Visit to Kistler Vinyards, Sonoma

The wines are hard to get here and are quite expensive in the US also. Up until very recently there were no visits nor was there a tasting room. Sorry I can't help.

They just opened their tasting room in February. I had thought they were charging $60 per person which is very high. $150 for tasting is ridiculous as you could by 3 bottles for that.

They have a 4 wine version for 75$.

On one hand it is probably the only chance I have to taste different ones form them, but on the other hand I could visit 3 russian river pinot noir wineries for the same amount and taste even more that I'll never get to taste otherwise.

So are they really better than the others? Reviews state they changed their style and now you can get the same "quality" for half the price with others. But which others, which are more open to visitors?

My list to visit:

+Rodney strong (my next favourite in DK) +Marimar estates (My favourite, the Cristina Pinot, to buy in denmark) +Joseph swan (weekends only) (dont have in DK) +Merry Edwards (Dont have in DK)

I've never heard of anyone charging that kind of money, sounds like a straight rip off to me!

Yeah, I think Ill focus on more customer friendly wineries. Any recommendations for russian river pinot noir, other than the ones I normally buy , rodney strong and marimar estate?

I don't know about the tasting charge but Kistler has a high opinion of itself: Chardonnay $60 to $80 a bottle.

J Vineyards, right next door to Rodney Strong, is known for its sparkling wines, but also makes some very nice Pinot and they have a great tasting room. Of the wineries I've visited, I'd also recommend Porter Creek (tiny little tasting shack on Westside Rd. - also try their Old Vine Carignane for something different); Inman Family Wines; Keller Estate (though it's questionable whether the Petaluma Gap is technically part of the RRV); Merry Edwards and Freeman (both in Sebastopol).

For special wines, that's not expensive. I just dont know it its special en ough haha. I just bought a Luce Brunello 2008 101$

And Im getting a Sequoia Grove Reserve Cab as well. they are around 80-90$. I might also go for another BV Clone 4 reserve cab. I have one from 2001. Or I might check out the Latour edition. Clone 4 was just so good I want to drink it but if I do I wont have it anymore... If I get one more I can dri nk it and still have it haha. I better pack light.

As I read they got pretty famous on a certain style of wine that looks like my style, but then they changed, and Im not sure I like the new style, as it is similar change as Rioja, where I prefer the old style.

Everyone seems to be moving towards mainstream "Fresh and fruity". I hate "fresh and fruity". I can get fruit juice for 2$ per liter.

Red Car, Dutton, Arista, Bacigalupi for starters. If you want to spend a lot Merry Edwards, Rochiolli.

First of all, I think that Kistler is crazy for charging that sort of money for their tasting. I would avoid them out of principle (not to mention because I find their wines too big and overoaked for my tastes). I am not sure what sort of style you prefer, as Joseph Swan is nothing like Rodney Strong, and Merry Edwards is different yet again. You might want to look at the visit suggestions for Sonoma contained in the group's FAQ linked to in my sig.

HTH Mark Lipton

Nice list. I have been to Ravenswood before. Bought a nice reserve there. B uena vista is on my list already. The one Ive had in Demmark were too "ligh t" for me though. (pinot carneros). But Ill check out what else they have. An previous tours I noted that russian river pinot noirs were more heavy an d broken down than carneros and coastal.

As for my preferences, I prefer overoaked wines. Rioja 8y of oak white wine s and 10y of oak reds are my favourites.

The worst kind is when it tastes like fruit juice.

Buena vista is on my list already. The one Ive had in Demmark were too "li ght" for me though. (pinot carneros). But Ill check out what else they have . An previous tours I noted that russian river pinot noirs were more heavy and broken down than carneros and coastal.

nes and 10y of oak reds are my favourites.

You like over-oaked wines. By definition, wouldn't that be a flaw to begin with?

hehe, I think that every time people say that they dont like over-oaked wines. but I know that they are talking about my kind of wines, so I go by their definition :)

Its like saying "too much whipped cream". There's no such thing.

If I wanted to drink oak, I would do that to begin with. Much cheaper than wine. To me, it is a flaw because, I don't feel that any component of the w ine should stick out be it oak, sugar, alcohol, acid. Balance to me is key. An over-oaked wine is unbalanced to me. But that's just me. My wife used t o like oaky wines but not any longer.

yes balance. but is objective? To me, those wines that the people who say my favourite wines are over oaky are imbalanced to the fruity side and lacking oak :)

Have you had the Vina Tondonia Grand Reserva red or white?

Yep, had both. They are definitely not fruity, oaky, or any combination thereof.

Thats the type I like and most people, incl. the store clerks that sell them think is over oaked. Since you dont consider them over oaked, I guess we are talking the same language :)

Ill see next week how it is. Ill get Kistler's Les Noisetiers Chardonnay. Here in Denmark it costs $80.