Location: Forestville
Top Things to do in Forestville
The 10 Best Things to Do in Forestville, United States
Forestville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California, United States. It was settled by European Americans during the late 1860s and was originally named Forrestville after one of its founders. The spelling long ago became standardized with one "r". The population was 3,293 at the 2010 census, an increase of nearly 1,000 since the 2000 census.
Restaurants in Forestville
1. Burke's Canoe Trips on the Russian River
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 77 reviews
Burke's offers canoe rentals for ten mile trips down the Russian River. No experience is necessary, but you must know how to swim.
Reviewed By Disneynut35 - Sonoma
So glad we did this. We rented a canoe and 2 kayaks (There were six of us).
They give you a window of time to check in, but get there early. Once you launch, the adventure begins! There's lots of little places to beach your canoe and relax, eat lunch, swim..make sure to bring a cooler and lots of water! We would take lots of breaks to check out the area and relax. Also keep in mind...even in the summer months, the wind kicks in around 3pm. It's going against you, as you're trying to make it back to the Burke's "corral beach", where you return your canoe and catch the shuttle back. I'm pretty fit, and I'm saying..you may want to consider heading back before the wind gets bad (which is why we get there early, to maximize the time).
The shuttle comes often, so you're not waiting long at all. This place is pretty cool. We'll come back again this summer!
2. Sonoma Canopy Tours
Overall Ratings
5 based on 528 reviews
Sonoma Canopy Tours is located in Occidental, CA - approximately 1.5 hours north of San Francisco and 30 minutes west of Santa Rosa in the Sonoma County. Sonoma Canopy Tours offers two courses - both course feature 7 ziplines, 2 sky bridges, stairs, and end with a rappel to the forest floor. The Forest Flight Course is offered during the day & night flights are available. The Tree Tops Course features a longer zipline and is perched above the Forest Flight Course.
Reviewed By RoseKala15 - Roseville, California
We came out here to do this for my fiance's birthday. It was so much fun! We did the tree top tour and the views on some of the zip lines were amazing. The guides, Nathan and Bryan were awesome!! We felt totally safe and not nervous at all. They had jokes and were knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable. The whole experience was totally worth the drive and the money.
3. Iron Horse Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 246 reviews
Reviewed By June K - Walnut Creek, California
Appointment only so don't make the drive there without having a reservation or you'll be disappointed... We went there the day after Christmas... Beautiful day to sit outside with a view of rolling hills of vineyards, a geyser from Geyserville in the distance, and a beautiful glass of cab to ship. They have the different flights to taste. That night for dinner we shared a bottle of their best cabernet. It was worth every expensive ship!
4. Russian River Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Come join us at our beautiful open air tasting room in the heart of the Russian River Valley. We offer a full range of meticulously crafted wines that express the creative commitment of our winemaker. Be sure to sample our award-winning Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and enjoy a glass of wine on our "Sunset Patio" overlooking the vineyards. Consider staying for dinner in our restaurant, the only winery-based restaurant in the Russian River Valley, offering an unparalleled Wine Country dining experience in an historic 1890s farmhouse. Tasting Room Hours: 11 am to 5 pm (open daily) A $10.00 tasting fee is charged to sample our wines, but is waived with any purchase. Food and Wine Pairings at Russian River Vineyards Russian River Vineyards offers private wine tasting with food and wine pairings. Please call or email to schedule a reservation.
Reviewed By Paul B - Everett, Washington
We had driven almost three hundred miles (heading from Paso Robles to Healdsburg) and Google Maps told us that Russian River Vineyards was one of the only places still open for a tasting and a meal. When we walked in and asked about availability for dinner, the hostess asked if we had a reservation, which we didn't, and she seemed put out and told us that they were full. I asked, "Really?" and her response was a haughty jackassy, "Well, that's what 'full' means."
We were about to bail when she sighed and said she would double-check. Turns out that not only was there a table available but two others were vacant throughout our entire experience. It's not nice being lied to. What's up with that? Was it laziness? Waiting for a VIP to show up? Whatever the case, it's bad business.
The waiter was a combination of condescending and sarcastic, with the thinnest veneer of cordial. Our dishonest hostess served our wine and was hardly better. They rallied a bit near the end of the meal but the damage was done. The word "unprofessional" comes to mind. We passed on the tasting and went to our B&B.
As for the food, it was delicious. For an appetizer, we had this mozzarella wrapped around ricotta, and we'd never had anything quite like it. My wife had the linguini with porcine mushrooms and it was outstanding. I had the seared snapper and it was also delicious, but overpriced. For dessert, we had a chocolate pudding with these chocolate "pearls", and the pearls turned it from good to really REALLY good. For the wine, we had the Russian River Vineyards sauvignon blanc, which was a fine-tasting white that went perfectly with our meal.
Bottom line, if you like good food and wine, but don't mind paying $135 for rude service, then this is the place to go. For us, I'm sure there are plenty of other nearby that would more appreciate our business.
5. Korbel Champagne Cellars
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 450 reviews
Reviewed By Josh R - Dallas, Texas
On the Russian River Road sits the Korbel Champagne Cellars, which should be a must on everyone's trip to California's wine country. In addition to tasty champagne, Korbel is rich is history and takes you on an educational guided tour through the history of Korbel and champagne production. You'll learn how champagne is made and how the process has been improved over the years. If you love champagne, don't miss Korbel. You'll be glad you stopped.
6. Sonoma - Cutrer Vineyards Inc
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
One of the iconic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Vineyards and wineries in the Russian River Valley. Founded in 1973 and opened to the public in 2010.
