If you’re on the hunt for outstanding Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, we’d like to suggest some wines made from grapes grown in the western Sonoma Coast area.  Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of attending the 5^th annual West of West Wine Festival in Sebastopol (from the West Sonoma Coast Vintners) showcasing premier cool-climate wines from Fort Ross-Seaview and Green Valley AVAs as well as other popular growing regions like Annapolis, Freestone, Occidental and Sebastopol Hills.

Keep reading and we’ll tell you about our favorite Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the weekend. We encourage you to seek these wines out yourself at restaurants, wine stores, and/or directly from the wineries.  You can follow the wineries’ links below to learn how to purchase their wines online and/or maybe arrange for a wine tasting visit.

In addition to our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir recommendations, you should know that we also found two impressive Rosés (2013 Rosé of Pinot Noir from Freeman Vineyard & Winery and 2014 Rosé of Pinot Noir from Red Car Wine) and a phenomenal Syrah (2013 La Bruma Estate Syrah from Peay Vineyards) at the Festival you’ll want to try yourself.

Favorite Chardonnays at the West of West Wine Festival

32 Winds Wine – 2011 Lucky Well UV Chardonnay

Alma Fria – 2013 Plural Chardonnay

Banshee Wines – 2013 Tina Maria Chardonnay

Ceritas Wines – 2013 “Marena” Chardonnay, 2013 Porter Bass Vineyard Chardonnay

DuMOL Vineyard and Winery – 2012 “Isobel” Charles Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay, 2012 Estate Chardonnay

Hirsch Vineyards – 2013 Estate Chardonnay

Joseph Phelps Vineyards – 2013 Freestone Vineyards Chardonnay

La Pitchoune Winery – 2013 Chardonnay

LIOCO – 2013 Hanzell Vineyard Chardonnay

Littorai Wines – 2013 Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay

Ramey Wine Cellars – 2012 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, 2012 Platt Vineyard Chardonnay

Small Vines Wines – 2013 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Sojourn Cellars – 2013 Campbell Ranch Vineyard Chardonnay

 

Favorite Pinot Noirs at the West of West Wine Festival

32 Winds Wine – 2010 Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir

Alma Fria – 2013 Doña Margarita Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2012 Doña Margarita Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2013 Holtermann Vineyard Pinot Noir

Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery – 2013 Sea Slopes Pinot Noir, 2011 Pinot Noir, 2011 Pinot Noir Reserve

Freeman Vineyard & Winery – 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2013 “Akiko’s Cuvée” Pinot Noir

Hirsch Vineyards – 2013 Bohan Dillon Estate Pinot Noir, 2012 San Andreas Fault Estate Pinot Noir, 2012 Reserve Estate Pinot Noir

Joseph Phelps Vineyards – 2013 Freestone Vineyards Pinot Noir, 2012 Quarter Moon Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2012 Pastorale Vineyard Pinot Noir

Kanzler Vineyards – 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

La Pitchoune Winery – 2013 English Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2013 Holder Vineyard Pinot Noir

Lattanzio Wines – 2013 Celia’s Cuvée Pinot Noir, 2013 Umino Vineyard Pinot Noir

LIOCO – 2013 Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2012 Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir

Littorai Wines – 2013 Platt Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2013 Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2013 Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir

MacPhail Family Wines – 2012 Pratt Vineyard Pinot Noir

Marimar Estate – 2012 Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir

Peay Vineyards – 2013 Scallop Shelf Estate Pinot Noir, 2013 Ama Estate Pinot Noir, 2009 Pomarium Estate Pinot Noir

Sojourn Cellars – 2013 Silver Eagle Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2013 Campbell Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir

Wayfarer Vineyard – 2013 Wayfarer Vineyard Pinot Noir

Zepaltas Wines – 2013 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2013 Suacci Vineyard Pinot Noir

 

The West Sonoma Coast Vintners (WSCV) is an association of wineries and growers who are passionate about farming grapes on the extreme Sonoma coastline and their West of West events are a great way to get to know the wines (and wineries) from the region.  If you don’t want to wait until next year’s Sebastopol event, the WSCV will be holding an east coast “West of West” Festival on February 9, 2016 in New York and many of the wineries we recommend above should be there.  Please go to the WSCV website for the most current information about the event.

On the other hand, if you do decide to travel to Sonoma County for wine tasting (and/or some other adventures), please see our recommendations for restaurants and food purveyors (and other wineries) in the area by clicking on the “Favorites By Wine Region” tab on the navigation bar above, and then following the drop-down menu to the area you are interested in.