Wine Country and spring go hand in hand. It's that time of the year where the weather slowly creeps up to 70 degrees during the day, winter showers give way to bud break in the vineyards, and wineries begin releasing warm weather wines like sauvignon blanc and rose.
There are no shortage of amazing wineries to taste away the day at in Northern California Wine Country. Here are five wineries that you must visit on your next trip to Sonoma, Napa and/or Mendocino Counties.
Noah and Kelly Dorrance of Reeve Wines. (Courtesy photo)
Reeve Wines
The brainchild of Noah and Kelly Dorrance, Reeve Wine has quickly gained a reputation for its hospitality, cool vibe, and of course, great wine. The couple were partners in Banshee Wines, a well known hipster label that is now in partnership with Foley Family Wines (a mega corporation). The two left over a year ago to create their own brand, Reeve Wines. The brand is named after their son, Reeve. Noah is the winemaker and Kelly oversees hospitality, creating a super hands-on, intimate wine experience. Their charming tasting room is located about one mile west of Healdsburg, a very cool town in Sonoma County.
Reeve Wines new tasting space, on a working farm, offers shaded, outside tastings in a relaxed atmosphere. (Courtesy photo)
Reeve Wines makes only three wines: rose, riesling and pinot noir, all from Sonoma's neighbor's to the north - Mendocino County. Their wines are reasonably priced for the ($28-$48), especially for such small quantities being produced. During a tasting on the outdoor patio, you taste five wines paired with charcuterie and fruit. Staff is rather hands-off, enabling you to sip and relax at your own pace. If you want to enjoy yourself a little more than you should, you can throw down $350 to stay at the Dorrance's on-site cottage. By appointment only; 707-235-6345. reevewines.com
Wine to try: Reeve Wines 2016 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($48)
Produced with fruit from rural vineyards in Anderson Valley, just north of Healdsburg by about an hour, this pinot noir has a lush nose of rose petal, cherry and baking spice, and a delicious flavor of more cherry, raspberry, and a touch of smoke. It's a delicious wine on its own or paired with a nice steak or pasta bolognese.
Wine on tap is the thing at Kivelstadt Cellars, where owner Jordan Kivelstadt created the wine keg concept. (Courtesy photo)
Kivelstadt Cellars
On tap is one of the hottest ways to enjoy wine right now and Kivelstadt Cellars has a direct connection to the company that paved the way to that trend: Free Flow Wines. Jordan Kivelstadt is not only the founder and winemaker at Kivelstadt, but he's the the founder of Free Flow, which developed the on-tap wine system, which taps kegs of wine to create a sustainable serving method found in bars across the country. Kivelstadt was named one of North Bay Business Journal's Forty Under 40 for his innovative work.
Kivelstadt has a relaxed, modern tasting room in the heart of historic Glen Ellen. (Courtesy photo)
The Kivestadt Cellars tasting room, tucked away in quaint Glen Ellen, offers a taste of both in-bottle and on-tap wines. They serve up refillable wine growlers filled to the brim with tasty red wines made for immediate drinking, preferably paired with pizza from the nearby Glen Ellen Star. The tasting room has a cool, industrial feeling with original artwork dotting the walls, cozy couches in nooks, and a welcoming wine bar. On warm days, guests can enjoy cornhole on the sidewalk. 707-938-7001; 13750 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen. kivelstadtcellars.com
Wine to try: Kivelstadt Cellars 2015 Father's Watch ($25)
Rhône varietal wines are the stars of the show at Kivelstadt and this hearty red wine blend is primed to become the new "house red" at your adobe. This hearty blend comprises estate syrah, carignan, grenache and mourvedre. It's a dark and fruity wine with notes of raspberry and blackberry, a touch of tobacco and earth. Consider decanting if you find it too tannic, or just pair it with rich tomato sauce based pasta.
Daytrippers flock to Red Car Wine in Sebastopol for terroir driven chardonnay and pinot noir. (Courtesy photo)
Red Car Wines
Since 2000, Red Car Wine has been creating small lot chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah and a much beloved rosé, utilizing fruit from vineyards from West Sonoma County. Their estate vineyard is located a mere 3.7 miles from the Pacific Ocean in one of the most acclaimed grape producing regions, Fort Ross-Seaview AVA. On any given day, wine lovers journey through the countryside of west Sebastopol to taste Red Car's super limited wines.
