After picking up a soft baguette, aged asiago cheese, fresh strawberries, artichoke-olive spread, and a large “brownie splat” cookie at the nearby Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg, California, we headed to Rochioli Vineyards & Winery in the Russian River Valley to enjoy an idyllic Mother’s Day picnic. 

The winery’s small tasting room was warm and inviting, with a light wooden interior, windows overlooking the rose garden just beyond, a rotating selection of artwork devoted to local Sonoma artists, and a ceiling fan that kept our baby happy and distracted as we sampled the two featured wines:  the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2006 Pinot Noir.  The 2006 Chardonnay was available for purchase, but not for tasting.

While we enjoyed the Pinot ($48), we loved the Sauvignon Blanc both for its fruitiness and for its friendlier price ($26), and we purchased a bottle to enjoy with our picnic spread.  

Rochioli is nestled in a quiet setting overlooking a garden of white, pink, red, and yellow roses, and the stunning panoramic vista of vineyards and mountains beyond.  We spent the next hour or so relaxing at one of the three round wooden picnic tables on the winery’s patio as our son crawled gleefully around at our feet.

If you are in Sonoma County and looking for a place to picnic, Rochioli is certainly a wonderful option. 

www.RochioliWinery.com
6192 Westside Road
Healdsburg, California 95448
(707) 433-2305