Fort Ross Vineyards and Winery
Eight miles north of Jenner, Fort Ross Vineyards and Winery offers a rare combination: winery tasting with ocean views.
While some may consider this winery a bit off of the beaten path, it’s well worth the short trek from Jenner (following a morning hike in the Jenner Headlands or from nearby Shell Beach) to this ridge top coastal winery.
Owners Linda and Lester Schwartz opened the winery in 1991. They still make only around 5,000 cases or a little more each year, putting them in the ’boutique’ winery category. As a coastal Sonoma County vineyard just a mile from the Pacific Ocean (they are the winery with the absolute closest proximity to the ocean in Sonoma County and most of California-though Pacific Star winery just north of Fort Bragg beats them now as the closest in the state).
Sonoma Coast Vineyards
‘Where wines and waves meet’. This quote from Sonoma Coast Vineyards’ perfectly sums up the tasting experience at this Sonoma Coast winery’s Bodega Bay tasting room.
Located on the Highway 1 in Bodega Bay, the tasting room offers plenty of indoor and outdoor tasting spaces in addition to picnic seating. Enjoy a wine tasting flight, or a glass of wine at one of their outdoor tables or opt for one of their cheese and charcuterie picnic boxes and make it a food and wine pairing.
The winery also allows guests to bring their own picnic supplies and use their outdoor picnic area (with the purchase of wine).
Sonoma Coast Vineyards outdoor tasting spaces are family-friendly and dog-friendly, which makes this a perfect place to stop before or after a morning stroll with your pup on the nearby Kortum Trail (at Shell Beach).
Wild Hog Vineyards and Winery
Wild Hog Vineyards is a small, family owned winery growing and making wines in their Sonoma Coast vineyards located between Cazadero and Fort Ross. Originally known best for their excellent pinot noirs (which were extremely sought out in the early 2000s) the winery has, over the years, also become known for the other unique varietals they grow such as Sangiovese and Barbera (which are uncommon varietals to find in such cool climate coastal vineyards).
Appointments are required to visit and taste at Wild Hog, as it’s a small operation. You can reach them at (707) 847-3687.