From vinyl records to vintage furniture, Red Car Wines is a hipster's dream tasting room. (Courtesy photo)
Red Car Wine's tasting lounge is a hipster's dream. Settle in an overstuffed vintage couch as tasting room staff guide you on a journey through West County wines. Between tastes, select a vinyl record to play which includes vintage classes and indie rock's finest. If it's nice outside, pop out the patio with a bottle of pinot and place cornhole or a board game, or spread out with a picnic on the well manicured grounds. 707-829-8500; 8400 Graton Rd., Sebastopol. redcarwine.com
Wine to try: Red Car Wines 2014 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($38)
A blend of chardonnay grapes from mainly Occidental and Freestone (south of the tasting room), this chardonnay is one that will convert chardonnay-sayers into chardonnay-yay sayers. It's an acidic wine with savory flavors, and despite being fermented in French oak, it's not an oak-bomb of a wine. It's crisp, clean and well primed to pair with fresh oysters from Tomales Bay.
Ashes & Diamonds brings a throw a mid-century modern feel to Napa Valley. (Courtesy photo)
Ashes & Diamonds
The talk of Napa Valley right now is Ashes & Diamonds, a mid-century modern wine lovers retreat located at the gateway to the famed wine region - and Sonoma's friendly neighbor to the east. It's the brainchild of Kashy Khaledi, a former marketing and record executive (he worked for MTV), who hired two acclaimed winemakers (Steve Matthiasson & Diana Snowden Seysses) to create new school wines inspired by old school Napa. Think: Bordeaux varietals that are lower in alcohol and age worthy with a stylish, modern design.
Ashes & Diamonds is one of the hottest places to sip vino in Napa Valley right now. (Courtesy photo)
The winery and tasting room is more Palm Springs than NorCal, with it's zig-zag roof, living room-style tasting spaces, and colorful, cool furnishings. Guests can taste through four wines and lounge about on the outdoor patio or inside tasting bar. Ashes & Diamonds also offers winery tours paired with multi-course meals prepared by in-house chefs. The winery donates a portion of certain wine sales to global activism nonprofits and all their wines are sourced from estate and various vineyards throughout Napa Valley. The winery also offers cooking and art classes. 707-666-4777; 4130 Howard Ln., Napa. ashesdiamonds.com
Wine to try: Ashes & Diamonds 2014 Cabernet Franc №1 ($75)
While cabernet sauvignon is king at Ashes & Diamonds, it's the cab franc that came across my radar first. Made by Steve Matthiasson, who has made a name for himself under his own Matthiasson label, it's a lovely, deep red wine that is old school by design: floral notes and the scent of freshly tilled farmland hit the nose, while cranberry, raspberry and a touch of leather grace the mouth. At a mere 13.9%, it's unlike anything you'll find in Napa Valley.
Lord Sandwich, the winery dog at Smith Story Wine Cellars, frequently welcomes guests to their Philo tasting room. (Courtesy photo)
Smith Story Wine Cellars
Head north to Mendocino County to explore one of the hottest wine regions, Anderson Valley, and you'll find Smith Story Wine Cellars. It's the creation of husband and wife team Eric Story & Alison Smith-Story, two former K&L Wine Merchants staffers who fell in love over a shared interest for unique, worldly wines. Today, they have two tasting rooms (including one in Russian River Valley) where you'll most likely be greeted by one of the most famous dogs in Wine Country, Lord Sandwich, a gigantic goldendoodle who gained fame on Instagram.
Sip on Anderson Valley pinot noir at the dog-friendly, modern tasting room of Smith Story Wine Cellars in Philo. (Courtesy photo)
Their Anderson Valley tasting salon is tucked away in the Madrones, one of the most coveted resorts in Northern California, where the elite go off the grid for romantic weekends. Relax in the space, which offers couches and a small tasting bar, and a retail space offering stylish accessories for your home. Guests taste through a handful of Anderson Valley wines, which made include pinot noir, rosé, riesling, chardonnay, and their Lord Sandwich Table Red, the latter which donate a pair of socks to those in need. 707-494-5575; 9000 CA 128, Philo. smithstorywinecellars.com
Wine to try: 2016 Riesling Rheingau Germany ($20)
When at Smith Story one must try the riesling. It's sourced directly from a sustainable vineyard in Rheingau, Germany and will dispel any fears you may have of riesling being "too sweet." It's dry, a mere 11.5% ABV (drink up!) and crisp, with a delicate, minerality that one can only find from a Rheingau riesling. A perfect match for spicy food, it's price point makes it case purchase worthy for daily sipping.
I don't think I'd really like to try smoky pino nero. It sounds like they've just lost the natural elegance of this variety, but then Cali wines are made in a much different way than Italian ones. Did they use wood shavings in this one?
Hi there - thanks for stopping by. No, they absolutely do not use wood shavings for their wine. I can tell you what producers do, but I assure you these small producers do not. California pinot noir is becoming more like French Burgundy, which is nice, lower in alcohol and more rustic flavors as opposed to the blockbuster cherry and fruitbombs that helped put California pinot noir on the map.
Welcome back sarahvain! I was wondering where you were ; )
Wow, These photos look exactly like all the wineries in South Australia.