Simi Winery
Simi Winery
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Popular winery in Sonoma Valley that features its winery chef's award-winning cookbook.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
140 reviews
Excellent
73
Very good
49
Average
10
Poor
4
Terrible
4
chakrabow
4 contributions
Sept 2022
We visited many wineries and this was our worst experience. Simi was taken over by a corporation and that is what it felt like. Inexperienced staff who rushed the wine experience while we also served another party. We were not given time to enjoy the wine and he was on to the next one. The price was not worth it and they tack on a service fee. None of the other wineries did that. We went to Seghesio before this stop and that wine tasting experience was Superb and it was less money. They welcomed you and had your name of your party a list of wines with a pen for you ta take notes and they gave you time to enjoy.
With all the choice you have to choose from in Sonoma you can skip Simi!
With all the choice you have to choose from in Sonoma you can skip Simi!
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John K
San Francisco, CA25 contributions
My wife and I had spent our anniversary on a day trip to wine country. We visited 8 vineyards in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek, and the surrounding areas. We had a blast! Everyone was friendly, talkative, the wines were great - up until we decided to drop in on Simi.
I typically don't write reviews, but I was so put off, I needed to vent and let others know about my experience. There were about 8 others at the counter when my wife and I arrived. There were two Simi employees (one woman with black hair, the other was an older gentleman with red? hair - I'm adding this information in case the owner decides to read this.) We went up to the bar, and waited, and waited, and waited....no eye contact, no hello's "we'll be right with you", no conversation at all.
We figured that we should continue to wait around for service, but to no avail. We started to look around the bar - nobody seemed all that thrilled. Maybe it wasn't just us?
I started to look at my watch - as a joke, we promised to one another to not call out that we weren't being served - let's see how long it takes them to come by. 15 minutes later, we decided to put $10 for a tasting fee on the table - maybe the lack of glasses in front of us wasn't enough of a signal? The $10 didn't even send up a flare!
We left for greener pastures after promising ourselves one of us would write a review on this joint. We aren't wine snobs- just average folk and we're REALLY OFFEENDED at the service here. With so many wonderful vineyards nearby - please stay away from this place until they hire new help.
I typically don't write reviews, but I was so put off, I needed to vent and let others know about my experience. There were about 8 others at the counter when my wife and I arrived. There were two Simi employees (one woman with black hair, the other was an older gentleman with red? hair - I'm adding this information in case the owner decides to read this.) We went up to the bar, and waited, and waited, and waited....no eye contact, no hello's "we'll be right with you", no conversation at all.
We figured that we should continue to wait around for service, but to no avail. We started to look around the bar - nobody seemed all that thrilled. Maybe it wasn't just us?
I started to look at my watch - as a joke, we promised to one another to not call out that we weren't being served - let's see how long it takes them to come by. 15 minutes later, we decided to put $10 for a tasting fee on the table - maybe the lack of glasses in front of us wasn't enough of a signal? The $10 didn't even send up a flare!
We left for greener pastures after promising ourselves one of us would write a review on this joint. We aren't wine snobs- just average folk and we're REALLY OFFEENDED at the service here. With so many wonderful vineyards nearby - please stay away from this place until they hire new help.
Written 12 August 2006
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen F
Kerrville, TX288 contributions
Nov 2019
Steve gave us the grand tour and tasting. He did a fantastic job. His blend of humor and knowledge made it even more fun. The history of Simi is amazing. They have some really good wines and are our go-to wine for any occasion. Bring your friends and family.
Written 2 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dnnh
1 contribution
Dec 2018 • Friends
I’m a local, and I’ve been to Simi several times. Despite their mediocre service and unfriendly attitude, I liked their wines enough to join their wine club. Some friends from out of town were visiting so I took them to Simi for some tastings.
To reiterate many other reviews on here, nobody behind the counter was friendly and the service was very slow even though they weren’t busy. We went back to buy a bottle the next day 15 minutes before closing time and rather than being greeted this woman Lynn (maybe one of the managers) yelled at us to get out. After stating we just wanted to buy a single bottle she throws her hands up and tells the employee next to her she “can’t handle this, you ring them up” and storms off into the back room.
Now I could understand if they were empty, trying to close up and we were walking in at the last second expecting service but this place was still full of customers, with others coming in behind us. I was appalled with her behavior and have never experienced such a public outburst before. I figured maybe she was having a bad day or something and not take it personally. After all, the guy who rang me up (Michael) was friendly and apologized for her behavior.
I decided to give them one more shot and took my father there for wine tasting. We were promptly greeted by Steve, who started out friendly and chatty. We were having a good time right up until the last pour, when out of the blue Steve asked my dad if he had been drinking earlier that day because he “noticed that he was acting like he drank too much.” (I know my dad and he wasn’t even remotely buzzed off of the tiny little pours this guy had been doling out. We weren’t being loud or stumbling or anything that looked out of the ordinary). I thought he was joking and waited for the rest of it, but no Steve was actually accusing my dad of drinking too much, and continued to scold both of us. I was completely mortified and my dad was embarrassed. We simply said: “we’re fine thanks” and Steve walked into the back to get the bottles we ordered. Rather than waiting around to purchase them we just left.
Simi winery is managed by two of the most unprofessional and snobby people I’ve ever met. They’ve personally insulted my father and yelled at my friends and me. I’ve been to several dozen wineries throughout Napa, Sonoma, and Alexander valleys and nobody else has been rude. I hope the owners wise up and replace these two because they don’t belong in management or customer service. They should be ashamed. I will never return to Simi and advise everyone to avoid them. I already cancelled my membership and won’t be buying their products.
