The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Tucker, Marie Antoinette.... the Coppolas (Francis Ford and daughter Sofia) are filmmaking royalty. Francis also makes wine, and has for several decades. When he bought the former Chateau Souverain property north of Healdsburg a few years back, he envisioned turning it into a fun experience for families and visitors of all ages. It's taken a couple of years to really get it humming, but it's now the coolest must-see winery between Healdsburg and Cloverdale.
Sure, the wines are good (two tasting bars), and the restaurant, Rustic, is collecting favorable reviews. But the real draw is the movie memorabilia. Much of what's on display was once housed in Coppola's Napa Valley winery. When he took that property more upscale to focus on his pricier wine labels, he put treasures such as Vito Corleone's desk and chair into mothballs while renovating the Sonoma County property, now known as Francis Ford Coppola Winery (he took his time coming up with the final name, too).
The Academy Award statues, Golden Globe trophies, and numerous other honors from his filmmaking heyday are here –– along with Vito's desk and chair, other props from the
Godfather movies, iconic wardrobe pieces such as the hat and boots worn by Robert Duvall in
Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning"), the red, sinewy armor Gary Oldman inhabited in
Dracula, and the 1948 Tucker automobile used in the movie
Tucker. Sofia's work is also represented by furniture, paintings, and the miniature ships seen in her movie,
Marie Antoinette. It's part museum-part retail store, with books, tableware, and much more for sale.
Outside, it feels like Europe, with a line of colorful and elegant cabanas facing a huge swimming pool and four bocce courts. When the weather warms up, pack your bikini to take a swim for a modest fee, and bring the whole family. There's also a covered outdoor stage patterned after the Lake Tahoe pavilion that appeared in
The Godfather, Part II. A round outdoor cafe, still wrapped up tightly against winter rains on a recent day, will supply the snacks.
This truly is a destination winery that's worth your time, just as Francis intended. Did I mention the FIVE Oscars on display? Take the Independence Lane exit off Highway 101.
For total slackers, there's the wine glass holder on a stick, designed for stabbing into backyard turf or ocean sands like tent poles. Well, if you don't have to board an airplane with these and explain to the TSA that they aren't weapons, they might be useful in a drunken party situation. I found a similar product online that supports the entire wine bottle. When did just sitting the bottle on the ground at your feet (or in an ice bucket) become so passé?
A friend also alerted me to these ways to attach the glass to your person –– around the neck or strapped to a belt –– apparently freeing up your hands to gesture dramatically, swat flies, and eat standing up. There's at least one problem with these, besides looking geeky: you don't want that nicely chilled sauv blanc or chardonnay warmed by heat from your own body. Do you?
And file this under OMG: knitted hats and scarves for wine bottles. I can't get behind this one at all, particularly because on the day I spotted these it was a balmy 70 degrees.
Sure, the wines are good (two tasting bars), and the restaurant, Rustic, is collecting favorable reviews. But the real draw is the movie memorabilia. Much of what's on display was once housed in Coppola's Napa Valley winery. When he took that property more upscale to focus on his pricier wine labels, he put treasures such as Vito Corleone's desk and chair into mothballs while renovating the Sonoma County property, now known as Francis Ford Coppola Winery (he took his time coming up with the final name, too). 
The Academy Award statues, Golden Globe trophies, and numerous other honors from his filmmaking heyday are here –– along with Vito's desk and chair, other props from the Godfather movies, iconic wardrobe pieces such as the hat and boots worn by Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning"), the red, sinewy armor Gary Oldman inhabited in Dracula, and the 1948 Tucker automobile used in the movie Tucker. Sofia's work is also represented by furniture, paintings, and the miniature ships seen in her movie, Marie Antoinette. It's part museum-part retail store, with books, tableware, and much more for sale. 