Russian River is my favorite spot to visit wineries. It’s less busy than Napa Valley, has some killer pinots and is much more affordable to visit. It’s a well kept secret. So, when my sister was visiting for a week, I knew that we’d have to have a day trip up to Russian River Valley.
If you’ve read THIS post, you know that Robin and I discovered the magic of Russian River / Dry Creek wineries for New Years. This trip, we went back to some of the same places because we loved them so much. This time around I enjoyed the warmer weather and flowers in bloom. We started at HKG, which is one of our favorites. We loved talking to Margeve again who was so nice and gave my sister (and us!) a crash course in wine making. My goal was for my sister to leave wine country with a good idea of the kinds of wine she liked, and Margeve helped her learn about different flavors. It was the perfect place to hit up first!
Next we headed to Thomas George. We saw their sign boasting about wine tastings in a cave and had to check it out. The cave was neat, but we weren’t very thrilled about this place. We weren’t too keen on their wines and their staff wasn’t as chatty as HKG. Plus, they’re tasting are $20, them most expensive of the day.
We quickly moved onto VML, our favorite. We plan to become wine members once we can afford that luxury. What I love about VML wines is how unique each blend is. The winemaker likes to use flavors like lavender, marshmallow, pineapple, you name it. The wines are totally out of this world. To top it off, they have a wonderfully cute patio and garden area to relax in and sip your flight. If there is one place to visit in Russian River Valley, this is it.
We ended the day at The Matrix, another favorite. We love their patio that overlooks their vineyards. So peaceful and beautiful. They’re currently redesigning their tasting room, but the patio is still open. I recommend grabbing your flight and bringing it outside. Much more enjoyable! Robin and I both love their pinots here and brought home a bottle to share later.
Russian River Valley will always be my favorite little spot of wine country. Leave a comment below if you have any questions!
