Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery

Have visited 6 wineries /​tasting rooms this week. This is the only one that I am reviewing.
VIEW-​unreal. Simply stunning view
WINE-​loved all that we tried. Big fan of lower alcohol wines because I like to actually taste the fruit.
HOST (ESS)-Lydia was fantastic. Very friendly and enjoyed conversing with her and the others

Not a place I would recommend as a first choice. We had a 10:30 appointment that they couldn’t seem to find us on their appointment book. Needless to say they just couldn’t find a space for 2 additional people. The 4 girls in the tasting room were nothing short of rude looking at us like we had 3 heads when they clearly made a mistake on their calendar. The view was great from the top of the winery but could recommend 3 others with a nicer staff and exceptional view. We also are winery owners and would never not accommodate someone especially if it were out of mistake. Anyway, not sure how the wines tasted but the ambiance (i.e. The staff) didn’t lend itself to want to come back.

A beautiful setting for tasting, very much off beaten path. The presenter was a little distracted, trying to serve too many people at the same time. The wines were all ok, but nothing was outstanding. Went to the pinots but was unimpressed to be honest.

We just went there over this rainy weekend. The gal at the counter was very nice and helpful. Very disappointed in the wines and they are very expensive. But worst of all there is a $ 20 tasting fee for 4 tastes. I felt like I was in Napa.

Great experience. Once you see the tasting room you will not really care what the wines taste like. The wines are very good — but are priced accordingly high. You are not going to find any great values (thus only 4 stars) — but the tasting room and terrace set-​up make this a must-​experience tasting stop. Thumbs WAY up! Adopt the Nike mentality: just do it!

I haven’t been yet, but everyone I have talked to on the phone and Via email have been tremendously helpful I’m so excited for a grand tour and lunch April 8, 2016. We take business Associates out for weekends and everything I have read about Gary Farrell Wines is amazing. All the help I received was so helpful I know our experience is going to be awesome. Can’t wait

I found the wine tasting experience at Gary Ferrell extremely poor. We had 2:30pm reservations, and we chose to sit on their patio. There were no other members inside the tasting room, and there were 2 – 3 other couples on the outside patio. Inside the tasting room there were 4 staff and one staff member (the fifth) was serving the 2 – 3 other couples on the patio. We sat down and waited for 20 minutes without anyone even acknowledging we were there. The outside server walked immediately in front of our table a minimum of five times. We ended up leaving after 25 minutes, with still no service. I have been to many wineries in Sonoma, all which provide much better, attentive customer service in the tasting room. Gary Ferrell winery was a complete disappointment with their service, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

An update for another excellent day at Gary.
We were in wine country for a friends wedding and when I’m in town (Healdsburg), stopping at Gary is at the top of my list.
Be «warned» — when we arrived at the foot of their driveway, they had a sign out front that said the weekends are now by appointment only, so call ahead! We took a chance and drove up the drive and (fortunately) they had room — it may have helped that we’re members ;).
There’s a reason Gary is my favorite place in Healdsburg: the people that work there are amazing and always accommodating (being recognized is always nice — thanks Lianne), the wine is always great and the views are some of the best in the valley.
Just remember, call ahead — it’s worth the call!

Had a great time last time, so I decided to bring my friends back. Sadly… They changed their policy to reservations only in May, so we were out of luck. So we went in to check out the amazing view anyway. Oddly enough, the tasting room was almost completely empty. So… All our party could assume is that they just didn’t want us there. I’m sure we can find plenty other wineries where we are welcome.

This place is amazing! Our hostess Lianne was so knowledgable and friendly. The Chardonnay and Pinot were tasty. My favorite was the 100% skin fermented Chardonnay and the Rochioli Pinot noir was my boyfriends favorite. The tasting room is lovely and has a great view of the Russian river valley. If you plan on going on the weekend, make sure you make an appointment.

