The estate is stunning and captures the quintessential landscaping and architecture of a premier Northern California winery. The selection is extensive, though pricing runs high—a single glass costs approximately what three bottles would at a discount retailer. They have great wines as well! While the winery's reputation suggests exceptional quality, the flavor profiles were unexpectedly muted and lacked the complexity one might anticipate from their level of experience. The experience reflected a common Napa Valley tendency where attention seems calibrated to the guest's perceived sophistication or spending potential, which detracted from an otherwise promising visit.
Pomm_Pitchaya
Try Pinot Noir
Nicole Murowsky
This is our favorite spot in Sonoma. We live on the east coast and visit every fall. Of course we are part of the wine club! Not only is their wine fantastic but they also go above and beyond in showing hospitality. It’s special here. This is a small, family run winery. Deepak (owner, winemaker) is always there to say hello and chat and makes you feel so welcome. On this most recent trip, our friends who were also visiting CA joined us for a first time visit to Nicholson Ranch, and Jessi knocked it out of the park. She provided a lovely educational tasting experience and cave tour which included both Nicholson and Gulrajani wines, followed by some ‘heavy snacks’ (try the burrata with pistachio, it was amazing) … oh… and a lot of laughs. A great time was had by all. We will always come back.
N. Thompson
Just loved this ranch and winery. Truly extraordinary experience.
Christie Alexander
Gorgeous location, had an intimate tasting experience with the owner of the winery, and the wines were phenomenal. Highly recommend and walk ins are accepted.
Simone Koetaan
What an amazing experience at this beautiful family‑owned winery!
Our server, Jesse, was fantastic friendly, knowledgeable, and made our tasting so enjoyable. We also met Diepak, the owner, who is one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet he personally stopped by to be sure we were well taken care of.
The whole place is spotless and has such a warm, welcoming vibe. You can feel the care and love that goes into every detail here.
kelli frank
Nicholson Ranch Winery was unforgettable! My wife, daughter, and I felt genuinely welcomed from the moment we arrived, thanks to our incredible host, @TallMikeWine. Mike didn’t just guide us through the tasting—he sat with us, shared the rich history of the winery, and poured glass after glass with warmth and enthusiasm. Even when a tour bus group arrived, he made sure we still had his full attention, which truly stood out.
The wines were exceptional—so much so that we eagerly joined the quarterly shipment program, curated personally by the owner, Deepak. We were lucky enough to meet him during our visit, and his presence and passion for the winery added an extra special touch to the experience.
Huge thanks to both Deepak and Mike for making our time at Nicholson Ranch one of the true highlights of our Sonoma trip. We can’t wait to come back!
Humxn
We thought it was quite good. The view is lovely, Mike is friendly and very knowledgeable about the wine and the estate (much more so than we were). All five of the wines were very tasty we thought and we were in fact served a few extra sips. We met the owner who in fact seemed to be quite interested in wine and also seemed to know what he was doing. We don't have very bougie taste but we left with a bottle of the Chardonnay and I think we'll be back. All the staff seem to be very friendly to us.
I rather liked it.
Sarah Guthrie
The wine is excellent (especially the Pinot noir) and Deb was a wonderful guide for our tasting!
Nick Kerley
We had such a relaxing and inspiring time spending our day at Nicholson. The wine is thoughtfully and crafted good in every way. Don’t miss their chardonnay or their Pinot. All their wine is very approachable but not pretentious. The ambience and views are relaxing at every corner. Mark the wine sommelier is a true craftsman at the helm. The pristine landscaping that is subtle with the needle grass caressing the bay breeze. We stumbled upon this property and the vintner welcomed us in with a smile and a pour. We left with smiles and will definitely be back soon. Don’t miss this vineyard if you do you’re missing out on life’s gifts. Ask for Mark and you will get not only a gentleman but a scholar of not only wine but all that California has to offer. Cheers
Really loved this wine, all of them. Came on a Wednesday afternoon and had a great time. Mike was a wealth of knowledge and took the time to explain everything.
