It was 1988 when Kamal and Parichehr Azari, on a drive through the Sonoma countryside to show their children the region, came upon a small untilled parcel that stirred them enough to buy it. The land would, decades later, be formally recognized as part of the Petaluma Gap AVA, then still understood only as a fold in the Coast Range channeling cold Pacific air. The Azaris began transforming the land into vineyards, founded the winery in 2000, and slowly built up the hillside estate into something resembling a Tuscan villa: terracotta tile, olive trees, and views across the Gap. The hospitality (baked pizzas, family dogs underfoot, sweeping pours) is steeped in the Azari family's Persian roots.
Estate Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap: the flagship; all estate-grown from the fog-swept hillside vineyard.
Shiraz, Petaluma Gap: cool-climate Syrah, labeled “Shiraz” in homage to founder Kamal Azari's roots in Shiraz, Iran.
Chardonnay: a bright, estate-grown white from the maritime Petaluma Gap climate.
Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon: a richer, warm-climate red sourced from a family estate in Napa.
Azari is a family-owned boutique estate in the Petaluma Gap, founded by Kamal and Parichehr Azari, blending Persian hospitality with cool-climate Sonoma fruit.
The estate is small, family-run, and known for the kind of personal welcome rarely found elsewhere: son Cyrus Azari typically hosts in the sampling room, and visits unfold over views of rolling Petaluma Gap hills. The wines reflect the appellation's wind-driven character: thick-skinned, flavor-concentrated Pinot Noir and Syrah from a 15-acre hillside estate vineyard. On weekends, a winemaker tour adds a walk through the vines and a barrel tasting. A guesthouse on the property accommodates overnight visitors. Tastings are by appointment, weekends preferred.
