Eric Ross Winery (Sonoma, CA)
Advice on how to get the most out of your travels!
- $10/person
- Walk-in
Great For:
- Friendly vibe
- Extensive tasting
- Surprisingly good Port
Overall Rating (4/5)
- $$
- Sonoma, CA
Wine
Eric Ross likes to experiment and therefore makes a wide variety of wines. This mix of wines means that for your nominal tasting fee (waived with two bottle purchase) you get to taste a LOT of wines. It also means that not all of the wines will blow your mind, and that’s OK, you are sure to find at least one or two that stand out to your palate. The table below highlights my favorites, there are too many varietals to list.
| Varietal | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White | ||
| Albarino | $28 | 100% Stainless steel, bright crisp acidity |
| Struttin’White | $28 | Blend; primarily Albarino with a splash of dry muscat |
| Rose of Tempranillo | $32 | A unique twist on the rose; dry with a bolder flavor than typical roses |
| Red | ||
| Tempranillo | $38 | This Spanish style wine is one of my favorites; goes great with food |
| Old Vine Zinfandel | $42 | Grown on 90 year old vines in the Dry Creek Valley, this zin is both smokey and fruity |
| Port | $54 | I am not a port drinker, but this port won me over. There is no hint of “tawny” flavor, and you gotta love the gourmet chocolate chips provided to accentuate the tasting |
Gotta love a tasting room that presents you with such a wine variety of bottles as seen in the photo above. For the full list of wines, see the menus below.
Service
Service is where Eric Ross knocks it out of the park. They could pour crappy wine and I would still come back just to get to chat with long time tasting room attendants Dennis and Diane. Like the sign below indicates, this winery is all about the intimate experience. On most occasions, my husband and I have also sparked up great conversations with fellow tasters; I feel like Eric Ross attracts my type of people. I always feel comfortable there.
Grounds
The tasting room is just that, a room. You will, however, have fun admiring all of the various rooster decorations, as well as Eric Ross’ photography. Some of the wine bottle labels feature his work, another fun fact!
On our last visit I noticed that they are making more of an effort to utilize the outdoor space; two new Adirondack chairs now sit in front of the tasting room. I’m not sure how these work with the tastings, you would likely need to walk in and out when ready for your next pour.
Club
Members of the Rooster Club get the typical wine club privileges: free tastings, 20% discount on wines and invitations to occasional wine club parties. I’d like to also think you get preferential treatment from Dennis and Diane 🙂
Something that makes Eric Ross Special?
Dennis and Diane steal the show everytime. Eric Ross is almost like the Cheers of wineries, not only do they know our names but there is no hesitation to throw down the sarcasam, as if we have known each other forever. I also love the informational blackboard that translates various grape quantity terms into layman’s language.
Where have you had your favorite tasting experience?