Winery that has nothing to do with Fort Ross
Today we’re going to have a quick sneak peek into the Fort Ross winery off of Pacific Coast Highway. Typically I try not to write reviews about hotels, restaurants or businesses for two reasons: 1. You can always Yelp a location and read some biased reviews from a dozen people. 2. I don’t like to entice or deter people from visiting a location based on my experience.
With this mentioned I do occasionally write typically positive reviews of a unique business simply because the experience is worth sharing. Places with big names that will lure you to see it in my opinion have a dual purpose, they serve as a business and carry a historical significance.
First off, winery’s name is misleading and doesn’t reflect any historical significance or relation to Russian settlements at Fort Ross whatsoever. Nevertheless the wine – specifically Pino Noir & Chardonnay at this vineyard, in my humble opinion, is barely slightly above average. After being spoiled by the variety of choices at Anderson Valley vineyards it is difficult to find something as rich in flavor.
Interior design and the vibe
The design of the Fort Ross winery is well executed with some of the best views we’ve ever experienced while wine tasting. The road to the tasting room was also very enjoyable. However, I wouldn’t call it “Posh” like many reviews have mentioned. In fact it simply has a clean design, no more no less. The outdoors have a more of a barn / country house appeal, the indoor has somewhat of a modern look.
Does the wine worth what it costs? Given the significant variety of wineries in Sonoma County it is easy to conclude that Fort Ross winery still needs to find its place in the market. It was surprising to find their wine at a cheaper price in the nearby town of Gualala than at the estate… typically it’s other way around
Other places to visit while in Sonoma
The nearby Flowers & Failla vineyards provide a far more refined product at a better price. Given that the grapes come from the same region it was surprising to find out that Fort Ross wine is pricier and taste different (not in a better way) from the ones described above. It was an experience to visit for Ross Winery, however I wouldn’t attempt to repeat it in the near future.
We would highly recommend visiting wineries along the hwy 128 in Mendocino and of course our favorite all-under one roof location in Napa – Oxbow Public Market
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