Discovering Vintners Square in Santa Rosa

When Ray D’Argenzio put his boutique winery on a small corner in Santa Rosa, he had a plan that involved a lot more than a room for tasting. He wanted to build a village, and he’s done just that.

You can find stores and tasting room in the downtowns of the Sonoma cities Geyserville and Healdsburg, but there’s nothing like that in Santa Rosa. If you wanted to taste wine in Santa Rosa, you could only do it by getting in your car and driving between the wineries. While visiting the wineries of this area is definitely a worthwhile way to spend your day, D’Argenzio felt that there should be an easier way for those who just want to do a tasting, without committing to a day of driving. This is where Vintners Square comes in.

It starts with D’Argenzio Fine Wines, which also has a tasting room in Burbank, California. Three generations of D’Argenzios have been producing everything from Sonoma standards like Pinot Noir to Italian specialties like Sangiovese. The tasting room fits right into the latter, and they frequently have wine and food (Italian, of course) parties inside and on the patio.

It’s all about creating an Italian village in Santa Rosa that focuses on wine. In the last few months, Vintners’ Square has continued to grow. There are now three other boutique wineries with tasting rooms: Krutz Family Cellars, MJ Lords and Sheldon Wines. Squires Cigar Shop and Lounge, which has been a Sonoma fixture for over 30 years, has also moved into the square.

While each venue in Vintners’ Square is individually owned, there is a sense of community, and they often work together to plan events. Through September, for example, there are “Wine Down Thursdays” with the four wineries offering $5.00 per glass wine, specials from Squires Cigars, gourmet food trucks parked in the square, and music in the background. Additional wine and culinary events take place throughout the year — and the activity is expected to increase as more vendors come to Vintners Square.

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