To reiterate many other reviews on here, nobody behind the counter was friendly and the service was very slow even though they weren’t busy. We went back to buy a bottle the next day 15 minutes before closing time and rather than being greeted this woman Lynn (maybe one of the managers) yelled at us to get out. After stating we just wanted to buy a single bottle she throws her hands up and tells the employee next to her she “can’t handle this, you ring them up” and storms off into the back room.
Now I could understand if they were empty, trying to close up and we were walking in at the last second expecting service but this place was still full of customers, with others coming in behind us. I was appalled with her behavior and have never experienced such a public outburst before. I figured maybe she was having a bad day or something and not take it personally. After all, the guy who rang me up (Michael) was friendly and apologized for her behavior.
I decided to give them one more shot and took my father there for wine tasting. We were promptly greeted by Steve, who started out friendly and chatty. We were having a good time right up until the last pour, when out of the blue Steve asked my dad if he had been drinking earlier that day because he “noticed that he was acting like he drank too much.” (I know my dad and he wasn’t even remotely buzzed off of the tiny little pours this guy had been doling out. We weren’t being loud or stumbling or anything that looked out of the ordinary). I thought he was joking and waited for the rest of it, but no Steve was actually accusing my dad of drinking too much, and continued to scold both of us. I was completely mortified and my dad was embarrassed. We simply said: “we’re fine thanks” and Steve walked into the back to get the bottles we ordered. Rather than waiting around to purchase them we just left.
Simi winery is managed by two of the most unprofessional and snobby people I’ve ever met. They’ve personally insulted my father and yelled at my friends and me. I’ve been to several dozen wineries throughout Napa, Sonoma, and Alexander valleys and nobody else has been rude. I hope the owners wise up and replace these two because they don’t belong in management or customer service. They should be ashamed. I will never return to Simi and advise everyone to avoid them. I already cancelled my membership and won’t be buying their products.
Written 28 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BearcatEd
Cincinnati51 contributions
Oct 2017 • Friends
Pros - A classic and historic winery and still a very impressive property.
Cons - There are no surrounding vineyards anymore, so you are really just touring the classic production facility.
The story of Simi winery goes back many decades to the 19th century. As such, Simi is one of the oldest wineries still operating in California. The large stone building is still impressive, and well worth touring.
The tasting room is OK, but on the smallish side. My recommendation is to make a reservation and take the winery tour, which includes a nice tasting. For $20 each it seems reasonable by Sonoma standards these days.
Overall the tour was pretty good. You get a nice walk around the property, plus a walk through the various barrel rooms. My one criticism is I feel that they have maybe de-emphasized some of the history, as compared to the last time I took the tour about 10 year prior to this visit. To me what makes this place special is its unique story.
Cons - There are no surrounding vineyards anymore, so you are really just touring the classic production facility.
The story of Simi winery goes back many decades to the 19th century. As such, Simi is one of the oldest wineries still operating in California. The large stone building is still impressive, and well worth touring.
The tasting room is OK, but on the smallish side. My recommendation is to make a reservation and take the winery tour, which includes a nice tasting. For $20 each it seems reasonable by Sonoma standards these days.
Overall the tour was pretty good. You get a nice walk around the property, plus a walk through the various barrel rooms. My one criticism is I feel that they have maybe de-emphasized some of the history, as compared to the last time I took the tour about 10 year prior to this visit. To me what makes this place special is its unique story.
Written 24 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VRSinSC
Florence, SC134 contributions
Dec 2015
Lovely winery with beautiful grounds. The wine tasting was fun and the wines were very good. Definitely worth the trip.
Written 31 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mitch M
Colleyville, TX861 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
Nadine our tour guide did an excellent job of showing us around the winery. She was very informative and answered everyone’s question. The winery is over 100 years old and has an intriguing history. The tour lasted about 45 minutes and then we had a relaxed tasting in an outdoor patio setting. Each pour came with a story and a little information about wine. The wine is also very good.
Written 20 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
desertrat2
ridgecrest, california16 contributions
We love Simi wine so we stopped by at 10 on a Sunday morning. My husband wanted to taste a specific wine. He did and tried a sip of one more. We then bought the first wine. The server charged us for the two tastings (an extra $6). When we said we were surprised they charged for the tasting when we bought the wine, the man said they had changed their policy because they wanted to discourage people from drinking too much! Now, we like wine as much as anyone but two sips at 10 in the morning?? We were so taken aback that we bought the wine but at an extra $6 for an already expensive wine, Simi is now crossed off our list.
Written 27 July 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gatorpac
Charlotte, NC42 contributions
On a tour of Healdsburg-area wineries, this was one of our favorites. We had only planned on a tasting and hadn't planned on touring the winery, but happened to be there around the time a tour was starting. Our guide was great. She really made an effort to make sure we got to experience the wine-making process and the history of the winery.....it most certainly has a history. You really should try to go on the tour as Simi was around pre-Prohibition. Some fun things happened during that time for sure. As it turns out, this tour (which focuses on the wine-making process) coupled with the Lancaster Estate tour (which focuses more on the vineyard experience) provided us with a full winery experience. Back to Simi.....after the tour we had the tasting. Simi makes some surprisingly great wines. We're all probably familiar with the ones you can find in the grocery store, but they have many more. We went for the ones you can't find in the store....and they didn't disappoint. And, the pourer let us do a vertical tasting of three chardonnays (not my favorite varietal but a very neat experience). This was a very fun experience. Highly recommended.
Written 6 July 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tigerfan1979
Charlotte, NC34 contributions
One of the best tours we went on while in wine country. It was neat to see that this big winery still cares greatly about its history.
The wines were great as well, and the service was very good.
The wines were great as well, and the service was very good.
Written 11 June 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
will you pick up and drop off at my hotel?
Written 28 January 2016
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