Free Wine Tasting Along the Wine Road

Free wine tasting. Yes, you read that right. No wine tasting fees. Complimentary wine tasting. No kidding. It’s happening now!

Free Tasting a.k.a. Sip Into The Weekend

Around mid-summer, several wineries along the Wine Road in Northern Sonoma County started offering free wine tasting on Thursdays and Fridays through August 31^st. You may have read about it in the August blog entitled Happy Hour and More. The response was so positive, the wineries have extended this free wine tasting offer until November 21^st.

All the details are available on the Sip Into The Weekend page on the Wine Road’s website. Here are just a few highlights.

Wineries Offering Free Wine Tasting

A quick count on the Sip Into The Weekend page listed 35+ wineries offering free wine tasting—all producing top quality wines you’re going to love!

The website also has listed the wineries’ locations to help you plan your tasting route. Here’s the breakdown:

Alexander Valley – 9 wineries
Dry Creek Valley – 12 wineries
Russian River Valley – 9 wineries
Healdsburg – 3 wineries
Windsor – 3 wineries

If you go wine tasting every Thursday and Friday starting now through the November 21^st, you might be able to visit them all. And, they are all worth a visit.

What this list doesn’t include is wineries who charge a tasting fee that is refundable with a purchase. Like Peterson Winery (open by appointment during the week and to walk-ins on the weekends) or Carol Shelton Wines who waive the tasting fee with a wine purchase.

Two-for-One Tastings

The Sip Into The Weekend listing also includes five wineries who are offering 2 for 1 tastings, and one winery offering complimentary cave tours. If you haven’t been on a cave tour, especially during harvest, now is the perfect time.

Lodging Specials

If you’re visiting out of the area, be sure to review all the lodging specials on the Sip Into The Weekend page. There are 10 lodging specials offering a variety of discounts, like up to 30% off or the 3^rd night stay is free.

With the savings on the lodging and tasting fees, you’ll have extra funds to purchase wine!

10 Reasons to Take Advantage of Free Wine Tasting

1. Awesome deal – no tasting fees gives you more funds to purchase wine!
2. Explore – check out wineries and wines that are new to you
3. Learn – discover how wineries differ based on where the grapes are grown, their winemaking practices and much more
4. Slow the pace – you’re in Wine County to relax and enjoy yourself. Weekends tend to be busier at wineries, but visiting Thursday and Friday will be more relaxing
5. Beautiful setting – travel the backroads of Northern Sonoma County and experience mile after mile of breathtaking views
6. Less crowded – on Thursday and Friday, you’ll find the wineries are not as crowded as on the weekends
7. Make connections – less crowded means you get more time with and attention from your server, who just might also be the owner or winemaker
8. Harvest time – this free tasting offer runs during harvest, allowing you to experience the sights, sounds and smells that only happen once a year
9. Fall foliage – the vineyards will display their fall colors soon, and you can take it all in
10. Time limited offer – this free tasting offer is slated to end November 21^st, so don’t miss this special opportunity

Yet More

There are lots of other reasons to enjoy wine tasting, along with no tasting fees and lodging deals. Many of these wineries are also pet friendly and have lovely picnic areas. Some have bocce courts waiting for you to throw a few balls as you sip. Start planning a lovely autumn day in wine country, and soak in the spectacular fall weather in the perfect bucolic setting.

Please note: the free wine tasting offer is for no more than four people per group. If your group is larger than four, you’re still free to visit, but normal tasting fees and group size limitations apply at each winery.

Wine & Food Affair

In case you missed the recent blog on Wine & Food Affair, this magical weekend of wine and food along the Wine Road is happening November 1^st and 2^nd. Two days of curated wine and food pairings in one of the most beautiful places in Northern California sounds a bit like heaven. And this slice of heaven can be yours! Tickets are on sale now, so check out the details and ticket link online.

Did You Know?

All the recipes from every Wine & Food Affair are available online in an easy to search database. The recipes from Wine & Food Affair 2025 will be included soon, but for now you can look at hundreds of recipes going back to 2013.

This vast database of recipes is searchable by too many categories to list, but my favorite approach is searching by the main ingredient and by the wine to pair with the recipe. If you’re a foodie, this is a gold mine of new menu planning ideas.

Free Wine Tasting vs. Wine & Food Affair

Can’t decide whether to take advantage of the free wine tasting through November 21^st or come to Wine & Food Affair? Why not do both. Northern Sonoma County has so many excellent wineries to visit, it will take more than one visit to soak in all the wine goodness found along the Wine Road.

Happy Sipping!

Posted by Rebecca Germolus

Rebecca Germolus, co-owner of Maximum Value Marketing, loves Sonoma County and playing along the Wine Road. Rebecca daily immerses herself in wine country by providing cost-effective marketing and writing solutions to wineries and restaurants.

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