Fort Ross Vineyard Featured in Sonoma Magazine
12 Sonoma Wineries to Visit Right Now
Sunny days are coming. Here's where to sip wine outdoors.
Make a reservation to visit our Estate Tasting Room on the wild Sonoma Coast this Valentine's Day.
Fort Ross Vineyard is featured in Sonoma Magazine's latest article: 12 Wineries to Visit Right Now. Join us this Valentine's Day at our Estate Tasting Room for a special opportunity to taste our 2015 Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Pinot Noir! This limited-production, 37 cases, sparkling wine is made from all estate-grown Pinot Noir in the traditional method, secondary fermentation in bottle. This adds toasty flavors of brioche and vanilla to the citrus and light berry fruit notes from the Pinot Noir.
Tastings are available by reservation online or by calling us at (707) 847-3460.
FEATURED: Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery
The Fort Ross-Seaview AVA is one of Sonoma County’s smallest, with fewer than 600 planted acres, located on steep coastal ridges inland from the ocean with elevations ranging from 920 to 1,800 feet. These slopes produce some of the finest cool-climate grapes in the county, though Fort Ross winery owners Lester and Linda Schwartz were warned decades ago that great fruit would likely not flourish in such foggy conditions. Proving the naysayers wrong, they carved out 53 acres of vineyards planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and, in a nod to their South African roots, Pinotage.
The winery was closed for a time in August while a nearby wildfire was brought under control. “We were very fortunate and are immensely grateful for the firefighters who held the line and prevented the fire from reaching the property,” explains vice president Johanna Bernstein. The tasting room reopened as quickly as possible, offering samples of four estate-grown wines together with a pairing of charcuterie or artisanal cheeses, with house-made morsels that might include duck with dried sour-cherry terrine, local rabbit rillette, and marinated vegetables.
On Valentine’s Day weekend, along with the usual wine-and-food pairing expect a welcoming taste of the winery’s limited production Sea Stars Sparkling Blanc de Noir, made from estate-grown Pinot, as well as sweet treats to take home.