Russian River Valley, CA- winery suggestions
 

We have only one day for the RRV (this Friday!:) )and are trying to decide which wineries we should visit. Do you have a favorite winery there? What makes it your "don't miss"? Is it for the wine, the location or another reason?

Thanks!

J!!!!

J is one of my very favorites and popular for their great Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. And in their tastings they pair their wines with FOOD.

http://www.jwine.com

Ah yeah, food with wine- my favorite! Thanks!

Davis Bynum has great wines and a lovely setting. Korbel is a big, corporate sparkling wine manufacturer but has a beautiful property, an interesting tour and is fun to visit.

Be sure to check out www.wineroad.com

Grasshopper, that is a great suggestion. I received their map last week and it almost made it worse- there is just so much to see! Thanks for your help in narrowing down the choices. :)

We liked Davis Bynum too! That's where I fell in love with old vines Zinfandel. We also enjoyed Michel- Schlumberger, where our B&B host called and made an appointment for us to tour and taste. It was very personal and we learned more about grape cultivation and wine making on that tour than any we have taken anywhere else. As we were walking out to the car, we met the wine maker himself, who was happy to tell us even more! The wines were quite good, too. Sadly, we'll have to wait to travel out there again as we can't order & ship in to Maryland. Ferrai Carano is a gorgeous place -- really the opposite as it has a huge tasting room and sells all kind of wine stuff, but with gorgeous gardens. Have a wonderful time.

I look forward to hearing about what wines were tasted and how you liked the wineries, ed.

just came back!! check out: murphy-goode, chalk hill, duckhorn. all great!! i'm particular about the murphy-goode. it's my last name! but no relation. they are all great out there.

Ah, choices are terrible! I've been 3 times, still loving it! yes, J is a blast. Just down the lane is Foppiano where the Petite Syrah is to die for.Just across the street are the folks at Limerick Lane- excellent. Just up the road toward Dry Creek is a fun stop- Amphora. www.amphorawines.com
You must contact Rick to make appt- but once you do, what fun! You literally go down in his cellar, spit wine on the floor, LOL. Taste off the barrels- great experience. Have a good time.

Thanks for those, Linda. I'm heading up there in a couple weeks and have never been to any of those locations!

Is Davis Bynum a newer building at the top of a hill on Westside Rd.? If that is the one, I agree it was beautiful.

Last time I was at Davis Bynum there wasn't a new building, but it is on Westside Rd. It's kind of tucked into a little cove off the road before Westside Road heads over the hill and connects with the Russian River. I heard that Fred McMurry (My 3 son's Dad) used to own a lot of the land out there. It's very quiet, very peaceful, and really pretty.

I am so :blush: that it took me so long to share our trip. We had a fabulous day! We started out at DeLoach. This winery is very laid back, friendly and helpful. My work partner was very hesitant, walked in and immediately said something like, "I am not really a big wine drinker". Within 15 minutes, we were splitting a case to ship home! :)

Next was J. The complete opposite of DeLoach. Very upscale, lots of rock and metal in the decoration but again, lots of fun. Did the food and wine flight and thanks so much for that suggestion. My work partner again is usually very hesitant to try new food but loved every item. Fabulous Pinot Noir here. Yes, friends bought wine but figured they could fit in suitcase.

Lunch and then off to Davis Bynum. Lovely setting with lavender and junipers, lots of barrels everywhere. It is set back into a hillside. Each winery was so unique which is exactly what we had hoped. We spent more on wine here than anywhere but it was very nice wine. :awink:

Last we could hit was Korbel. My best friend's hubby and I share a love of champagne. Wow, what a beautiful floral display- just so lush. We got there at 5 minutes to closing so we basically chugged 5 champagnes and um..... bought lots! We tried to buy only what we could not get at home.

Your suggestions were so perfectly on target. Thank you all so much!

So glad you had fun!
2 questions:
Where did you eat lunch?
Did you have to buy a suitcase?
:)
R5