Choosing what wineries to visit in Sonoma can literally turn into a part-time job! With almost 500 wineries to choose from it can be overwhelming and it’s so hard to make sure you’re choosing the best ones. Well, the nice thing for you is I’ve already done this research and after visiting I can tell you what wineries were our favorites. We chose Hamel Family Wines because not only did we hear their wine was incredible we also heard that the architecture and property views alone were worth a visit! Well, we quickly learned that everyone was right!
The Estate Experience at Hamel Family Wines
As soon as we pulled in we knew we made the right choice. We were warmly welcomed by our tour guide, Marty, and the entire experience was incredible. Out of 15 wineries, this was my favorite winery tour. I absolutely loved seeing behind the scenes and until then I had never seen a winery this big and gorgeous. They have three options for tours and we personally chose The Estate Experience due to time. If you have the time I recommend spending the extra money for their Reserve Experience. The four-course dinner sounds incredible. If you only have an hour or two though I couldn’t recommend the estate experience more! Click the link to learn more about tour options and visiting Hamel Family Wines.
Behind the Scenes
Marty offered us a glass of our liking and took us behind the scenes to learn about their wine-making process. He did such an incredible job explaining everything and we loved learning about all the work that goes into making wine before we as consumers purchase a bottle.
Cave Tour at Hamel Family Wines
Next we were on to the caves to experience the different ways they age wine. I have never seen such beautiful wine caves in my life!
What I loved about Marty was not only was he extremely knowledgeable, he also offered to take pictures, asked how nerdy we wanted to get about the wine experience and he was super kind and laid back!
It takes five seconds to realize how much money and hard work went into building this estate. Every detail was so beautiful.
Private Tasting
After about 45 minutes walking through production and the caves he brought us out to a private tasting that was set up looking over the vineyards and the Sonoma mountains.
During this tasting we tried their Sauvignon Blanc, Isthmus and Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon blend, and their Library Cabernet Sauvignon. We also got lucky and had a chance to try their 2019 Rosé that was simply to die for! This experience also includes a light snack from their executive chef that consists of house-made ricotta cheese sprinkled with Sonoma Coast sea salt and crackers, um YES AND YUM! We also added the black truffles and it was the perfect snack.
We personally loved all the wines but the Rosé and Isthmus really stuck out to us. Before taking a couple of bottles home we sat out on the deck and enjoyed the views. Overall the Estate Experience at Hamel Family Wines was an incredible experience. The service, wine, and ambiance were all superb.
Thanks so much for reading along! When you are visiting Sonoma, Hamel Family Wines is an absolute must! The views alone were worth it but seriously everything impressed us. Click the link if you are interested in learning more about Hamel Family Wines. Also, check out my California blog posts to learn more about what activities and wineries to do when visiting this awesome area.
