Villa Fiore at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma

8761 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: http://www.ferrari-carano.com/

My impression of this winery is that it is more like a Napa Valley winery than the surrounding Sonoma wineries. It has a magnificence that almost feels out of place next to the smaller, rustic wineries. It is well worth the trek to the northern part of Dry Creek Valley to see this winery that is modeled after an Italian villa. Ferrari-Carano has a tasting room located in Healdsburg Plaza that may be more convenient to get to, but I would definitely recommend making the drive north to see the beauty of the winery. I have been here a couple of times and would put this high up on my list of places to visit in Sonoma.

As I walked from the parking lot along the stone path, the pink hospitality center called Villa Fiore stood in front of me at the end of the pathway. Out in front of the entrance to Villa Fiore is an immaculately manicured garden with bright yellow roses and red tulips that are dazzling when in bloom.

Ferrari Carano vineyards

When standing in the garden facing the front entrance, there are vineyards and a fountain off to the left and a Japanese garden to the right. The vineyard is modeled after vineyards in Italy with rows of vines growing on hills. I would have guessed that the original owners were natives of Italy, but Don and Rhonda Carano were actually from Reno Nevada. Don Carano wanted to expand beyond the hotel and restaurant industry and started the winery in 1981.  In June 2020, Foley Family Wines purchased the winery from the Caranos.

Inside the entrance of Villa Fiore is a good size gift shop and wine tasting bar. The tasting bar provides samples of Ferrari-Carano’s Classic and Villa Fiore wines that include a Pinot Grigio, Fumé Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. There are stairs off the gift shop that lead to a lower level that includes a view into the wine cellar; the Enoteca Reserve Tasting Bar; and a large screen TV that repeatedly plays a video about the winery. Anyone can stop in to the Enoteca (which means “wine library” in Italian) to try the Limited Release wines, including the Eldorado Gold and Eldorado Noir dessert wines. Unfortunately the wine cellar is only open to visitors who sign up for a special tour.

Ferrari-Carano also offers several different types of private tastings for a special tasting experience. My husband and I signed up for Sentiments private tasting. It was an experience that I will never forget. The tasting focuses on being able to identify aromas in wine. We started with a tour around the grounds and a brief history of the winery. We were then led downstairs into a private tasting room off the Enoteca lounge that had a fireplace, some lounge chairs, and a table set up with wine glasses and a variety of scents like vanilla bean, pear, chocolate, apple, and several others. Our guide, who was the Director of Hospitality, gave us some pointers on how to build a “scent memory” and had us sniff the different scents. Then he poured 5 or 6 different wines for us and had us try to detect the aromas on our own. The tasting cost us $35 each and it was well worth it.

Ferrari-Carano Japanese garden

On our way out of the winery we stopped at the Japanese garden. Visitors are permitted to take a self-guided tour of the garden. Once I walked through the gate into the garden, I felt like I was taken to a totally different place that was so peaceful and beautiful. Trying to describe it in words wouldn’t do it enough justice. It was a wonderful ending to our visit.