Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery

Healdsburg, United States

4.2

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 707-433-6700
Website:
www.ferrari-carano.com
Address:
8761 Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg, CA, 95448
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Local time (Healdsburg) 08:24 Thursday, 12 June 2025

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Description

Specialties

Ferrari-​Carano Vineyards and Winery, the dream and hard work of Don and Rhonda Carano, is located in picturesque Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California. Here visitors may taste world renowned wines, stroll acres of lush gardens and take in spectacular panoramic vineyard views. Ferrari-​Carano owns over 1,400 acres of vineyards throughout some of the most prestigious wine grape growing appellations including Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley and Napa/​Carneros. At Ferrari-​Carano, visitors may taste Classic Wines in the Villa Fiore Wine Shop or head downstairs to the Enoteca in the underground cellar to sample Reserve and Limited Release Wines, including PreVail and Vineyard Select Wines. Tours are by appointment, and private tastings are also available by appointment. Join the wine club and enjoy Ferrari-​Carano wines delivered right to your door. Please visit www. fer​rari​-carano​.com, or call 800.831.0381 for more information.

History

Established in 1985.

Since 1985, Ferrari-​Carano Vineyards and Winery has been a leading producer of world class wines. Don and Rhonda Carano, owners of Ferrari-​Carano, discovered Sonoma County while searching for wines to enhance the wine lists at their hotel casino in Reno, the Eldorado, and eventually purchased a 60 acre parcel in Alexander Valley. Today, Ferrari-​Carano owns vineyards in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, and Napa/​Carneros, some of the best addresses in California’s wine country. Vintage after vintage, Ferrari-​Carano wines exhibit remarkable consistency, style and elegance. Don and Rhonda Carano’s uncompromising commitment to quality and excellence is a reflection of their desire to produce memorable wines that enhance the pleasures of gracious entertaining.

Meet the Business Owner

Don and Rhonda C.

Business Owner

The owners of Ferrari-​Carano are Don and Rhonda Carano, natives of Reno, Nevada, and second generation Italian-​Americans. Don graduated from the School of Law at the University of San Francisco, returned to Reno, and soon became a partner at the law firm of McDonald, Carano & Wilson, LLC. In 1973, Don established the Eldorado Hotel and Casino in downtown Reno. Don and Rhonda, who has a degree in Nutrition from the University of Nevada, have developed the Eldorado Hotel into the area’s premier location for fine dining, great wine lists and impeccable service. The Caranos were introduced to Sonoma County while searching for wines to enhance the wine lists at the Eldorado and eventually purchased a 60-​acre ranch in the Alexander Valley. The vineyards that were part of that property piqued their curiosity about winemaking, so they began taking classes on enology and viticulture at the University of California, Davis, eventually establishing Ferrari-​Carano in the early 1980’s.

Nearby

Browse nearby places:
1
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Preston Vineyards
9206 W Dry Creek Rd
1
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Preston of Dry Creek
9282 West Dry Creek Rd
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Lake Sonoma Visitor Center and Don Clausen Fish Hatchery
3333 Skaggs Springs Rd
1
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Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves
9711 W Dry Creek Rd
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Cast Wines
8500 Dry Creek Rd
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Preston Farm and Winery
9282 W Dry Creek Rd

