It’s easier than ever to find natural wine in Sonoma. Winemakers here are embracing experimentation with unique grape varieties, throwing a little skin contact on their wine, and utilizing fruit from independent, family-owned vineyards. All of this is great news for locals and those visiting wine country, because it gives wine lovers more options than ever to explore different winemaking styles throughout the region at tasting rooms, wineries, wine bars, and bottle shops.
A quick word about how I’m classifying these Sonoma natural wines. The restaurants, wineries, bottle shops, and wine bars on this list feature wines made with minimal intervention techniques like native yeast fermentation, and the winemakers use grapes from organically or biodynamically farmed vineyards. These folks take a holistic approach to the craft rather than manipulating their juice with additives to give it the same profile each vintage.
Sonoma Natural Wineries & Tasting Rooms
Idlewild Wines
Idlewild Wines crafts Piedmontese inspired wines with grapes sourced from family-owned vineyards in Mendocino, Russian River Valley, and, wow, do they work with some cool grapes.
This Sonoma natural winery makes Erbaluce, Nebbiolo, Brachetto, Arneis, Cortese, Barbera, Dolcetto, Grignolino, and Friesa wines all with minimal intervention techniques.
Idlewild also makes the only Timorasso wine outside of Italy! Yep, you heard that right. Talk about a unique wine! Need another reason to visit this downtown Healdsburg wine tasting room? The Idlewild tasting room shares its space with Ruth Lewandowski wines, an OG of the natural wine movement.
TIP: Order the cheese and salumi. All of the snacks on offer for your tasting at Idlewild are sourced directly from Italy via the winery’s sister retail shop, Ciao Bruto!. If you absolutely fall in love with that small batch prosciutto, you can pick up a package next door.
Location
132 Plaza St
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Pax Wines
A trip to Pax Winery & Tasting Room guarantees a vibe that’s relaxed and friendly, and they always have good tunes playing – think George Clinton on vinyl. One of the best features of this Sonoma natural wine tasting room is the number of flights you can choose from. If you love white wine, try the California Sunshine tasting with Vermentino, Chenin, and Trousseau Gris. Love Pax Wines’ famous cool climate Syrahs? There’s a flight for that too.
If you don’t feel like coming in for a full tasting, you can always just stop in for a glass before you have dinner across the street at Fern Bar.
TIP 1: Pax Winery is one of the most dog friendly tasting rooms in Sebastopol. Feel free to bring your pooch when you visit.
TIP 2: The good vibes continue every Friday night from 4:30PM to 6:30PM when the winery hosts live music.
Location
6780 McKinley St, Suite 170
Sebastopol CA
Ryme Cellars
Ryme Cellars makes some of the best natural wine in Sonoma. Their portfolio includes two interpretations of Vermentino (a His and a Hers), a skin contact Fiano, a Sangiovese Friulano carbonic co-ferment, two killer Aglianicos, a crisp and acidic rose wine, and so many other intriguing bottles.
Visit winemakers Ryan and Megan Glaab’s tasting room in Forestville, which is south of Healdsburg and north of Sebastopol. Tastings are by appointment and $30 per person. You can also have lunch at the winery while you taste. That experience is $70 per person. Catering for lunch is done by Troubadour Bread and Bistro, so you’re in good hands.
TIP 1: Pax Winery and Ryme Cellars are about a 15 minute drive from each other. If you want to hit two of Sonoma’s natural wineries in one day, you can easily visit both. Have lunch at Handline or Blue Ridge Kitchen in Sebastopol first, and then make the quick drive north to Ryme.
TIP 2: Ryme’s Assistant Winemaker Matt Crutchfield also has a line of wines that are really tasty. Check out his skin contact Cortese and skin contact Chenin Blanc.
Location
6450 1st St.
Forestville, CA 95436
Bedrock Wine Co.
In the Sonoma natural wine scene, Bedrock Wine Co. is known for their love of nurturing historic California vineyards so that generation after generation can enjoy wines from these heritage vines. Winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson, who also happens to be a Master Sommelier, thank you very much, uses uninoculated fermentations, native malolactic, and whole cluster fermentation for his wines.
Bedrock Wine’s downtown Sonoma tasting room is open 7 days a week, so you’ve got tons of flexibility for booking a reservation. When you visit, get ready for a highly knowledgeable staff who are eager to share with you the story behind the wines, and the families that own the vineyards.
Tastings are $45 per person, with the price waived with a two bottle purchase per person tasting.
TIP 1: if you’re a fan of California sparkling wine, try the Under the Wire + Caviar tasting. Under the Wire is Bedrock’s ultra small production sparkling wine, and it’s pretty tasty. This “high-low” pairing includes caviar and a selection of potato chips, because what more do you need with your sparkling wine?
TIP 2: The Bedrock Riesling (a dry, crisp interpretation) isn’t usually on the tasting menu, but you should absolutely ask if they have a bottle open for a sample. It’s one of the best California Rieslings on the market.
Location
General Joseph Hooker House
414 First Street East
Sonoma, CA 95476
Restaurants Serving Natural Wine in Sonoma
Valley Bar + Bottle Shop, Downtown Sonoma
Downtown Sonoma’s Valley Bar + Bottle Shop is a favorite of natural wine lovers. Not only does this trendy restaurant have an excellent wine list, but the retail shop within the restaurant means this spot is a one stop shop for all of your natural wine needs. With names like Martha Stoumen, Arnot Roberts, Lezer, Scribe Wines, and Darling Wines available, how can you go wrong?
