Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Thomas George Estate

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

Step foot into their "cave" and see how the other half lives. The barrel tasting was fantastic and you couldn't help but hang out inside this cavern all day. The conversation was friendly and light while the service remained educated and proper keeping true to most Napa Valley wineries without actually being in Napa. The furniture lightly dressed the hallways as you make your way back out and into their tasting room. The space is equally as refined as their wine-makers palate.

Harvest Moon Winery

red wine pouring into the wine glass

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Harvest Moon Winery,
where the art of winemaking and the beauty of wine country seamlessly intertwine.
Our carefully curated tasting experiences will delight your senses and deepen your appreciation for handcrafted, small-lot, natural wines.

Indulge in exquisite tastings, expertly guided by our knowledgeable Wine Educators, as you savor the nuances of our exceptional cool-climate Zinfandels, traditional method Sparkling Wines, and other unique varietals including Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese, Verdelho and more.

At Harvest Moon Winery, every visit is a celebration of the senses, a tribute to the terroir, an homage to mother nature and a toast to the unforgettable moments
you will cherish for a lifetime.

The tasting room was cozy and had a warm ambiance to it, as do most of the wineries along Olivet Road. The pourers were friendly and conversational, not too pretentious about their wines but knew just enough to make good recommendations and tasting tips. The sparkling chardonnay and sparkling gewurztraminer were both refreshingly strange and delightful.

Tin Barn Vineyards

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

The pourer is very knowledgable and passionate about their wines. I give the wine maker a lot of credit for his focus on single vineyard, single varietal wines. I thought all the wines were well made. The place is located in like an office facility / storage unit looking type building, so if you're looking for like rolling hills with neat rows of grape bushes, you have come to the wrong place. (Shouldn't be a dealbreaker necessarily in my opinion-- but I feel it's worth noting.) They also do a little tour of their facility where they show you some of the machines that are used to make the wine.

Amphora Wines

wine swirling in the glass - pixabay

The Dry Creek wineries produce a wider variety of wines and styles of wines than the traditional PN and Zin crowd along the Russian River. The Amphor tasting room location is in the same parking lot as 10 other wineries tasting rooms - right off Dry Creek Road. Stop at this location and you will be able to taste wines from Amphora, Collier Falls, Dashe, Forth, Philip Staley, Peterson, Lago di Merlo, Kokomo, Mietz and Papapietro.

Hanzell Vineyards

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

The winery itself has a ton of history and is one of the longest standing wineries in the area. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Our tour consisted of a drive around the property by our guide, Ben, a tour of the wine caves and finally trying the wine itself! Views are gorgeous all the way from Oakland, Sonoma, SF.

Paul Mathew Vineyards

wine by the fireplace - Pixabay

Mat Gustafson, the former winemaker at Sebastopol-Dutton Estate Winery and current co-winemaker at Moshin Vineyards, crafts small lots of Pinot Noir and other varietals from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast under his personal label. Prior to starting his own label, he had worked for twenty years in the restaurant business and in retail sales. Along with business partner, Paul Sloan, he launched the label in 1999, but by 2001 had assumed full control and began to concentrate on Pinot Noir.

Robert Mondavi Winery

glasses of wine grapes -:Pixabay

As one of the oldest wineries in Napa Valley, Robert Mondavi Winery innovated many winery technologies that were later adopted by other wineries in the area. Our tour guide went in depth about the history of the winery and showed us different ways of twirling our classes and trying various wines. For me, I felt as if I attended a informative wine class and tasted several great wines.

Fleury Estate Winery

wine glass filling with red wine - Pixabay

We were taking to a back table in the warehouse and went through the tasting. Ask for the Passionaie (off menu) as it's quite delightful. They also have a bottle called BDX that is on the wine list at The French Laundry, but I far preferred the Passionaie. Pricey wines and a pricey tasting but totally worth the experience.

Biddle Ranch Vineyard

wine swirling in the glass

Not long ago, a group of friends with deep roots in California’s Central Coast set out to create something special—Biddle Ranch. What began as a shared dream has since evolved into a labor of love, taking their families on a remarkable journey into the world of winemaking.

At its heart, Biddle Ranch is about the simple pleasure of enjoying exceptional wine in a stunning setting with cherished company. Every day, they strive to bring that feeling to life in their tasting room. With the skilled hands of winemaker Ryan Deovlet guiding the process from grape to glass, and the next generation taking the helm, Biddle Ranch is proud of what they’ve accomplished and excited to share it.

Visitors are invited to experience the beauty of their varietals firsthand. At Biddle Ranch, they promise a warm welcome and a feeling of home.

Brutocao Cellars & Vineyard

Swirling wine in the glass - Pixabay - Saman Teher

Family Vineyard Heritage is a tale of two families who combined their passion and expertise to establish one of Mendocino County’s most notable wineries. In 1910, the Brutocao family brought with them a love for wine when they emigrated from Treviso, Italy (a small town near Venice). Len Brutocao met Martha Bliss while attending the University of California, Berkeley. Martha’s father, Irv, had been farming in Mendocino since 1943. After Len and Martha married, the families joined forces and continued to sell their grapes to well-known Sonoma and Napa wineries for many years before starting to make their own wine in 1980. They selected the Lion of St. Mark as their symbol of family tradition and quality. The heart of that quality is in their land: over 400 acres of vineyards in Hopland and 12.5 acres of Pinot Noir in  Anderson Valley.

Tasting: 10am – 5pm
Open: Wednesday-Sunday
Reservations appreciated but not necessary.

Pages

Subscribe to Pinot Noir