Came here with my girlfriend last week and it was by far the best wine tasting experience for both of us. Mark has a much more laid back environment for the tasting and he’s also the most welcoming, especially for wine novices like us. I will continue to buy Blanchard wines
Dale M.
Small Winery Charm Mark Blanchard is the winery owner for the people. This guy is delightful, fun and unpretentious. My wife and I sat down in his small tasting room, sampled some very enjoyable wines (we bought four) and had a great time laughing and sharing stories. Mark, thank you so much for squeezing us in today. We will be back and yes, we will be telling friends about this awesome small winery we discovered.
Brad B.
Father (79)/Sons (50's) trip to Sonoma in late August. We spend a Saturday in Healdsburg and our first stop was at Blanchard. As it turned out we started at the best. Mark greeted us by the door of the tasting room/production facility which is just off the square. He spent time walking through the winery's history and how he and is brother run the business. By the end of the tasting we had talked about wine, food, music, documentaries, and much more. Mark made it feel like we were all siting around the kitchen table just talking about wine and life. I liked this setting (one group at a time with 100% participation) much more enjoyable than most other wineries we visited which have more of a bar/restaurant feeling where the server would just pour your tasting, give you the one sentence blurb they learned about it and then disappearing to help other tables for 10-15 minutes until it was time for your next pour. We started the tasting with their "White Wine" and Viognier. We then moved on to the reds including Pinot, Zin, Merlot, Malbec and Cab. They were all very well made and quite tasty. Ended up purchasing 3 bottles to go and a membership to be shipped later in the year. I'd definitely recommend others putting Blanchard on their list of places to visit in Healdsburg. Appointments are needed as Mark only does one group's tasting at a time.
Tammra Trubenbach
We stopped here with our friends strictly based on reviews and using the Priority Wine Pass offer of 2 for 1 tasting. We absolutely loved this stop! Mark was super engaging, friendly, and funny, telling us all about the wines and the development. Not once did we feel rushed and Mark was very generous with our group. He made us feel as though we were VIPs! Such a lovely find!
Tammra T.
We stopped here with our friends strictly based on reviews and using the Priority Wine Pass offer of 2 for 1 tasting. We absolutely loved this stop! Mark was super engaging, friendly, and funny, telling us all about the wines and the development. Not once did we feel rushed and Mark was very generous with our group. He made us feel as though we were VIPs! Such a lovely find!
Jeff M.
Friendly owner with a great knowledge of wine history both locally and in general. I'm fairly picky and more often than not don't buy wines after tastings, but the Zinfandel, Marcel Blue and Cabernet were full-bodied and rich and I ended up getting all three! I'm all for wineries that focus on the wine first and the experience second.
Andrew P.
Very much enjoyed our time here. Mark was garrulous and fun, and we felt very much at home conversing with him. Very lively, enjoyable time- and the wine was impressive (the Malbec in particular.) If you are outgoing and enjoy a less "stuffy" wine-tasting experience, come here with some energy and Mark will match it. (We left pretty happy.)
Michael S.
Spent a wonderful afternoon yesterday at Blanchard with Mark. Great conversation and insights into the local Healdsburg Wine History and specifically Blanchard's role in supporting this great community. Warm and welcoming - would definitely recommend everyone make a point of stopping by
Amy J.
What a great tasting! Mark spent a lot of time with us. Highly recommend this family owned business
Davin Peterson
At Blanchard Family you can expect a unique and personal tasting room experience. Mark is an attentive, professional, and knowledgeable host who has local stories for days. The wine is an excellent expression of California palate and old world style at a value price tag. I have been in the wine industry for 2 decades and Blanchard Family is my go to.
If I could, I would give this place a million stars. This is the kind of winery I love-one that doesn't have all the unnecessary frills and keeps it real. Mark is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate in what he does. You do have to make a reservation ahead of time though for tastings. But it's definitely worth it! That one-on-one attention and interaction is priceless.The barrel room in the back was so cool. I love all the cute chalk drawings on the barrels. Mark walked us through the process of wine making and we even got the chance to try some from the barrel! Mark's co-owner, his brother James, lives in Denver-just a short drive from Colorado Springs, where I live! Honestly, I don't remember which wines I liked best because I liked all of them. But we ended up getting a bottle and have been saving it for a special occasion until we get the chance to go back. Definitely looking forward to returning soon!
Brandon L.
Mark is a fantastic host! Their wine is delicious and arguably the best in the region. Definitely a place to visit!
Christine Kiedrow
You HAVE TO STOP HERE!! Mark is not only knowledgeable and well educated about wines, but he makes you feel at home in his tasting room. It has been one of our absolute favorite memories of Healdsburg and will definitely be sprinting time at their Denver brewery soon! Thanks again, Mark. You’ll forever be remembered.
William Swegan
Visited the California location January 15, 2020.Mark did a fantastic job conducting our wine tasting event.My wife Dianne and I traveled with the Blanchard sisters (not related to Mark) which made our visit even more fun. It's not everyday you can buy a bottle of very good wine with your name on it.I highly recommend the wine tasting at the Blanchard Family Wines.
