This is a boutique winery with a wonderful tasting room full of comfy leather chairs. They make mostly reds (sometimes a rose), and I must say they are wonderful, especially the pinots! Plan to spend a while and chat with the owner, and plan for generous pours.
Love the metal sculptures in the patio and gardens. They make for a great backdrop to relax and get ready for rest of the day. The tasting room is large enough to handle a crowd, but it has never been that crowded when we stop in. The staff has always been friendly. They make a decent Cabernet sauvignon for the price.
Wild Hog Vineyard is at the headwaters of Wild Hog Creek (from which the winery derives its name) 45 minutes west of the small town of Cazadero. At 1400 feet elevation and 5 miles from the Ocean east of Fort Ross, the vineyard avoids most of the summer fog. The climate of the coastal range, in conjunction with our farming practices, helps to produce intense flavorful grapes.far off the beaten path, which, in my opinion, makes the place all the more special. There is no way anyone could find this place on his/her own. (You have to meander for miles on a narrow dirt road.) If you are one of the few people fortunate enough to do an actual tasting at this small, informal winery, you likely will meet the proprietor, Daniel Schoenfeld, a warm, kind-hearted gentleman, who obviously is passionate about wine-making. (He, quite appropriately, self-describes his line of work as a "labor of love.")
Williams Seylem is an institution. The original cult pinot negociant in America. For pinotfiles this place is a mecca. Since then it has changed hands (and by that I mean about a decade ago). The juice is still superb, sourced from the best vineyards in the area, and service wonderful. Though you've got to be on the mailing list to visit. Appointment required: yes, and you need to be on the list, or find someone who is.
Edith Wilson and Tony Fleming launched their winery in 2002 and, already, these highly acclaimed wines are winning significant awards. Emphasis is to handcraft small lots of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines from estate-grown fruit and Sauvignon Blanc wine from select vineyards in the Russian River and Dry Creek Valleys.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Lovely patio. Terrific events. They have a fantastic patio for sipping wines and catching up with family or friends. It's a very nice photo op, and their two cutie dogs wander around looking for new friends.
Windsor Oaks estate is open to the public only eighteen days a year. They do offer limited VIP tasting and tours.In an wine tasting event that sadly has become increasingly all about tour buses, limos, bridal parties and frat boys guzzling Coors Light in the parking lots, many wineries struggled to find the right balance of paying attention to those that were there to focus on the art of winemaking, and those that were there to party.
The folks at Windsor Oaks rose above and created a memory for all in attendance.
Special thanks goes to winemaker Julie Hagler Lumgair, who climbed atop a second tier barrel, and from above, shared a taste of yet another wine "off the list"...her passion, expertise, warmth, and generosity.
The young man who hosted our tasting was knowledgeable yet casual and easy to talk to - right up our alley. Really appreciated the time he took to do "compare & contrast" tastings!
Definitely stop in here for a tasting - whether you linger or quickly move on to the wineries, you'll get a nice intro to wines in the region.
The winemaking at Woodenhead is pure and simple or, if you will, Burgundian done California-style. Woodenhead Vintners wine is handcrafted from a hard labor of love in tune to the natural rhythm of the land, the water, the air, and the seasons. No mechanical pumping is employed. Inoculated yeast and malolactic cultures, hand punching, basket pressing, French oak, and California fruit is what you get. Small and unique lots are their goal, ultra premium wine is the result.
Gorgeous and quaint. The 19th century Farmhouse on this 5 acre vineyard was the original house for what was once a 500 acre farm in northern Sonoma Valley. A true boutique winery, Idyllic scenery and lovely gnarly zin vines.
David and Virginia are passionate and gifted wine makers. The wine offers big bang for buck, and the club is a steal on top of already good prices. Zin, syrah, cab and petite syrah. 3000 cases a year is all they produce.