and explained the family history and their wine business. Such an interesting experience. The grounds are beautiful and we can't wait for the sun to shine to experience sitting outside to enjoy their wine.
Justin H.
Oh my...what a first-class tasting and family-owned estate vineyard with decadent reds...Zin, Merlot, and Cab Sauv. Best Cabernet I've ever tasted. One of the most picturesque places we visited in Sonoma county, it felt like Tuscany made an appearance in CA. First thing, we arrive to open the fancy gate with a secret code, glide into the estate feeling like VIPs, and Tom, the tasting host with graying scruff, makes us feel welcome with a reasonable pour and get's us acquainted with the tasting room + brief family history of the Rafanelli family. Next thing we know, in walks Dave Rafanelli, the patriarch and 3rd -gen winemaker ("A." was his grandfather, Alberto), greeted us warmly and gave us a private tour of their barrel rooms, fermenting area, and even his enormous and beautiful wine caves. We picked up 1/2 dozen bottles and he even signed and personalized a couple in gold sharpie. Seriously, we couldn't have felt any more welcome, enchanted, or ready to recommend now and return when we hit up Sonoma again. Thank you Dave and Tom for making us feel special and making us A. Rafanelli fans and promoters for life!
I've been drinking their wine for years and I've always wanted to tour the property. I was not disappointed at all. Rafanelli brings out the best in Sonoma County Wine. The tour felt intimate and special. We were greeted by the owner on arrival. It felt like home. Almost like I was a part of the family.Pro tip: ask them ahead of time if you can bring a light lunch (sandwich maybe) they have a beautiful outdoor patio you can sit on and admire gorgeous views (not sure if allowed as I haven't done it).
Shwetha R.
A stunning until intimate vineyard set in the dry creek valley with some of the most gorgeous views we've ever seen. We had an appointment for wine tasting session here and wines were just amazing. We tried their, zin, merlot, and cab. My personal favorite was the 2019 cab though they're extremely well known for their Zins as well. We bought some at the winery. Definitely stop here if you're this side but get an appointment beforehand, as they don't do walk ins Special shout out to our fantastic hosts Karla and Greg who are so knowledgeable and made the visit even more memorable.
Jason Ponce
Nice place to go for a quiet wine tasting with friends or family. Property is gorgeous and staff (Carla and Rick) are very friendly. Will definitely come back again!
James Ryan
My girlfriend and I took my mom who was visiting to the tasting here and all three of us loved it! Amazing scenery with a very welcoming and friendly staff. The zinfandel was out of this world as well as the other choices. Couldn't ask for a better experience. Will definitely be coming back
Susan Wiland
Small winery. Very personal attention. Tour of their cave with interesting tidbits on the family history. Excellent Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet blend.
Just opened a bottle of my 2021 Zinfandel it is fantastic! Pure happiness thank you
Fantastic winery in Sonoma County, very personable..Great wines..Appointment needed..Lovely picnic area overlooking a lake.
My favorite wine/vineyard in Sonoma. They have been making amazing wine since the early 1900s and still family owned and run. The grounds are stunningly gorgeous and the wine is superb. Old school, non filtered, French oak barrels, good red wines. The owner, Mr. Rafanelli, sat down with our group of four for over 40 minutes and shared the history of the vineyard, starting with his grandmother coming to America from Italy. He was an absolute delight and it was the highlight of our weeklong trip! Of note- you must have an appointment to visit as they do not take walkins. However, it is well worth your time and effort to visit.!
A beautiful property with some of the best vineyard views in the valley. Very friendly staff and damn delicious wine. Grab a tasting and plan to spend some time walking through the property and sitting by their pond.
Superb winery with superb wines! Always a great experience here and the patio is the place to be in the summer. Be sure to reserve early.
Tremendous wines and a beautiful property. Limited vintages available right now due to recent wildfires. One of the most iconically beautiful vineyards and cellar doors in the entire county in my opinion but missing opportunities by not serving light bites along with their wines in the various seating areas around the property. Instead they seem to have a policy of rushing visitors out the door pretty quickly. That’s the only reason for the missing fifth star. - Certainly not because of the wine or the location! A must visit for any Zinfandel or Cab enthusiast.
Small number of visitors; beautiful setting for a lunchtime picnic on the dam; Mac is a big, friendly lab; attentive service; excellent wine. We have been members for 15+ years. The feel of a small family owned winery never disappoints!
Undoubtedly the finest wine in the Valley. Call ahead for hours and appt . Helpful staff and lovely to sit outside tasting room. Parking is not easy...
We made reservations to visit. Stacy did our tasting. She gave us a tour and explained the family history and their wine business. Such an interesting experience. The grounds are beautiful and we can't wait for the sun to shine to experience sitting outside to enjoy their wine.
Oh my...what a first-class tasting and family-owned estate vineyard with decadent reds...Zin, Merlot, and Cab Sauv. Best Cabernet I've ever tasted. One of the most picturesque places we visited in Sonoma county, it felt like Tuscany made an appearance in CA. First thing, we arrive to open the fancy gate with a secret code, glide into the estate feeling like VIPs, and Tom, the tasting host with graying scruff, makes us feel welcome with a reasonable pour and get's us acquainted with the tasting room + brief family history of the Rafanelli family. Next thing we know, in walks Dave Rafanelli, the patriarch and 3rd -gen winemaker ("A." was his grandfather, Alberto), greeted us warmly and gave us a private tour of their barrel rooms, fermenting area, and even his enormous and beautiful wine caves. We picked up 1/2 dozen bottles and he even signed and personalized a couple in gold sharpie. Seriously, we couldn't have felt any more welcome, enchanted, or ready to recommend now and return when we hit up Sonoma again. Thank you Dave and Tom for making us feel special and making us A. Rafanelli fans and promoters for life!
Restaurantji Recommends
I've been drinking their wine for years and I've always wanted to tour the property. I was not disappointed at all. Rafanelli brings out the best in Sonoma County Wine. The tour felt intimate and special. We were greeted by the owner on arrival. It felt like home. Almost like I was a part of the family.Pro tip: ask them ahead of time if you can bring a light lunch (sandwich maybe) they have a beautiful outdoor patio you can sit on and admire gorgeous views (not sure if allowed as I haven't done it).
A stunning until intimate vineyard set in the dry creek valley with some of the most gorgeous views we've ever seen. We had an appointment for wine tasting session here and wines were just amazing. We tried their, zin, merlot, and cab. My personal favorite was the 2019 cab though they're extremely well known for their Zins as well. We bought some at the winery. Definitely stop here if you're this side but get an appointment beforehand, as they don't do walk ins Special shout out to our fantastic hosts Karla and Greg who are so knowledgeable and made the visit even more memorable.
Nice place to go for a quiet wine tasting with friends or family. Property is gorgeous and staff (Carla and Rick) are very friendly. Will definitely come back again!
My girlfriend and I took my mom who was visiting to the tasting here and all three of us loved it! Amazing scenery with a very welcoming and friendly staff. The zinfandel was out of this world as well as the other choices. Couldn't ask for a better experience. Will definitely be coming back
Small winery. Very personal attention. Tour of their cave with interesting tidbits on the family history. Excellent Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet blend.