When it comes to white wine, chardonnay is king. It’s the top-selling and most-planted white varietal in California and the United States as a whole. Originating in Burgundy, France, the grape thrives in Northern California’s climate with its coastal breezes and cool foggy nights.
Both Sonoma and Napa counties are known for chardonnay excellence, with the wine reflecting the styles of each region. Sonoma is brighter, younger and cooler, while Napa is richer, opulent and structured.
If you’re a chardonnay lover looking for a wonderful grape-to-glass experience, you can find it on both sides of the Mayacama Mountains. Make a reservation at one of the following wineries — exceptional pours await.
Chateau Montelena
The chardonnay that put California winemaking on the map in a blind tasting in France in 1976 is Chateau Montelena’s 1973. The bottle won first place in a competition known as the “Judgment of Paris” that pitted California wines against French varietals. This year marks the 50th anniversary, so when you arrive at the picturesque Calistoga castle, you’ll discover more about the role Chateau Montelena played in the monumental event.
The property is incredibly beautiful with fragrant rose bushes, a pond and a Chinese garden. Expect to feel instantly relaxed upon arrival. A variety of experiences is offered, from a 45-minute communal bar tasting that accepts walk-ins to a vineyard trek to a 90-minute private library tasting. Book the latter if you want to sample older chardonnay vintages that showcase the brand’s evolution. You’ll learn about ageability and how some releases of this versatile white wine become more complex over time.
Chateau Montelena is pretty far up the Valley, so if you want to make a night of it, the best place to stay is Solage, Auberge Collection, a Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star property boasting one of the wine country’s best pools and spas.
Rombauer Vineyards produces the full-bodied, buttery, oak-forward style of chardonnay that many ABCers — a colloquial industry acronym for people who drink “anything but chardonnay” — despise. Its creamy lushness was a cult favorite in the ’90s and 2000s and is still beloved by those who chard hard today. Rombauer’s tagline is “The Joy of Wine,” because founders Koerner and Joan Rombauer are related to Irma Rombauer, the author of The Joy of Cooking, one of the country’s best-selling cookbooks ever published.
Perched in the St. Helena AVA, Rombauer’s hilltop tasting room looks over the Napa Valley floor, with vineyard-laced hills unfolding in every direction. Rombauer makes five distinct chardonnays, including one from the Carneros AVA, a proprietary blend and several from vineyards like its Home Ranch.
Walk-ins are welcome, and it’s one of the few places where you can bring your own picnic. It must be enjoyed outside, but you can set up a tasting to accompany it or ask the Rombauer team to open a few bottles for your party.
For a splendid overnight stay, the Four-Star Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena is a sleek, adult-only retreat just minutes away from Rombauer.
Driving into Oakville’s Far Niente is like entering an enchanting fairy world for adults. Tulips and azaleas are blooming. Ferns and trees are everywhere. A pond glistens. There’s also a barn that doubles as a garage and houses the late owner Gil Nickel’s impressive car collection, which includes a pale blue convertible Porsche, a shiny red Alfa Romeo and a vintage British taxi.
The stone winery has been in operation since 1885, so the property is steeped in rich history. Far Niente is known for its chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. Taste up to four distinct chardonnays, comparing the prized Coombsville AVA fruit to grapes sourced elsewhere in the Valley. You’ll also sip Dolce, the label’s exquisite late-harvest Sauternes-style dessert wine.
A tasting comes with a selection of cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. and features accouterments (see: castelvetrano olive tapenade, cherry jam and pear butter) made by Far Niente’s chef.
The team recently remodeled the Great Hall and visitors’ spaces, updating them with Schumacher wallpaper and plush furnishing that add a layer of richness to the experience.
To enhance your time in the Valley even more, stay at the Five-Star Auberge du Soleil, a Mediterranean-influenced getaway with sweeping Valley floor views that’s a 15-minute drive from the vineyard.
Flowers Vineyards & Winery
Enjoy an expression of the Sonoma Coast at Flowers Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. When the team behind Napa’s Quintessa estate wanted to expand to Sonoma, it started with 20 acres of chardonnay planted along the coast in the late ’80s.
The gorgeous tasting room, dubbed the House of Flowers, opened in 2019. It was designed in partnership with Walker Warner Architects and Maca Huneeus Design. A slice of an old redwood tree and stunning artwork illustrate the brand’s ongoing connection to nature, with an elevated, rustic charm.
Book the Elements of Site tasting, and you’re in for a delightful treat. Sample two chardonnays and two pinot noirs, all paired with delicious bites from the Flowers culinary team. While some wineries have prepared plates, Flowers sees itself as a restaurant as well and fires each course, so it comes out hot and ready to taste with your wine.
On a recent visit, the 2023 Almar Chardonnay was served with a gougère stuffed with Dungeness crab, crème fraîche and Meyer lemon. It was a superb pairing with the soft acidity of the wine perfectly complementing the buttery richness of the crab.
The best place to stay nearby is the Five-Star Montage Healdsburg with its fabulous pool and welcoming bungalows just a 15-minute drive from Flowers.
A short drive from Flowers, you’ll come to MacRostie Winery & Vineyards, a hilltop tasting room that proudly displays a Pride flag out front. In the heart of the Russian River Valley, MacRostie produces pinot noir and more than 15 distinct chardonnays.
It’s a masterful lesson in terroir as you taste chardonnay from various regions: Carneros, Petaluma Gap and Sonoma Coast. The friendly and informative staff shares details about head winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen’s unique style. She loves to let each vineyard’s grapes shine, making wines that are complex and full of character. The experience is unpretentious and, while it doesn’t necessarily involve food, wine lovers can add a cheese or salumi plate or caviar and potato chips to any tasting.
Continue your journey at Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Farmhouse Inn, only a 20-minute drive from the winery. The property recently debuted a brand-new chef and menu at its Forbes Travel Guide Recommended restaurant and unveiled fresh programming such as moon baths and floral readings at its wellness barn.
