Visiting Far North California wine country for the first time: where to start, what to expect and the mistakes to skip.
start at New Clairvaux's Vina estate for the monastery pour that defines the region, then Burnsini's Cottonwood estate northbound, finishing at the Redding rooms
Expect Trappist monastery wines poured daily, Redding tasting rooms, redwood-coast Pinot and volcanic-soil Petite Sirah, poured mostly by people close to the winemaking.
The I-5 corridor delivers serious wine without wine-country pricing: daily monastery pours, four-day Burnsini weeks and free-spirited mountain rooms; the drives are the only cost.
The region sits along I-5 from Vina to Redding and into the mountains beyond, 2 to 4 hours north of Sacramento; plan the driving and every stop gets better.
Don't overpack the itinerary: three stops with time to talk beats six drive-bys anywhere, and doubly so here. And check hours before every stop; small family rooms adjust schedules seasonally.
Every winery we track in the region, each with its own page.
See the full Far North California guide → · Browse all wineries →