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A Rafanelli Winery

4.4 (110 reviews)
PriceyWineries
Open 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

By appointment only

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Recommended Reviews - A Rafanelli Winery

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Dave giving us a tour

We revisited Rafanelli after several years and had another wonderful experience. The staff is warm and welcoming, the wines are outstanding, and the family story is inspiring. The winery was founded by an Italian immigrant woman and is now run by her great-granddaughters--four generations later! Their father Dave, was generous with his time, giving us a tour of the wine cave and showing us where the family gathers for special dinners. Be sure to make a reservation in advance and join their wine club, the A List, it's worth it!

Christine M.

My partner and I were in Healdsburg and wanted to check out a winery that was small and family-owned, had a beautiful view, was close to downtown Healdsburg, and had tasty reds. This checked all of our boxes! They have a form online where you can request a tasting but it's probably easier just to call them - they don't have an online booking platform from what I could see. They have simple tastings of three wines - Zin, Merlot, and Cab for $25 which is a steal in this area. It's super casual in their barrel room, and our host Gabby was so friendly and kind and gave us a little tour of the caves and let us walk around the pond as well. We were the only ones there when we went so had the place to ourselves. There was an also a cute big lab there that accompanied us on our walk. They have picnic areas and places to sit outside. It's a very laid-back, fourth generation Italian family run place with great, affordable wines. Spend an afternoon here and soak up the views with a friendly pup by your side! Thanks Gabby and good luck with the new job!

Does not get prettier
J F.

Amazing. Great tasting again. We have been members for a while. Very old school and super friendly. Met Mr. R and he was so nice!!! Told us where to go to dinner and we did and they love him!!!! We were given the " treatment " sip one of his Zins as we speak. Quality and friendliness is their hallmark. We will be back. Like to stay in one of your houses. Keep it up.

Entrance to their magnificent wine caves!
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!

View of the vineyards
K G.

This was my first time visiting this winery. We enjoyed our wine tasting at this place, visiting with friends, and they have good red wine. We arrived a little early and they were more than willing to accomodate us. What I loved most about this place was the grounds because the views are gorgeous! If you are looking for a winery with a picturesque view, this one has some amazing views. They have a pond, picnic tables, a tree filled with hummingbird feeders where you can see hummingbirds up close, and a great view of the vineyards. If you go to this place, If you visit, make a reservation ahead of time. I would also recommend taking your time to walk around the grounds because they are amazing. Like others have mentioned, they are a small production winery so if you like something I would purchase it while you are at the tasting because it may be hard to find once you leave the winery.

Suzanne W.

Manny was a wonderful host. The wine was awesome as always. We had a zin and a cab. Both fantastic. The veggie garden looks beautiful. I love the creative tomato trellis. We had our tasting when picking up our wines outside by the large stainless vats. It was 90 degrees outside but you wouldn't know it. The area was shaded and there was a wonderful breeze. We are so glad to be members here.

Catherine L.

A very charming and intimate winery. Be sure to call at least a couple days prior to make an appointment. They do complimentary tastings for smaller groups of under 7. We arrived on a Saturday morning and was greeted by Mack, their lab. +1 already! We were quickly given a brief intro to their Zinfandel and got tastings of 3 total different wines. My favorite was the Merlot, although they have a couple others that are more reputable. We were also taken on a quick tour outside to see their vineyards. It's clear that they like to grow and harvest their grapes using more traditional and time consuming methods, which is partly why they have such a limited supply of wine each year that only gets sold to restaurants. They also walked us through the wine cave which provides a consistent, natural way to keep the wine at a specific temperature. Be sure to purchase a bottle or two before leaving because you can't find their wine commercially!

Gretchen T.

One of my top three favorite wineries in this region. Spectacular grounds and views and red wine you will want to drink now and later and did I mention now? Merlot, Zin, Cab--all knee-weakeningly good. It was also the only place we visited where they don't push their wine club on you. I don't even know if they have one. A few important notes: *By appointment only, and while we got lucky and got a day-of Sunday appt., I think that's rare so call the week before. It's worth it. *Be on time. I thought the tasting room guy might actually give us 50 lashes with grape vines or worse (sending us away) for being late. *Cash or check only. *Bottle limits. 1 or 2 bottles per person (not per couple or group though) on most wines. I was ready to pay off grape pickers to go in and buy us just a few more bottles, but I'm sure they are on to that trick. We'll just have to keep going back!

Wine dog at A. Rafanelli

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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.

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Outstanding wine! Heard about the A-list from a friend when they shared some Rafanelli wine one evening. Can't wait to visit the winery!

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Ask the Community - A Rafanelli Winery

Review Highlights - A Rafanelli Winery

I have been served by Dave Rafanelli and later by his wine-making daughter, and both have been pleasant, gracious, knowledgeable, and attentive.