20 reviews of Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery

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Place rating: 5
Salt Lake City, UT
Ferrari-​Carano is the only winery I would recommend as a must-​see. The grounds are spectacular and the gardens out front are more than worth a stop. Be sure to head downstairs to the cellar. Most of their best red wines are served only downstairs and, if you’re lucky, they might even have a bottle of one of the rare vintages for you to sample. I’ve read a few reviews mentioning bad service, but I can tell you that this has definitely not been my experience. The staff is always very knowledgeable and friendly. On the way out, I recommend grabbing one of the over-​priced bags of chocolate covered blueberries or cherries as a snack for the road, they’re delicious.
Place rating: 5
Loomis, CA
I cannot give enough accolades to this winery, more specifically Lauren and Jessica at the Healdsburg tasting room. These girls rock! They remember your face and name when you come back, and what you liked to drink!
Ferrari Carano as a whole, makes you feel welcome and provides amazing value and experience for you and your guests every time! We signed up for their wine club and have made it a point to visit with new friends about every other month since we joined… and we live about 3 hours away.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
This review is for their Healdsburg tasting room and specifically for the wine and chocolate pairing — which was AMAZING! I definitely enjoyed the wine much more when paired with the chocolate — it really does bring out the flavors that are generally more subtle when alone.
Boyfriend had the Cabernet tasting — nothing too special about it — he even mustered up the courage to try one with the chocolate (he hates chocolate with a passion) and agreed through his discomfort that it gave the wine a more distinctive flavor.
I did love the black Muscat on the chocolate/​wine pairing flight (both with and without the chocolate)!
I would highly suggest getting the chocolate pairing — otherwise, the wines are a little tame without it
Place rating: 5
Walnut Creek, CA
Best winery in the Dry Creek Valley! Join the Circle of Friends wine club, which is well worth it regarding the quality of wine. The gardens are amazing and the staff are the best, especially Brian and Nicole.
Place rating: 1
Pacific Palisades, CA
Extremely rude and inattentive staff, minus the concierge… The only decent part of the winery.
The wine is sub par at best.
We spent 15 minutes standing at the bar and yet still no one even greeted us… We ended up buying a half case and going outside to drink ourselves… Bad decision.
Waste of time and money, there are 500 other incredible wineries in Sonoma county, go anywhere else!
The winery is beautiful, if you like great views and over the top buildings, stop by, but don’t waste time trying to taste here…
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
This place is known for their whites but I’m a red gal and didn’t care too much for their red wines. The cab was prob the best of the lot. The baci dessert wine was definitely different, I tasted strong berries with an aftertaste of chocolate. The atmosphere is great. Lovely garden, fountain, cellars almost as if I were in Italy but the wine was alright– reality check.
Place rating: 2
Pearl District, Portland, OR
Very pretty winery and the gardens are very well kept. It’s just got a stuffy, corporate feel and the wine isn’t anything special.
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
We were in town for the long weekend (coincidentally, it was also Valentine’s Day weekend). We decided to go at this winery.
We went to the basement level to do their wine and chocolate pairing event. I did the chocolate pairing while my husband did the regular wine tasting course. The chocolate pairing was their usual store stuff but it was still amazing. The pairing worked out well. We ended up buying one of their pricier wines (prevail back forty) because I ended up loving it!
The lady who was helping us was friendly, awesome and very knowledgable. The grounds and garden were very well kept. We definitely recommend this winery to others.
Place rating: 5
Plantation, FL
I’ve been a huge Ferrari fan for a long time now and being able to actually go and enjoy the property and the reserve wines was absolutely amazing! The grounds are beautiful to walk around and enjoy on a nice afternoon and the tasting down stairs in the reserve area is absolutely delicious and worth every dollar. We ended up ordering a couple of 3 Liters to take home and put on display at the house! Cheers. Tresor and the regular cab are my favorites!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
So, I may have only stopped by this winery to look at the gardens changing color and take a gander at their always beautiful Christmas decorations. =D If you are going to be in Healdsburg around the holiday season then this place is must see-​they decorate their wine barrels for goodness sake-​ha! The staff is friendly and inviting and it is very Handicapped accessible with an elevator to take you straight down to the other tasting room. If you visit be sure not to miss the downstairs-that’s where the fun is at! If you want to come along with me for my full day in Healdsburg then click the link.
Place rating: 4
Mountain View, CA
What a beautiful vineyard.
You could def. spend a couple hours here.
Their Pinot Grigio is a gem, sweet, fruit hints, sublime.
$ 10 tastings of five. As usual, tastings begin with a lighter body wine and progress heavier.
Tony da somm was A-​ok. He takes pride in talking to us about their history and climate.
Tip: if you visit in late November, the crowds are tiny and everyone is less stressed and has more time for you. Plus, you will really enjoy the vineyard.
Tip #2: bring some nice snacks, a blanket and two wine glasses; purchase some stellar wine and enjoy the multi million dollar vineyard views.
Picked up a bottle of the Reserve 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon; it was love sauce, great body, inky, dark berries with a nice finish.
Site: Late October views are sizzling. Step outside for a bit: the clear, blue skies and fall views will amaze and you may get lucky: and find the sun will gently kiss your skin.
Place rating: 5
Santa Clara, CA
This place was the main reason my family and girlfriend came out to wine country.
My parents are members and every year they have a testing event.
This was my and my girl’s first time and we loved it. The grounds are beautifully kept and really stands out from the other wineries we drove past. There are statues, rose gardens, gazebos, fish, fountains, and gorgeous views of the hill side.
The inside of the winery was just as nice. They have a look reminiscent of an Italian winery from the old country.
