At the gateway to Sonoma wine country in the Carneros AVA, Cline Cellars provides visitors with a warm and wonderful welcome to wine country. The winery is owned by Fred Cline, whose love for winemaking began as a child when he would visit his grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi, at his Oakley, California farm and help turn the fruit into wine. In 1981, Fred founded Cline Cellars in Oakley. When he married his wife Nancy in 1986, they relocated the winery to a historic 350-acre property in Sonoma, the original site of the 21st and final California Mission. Fred’s innovation and experimentation produced distinctive Rhône-style wines and rich Zinfandels for which he has since garnered much acclaim. In 2004, Cline Cellars was named one of Wine Spectator’s 50 Great Producers Every Wine Lover Should Know.
Every wine lover should also know about the tasting experience at Cline Cellars, which includes free tasting and gracious grounds with carp ponds, gardens, and picnic areas. Not to be missed is the California Missions Museum, a collection of scale-model replicas of each California Mission. These fascinating models first made their debut in 1939 at the World’s Fair at Treasure Island. Each was designed to scale by a team of German cabinetmakers under the direction of Italian artist Leon Bayard de Volo. The Cline family saved the models from being auctioned off individually and built this beautiful museum in 2005 to properly showcase them.
Besides wonderful wine and California history, Cline Cellars provides guests with an exciting lodging option: the luxurious Cline Villa next to the winery is available to rent. The elegant five-bedroom getaway includes a pool, spa, and full-featured gourmet kitchen. It’s an ideal home base to enjoy between wine tastings at tours at Cline Cellars’ sister and neighbor, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, and the whole of wonderful Sonoma wine country.