TIP 1: The lunch menu at Valley Bar + Bottle Shop is on the lighter side, so if you’re looking for a big hearty lunch as you make your way through Sonoma, do check out the offerings before you book.
TIP 2: If you go to brunch at Valley Bar, plan on an extra 10 minutes to find parking. The parking situation in downtown Sonoma is notoriously tricky.
Location
487 1st West
Sonoma, CA 95476
Handline Restaurant Sebastopol
Handline is located in an old Foster’s Freeze, and it really embraces that vibe. Diners order at the counter, seat themselves, and are encouraged to kick back and relax with a bottle of wine.
For a casual restaurant, Sebastopol’s Handline punches well above its weight when it comes to food and wine. The food is prepared with local California ingredients. The fish tacos are crazy good (this is coming from someone who spent a decade living in Southern California), they’ve got three types of grilled oysters, and stellar burgers and veggie burgers.
If you love natural wine, you’re going to feel like you’re dining at an old friend’s house. Natural winemakers like Social Creatures, Jolie-Laide, and Broc Cellars are available.
TIP 1: Handline has a pretty legit soft serve ice cream setup. Be sure to save room for a classic chocolate or vanilla.
TIP 2: This Sebastopol restaurant gets busy, busy, busy in the summer when the weather is nice and the parking lot is tiny. Be prepared to park on the street and walk a block or two during peak weekend lunch hours.
Location
935 Gravenstein Hwy S
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Little Saint
Healdsburg’s Little Saint checks a lot of boxes for locals and tourists alike. This popular spot is part vegan restaurant, part cafe and coffee house, and part bottle shop. They also play host to some pretty amazing musicians who you might think are too big to make a stop in Healdsburg.
What makes Little Saint one of the best places to find natural wine in Sonoma? Well, for starters, Wine Director Alex Sarovich was named VinePair’s Sommelier of the Year in 2023, and the 500+ bottle wine list she has put together strikes the perfect balance between boutique, family-owned Sonoma producers and their global counterparts.
Check out the full wine list at Little Saint here.
TIP: Need to get a little work done while you’re visiting Healdsburg? Bring your laptop to Little Saint and campout in the lounge or at the coffee bar. Have some lunch, and when you’re done, reward yourself with a glass of wine!
Location
25 North St
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Molti Amici
If you’ve explored the restaurant reviews on this food and wine blog, then you know I love Healdsburg’s Molti Amici. Besides serving up crispy wood-fired pizzas, authentic Italian pastas, and an excellent selection of crudo, Molti Amici is also a great place to discover natural wine in Sonoma. If you love Italian varieties like Ribolla Gialla, Timorasso, and Pelaverga, you will love this wine list.
Curious to learn more? Take a look at my full review of Molti Amici Healdsburg.
TIP: Order a cocktail before you get into the wine. Molti Amici has some of the prettiest cocktails in Sonoma County.
Location
330 Healdsburg Ave
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Bottle Shops & Wine Bars Selling Natural Wine in Sonoma County
The Punchdown Natural Wine Bar + Bottle Shop, Sebastopol
Punchdown Natural Wine Bar, which has locations in Sebastopol and Oakland, was a James Beard Finalist for Outstanding Wine Program in 2022. The brand’s Sebastopol outfit is located in the hip-happening Barlow, about a block away from Pax. This bottle shop stocks an impressive list of natural wine producers, and it’s easy to get lost browsing all of the offerings.
TIP: The best way to experience the Punchdown is to purchase a bottle from the shop, pop it open on the patio, order some snacks and people watch. Feel free to bring your dog, because this Sonoma natural wine bar is dog friendly!
Location
6770 McKinley St #130
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Bottle Barn
Located in Santa Rosa, Bottle Barn has a robust selection of natural wine that showcases producers from the US, Australia, France, Italy, and beyond. While Bottle Barn is not entirely devoted to natural and minimal intervention wine, their selection takes up an entire wall and a half in the store.
TIP: Bottle Barn also has a section in the store called “New School California Wines”. Here you will find independent winemakers working with cool and unusual grape varieties who practice low intervention techniques. A few examples of what you’ll find here include: Birdhouse Valdiguié, Phelan Farm Gamay Noir, and Broc Cellars Trousseau.
Location
3331-A Industrial Dr
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
The Redwood Wine Bar, Sebastopol
The Redwood Wine Bar in Sebastopol is a gem. Not only does Redwood have a kitchen that serves food all day, but the wine list is a natural wine lover’s dream. They carry pet nats by the glass, Beaujolais, a Mencia from Sonoma, and natural winemakers that you know and love. We’re talking Martha Stoumen, Ryme, Florez Wines, Emme Wines, Stirm, Scholium Project, and so many more.
If you like chillable, light red wines, they’ve got that. If orange wines are your thing, they’ve got that too. Want to try a grape co-ferment. They’ve got you covered.
TIP: Go to Redwood Wine Bar for happy hour and enjoy natural wines at a discount! Enjoy $1 off all snacks and choose from a rotating selection of $9 glasses of wine. Happy hour is available Friday through Monday from 3pm to 6pm.
Location
234 S Main St
Sebastopol, CA 95472