A Unique Wine Tasting Experience in Sonoma County: Sutro Wine

With more than 400 award-winning wineries, Sonoma County wine country can be overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to go in Sonoma County for the best winery experience. There are many choices, but for people who love the outdoors and are looking for an off-the-beaten-path experience, Sutro Wine is the hot new choice in Sonoma County.

This winery’s unique tasting experience includes three of my favorite things: a walk in nature, delicious local food, and really good wine. As Alice Sutro says, it’s for “the intrepid adventurous wine lover — one who goes wine tasting in hiking boots not heels!” We loved it, and I think you’ll love it, too.

The tour:

About 25 minutes outside of Healdsburg, down the quiet Chalk Hill Road in Alexander Valley, sits the entrance to Warnecke Ranch & Vineyard, the 245-acre property where Alice and Eliot Sutro source their grapes, premium fruit grown by Alice’s aunt, Margo Warnecke Merck. The tasting experience begins at the small home where Alice and Eliot live with their two sweet young children (how cute is this family?!) and continues with a 30-minute easy hike on the property. Warnecke Ranch has been in Alice’s family since 1911, and several years ago she decided to move to the property to reconnect with her family’s heritage.

The walk at Warnecke Ranch, with the couple’s dog leading the way, begins with a stroll past the 45-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines (above) and a hillside of terraced Merlot vines, which provide the grapes for their award-winning wines. With Alice, it’s a chance to learn not only about this special piece of Sonoma wine country but also a bit about viticulture and terroir. Alice explains how Alexander Valley’s weather influences the grapes, how the property changes in the seasons, how sustainable growing practices are used, and how the vineyards have changed over time.

The hike continues past old oaks with views of the Russian River, Geyser Peak and Mt. St. Helena. Alice’s stories of the vineyards and ranch pay homage to those who lived here before her. Alice’s grandfather was John Carl Warnecke, an important 20th century architect who designed many well-known buildings, including the Eternal Flame memorial for JFK. He later made Warnecke Ranch his home and began planting grapes here in the 1970s with the old block of Cabernet that still stands today.

Keep your eyes peeled for the great white egrets that hang out in the trees and perch on logs in the ranch’s pond.

The tasting:

After the walk, visitors continue for the tasting at nearby Jimtown Store. For $35 per person, the tasting includes three wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon) and a large charcuterie board that can easily be a meal for two or more people.

The wines:

Their wines have won medals at the the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition: the 2014 Merlot recently won Gold, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon won Double Gold, and the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon won Double Gold. Their wines have also earned many 90+ point ratings in various wine reviews.

The wines are made in very small quantities, but, at $28 to $50 per bottle, are an excellent value considering the quality of the wines and terroir of the Warnecke Ranch.

Sutro 2014 Merlot

A personal favorite, this wine personifies what I love about a good California Merlot. Blended with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, it has more complexity and lush, round flavors than a typical Merlot. Bright ruby red in the glass with lively aromas of plum, berry and chocolate. Layers of delicious red fruits combine with subtle savory undertones. The tannins are strong yet the wine is smooth, perfect with food or without.

Sutro 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

This Cab is a dense violet in the glass and opens with rich aromas of plum, black cherry, dark chocolate and leather. Luscious dark fruit flavors predominate with hints of licorice, graphite and oak. The wine has a rich mouthfeel and strong tannins that make a powerful, balanced wine. It’s an elegant addition to food, and we loved it paired with the flavor combinations on our charcuterie board. 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot.

The wine labels:

The elegant, minimal wine bottle labels are Eliot’s design. The image of the two birds was inspired by an image they saw together in the Baptistery in Florence, Italy, and the white birds represent the white pigeons that Alice’s family have raised on the Warnecke Ranch.  

The bottom line:

I highly recommend the Sutro Wine tasting experience if you want to learn about wine and grape growing in an intimate setting, if you love being outdoors and appreciate nature, or if you want to try a unique tour and tasting experience in Sonoma County. The tour and tasting are, in my opinion, a good deal at $35 per person because the food pairing is a meal in itself, and the wines are fantastic. Plus, it’s a breath of fresh air to meet people like Alice and Eliot who are so deeply connected with the land and eager to share that experience with others.

See here for more information about visiting Sutro Wine.