Courtney Whitaker
We planned this as part of a Bachelorette party in Denver and it was a hit! James was super helpful in coordinating everything and Jordan did a great job hosting all of us and guiding us through the wine. I highly recommend!!
Came here with my girlfriend last week and it was by far the best wine tasting experience for both of us. Mark has a much more laid back environment for the tasting and he’s also the most welcoming, especially for wine novices like us. I will continue to buy Blanchard wines
Small Winery Charm Mark Blanchard is the winery owner for the people. This guy is delightful, fun and unpretentious. My wife and I sat down in his small tasting room, sampled some very enjoyable wines (we bought four) and had a great time laughing and sharing stories. Mark, thank you so much for squeezing us in today. We will be back and yes, we will be telling friends about this awesome small winery we discovered.
Father (79)/Sons (50's) trip to Sonoma in late August. We spend a Saturday in Healdsburg and our first stop was at Blanchard. As it turned out we started at the best. Mark greeted us by the door of the tasting room/production facility which is just off the square. He spent time walking through the winery's history and how he and is brother run the business. By the end of the tasting we had talked about wine, food, music, documentaries, and much more. Mark made it feel like we were all siting around the kitchen table just talking about wine and life. I liked this setting (one group at a time with 100% participation) much more enjoyable than most other wineries we visited which have more of a bar/restaurant feeling where the server would just pour your tasting, give you the one sentence blurb they learned about it and then disappearing to help other tables for 10-15 minutes until it was time for your next pour. We started the tasting with their "White Wine" and Viognier. We then moved on to the reds including Pinot, Zin, Merlot, Malbec and Cab. They were all very well made and quite tasty. Ended up purchasing 3 bottles to go and a membership to be shipped later in the year. I'd definitely recommend others putting Blanchard on their list of places to visit in Healdsburg. Appointments are needed as Mark only does one group's tasting at a time.
We stopped here with our friends strictly based on reviews and using the Priority Wine Pass offer of 2 for 1 tasting. We absolutely loved this stop! Mark was super engaging, friendly, and funny, telling us all about the wines and the development. Not once did we feel rushed and Mark was very generous with our group. He made us feel as though we were VIPs! Such a lovely find!
We stopped here with our friends strictly based on reviews and using the Priority Wine Pass offer of 2 for 1 tasting. We absolutely loved this stop! Mark was super engaging, friendly, and funny, telling us all about the wines and the development. Not once did we feel rushed and Mark was very generous with our group. He made us feel as though we were VIPs! Such a lovely find!
Friendly owner with a great knowledge of wine history both locally and in general. I'm fairly picky and more often than not don't buy wines after tastings, but the Zinfandel, Marcel Blue and Cabernet were full-bodied and rich and I ended up getting all three! I'm all for wineries that focus on the wine first and the experience second.
Very much enjoyed our time here. Mark was garrulous and fun, and we felt very much at home conversing with him. Very lively, enjoyable time- and the wine was impressive (the Malbec in particular.) If you are outgoing and enjoy a less "stuffy" wine-tasting experience, come here with some energy and Mark will match it. (We left pretty happy.)
Spent a wonderful afternoon yesterday at Blanchard with Mark. Great conversation and insights into the local Healdsburg Wine History and specifically Blanchard's role in supporting this great community. Warm and welcoming - would definitely recommend everyone make a point of stopping by
What a great tasting! Mark spent a lot of time with us. Highly recommend this family owned business
At Blanchard Family you can expect a unique and personal tasting room experience. Mark is an attentive, professional, and knowledgeable host who has local stories for days. The wine is an excellent expression of California palate and old world style at a value price tag. I have been in the wine industry for 2 decades and Blanchard Family is my go to.
Restaurantji Recommends
If I could, I would give this place a million stars. This is the kind of winery I love-one that doesn't have all the unnecessary frills and keeps it real. Mark is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate in what he does. You do have to make a reservation ahead of time though for tastings. But it's definitely worth it! That one-on-one attention and interaction is priceless.The barrel room in the back was so cool. I love all the cute chalk drawings on the barrels. Mark walked us through the process of wine making and we even got the chance to try some from the barrel! Mark's co-owner, his brother James, lives in Denver-just a short drive from Colorado Springs, where I live! Honestly, I don't remember which wines I liked best because I liked all of them. But we ended up getting a bottle and have been saving it for a special occasion until we get the chance to go back. Definitely looking forward to returning soon!
Mark is a fantastic host! Their wine is delicious and arguably the best in the region. Definitely a place to visit!
You HAVE TO STOP HERE!! Mark is not only knowledgeable and well educated about wines, but he makes you feel at home in his tasting room. It has been one of our absolute favorite memories of Healdsburg and will definitely be sprinting time at their Denver brewery soon! Thanks again, Mark. You’ll forever be remembered.
Visited the California location January 15, 2020.Mark did a fantastic job conducting our wine tasting event.My wife Dianne and I traveled with the Blanchard sisters (not related to Mark) which made our visit even more fun. It's not everyday you can buy a bottle of very good wine with your name on it.I highly recommend the wine tasting at the Blanchard Family Wines.
We planned this as part of a Bachelorette party in Denver and it was a hit! James was super helpful in coordinating everything and Jordan did a great job hosting all of us and guiding us through the wine. I highly recommend!!