5 Best Sights in Forestville, Napa and Sonoma

Pinot Noir lovers appreciate the subtle differences in the wines Hartford's team crafts from grapes grown in several Sonoma County AVAs, along with fruit from nearby Marin and Mendocino Counties and Oregon. The winery also produces a Chenin Blanc and several Chardonnays and old-vine Zinfandels. If the weather's good, enjoy a flight on the patio outside the main winery building. At private library tastings, guests sip current and older vintages.

Pinot Noirs from the Russian River Valley and Humboldt County to the north are the strong suit of this winery sourcing from prestigious vineyards like Bootlegger’s Hill and Hallberg Ranch. Owner-winemaker Adrian Manspeaker spearheaded the winery's foray into Pinot Noir grown in his native Humboldt's coastal redwood country. His downtown Forestville tasting room provides the opportunity to experience what's unique about the grape's next Northern California frontier. Manspeaker also makes two Zinfandels; lighter wines include a Sauvignon Blanc, two Chardonnays, Vermentino, sparkling wines, and a rosé of Pinot Noir.   A wine educator conducts vineyard tastings from spring to mid-fall involving a tour or picnic lunch.

Ryan and Megan Glaab, the husband and wife owner-winemakers behind Ryme, make a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Franc, and a Cabernet Sauvignon, but the real story here is their quest to craft food-friendly wines from unsung white (Fiano, Greco, Ribolla Gialla) and red (Aglianico, Frappato) Italian grapes. The Glaabs also make "His" and "Hers" Vermentinos in wildly different styles. That they source fruit from respected vineyards and keep prices low is a credit to their talent and ingenuity. A weathered board-and-batten structure attached to their cinder block winery serves as a tasting room, though good weather finds most guests sipping in the shade of the front patio’s arbor.

Live music on Fridays and weekends attracts an eclectic clientele to this winery specializing in single-vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs, but it's worth a stop anytime. In good weather, most guests enjoy tastings under pergolas, shade trees, and umbrellas as woodpeckers pilfer acorns from nearby oaks, caching their booty in the redwood roof of the property's hop-barn-style structure. The countrified setting has been known to induce "couch lock," causing patrons to while away hours sipping wine and nibbling on gourmet food boards, sandwiches, and salads (lunch is served daily). Some folks even settle in with a book, an option that wine service by the glass or bottle makes all the more tempting.

A former girlfriend bestowed the nickname "Wooden Head" on Nikolai Stez for his stubborn nature, but he also has a sense of humor, resurrecting the name years later for his winery. The meticulous, if idiosyncratic, winemaker has an impeccable pedigree, having begun his education working harvests for Burt Williams of the acclaimed Williams Selyem Winery, eventually becoming assistant winemaker there. Pinot Noir and Zinfandel are Woodenhead's focus, but don't miss the French Colombard, Chardonnay, and other whites. Tastings are relatively old-school, with most patrons perched on a deck overlooking Pinot Noir vines, a Russian River Valley panorama unfolding beyond them.