On our way to the Mendocino coast to spend a relaxing weekend, Mijo and I discovered a Northern California appelation that we haven't been to. While we've had wines from Anderson Valley, we've never stepped inside a winery in this area.
We chose Navarro Vineyards and Winery for our first wine tasting and we totally enjoyed the experience.
When going to the Mendocino coast for a relaxing weekend, we usually take highway 1 for a slower but a more scenic drive from San Francisco. A week ago, we purposely took another route via Sonoma county and highway 128. This allowed us to drive through the long winding road of Anderson Valley and this decision rewarded us of sampling great Pinot Noirs from this region.
Since our main goal for this trip is to relax, we agreed to just visit one winery on our way to Mendocino. We decided to stop at Navarro Vineyards and Winery. It is hard to miss the place because the road is dotted with signs of wineries in the area. Navarro has this big sign and a picturesque view from the highway.
Since our main goal for this trip is to relax, we agreed to just visit one winery on our way to Mendocino. We decided to stop at Navarro Vineyards and Winery. It is hard to miss the place because the road is dotted with signs of wineries in the area. Navarro has this big sign and a picturesque view from the highway.
The winery is inside this big brown and rustic barn like house. It is surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens with lots of blooming flowers. I especially liked their lavenders.
Now with the tasting. Their list is long and there was no tasting fee! How refreshing is that?
I noticed that their list is eclectic and white heavy which ranges from Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Edelzwicker, Pinot Grigio, Rosé and their reds include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and a red blend called Navarrouge. We decided to taste their 2009 Pinot Noir and 2011 Pinot Noir, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2011 Navarrouge. Our pourer also let us taste their 2007 Pinot Noir which was not included in their tasting list.
Luckily, they were also having a preview tasting of their future release 2012 Deep End Blend Pinot Noir. This was the most enjoyable part of the tasting. I remember the wines smelled very differently from the other Pinot Noirs I've had. It had earthy taste, fruits and fine tannins.
In the end, we decided to get their 2007 Pinot Noir, 2009 Pinot Noir and their 2011 Navarrouge. Watch out for these wines in my Everyday Wine blog soon.
We also decided to get their 2012 Deep End Blend Pinot Noir which is a future release and we won't get the bottles until late 2014.
They also let us taste their Penny Royal farm cheeses.
Navarro Vineyards and Winery also has a great picnic area. I made a mental note that this is perfect venue for taking out of town friends or for a birthday party.
If you forget your picnic necessities, no problemo. Navarro Vineyards and Winery has that covered for you. :) We totally enjoyed our first Anderson Valley winery. This is definitely one of our favorite regions and we look forward to tasting more wines from there.
Navarro Vineyards and Winery is located on Highway 128 in a town of Philo which is near Mendocino.
~rl
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