Dry Creek Valley · Sonoma County
Visit A. Rafanelli with a Private Chauffeur
A fourth-generation family winery famous for Zinfandel, open by appointment, and a suggested six-hour day of tasting around it.
Book a Six-Hour Wine Tour
About the Winery
Alberto and Letizia Rafanelli, immigrants from Italy, began growing grapes and making wine around Healdsburg in the early 1900s. After Prohibition their son Americo moved the winery to its present home in Dry Creek Valley in the early 1950s, and he released the first wines under the A. Rafanelli label in the early 1970s.
His son David, a UC Davis viticulture graduate, and David's wife Patty widened the range beyond Zinfandel. Their daughter Shelly Rafanelli became winemaker in 2000 and farms the vineyards with her husband, Craig Fehlman, the fourth generation of the family.
A. Rafanelli makes small lots of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a Bordeaux-style Estate Blend, sold mostly to its mailing list and rarely seen in stores. A visit is a relaxed, personal tasting at the family estate on West Dry Creek Road.
Tasting Fees
$25 per person for a casual tasting. Members of the winery's mailing list, the A. List, taste free with up to 4 guests.
Tasting fees as of September 2026. Wineries set and collect their own fees, and they change from time to time.
At a Glance
Location
4685 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg
AVA
Dry Creek Valley
Visiting
By appointment only, arranged by phone. Days and hours change with the seasons.
Known For
Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon
Founded
Early 1900s (in Dry Creek Valley since the early 1950s)
Good to Know
Tastings are casual and take parties of 6 or fewer. The winery closes on some holidays and when the cellar schedule is busy.
A Suggested Six-Hour Day
Pickup at 10:00 a.m. from a Healdsburg hotel such as Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House.
10:00 · Pickup at Hotel Healdsburg or Harmon Guest House
Hotel Healdsburg, on the town plaza, and Harmon Guest House, a boutique hotel just off the plaza, are each about 20 minutes from A. Rafanelli. The day below fits a six-hour tour, and extra time can be added by the hour.
10:20 · A. Rafanelli
A casual, personal tasting ($25), by appointment for parties of 6 or fewer.
11:35 · Ridge Lytton Springs
About 15 minutes away. One of California's great Zinfandel houses, also famous for Monte Bello Cabernet; its 1971 Monte Bello was poured at the 1976 Judgment of Paris. The seated Estate Tasting of five single-vineyard wines is about 75 minutes ($35). Reservations recommended, 21 and over.
1:00 · Lunch at Diavola
About 10 minutes away. Chef Dino Bugica's restaurant in Geyserville, with Neapolitan-style pizza from a wood-burning oven, handmade pasta and house-cured salumi. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. Prefer a picnic? We can arrange a catered picnic at a winery that allows one; the cost is quoted when you book.
2:15 · Ferrari-Carano
About 15 minutes away. Founded in 1981 by Don and Rhonda Carano, with celebrated gardens around the Villa Fiore tasting room at the top of Dry Creek Valley. Walk-ins are welcome for A Taste of Ferrari-Carano, with tastings from $40; the Vineyard-Designate Reserve Tasting is $60. Open daily.
3:15 · Back to your hotel
Back in Healdsburg by 3:40 p.m., within six hours of pickup.
Optional: Seghesio Family Vineyards
Adds 30 minutes to an hour. A Zinfandel house a few blocks from the Healdsburg plaza. Walk-ins are welcome for the Bar Flight ($20, about 30 minutes); open daily until 4 p.m.
Three wineries is the right pace for a day of serious tasting. A. Rafanelli sets its hours by season and takes parties of 6 or fewer, so we confirm the day when we book.
About $100 to $120 per person in tasting fees for the three wineries, paid directly to each winery.
Every tour is custom. This day is a starting point: your chauffeur will shape it around what matters to you, and we plan multi-day tours for guests who want to see more of wine country.
Your Vehicle & Six-Hour Tour Rates
Up to 6 guests
Elite Luxury SUV
Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade
From $750
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $125 each.
Up to 9 guests
Jet Sprinter or Executive Luxury Van
Captain's chairs and room to spread out
From $1,350
Six-hour wine tour, plus 20% gratuity. Additional hours $225 each.
Larger groups travel in more than one vehicle, and we plan the winery appointments around your group, since many wineries limit groups to 6 to 8 guests. Tasting fees are separate and paid directly to each winery. Every tour starts with six hours; add time by the hour when you book.
Questions
Do I need an appointment at A. Rafanelli?
Yes. Visits are by appointment only, arranged by phone. When you book a tour with us, your chauffeur makes the reservation for you.
How much is a tasting at A. Rafanelli?
$25 per person, as of September 2026. Members of the A. List taste free with up to 4 guests.
How many people can visit A. Rafanelli together?
Tastings take parties of 6 or fewer.
Where can I buy A. Rafanelli wine?
Mostly through the winery's mailing list, the A. List, which takes new members as space opens. The wines are rarely sold in stores.
Who makes the wine at A. Rafanelli?
Shelly Rafanelli, the fourth generation of the family, has been winemaker since 2000.
How does booking a tour with Bien Chauffeured work?
Reserve a six-hour tour online, even if your plans are still taking shape. Your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Extra hours can be added.
Reserve Your Tour Now, Plan the Details Later
Your plans don't need to be final to book. Reserve your six-hour tour online, and your chauffeur will email you first to learn what matters to you, then build your itinerary and make the winery appointments. Prefer to talk? Call our concierge at 888-291-2328.
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