Simi Winery

Established in 1876 by immigrants Giuseppe and Pietro Simi from Tuscany, Italy, Simi Winery has been producing fine wines in the rolling hills of Sonoma County since 1881. Its specialties are a vineyard-designated Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon and a Russian River Reserve Chardonnay.

The cellars currently seen here were dug directly into the hillside in 1904 and lined with native basalt. Its original tasting room was fashioned out of a 25,000-gallon Champagne tank. Made up of many diverse soils, the vineyards cover some 600 acres, which support some of the best Bordeaux varietals in the region.

During the summer months, Simi's Pizza Café is open from 2pm to 6pm on Fridays and from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays, serving authentic Italian-style brick-oven baked pizza, along with a selection of the local wines. Tours of the winery's historic stone cellar are offered daily between the hours of 11am and 2pm, followed by seated tastings of four wines.

Simi Winery can be reached most easily from California Highway 101's Dry Creek Road exit at 16275 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, California 95448. It is open daily from 10am to 5pm for both tastings and sales. Private groups of ten or more persons can arrange picnic lunches, buffets, wedding rehearsals, corporate outings, or private dinners on the premises.