Phil Hassman
One of the best winery tastings I’ve done. The wine was fantastic (especially the fact everything is done on the estate) but the people made it incredible. Debbie was so personable and knowledgeable! Also wonderful to sit with and talk to Deepak (owner and winemaker). Can’t wait to enjoy the wines at home and come back.
Victor Frangie
I traveled all the way from Chile to San Francisco / Sonoma / Napa with my wife and toddler (1 year 4 months) for a few days, and we were lucky to find this winery as most places in these valleys don't allow kids for tastings. At Nicholson Ranch we were greeted by the owner Deepak Gulrajani who personally gave us a detailed explanation of each wine served as part of the tasting experience - he also happens to be the winemaker so our conversation was really interesting going into detail about terroirs from the valley, processing, aromas and food pairing.
I would like to highlight 3 wines that stood out the most for me (in no particular order):
Amazing wine and service. It’s one of our favorite vineyards in Napa!
Gerald Hall
Nicholson Ranch is a winery slightly “off the beaten” pass as you’re coming or going from Sonoma to Napa that offers Chardonnay and Pinot noir grown on their estate. Their Cabernet, which is source from Napa and is labeled under the name of the new owner. The tasting flight consists of five wine and is $50. If you buy four bottles or more they wave for tasting fee. The flight includes one Chardonnay, two Pinot Noirs,, a red blend and a Cabernet. The pinots are a bit earthy, musty, and cost around $95/bottle. These are not baby Cabernets. These are very European “Old world” style red wine. The estate is beautiful. There is a Greek church up on the hilltop built by the Nicholson family a while they own some of the land they sold of the winery. The tasting room is beautiful with a big window overlooking the hilltop and they actually play music that gives you the right ambience to just relaxing and enjoy the wine. Mike is a fantastic host and runs a fun and very educational enjoyable wine like podcast.
The estate is stunning and captures the quintessential landscaping and architecture of a premier Northern California winery.
The selection is extensive, though pricing runs high—a single glass costs approximately what three bottles would at a discount retailer. They have great wines as well! While the winery's reputation suggests exceptional quality, the flavor profiles were unexpectedly muted and lacked the complexity one might anticipate from their level of experience.
The experience reflected a common Napa Valley tendency where attention seems calibrated to the guest's perceived sophistication or spending potential, which detracted from an otherwise promising visit.
Try Pinot Noir
This is our favorite spot in Sonoma. We live on the east coast and visit every fall. Of course we are part of the wine club! Not only is their wine fantastic but they also go above and beyond in showing hospitality. It’s special here. This is a small, family run winery. Deepak (owner, winemaker) is always there to say hello and chat and makes you feel so welcome. On this most recent trip, our friends who were also visiting CA joined us for a first time visit to Nicholson Ranch, and Jessi knocked it out of the park. She provided a lovely educational tasting experience and cave tour which included both Nicholson and Gulrajani wines, followed by some ‘heavy snacks’ (try the burrata with pistachio, it was amazing) … oh… and a lot of laughs. A great time was had by all. We will always come back.
Just loved this ranch and winery. Truly extraordinary experience.
Gorgeous location, had an intimate tasting experience with the owner of the winery, and the wines were phenomenal. Highly recommend and walk ins are accepted.
What an amazing experience at this beautiful family‑owned winery!
Our server, Jesse, was fantastic friendly, knowledgeable, and made our tasting so enjoyable. We also met Diepak, the owner, who is one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet he personally stopped by to be sure we were well taken care of.
The whole place is spotless and has such a warm, welcoming vibe. You can feel the care and love that goes into every detail here.
Nicholson Ranch Winery was unforgettable!