Mentioned in 5 reviews

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Marine Layer Wines - #Gapscrowm

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We were exploring downtown Healdsburg recently during the Christmas break. Since there were so…read moremany intriguing tasting rooms, we decided to check one out. We chose to drop in Marine Layer Wines. The tasting room is located in a very nice area in beautiful downtown Healdsburg across Healdsburg square. Parking is accessible all around the street and Healdsburg square. The modern decor was beautiful and bright. There were plenty of tables and couches to accommodate all different size parties. The vibe was inviting and family friendly. There was a cozy fireplace in the front as well. We ordered a glass of Lyra Pinot Noir and a glass of Aries Chardonnay. My Pinot Noir was smooth while the wifey's Chardonnay was crisp and refreshing. The wine was great quality. Overall we enjoyed our experience at Marine Layer Wines. The staff was nice and helpful. We appreciated the family friendly environment. It was nice to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas, by relaxing with a nice glass of wine.

We came to check out this tasting room after a friend's recommendation. The space is beautiful, and…read morethey offer two different types of tasting. We went for the Pinot flight (Sonoma coast Vineyard series) and really enjoyed the Bohemian and Whistler. Staff was great in explaining each pour and giving us space to just relax.

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MacRostie Winery Estate House - Everybody is Welcome at MacRostie

Photo: Alina Tyulyu

MacRostie Winery Estate House

4.6(359 reviews)
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Outdoor seating

Pulling into their driveway, you get to see the rolling hills the property sits on surrounded by…read morevineyards. I made reservations for two adults and two young teenagers on a Tuesday morning and were the first guests to arrive that day. We were greeted with a welcome glass and were told they were setting up our table. That gave us enough time to do a couple of selfies and within minutes, we were escorted inside. Season Leef was our host/wine ambassador that morning and we loved her energy, attention to detail and how she treated us like we were members of the MacRostie Winery/family. She was more about understanding our palettes and pouring us what we gravitated towards to showcase the vast portfolio Heidi (winemaker) has been able to produce. Usually not a fan of Chardonnays but it was a neat experience tasting different variables and how each one is slightly different. We know we like Pinot Noirs so when we started diving into the reds, thats when we started figuring out what we liked. Ended up purchasing a bottle of their 2022 Nightwing Vineyard 828 Clone Pinot Noir :chefkiss: My two young teens are used to being at wineries with us so they're pretty good about keeping themselves occupied on their own (even with out devices). But, I really appreciated that Season brought over some paper and a pack of markers for them since they both still like to draw. Plus, we had a couple of good sessions of tic tac toe while we sipped and took our time. We had a great experience here thanks to Season! Seeing that they're dog friendly, we'll bring our 4 legged family member next time.

I gotta say, MacRostie Winery Estate House in Sonoma is super stunning and fancy! The decor is…read moretotally elevate and the whole place just looks so expensive and nice. I forgot the exact experience that we chose, but it was $75 for each with wine and food included. You will get 4 wine tastings, for us it was 2 reds and 2 whites, and a charcuterie plate with cheese, salami, and seasonal fruits and crackers. Wine quality was great. The white wines had a clean and crisp taste with that bright acidity and mineral finish. The reds had a very deep grapefruit aromatic and earthy undertone. After we've done with wine tasting, they gave us a free piece of dark chocolate (super yummy) at the end for palate cleanser. Our server was really knowledgeable and attentive though, so service was nice. Overall a great spot if you stay cool! But okay, few things to watch out for. Make sure you make a reservation in advance cuz they were packed (reservations needed prepayment). Even though we had one, we still had to wait like 20 minutes before our table was ready. Also, definitely ask to sit inside in the summer!! We sat outside and there is no AC, it was so hot we couldn't fully enjoy the graveyard view, it's way too sweaty for the summer.

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MacRostie Winery Estate House
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BACA Wines - Wine and chocolate pairing.

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My friend booked us a reservation here for my birthday! Coming from the Napa valley, we had never…read morebeen to Healdsburg before and we loved this quaint little town with so many local shops. The winery fit right in and we loved the small location with the view of the vineyards. We booked a reservation for the Root 101 Wine & Food Pairing Experience. I've had cheese and cracker experiences in wine tasting before, but this experience was a stand out with their perfectly curated arrangements of small bites that paired so well with the wines we were presented. Having the food pairing with the wines really felt like it brought out an elevated level of wine tasting because most wine is enjoyed with food when you take it home. The team really worked hard to make sure this tasting was unique and we found each bite to hold its own experience. I've been to Walt Wines in Napa but this location was worth the drive and the experience! Peter hosted us and was very knowledgeable about the wines and the food - having a passion for both. We were very grateful to be paired with Peter for our tasting, he made it a great experience! I would highly recommend taking advantage of the food pairing experience as it helps the wines stand out and just offers something different to a typical wine tasting.

I'm reviewing the 4 wineries that we went to on our week stay in the Healdsburg area…read more Again, nice surroundings, knowledgeable people. Wines, not to our liking. Prepaid for tasting so again not obligated to buy, but boy did they try! We were looking for the server on our way out and didn't see him, so we started walking out and behind us we heard him say "Hey!, sorry it wasn't what you wanted" We thanked him and was on our way.

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BACA Wines - Summer Wine splash.

Summer Wine splash.

BACA Wines - Champagne

Champagne

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Inside

A Rafanelli Winery - wineries - Updated May 2026

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