About A. Rafanelli Winery in Dry Creek Valley

There are several cult wineries in the Napa Valley but seldom do we hear about cult wineries in other California wine country areas. One exception is the A. Rafanelli Winery in the Dry Creek Valley. A cult winery is one where the wine production is small, highly sought after, and sells out immediately to its wine club members or mailing list. Most often it takes several years just to get on a cult winery’s mailing list.  A.Rafanelli Winery in Dry Creek produces only a small amount of wine and is most famous for its Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. About 7500 cases of Zinfandel are made each year. The A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon has a production of 3000 cases. These two wines are released once a year and offered only to their mailing list members. The winery was founded in the early 1900’s by Alberto Rafanelli. The winery continues to be family owned and operated, now in its fourth generation. The current winemaker is Rashell Rafanelli. The winery is open to visitors by appointment only and is located on West Dry Creek Road.  West Dry Creek Road is our favorite wine country backroad. It is quiet, secluded and beautiful. There are several other wineries along West Dry Creek Road that are open to visitors without an appointment. I recently posted an article on the Preston Vineyards located at the very end of West Dry Creek Road. Visit our West Dry Creek Wine Trail for a complete list of our favorite wineries on this lovely backroad.

Additional information on the Dry Creek Valley

• Dry Creek Wine Route
• Winegrowers of the Dry Creek Valley
• Where to stay when visiting the Dry Creek Valley