In addition to a slight nod to Sauvignon Blanc, this destination winery concentrates on red wines, with almost 90 percent coming from their own estate vineyard. Try their sparkling wine, or one or two of their four different port wines. Food pairing classes, VIP tasting, and a great gift shop add to the experience.

In the 1950s the Trentadue family were farmers in the now-famous Silicon Valley; they came to Sonoma to escape the encroaching development. They planted classic Italian grapevines such as Sangiovese and Carignane, and soon learned that the land’s unique climate and soils were best suited for richly flavored red wines such as Zinfandel, Merlot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1984, Trentadue Winery was the first California winery to release a wine made from 100 percent Sangiovese grapes (the main grape used in Italy for Chianti).

Their 206-acre estate has great visitor facilities. A covered picnic area resides in a park-like setting surrounded by a grove of redwood trees. There is event space along with gardens, fountains and the occasional Roman column.

Trentadue’s mustard-yellow, Italian-style villa is tastefully designed, with tapestries and ribbons festooned on the walls. The room has a deli case with cheeses and meats, wine books, logo clothing and large-format bottles for sale. The concrete tasting bar provides a solid foundation on which to sample their many wines. A television monitor is attached to the wall with a touch screen system to learn about the winery and their vineyards.

The “Old Patch Vineyard” has vines averaging 115 years old and is the source of “Old Patch Red,” which is 76 percent Zinfandel, 16 percent Petite Sirah and 8 percent Carignane. Trentadue's traditional approach to winemaking is to extract plenty of flavor and intensity from the grapes, creating long-lived and food-friendly wines.