Rose shots are a fabulous thing says Erin with a smile. What a terrific idea and one that I have not seen or heard of yet. And let’s just say I have visited a tasting room or two. When I am presented with a new experience at a small tasting room, I can really appreciate the effort that they have taken to present their guests with a memory.
Red Car Winery in Sebastopol, CA also boasts a nice gift shop area and some fierce Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir is what drew me to the winery in the first place.
I had the Zephyr Pinot Noir several years back and not only was the wine complex, but it also had that blackberry note that I love and perhaps a dark cherry finish as well. The label I remembered well, I love a good artistic flair to help a label stand out from the rest and be remembered.
The label reminded me of a lovely Monet painting featuring the same use of light that the artist was so known for.
I had been speaking with Erin on the Red Car Vineyard social media channels for months since my last visit with Ken Waggoneer, another local social media and Twitter Guru. We had enjoyed their wines but were in a rush and promised to be back. Lo and behold, it was good timing and the Rose shots were lined up.
The Rose wine from Red Car is very refreshing and cleansing to the palate to start a tasting. Although we did a small pour in a glass so that I could satisfy my olfactory needs, the shot glass itself was fun addition and sooo smooth.
On to the Pinot Noir. Erin is a lovely hostess with the most beautiful smile and being extremely knowledgeable about the wines was terrific too.
When the person speaking about the winery really knows their stuff and is not simply re-stating something they have memorized it shows.
And Erin knew her stuff and the winery well. It was like talking to a member of the family. Thanks to her for a wonderful time and pours of some fine Pinot.
While tasting, we had the pleasure to meet a group of locals who were re-opening the well known Petaluma Bar Kodiak Jacks the following week after a complete renovation and ownership change.The new space, renamed Zodiac, would still feature a large bar but instead of the country line dancing crowd, the shows would feature well known artists and DJ’s. Best to their success.
They were a fun crowd to hang with and had just sipped with them previously at Dutton-Goldfield. Red Car and Dutton-Goldfield Tasting Rooms share a parking lot. Convenient for us Pinot Noir lovers to stop in at both.
Named after the fabulous cable cars in the local San Francisco Bay Area, Red Car Winery is a stop not to miss when riding through Sonoma’s Wine County. The tasting room also has a nice outdoor seating area that would be nice for a picnic or snack.
Red Car is a West Sonoma Coast winery specializing in cold climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. And you may have heard, they make a Rose…haha. I like them for their small production lot picks and their wine-making style.
The winemakers at Red Car Wine utilize wild yeasts, natural acidity and gravity flow to produce aromatic wines that are balanced and complex to even the most voracious Pinot lovers. My faves were Zephyr Farms and the Group liked the Falstaff Vineyard Pinot Noir for an overall vote. I also like the spice notes on the Falstaff Pinot.
When Ken and me visited the first time during the holiday season, they had taken out and lined up the old bottle labels I loved so much for us.
Also having an appreciation for the arts and the artistry of wine labeling, this was thoughtful of them to do for my wine selfie photo needs.
Chin Chin
2011 Zephyr Farms Pinot Noir 750mL
Carved out of the lows hills above Freestone, a tiny hamlet on the West Sonoma Coast, sits the magical seven acre vineyard known as Zephyr Farms. Deep coastal fog and afternoon westerly winds yield tiny berries of Pinot Noir with thick skins and a wine that is highly perfumed and concentrated.
2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Th e 2012 vintage was a long and moderate growing season that yielded consistently high quality fruit. Our Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a perfect blend of Red Car’s most notable, cool-climate vineyards in Fort Ross, Freestone and Occidental.
2013 Rose of Pinot Noir 750mL
Th e 2013 Red Car Rosé of Pinot Noir was harvested at a cool 21 brix and immediately whole cluster pressed, our dry and aromatic Rosé is a true vin gris, fermented like a white wine without skin or seed contact.
2009 22 Syrah 750mL
Our “22” Syrah hails exclusively from the Vivio Vineyard in Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley. Throughout the growing season, dense layers of sea-born fog from the Petaluma wind gap pour over the pass between Sonoma Mountain and Taylor Mountain to cool these benchland vines.
Red Car Winery Tasting Room – Website Here
8400 Graton Rd, Sebastopol, CA 95472
Contact them: (707) 829-8500