Visiting North Valley & Chico wine country for the first time: where to start, what to expect and the mistakes to skip.
start at LaRocca's downtown Chico room for the certified-organic mountain estate, then Durham's Almendra-and-Bertagna double, before picking a foothill loop by calendar
Expect certified-organic mountain fruit poured downtown, winery-distillery evenings and foothill weekends on farm-family calendars, poured mostly by people close to the winemaking.
College-town pricing, modest fees and Almendra's long evenings make this California's most affordable serious wine district; the calendars are the only planning cost.
The region sits 90 minutes north of Sacramento around Chico, Durham, Oroville and the Sutter Buttes; 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 North Valley & Chico guide → · Browse all wineries →