Top 11 Wineries in California on Instagram
I recently wrote an article in Sonoma Magazine about the top Instagrammable Wineries –- with a list of the prettiest wineries to travel to and at which to take a picture of a glass of Sonoma wine for your Instagram feed – but I wanted to share my personal favorite Instagram accounts for wineries in California. I’ll do another for international wineries later, but for now, I want to stick to California wine.
There were a lot of wineries to choose from – many with gorgeous photos, but since I teach Instagram marketing to hospitality brands, I know social media marketing is much more than that…
These 11 wineries’ Instagram pages have gorgeous images, fun captions, great engagement with their community, and are very true to their brand passions. I may not be a fan of some of their wines (I like my sparkling wine, what can I say?!), but I am a fan of these brands for how they share and connect with their target audience on Instagram.
Top California Wineries on Instagram
South Coast Winery is a family-owned winery, spa, resort & restaurant (doing quadruple duty! Yeah!) in the Temecula wine region, just north of San Diego. The winery is very popular among tourists from Southern California. I even traveled to the area for my mother-in-law’s 60th birthday for a hot air balloon ride above the vineyards and we stopped at this winery. The venue was gorgeous, to say the least. Find them at @Southcoastwinery.
@Redcarwine in Russian River Valley, Sonoma County is known in the wine industry for their rosé and their cold-climate Syrah. Their Instagram showcases behind the scenes stories and a colorful feed that has personality. They may not make any wine blends, but their style is a unique blend that is a little bit country (as in the Sonoma Coast country) and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll (their tasting room and staff).
A small production winery in the Anderson Valley, Sonoma County & Rheingau Germany, @SmithStoryWines does a great job of using Instagram to actually tell a story. By taking you behind the scenes of their travels, and the opening of their new tasting room in Anderson Valley, they show that it is more than just wine that makes a good BRAND. The occasional picture of their wine dog, @sandwichthedoodle (with over 66.6K followers on his own charity-focused instagram account), makes their feed even cuter!
@JamCellars in Napa Valley has an instagram feed that embodies their target audience. Fun, young, and thirsty! I would love to see them engage with their audience in their comment section more (engagement is where you truly see Instagram marketing work – through real connections), but their images show a winery that knows their brand.
@Coppolawine has a gorgeous winery in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, but their Instagram account also showcases on the company’s travels. From Sundance to Outside Lands, this winery knows how to have fun in person and on Instagram. Their recent introduction of several wines in a can is perfect for a more outdoor lifestyle!
@Ashesxdiamonds Instagram bio may only say “A Napa Valley Winery,” but they are bringing a more modern and fun vibe to the somewhat stuffy wine region that Napa Valley has been known for in the past. If you want more details, visit their Instagram page or Vouge’s article on the winery (which isn’t even a year old). The Ashes & Diamonds Instagram feed is a mix of fun captions, event flyers, and behind the scenes – and they show that you don’t have to post every day to capture attention and grow an engaged community on Instagram.
One look at the @Hirschvineyards Instagram feed and you are dreaming of moving to the Sonoma Coast to become a farmer. Wait, is that JUST ME? It is gorgeous! The family winery showcases the sense of peace that you can only experience from their vineyards, tucked away in the cool-climate area known as the Sonoma Coast. Jasmine Hirsch, the General Manager at Hirsch Vineyards, has her own Instagram account dedicated to eating and drinking everywhere. It isn’t just one note, showcasing ONLY her wines. She has made a name for herself as an influencer in the wine space and a next-generation vintner.
With fun labels, colorful images on Instagram, and a sense of humor, @Chroniccellars in Paso Robles is a winery that KNOWS their target audience. Tattooed travelers and people who want a glass of wine, but don’t want to take themselves so seriously will have a blast visiting…and you can count me in! Chronic Cellars looks like a place at which I want to enjoy a late Friday night!
@Medlockames in Alexander Valley blends education and fun together with their new Instagram feature, Ask Ames. The small estate-grown winery has a main tasting room, a garden that could make anyone hungry, and an estate in Chalk Hill with tours of their biodynamic vineyards…ending with a cheese and wine pairing. With a sepia-toned branding, Medlock Ames’s Instagram account takes you back in time and exudes the laid-back and fun personalities of the winery’s owners.
BONUS: @IronHorseVyds (yes, I create the content for Iron Horse Vineyard’s Instagram account, but the focus on engagement and community comes from the top down, not just me). The pretty pictures showcase the views, the flowers, the wines, and the people who make Iron Horse Vineyards so special – but the community makes people want to keep coming back.
Up-and-coming wineries I love following on Instagram:
@Malenewines, in San Luis Obispo, is a new winery dedicated to rosés, inspired by the classic Rosés of Provence, but made with grapes grown in the San Luis Obispo wine region. I found out about them through a promotion they hosted and invited me out to visit. Their unique tasting room is an airstream trailer, which means they share Instagram pictures from on the road.
@Bowmancellars in Russian River Valley, Sonoma County is a winery I was just introduced to. They recently opened their Graton, CA tasting room and patio and have been killing it with engagement on Instagram. In addition to gorgeous photos, they have made it a point to engage with the local wine and blogging community in Sonoma County – and it is paying off. Bowman Cellars may have just opened up, but they are focused on pop-up events like yoga and bacon tastings, and they actively invite influencers to share their experiences. Did I mention they are JUST as friendly in-person as they are online?!? I look forward to seeing what event they host next!
My picks for top California Wineries on Instagram are not based on who has the most followers or which wineries get the most Instagram location check-ins. While those are important, I chose these wineries based on their community engagement and unique brand authenticity.
Let me know your favorite winery to follow on Instagram!