My wife, daughter, and I felt genuinely welcomed from the moment we arrived, thanks to our incredible host, @TallMikeWine. Mike didn’t just guide us through the tasting—he sat with us, shared the rich history of the winery, and poured glass after glass with warmth and enthusiasm. Even when a tour bus group arrived, he made sure we still had his full attention, which truly stood out.
The wines were exceptional—so much so that we eagerly joined the quarterly shipment program, curated personally by the owner, Deepak. We were lucky enough to meet him during our visit, and his presence and passion for the winery added an extra special touch to the experience.
Huge thanks to both Deepak and Mike for making our time at Nicholson Ranch one of the true highlights of our Sonoma trip. We can’t wait to come back!
We thought it was quite good. The view is lovely, Mike is friendly and very knowledgeable about the wine and the estate (much more so than we were). All five of the wines were very tasty we thought and we were in fact served a few extra sips. We met the owner who in fact seemed to be quite interested in wine and also seemed to know what he was doing. We don't have very bougie taste but we left with a bottle of the Chardonnay and I think we'll be back. All the staff seem to be very friendly to us.
I rather liked it.
The wine is excellent (especially the Pinot noir) and Deb was a wonderful guide for our tasting!
We had such a relaxing and inspiring time spending our day at Nicholson. The wine is thoughtfully and crafted good in every way. Don’t miss their chardonnay or their Pinot. All their wine is very approachable but not pretentious. The ambience and views are relaxing at every corner. Mark the wine sommelier is a true craftsman at the helm. The pristine landscaping that is subtle with the needle grass caressing the bay breeze. We stumbled upon this property and the vintner welcomed us in with a smile and a pour. We left with smiles and will definitely be back soon. Don’t miss this vineyard if you do you’re missing out on life’s gifts. Ask for Mark and you will get not only a gentleman but a scholar of not only wine but all that California has to offer. Cheers
Restaurantji Recommends
Really loved this wine, all of them. Came on a Wednesday afternoon and had a great time. Mike was a wealth of knowledge and took the time to explain everything.
One of the best winery tastings I’ve done. The wine was fantastic (especially the fact everything is done on the estate) but the people made it incredible. Debbie was so personable and knowledgeable! Also wonderful to sit with and talk to Deepak (owner and winemaker). Can’t wait to enjoy the wines at home and come back.
I traveled all the way from Chile to San Francisco / Sonoma / Napa with my wife and toddler (1 year 4 months) for a few days, and we were lucky to find this winery as most places in these valleys don't allow kids for tastings. At Nicholson Ranch we were greeted by the owner Deepak Gulrajani who personally gave us a detailed explanation of each wine served as part of the tasting experience - he also happens to be the winemaker so our conversation was really interesting going into detail about terroirs from the valley, processing, aromas and food pairing.
I would like to highlight 3 wines that stood out the most for me (in no particular order):
- 2018 Chardonnay - Sonoma Coast
- 2018 Pinot Noir - Cactus Hill
- 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon - Gulrajani
Thank you, Deepak et al.
Amazing wine and service. It’s one of our favorite vineyards in Napa!
Nicholson Ranch is a winery slightly “off the beaten” pass as you’re coming or going from Sonoma to Napa that offers Chardonnay and Pinot noir grown on their estate. Their Cabernet, which is source from Napa and is labeled under the name of the new owner. The tasting flight consists of five wine and is $50. If you buy four bottles or more they wave for tasting fee. The flight includes one Chardonnay, two Pinot Noirs,, a red blend and a Cabernet. The pinots are a bit earthy, musty, and cost around $95/bottle. These are not baby Cabernets. These are very European “Old world” style red wine. The estate is beautiful. There is a Greek church up on the hilltop built by the Nicholson family a while they own some of the land they sold of the winery. The tasting room is beautiful with a big window overlooking the hilltop and they actually play music that gives you the right ambience to just relaxing and enjoy the wine. Mike is a fantastic host and runs a fun and very educational enjoyable wine like podcast.
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