Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Do you know that a famous Oscar winning movie director, successful producer and screenwriter is also the most famous winemaker in Sonoma Valley? In 2006 Francis Ford Coppola bought the Chateau Souverain winery in Geyserville and developed it into the Francis Ford Coppola Winery complete with two large swimming pools, a collection of movie memorabilia, games for both children and adults, and a gourmet restaurant. According to Coppola, his concept is to create a resort where families can enjoy “all the best things in life together.” Starting with a stock of 12 different wines, the vineyard currently produces 7 name brands containing 45 wines. One of the most famous is their Sofia brand, which was created as a gift from Francis to his daughter, Sofia Carmina Coppola, and is intended to exude romance, style and charm. With a total of 3,600 sq. ft., the two swimming pools are connected together by a small, swimmable water bridge. The pools are surrounded by chaise lounge chairs and 28 rental cabanas. A variety of foods are served at the Pool Café including wines by the glass, cocktails, fresh salads, pizzas, Panini’s and gelatos. The Café’s waiters can deliver orders to people in their poolside lounge chairs. Because of Francis Ford Coppola’s 50 year career in the movie industry, the Movie Gallery at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery is able to display a huge collection of authentic movie memorabilia. Visitors can see Don Corleone’s desk from The Godfather, the original automobile from Tucker and Coppola’s Academy Awards. Some of his movie memorabilia are situated outside throughout the property, including the big neon martini glass from his 1981 movie "One From the Heart". Games for adults and children include four regulation-sized bocce ball courts, chess and checker tables, and tables for card games and classic board games like backgammon. The bocce courts and all the board games are available to guests without extra cost. The winery’s full-service gourmet restaurant, Rustic, features international cuisine with fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs grown on the property’s organic garden. The emphasis is on family style cooking and authentic, Neapolitan-style Italian pizzas are a specialty. In addition to the dining room, Rustic also offers outdoor terrace service with a view overlooking the picturesque Alexander Valley. On Tuesdays, Rustic presents a multiple-course, family style dinner with an Italian family dressed in costumes serving the guests. The Francis Ford Coppola Winery at 300 Via Archimedes in Geyserville is about 75 miles from San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and US-101 North. It’s about an hour and a half drive on US-101 through Santa Rosa and past Healdsburg until you reach Geyserville. The winery is situated on the left side of US-101 about halfway between Alexander Valley Road and Canyon Road.
Peter Cross is an accomplished article writer and creative writer who has produced hundreds of articles for many different clients since 2006 when he retired from his consulting business.
