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Top Westside Road & Russian River Road Wineries
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This Russian River Valley wine trail takes you through beautiful
rolling hills of vineyards ending along the banks of the Russian
River at Korbel Champagne Cellars. From the Healdsburg Square go
south on Healdsburg Ave. and turn right on Mill St. Take Mill St.
under the freeway. Mill St. will lead you to Westside Road to the
Mill Creek Winery. The Russian River Valley wineries produce a wide range of excellent white and red varietal wines. You find great Pinot Noir wines
as well as fine Cabernet wines in this versatile wine region of the Russian River.
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Winery Descriptions, Driving directions, Tasting Room Hours
Mill Creek Winery
Look for Mill Creek Winery just a short distance on Westside Road.
This is a small family owned winery producing 15,000 cases of wine
per a year. Besides the good wines you will be attracted by the
interesting water wheel and pond. Above the tasting room is a picnic
deck area that offers a great view of the valley below. The tasting
room facility was modeled after the old wood mills that were around
in the 1900s.Try the Gewürztraminer, it’s dry and is
one of the few wineries producing this varietal in this region.
The Merlot is also an excellent choice.
Tasting room open daily from 10 to 5 p.m.
(707) 431-2121, e-mail: tr@mcvonline.com, Mill
Creek Winery
Armida
Winery
A short distance from Mill Creek is Armida Winery. This winery wins
the award for the best view. The winery’s picnic area and
tasting room overlook the valley below. The tasting room is a geodesic
dome and is spacious, with very large windows that present a fantastic
setting for wine tasting. If you’re a Zinfandel lover, Armida
makes some very good ones. The winery does not have estate vineyards
but recently planted a large vineyard of Zinfandel on its property.
The view, the tasting room dome, and the good wines are definitely
worth a visit to this winery.
Tasting room open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tours by appointment
707.433.2222, E-mail: wino@armida.com, Armida
Hop Kiln Winery
Hop Kiln is about 4 miles past the Armida Winery and on the left
side of Westside Road traveling towards the west. Immediately you
will notice the unique structure of this winery. The winery was
originally built as a facility for drying hops, one of the prime
ingredients used in making beer. The tasting room is very rustic
and filled with interesting items. It’s a cozy spot for tasting
good wines. The Zinfandel is very good and we also like the reasonably
priced Marty Griffin “Big Red.” We recommend Hop Kiln
for your picnic lunch. The picnic tables are located alongside a
small pond behind the winery. It’s a very good place to relax,
eat, and take in a glass of Hop Kiln’s “A Thousand Flowers”
white wine. Could life get any better than this?
Tasting room open daily from 10 a.m to 5 pm
(707) 433-6491, e-mail: info@hopkilnwinery.com, Hop
Kiln
Rochioli Vineyards
Rochioli Vineyards is located next door to Hop Kiln. The father
and son team of Joe and Tom Rochioli are producing some of the finest
wines in California . Joe tends to the 160 acres in this Russian
River Valley appellation property while Tom does the winemaking.
The team produces 10,000 cases of wine per year with several single
vineyard bottlings. At the winery you can taste and purchase some
of their larger production wines. However, their reserve wines,
which are limited production wines, are purchased as soon as the
release date notice goes out to the mailing list. Sorry to say,
but to get on the Rochioli mailing list it is about a six-year wait.
Tasting room open daily 11 am to 4, (707) 433-2305
Korbel Champagne Cellars
To get to Korbel, continue on Westside Road until you end up on
River Road. Turn right and travel about 2 miles to Korbel. Korbel
has one of the better tours and takes you through the step-by-step
process of making champagne in the French tradition. You will also
want to check out the amazing rose garden and the luxurious tasting
room. There is also a good deli restaurant where you can eat while
enjoying one of the most beautiful settings along the Russian River.
Tasting room open daily for tasting. May through September, 9 am
to 5 pm, and tours 10 to 3. Oct. to April, tasting is from 9 to
4:30 and tours 10 to 3.
(707) 824-7000, E-mail: info@korbel.com, Korbel
Optional
Lodging
If you have the opportunity and are looking for a small town experience,
the town of Occidental will make a great overnight stay. You can
get to Occidental by continuing to drive on River Road towards Monte
Rio. Once in Monte Rio look for the signs to Occidental. There are
two famous restaurants here where you can get traditional family
style Italian meals. This a fun little town. The town is surrounded
by Redwoods and is worth a stay for at least one night and a dinner
at one of the two Italian spots, Negri’s and the Union Hotel.
Where To Stay in the Russian River Wine Region 
Where to Dine in the Russian River Wine Region
Best Picnic Spots in the Russian River Wine Region
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