The 5 BEST Underrated Wine Tasting Regions in California

California is arguably one of the best states in the US for wine tasting (pfft… no I’m not biased!) People from all over the world come to taste here, and there’s a reason—California knows how to make excellent wine! With so many wine regions in California, it can be hard to choose!

Most travelers from out of the state flock to the most popular destinations (I’m talking about you, Napa Valley). Don’t get me wrong, I love Napa, and I have spent my own great deal of time exploring the wineries in that regions! I have to admit, though, that some of the wineries there do feel a little bit “commercialized.” Sometimes, I am looking for a little bit of a more personable experience that still has top notch wine!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link, we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.

Top 5 Underrated Wine Regions in California

For those of you looking to explore outside of the box wine regions, keep reading! Here are the top 5 favorite underrated wine tasting regions in California for you to visit on your next wine tasting adventure!

5. Alexander Valley

Alexander Valley is the northernmost AVA of Sonoma County and features 31 stunning and unique wineries. Although Sonoma is often a worldwide destination, most visitors often don’t make it all the way to Alexander Valley.

The terroir of Alexander Valley is unique among California, with more rocks and sands in the soil that create a unique growing environment perfect for grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

Alexander Valley is also warmer in summer on average than the rest of Sonoma County, resulting in temperatures more suited for Bordeaux style varietals.

Alexander Valley gets much less visitors on average per year compared to the other AVAs in Sonoma. The reason for this is still unknown, but I am sure the Alexander Valley residents are happy without all of the tourists booking the wine tastings!

For this reason, you can get more bang for your buck tasting in Alexander Valley compared to many other wineries further south in the heart of Sonoma.

Wineries

The wineries in Alexander Valley are densely packed, making a perfect wine trail to taste at for the day! Whenever visiting more than one winery, I always recommend using a designated driver, or using Lyft or Uber to get you safely to your destination.

Top Recommended Wineries:

1. Trentadue Winery– a gorgeous Italian-style villa with incredible Italian wine varietals to match!
2. Silver Oak– Silver Oak is famous in Napa Valley, but there also is a tasting room in Alexander Valley! Highly recommended for anyone wanting to explore world renowned Cabernet Sauvignon
3. Ferrari- Carano Winery– beautiful winery with an impressive garden and grounds. They also have award-winning wine!

Travel Tip: Nearby Alexander Valley are gorgeous Lavender fields in Santa Rosa that I HIGHLY recommend checking out while here for wine tasting!

4. Livermore Valley

Livermore Valley is in the East Bay Area of California located approximately 45 minutes from San Francisco. Hidden from the buzzing traffic of the Bay Area, Livermore Valley is tucked away in the foothills, making it a perfect area for vineyards to thrive.

There are over 40 wineries in this lesser-known AVA, and is highly recommended for anyone looking to explore a California wine region with incredible hospitality at a lower cost.

Wineries

This wine region has a great mix of casual and luxurious wineries, making it the perfect destination for any wine lover to enjoy! There is a central wine “trail” located on Tesla road that make it very convenient to hop from place to place to have a full day of tasting wine!

Top Recommended Wineries:

1. Rios Lovell– a quaint winery that has incredible service and award-winning wine! The vibes are very casual, making this the perfect place to enjoy a picnic!
2. Concannon Vineyard– this winery has a lovely tasting room with a wonderful ambiance. They have a large selection of wine to taste and all of it was delicious!
3. Murietta’s Well– this winery has gorgeous vineyards surrounding the entire estate! The winery has incredible patio space and the service was extremely knowledgeable and welcoming!
4. Wente Vineyards– this is one of the longest family-owned wineries in California! Wente has a beautiful estate that feels very high class. The wine is also excellent and the service was very kind.

3. Santa Cruz Mountains

While Santa Cruz is known as a beach destination for many Northern Californians, tucked along the ridge is a booming wine region just waiting to be explored!

The Santa Cruz Mountains are home to many wineries with stunning views of the mountains and the South Bay Area. Within the Santa Cruz Mountains is a myriad of microclimates created by the elevation of the land, which side of the mountains the vineyards are on, and the effects of fog, sun exposure, and soil texture.

