CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing these photos on a mobile device
For chardonnay and pinot noir lovers, a trip to France’s Burgundy region would be a divine experience. But you can find a bit of Burgundy significantly closer to home in a pocket of Sonoma County’s expansive Russian River Valley, where the Green Valley subregion is home to vineyards renowned for those grapes.
With demand for pinot at a fever pitch, a number of new tasting rooms have opened on the outskirts of Sebastopol, making for a rural wine-country getaway that feels almost as far flung as France, but at a fraction of the price.
Here’s where to go for a perfect day of Burgundy-style wine tasting. No French required.
Sip: Emeritus Vineyards
This winery provides an ideal entry point to a western Sonoma County excursion, thanks to its early hours and easy location on the Gravenstein Highway — Highway 116 — one of the region’s main thoroughfares. The large, airy tasting room, which opened in late 2015, overlooks historic Hallberg Ranch, a former apple orchard that owner Brice Jones converted to 115 acres of dry-farmed pinot noir at the turn of this last century.
Instead of a traditional bar, it features a tasting salon filled with tufted chairs and velvet couches set up in small vignettes that lend an air of privacy in the large, light-filled room. One wall is adorned with wine staves. An old grape vine, preserved roots-and-all, doubles as artwork on another. Outside, there’s plenty of patio seating for enjoying sunshine and light breezes.
It’s all pinot noir here, starting with a rosé made in the saignee method — pink juice is siphoned early in a red wine’s fermentation cycle, creating a bolder, lusher wine. Tastings ($25) are followed by four more pinots, including some sourced from right outside the doors and others from cooler Sonoma Coast vineyards.
Details: Emeritus is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and weekends, and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. 2500 Highway 116, Sebastopol; www.emeritusvineyards.com
Sip: Char Vale Winery
Turn into the driveway of Char Vale’s year-old tasting room and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The meticulously manicured farm, complete with red and white farmhouse, barn and restored antique tractor, has serious old-school Americana charm.
Inside, it’s thoroughly modern, with a polished wood bar and tables, a red garden bench and throw pillow accents. A wall of glass folding doors opens to an expansive raised deck that gives tasters ($15) a front row view of 10 acres of pinot noir vines. A nearby creek floods the vineyard during the rainy season, depositing a soil which gives the wines a distinct mineral backbone for the developed fruit flavors, a characteristic that tasting room manager Nicholas Dougherty calls “the sweet spot between Burgundy and California.”
To increase the French factor, get a bottle of the about-to-be-released Rosé of Pinot Noir and pair it with a leisurely picnic lunch at one of several sun-dappled tables. La vie est belle!
Details: Open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday-Monday 11-4:30. 9280 Occidental Road, Sebastopol; www.charvalewinery.com
Picnic Fare: Andy’s Market
Now about that picnic: Part of the fun of a wine country excursion is putting together an alfresco feast, and Andy’s Market, long-loved by locals, is the perfect stop. Fuel up at the coffee bar, then gather provisions for a sumptuous spread. Andy’s open-air produce section brims with fresh berries and stone fruit in summer. Inside, find a large selection of local and imported cheeses, an olive bar and bread from local bakeries, plus spreads, pickles and jams to complete your feast. A grab-and-go section with pre-made picnic packs — salumi and cheese, salads, sandwiches and even sushi — will get you on the road in a jiffy. Andy’s is open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily at 1691 Highway 116 in Sebastopol; www.andysproduce.com.
Sip: Square Peg Winery
It may be a little off the beaten path, but a visit to Square Peg is well worth the effort. The winding drive through Sebastopol takes you above the fog line to Brad and Alex Alper’s vineyard, where the father-son team focus mainly on dry-farmed pinot noir. It’s a labor-intensive method, but one that results in exceptionally nuanced, terroir-driven wines. Chardonnay, pinot and zinfandel are all on the menu ($25) in the tasting room, which doubles as a gallery for Brad’s wife, sculptor Alanna Roth, whose bronze figures are as graceful as the wine.
By-appointment-only tastings ($25) mean visitors get Brad or Alex’s undivided attention and the property to themselves, making this a perfect low-key spot for both nervous neophytes eager to learn or experienced tasters eager to take a deeper dive. Ask to book a table and enjoy a picnic lunch in the intimate redwood grove.
Details: 4728 Stoetz Lane, Sebastopol; make a tasting appointment at www.squarepegwinery.com.
Sip: Bowman Cellars
Alex Bowman started making wine in the garage with his dad, when Bowman was still too young to drink it. But it wasn’t until 2013 when Bowman, an electrician by trade, accepted three tons of cabernet sauvignon as payment for a job and started making serious plans to open a winery.
Spurred on by his wife, Katie, the young couple turned an empty restaurant in the tiny town of Graton into a rustic-modern tasting room, which opened in February. A tasting ($15) might include a juicy, mouthwatering rosé that’s kept on tap, or a lightly-oaked, well-balanced chardonnay that recently caught the attention of Wine Spectator. And visitors can still taste that easy-drinking 2013 cabernet that launched it all.
Need a nibble? Bowman Cellars has a commercial kitchen, so guests can order from a small menu that includes housemade potato chips with aioli, salads and truffle-cheddar grilled cheese. On busy weekends, the Bowmans serve overflow crowds on their large, sunny patio from an Airstream trailer-turned- tasting bar.
Details: Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. 9010 Graton Road, Graton; www.bowmancellars.com