Reviewed By gardenhorse - Stillwater, Minnesota
We were on a wine tasting trip to the Sonoma/Napa wine country in California and one of our stops was at the Sonoma-Cutrer winery in Fulton, CA in Sonoma County. This is a beautiful winery and vineyard with a great view of the surrounding hills and valleys and a great patio to sit on and taste their wines. There is also a close up view of their croquet courts from the patio which look like beautifully maintained lawns. There was a pro team (who knew there was such a thing) practicing while we were there. This winery specializes in chardonnay and pinot noir and the ones we tasted were great. We ended up shipping 3 bottles of each back home. The tasting cost us nothing as we had tasting coupons from a web site called www.winecountrytoday. We visited over 30 wineries the 7 days we were in the area and this one was one of the top 5 for its wine and the scenery.
7. Hartford Family Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 56 reviews
Reviewed By Kristina P - Algonquin, Illinois, United States
I wish I could say my wife and I experienced what others have experienced. We are frequent visitors to wine country, especially Sonoma County and particularly the Healdsburg area. On a visit to Healdsburg in early October and for our first time at Hartford we set up a wine and cheese pairing to enjoy a relaxed tasting. We arrived 10 minutes early and the hostess panicked because an earlier appointment was still not there and she couldn't imagine having two groups at once. We assured her it was fine and we were in no hurry. Unfortunately the original group showed up and her panic turned into frenzied service. We gave up on reassuring her about time since it did not register with her. Even after that wild ride, we still joined the club because we did enjoy the wine. We took some wine with us and had some shipped. Upon returning home, we discovered a bottle in the shipment was incorrect and it took three phone calls to get it corrected. A replacement bottle was sent and we suspected all was good. So good in fact that on another visit only 6 weeks later in November, we decided to set up a library tasting. Well, well well...they had no record of us being members. After a drawn out phone conversation we had to start the membership process all over again. AND STILL we decided to return. Shame on us. We arrived for our library tasting, of which only one wine was different than the normal tasting, but in any case we ordered wine to ship home for holiday gift giving. Fast forward to the second week of December and we finally see the shipping notification. Knowing that the December club shipment was coming soon, I called to ask what the notification was for...December club, original holiday order or both? The answer from the club director was that the club shipment was coming. I inquired about our original November shipment. Uh oh, no record of us ordering it. Luckily for us, American Express actually has a record keeping plan and I was able to give them the exact dollar charged to my account. Hours later I was informed that the wine was shipped to someone in Nebraska. Congratulations to that guy, but I want my wine. They are express shipping a full order to us, but come on. I/m not a huge baseball fan, but I do know three strikes is an out. We will be cancelling our club membership (if we are even members???) once we receive the wine and fully inspect for correctness (chances are it will be wrong). Sorry Harford family - good wine, but horrible service and record keeping. There are many other wineries that appreciate our membership and actually acknowledge we are members. AND ship us the correct wine every time.
8. Lynmar Estate Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 125 reviews
Located in the heart of Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, Lynmar Estate is a producer of premium quality and limited-quantity Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Tasting by appointment only.
Reviewed By Morgan K - Santa Monica, California
We visited this winery after a friend's recommendation and it was a great find! We made an early reservation and were one of only a few tables there. Get there early or plan to stay a few minutes late to enjoy the property and gardens. They also serve light snacks at the tables. You'll want to make a reservation in advance - we called on Friday to get in on Sunday without a problem. We had a personal 1:1 tasting experience and our guide even took us down to the vineyard to show us the various grapes. Great experience, we'll be back!
9. Gracianna Winery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 200 reviews
Gracianna Winery is a family-owned business that symbolizes everyday gratitudes and graciousness in entertaining because our belief is that successfully hosting a special meal with friends and family is an everlasting circle that fills all our lives. Visit our vineyard tasting room to sample our award-winning wines, and see the only vineyard in the world where the vines wear jewels -- medallions featuring the names of Gracianna Medallion Wine Club™ members. Please note the vineyard tasting room is subject to a seasonal closure from December 1, 2017 to March 30, 2018. We are open year round for wine purchase and pick ups; please call or write.
Reviewed By winetravelers2014 - Erie, Pennsylvania
When we made our tasting appointment , we knew we were visiting a small winery with a simple tasting room and pleasant patio area. We were pleasantly surprised by the lovely confirmation letter which was very welcoming, listed the several wines we would try and encourage us to bring some snacks to enjoy with the wines on the patio overlooking the vineyard.
Our host, Cyndee, could not have been more welcoming and enjoyable. We tried a range of wines from a sparking cuvee , sauv. blanc , some chards and pinot niors ending with a zin. All were very nice.
Overall a very enjoyable, casual afternoon experience and a pleasant surprise.
10. Merry Edwards Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 132 reviews
Nestled amid the vines at Coopersmith vineyard, tastings educate visitors about Merry's handcrafted Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Experience wines produced with a genuine sense of place using site-specific viticulture and gentle, traditional winemaking practices. Merry and her husband, Ken, invite you to join them at their estate winery. Please call to schedule a private tasting, however if you don't have time for an appointment we welcome you to come in from 9:30AM - 4:30PM for a more casual tasting. Parties of 8 or more, limos and buses are accepted by prior arrangement only. (Please note, our winery is patrolled by cats. No canines, please -- assistance dogs are exempt. Thank you for your understanding.)
Reviewed By teej54 - Chicago, Illinois
Our visit to Merry Edwards was amazing. You should reserve a tasting in advance as they only do a full tasting with a reservation. You're taken to a small tasting room with no more than 6-8 people and they give are very generous with their tasting. Merry is known for her Pinot Noirs and we tasted 5 of them - all terrific. The real revelation, to me at least, was the quality of her whites. The Chardonnay and, especially, the Sauvignon Blanc were fantastic. Great staff, no charge, a really great choice if you're trying to sort through the many wineries in the area.
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