Wineries

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA has over 200 wineries in the region! There is so much variety in types of wineries that there is absolutely something that fits your taste!

Top Recommended Wineries:

1. Testarossa Winery– A chic winery that has both a delicious tasting menu with a beautiful estate and patio! They also have great small plates to eat if you like a snack while tasting!
2. Left Bend Winery– An unassuming tasting room located in Los Gatos that has great wine and even better service. They even have a unique sparkling red wine that is so fun to try!
3. House Family Vineyards– This winery closed during the pandemic but is now back open for tastings! This is one of the best wineries in the area to have a glass of wine while enjoying the stunning view of Silicon Valley!

2. Edna Valley

Edna Valley is a small lesser-known California wine region located near San Luis Obispo that features scenic hilly views and peppery Pinot Noirs. Located only 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, the wine region is famous for its Pinot Noir varietals due to the cool climates from the sea fog at night.

For anyone looking for quality but affordable wine and friendly service, this is the place to be. I know I love to save money while wine tasting, yet still get the same unforgettable experience!

Wineries

Most of the wineries are located along a single road, similar to a wine trail! Wineries in this region are known for being much more laid-back, but I still like to dress up even when I go! The wine tasting fees are also very affordable, usually ranging in $15-25 range.

Top Recommended Wineries:

1. Chamisal Vineyards– this winery has a special place in my heart as it was the first winery where I joined the wine club! They have fantastic Pinot Noir and a beautiful, quaint back patio.
2. Tolosa Winery– an upscale winery for the region with bold wines! They are a sister winery to Alpha Omega in Napa Valley and is the perfect stop for anyone wanting a taste of luxury in Edna Valley.
3. Saucelito Canyon– a great casual winery where it feels like you are drinking wine in your backyard in the best way possible! They have great red blends and the staff are very friendly.

1. Paso Robles

Finally, Paso Robles (pronounced row-blz, not row-bless)! Paso Robles is the best underrated wine region in California, and is absolutely worth a visit from any wine lover from around the world.

While locals from California are aware of its quality and frequent Paso Robles, it is lesser known to the rest of the world and likely will experience a boom over the next decades.

Paso Robles is located in Central California, about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angles. Nearby is a college town called San Luis Obispo which is right near Edna Valley wine region (as mentioned above)! There are many fun and free things to do in San Luis Obispo, such as beaches and scenic hikes, making this a top tourist destination for more reasons than just the wine!

Wineries

The region features over 200 wineries in the AVA! They are best known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends (my fave!!), as well as Chardonnay for any white wine lovers.

Wineries are very spread out from each other because of the huge region, so it is best to group tastings together by sub-region to make it easier to get around!

When planning a trip here, you can use their website to explore all of the 200 wineries in the region to best fit your taste.

Top Recommended Wineries:

1. Hansen Winery (Cab House)– like the name suggests, this winery specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon! Their tasting is a vertical tasting of ~10-12 of their Cabs and it was truly the best tasting I’ve ever had. Easily rivals with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The winemaker, Bruce, is also very knowledgeable and a joy to chat with.
2. Eberle Winery– this winery features FREE wine tasting with a cave tour!! Need I say more? The wine itself is fantastic and the patio features a gorgeous sea of vineyards as the scenery.
3. Tooth and Nail Winery– the hallmark of this winery is that its setting is a castle surrounded by a 0moat! They also have delicious wine that you can sip while listening to live music.
4. Tablas Creek Vineyard– a laidback winery with a casual patio! I love this winery because the wine is phenomenal with unique varietals in the region.

Underrated California Wine Regions Summary

California has endless wine regions to explore, and not all of them are in Napa!

While I love visiting more popular wine regions (after all, they are popular for a reason), I recommend anyone with a passion for wine to step outside their comfort zone and explore any of these underrated wine regions in California. Who knows, you might just find that our favorite winery in the world is located in one of them!

Have you been to any of these wine regions and have any wineries of your favorite!? Let me know below in the comments!