You start the tasting in the check in which was fast considering how many people were there. Then you enter several rooms with barrels of wine and facilities. Each room has several stations that showcase their wine and a pairing snack. Both the food and wine were well matched and delicious. They had live music at the end with a small tent area in the middle to hang out and photo booth for pictures.
We continued and eventually ended the tour at the gift shop. I went outside to enjoy more wine and the views.
Would love to return for future tasting tours!
Place rating: 4
Austin, TX
Beautiful immaculate grounds and the wine was delicious.
Visited here on a recommendation and we were not disappointed. Three options for tastings ranging in quantity and price but all were reasonable. We opted for the cellar tasting to try their reserve wines. So good!
Service was quick to help and guide us in making our decisions. Our host for the tasting was very educated on the wines we were trying. The cellar was also very beautiful and elegant. You could peak into the barrel room which was cool. We had a great time here and would definitely recommend you come by and check it out.
Place rating: 4
Silicon Valley, CA
Stunning!
I keep hearing how Sonoma is supposed to be more low-​key and rustic than Napa, but Ferrari-​Carano defies that stereotype. This place looks like an Italian palace. Located a little off the beaten path — be careful, the GPS may send you to the wrong place — Ferrari is probably one of the most beautiful wineries in either Sonoma or Napa.
I did not have a chance to do a tasting, but the terrace tasting overlooks at amazing view of the valley and is something I will definitely be back to experience. There is also a garden on the property.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
Do not pass go and collect $ 200. Go straight downstairs to the cellar for a tasting. The ambiance is beautiful, but not tacky. The chardonnay is the SOOOOOO fine! The pinot is on point and the cabernet is bold and chewy.
The grounds are simply breath taking. The downstairs wine tasting is where you should spend your time. Service was great. I will definitely be back!
PS. Not dog friendly, which doesn’t surprise me because the grounds are spectacular and I’m sure want to be kept that way. :)
Place rating: 5
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This place is great. A must visit in the region.
Get the reserve white wine tasting. That’s where it’s at!
Make sure to leave some time to enjoy the grounds. The landscaping is stunning.
Place rating: 5
Elk Grove, CA
The estate is gorgeous! Such a beautiful place. Went in to visit the estate and buy a glass of wine. Unfortunately the wine we wanted wasn’t allowed to be sold by the glass due to permits. Nicole Singer was kind enough to give us a tasting and it was just as we remembered. She also gave us a tasting if a few other similar wines. Nicole was a extremely knowledgable in not only their wine selection but wines in general. We learned a lot! Over all it is a beautiful place. It was not crowded at all when I went and I can understand why; it’s such a great place to visit if your passing through Dry Creek Valley.
Place rating: 4
Las Vegas, NV
This review is for the lovely Reserve Room in the basement of the winery. We were treated to a complimentary tasting by our friends who are wine club members and I was super impressed with the VIP treatment we received. We had a private table and a personal server who was super knowledgeable about all of the wines being poured. The Reserve Wine menu is no joke — there are lots of different wines on there — but he knew about every single one. That’s pretty impressive. I’ve been to lots of big commercial wineries (you know the type: they make a ton of different varietals, wines, etc.), and Ferrari-​Carano is no different. But what really makes their tasting room stand out from the rest is the knowledge of their employees. I know quite a bit about wine but I felt like I came away having learned something.
The wines here were surprisingly good! I didn’t expect much but I was impressed, especially with a varietal I rarely drink: Chardonnay. Their whites were stellar across the board. The reds were hit-​or-​miss but were mostly hits. Since my friends were club members, we were able to use their card for a significant discount on the 2 bottles we purchased.
Note that there are two different tasting bars and experiences at the winery. Upstairs adjacent to the gift shop is the standard tasting room. You stand at the bar and taste their everyday type wines. A very steep, long staircase leads you down to the Reserve Room tasting where you can sample some really delicious «best of the winery» wines. I would highly recommend the Reserve Room tasting (it costs more but I think the experience is well worth it). The basement Reserve Room is one of the nicest wine tasting atmospheres I’ve seen anywhere in Sonoma or Napa.
The winery’s gift shop is really nice, with lots of super cute wine themed souvenirs and useful household items. This would be an amazing place to shop for gifts for any wine lover. I saw about 100 things I wanted to buy! None of the prices seemed to be marked up either.
The winery grounds are also show-​stopping, with gorgeous landscaping, sweeping vineyard views, babbling brooks, fountains and grassy spaces. Bring your camera.
Place rating: 3
Santa Rosa, CA
A casino owner from Reno, so we have had their wines many times. We were in the Dry Creek area last weekend and nearby so we checked it out.
A beautiful Italian villa estate, gated long driveway, manicured lawn, and the works. Inside was just as ornate. There was an upstairs tasting area in the small shopping area. But go down stairs and check out that tasting area and restaurant, wow. Downstairs you can also check out the barrel room.
Friendly staff.
Place rating: 4
Summerlin, Las Vegas, NV
Ferrari-​Carano makes consistently good wine from fairly low price to a bit more expensive. I waited to become a wine club member more than three years!
The «Back Forty» cabernet is my «go to» wine since I tend to like well aged cabs and don’t care for white wines at all.
I lucked out because I was in Sonoma County and thought I would grab a couple bottles of the Prevail Back Forty… and they were having an event! My e-​mail is so cluttered I missed the invite and since I don’t live close by, I probably wouldn’t have signed up for it.
that being said, I was there and I hadn’t RSVP’d but they allowed both me and my guest into the food and wine pairing event. Then I had to upgrade my flight to cover the extra box and couldn’t get cell reception and they let me use their phone. (yeah, I was kind of a pain in the but but they were gracious about it)
Prevail is still a «big fruit bomb» but for the price ($ 85-​$ 95) it’s pretty decent.