I Have a Confession to Make:
I don’t drink much alcohol at all and I don’t like the taste of wine or beer. I’ve heard for years that if I had the «right» wine, I’d like it. Since I haven’t liked any I’ve tried in the past, I had no desire to go on a search for that imaginary «right» wine.
Well…When in Sonoma:
This was my *first* wine tour! Traveling with me in my entourage was a sommelier (wine expert). There were four adults, with one skipping out on the tasting as she was the designated driver. Yeah, her pregnancy caused us to automatically point the finger at her and say, «You’re it» — LOL.
Spit, No Dribbling, or Sputtering:
I was told in advance that there is a bucket for any leftover wine in my glass. Whew. That saved me. I thought for sure I would embarrass myself by dribbling all over as I tried to spit.
Private Appointment:
We had an appointment for a private tasting outside on the terrace ($ 30 per person). The view here was absolutely amazing. The land was lush, green and vast. We tasted four different types of wines, side-​by-​side so we could compare. There was one I liked! I did hear a few surprised comments of «Wow, she likes it. We have to buy it.»
This truly educational wine experience came with different cheeses, almonds, dried fruits and nuts. We were told which wines pared with each item.
What Did I Buy:
As a group, we did buy several bottles. My choice was a 2012 chardonnay ($ 45).
Overall — 5-​Star Wonder:
Awesome, I loved every moment. The winery is beautiful and I had a great experience. The only regret was that I missed the opportunity to see the barrel room. Perhaps next time.
My Wine Knowledge: A True Novice

Great Winery with Epic View
Garret and I stopped by this winery during the week. They are normally strictly by appointment, however, since it was a weekday they were able to accommodate the two of us.
Thank goodness.
The chardonnays and pinot noir are incredible. They offer a small cheese plate that pairs well. For larger parties they have a private room. The tasting room has two great tables and a super neat bar that spans the entire amazing view.
And the view… Wow. There is an incredible view of the Russian River Valley. If you have one winery to visit in the Russian River.

My fiancé and I came here. Even though we were thirty minutes late, they still accommodated our terrace tasting reservation, and they even threw in a couple of cheese plates. We experienced excellent and friendly service all around. I think the tasting was not a bad value considering the service we received, the amount of wines tasted, and the view. The terrace is admittedly beautiful but not as dramatic as my fiancé had expected. He was actually going to pop the question there but opted for one of the vistas in Napa. But maybe it was because the sun was not going down. The wines were not bad, but we ended up purchasing elsewhere as nothing blew us away. Others seemed quite pleased with the wine and purchased quite a bit, so it is just a matter of preference. You may still want to check this place out.

A Napa-​esque experience. Relatively pricey tasting, beautiful ambiance, formal vibe, solid but unremarkable wine. Great views!

With a $ 25 a person tasting fee, my then-​fiancé and I were able to sit on a terrace in the Russian River Valley and gaze over the beautiful horizons. The wines themselves were somewhat all over the place, but the standouts was the Zinfandel (the first I tried while in Sonoma) and their «pineapple» Chardonnay. Our hostess was very friendly and knowledgeable of the area and she even took a few photos of us during our tasting.
We had a driver, but for those driving themselves, be aware that you will lose phone reception as you cross one of the bridges. And with Sonoma, unlike Napa, be aware that the region is less specialized in its varietals. With experimentation come the duds of the crew, so be prepared from wines that impress and others that really don’t.

This review comes from a 25-​year-​old who was there by himself, I think my experience would be a lot different if I was older and in a larger group (this I think reflects very negatively on the winery). Gary Farrell himself is a world-​renowned winemaker, unfortunately, he no longer has anything to do with this winery (which is something they certainly do not advertise anywhere). He sold the business and the vineyards just shy of a decade ago. Since then, the quality of the wine has suffered somewhat and the reputation of the place has slid some.
The grounds themselves are stunning, absolutely beautiful building with some awesome overviews of the Russian River Valley. It would be a great place to spend an afternoon. There was a severe lack of parking though (there was none for me and it wasn’t even that busy on a Friday afternoon). The server at the tasting bar was pretty much just rehearsing from a script and had almost no personality (and pretty much just stating what was on the tasting notes). The wines themselves were also really nothing to write home about, pretty flat, and certainly didn’t taste up to their price. At a $ 15 tasting, I was very disappointed (you certainly pay a lot for the name on the bottle… not that he’s even around).

Years ago, Gary Farrell was making wine. Now he seems to have morphed into a corporation and, as far as I can tell, is no longer involved. They moved from their small place near Hop Kiln (which also has lost its charm and gone corporate), and are now perched high on a hill at the far end of Westside Road. The place is huge, looks fancy, and they have raised their prices and lowered their taste profiles. The staff there seemed quite taken with themselves. Not going to head back this way again.

Third and final stop of our Sonoma/​Russian River area wine tasting tour was at Gary Farrell Vineyards and their delicious Pinots. Having heard about the amazing views from the winery, we wanted to make it our final stop for our trip.
The tasting room is cozy but its long tasting counter can accommodate many patrons. Large windows behind the counter shows off the beautiful views of the Russian River Valley.
The tasting counter was quite full and our server, Lianne, greeted us and started us on our tasting. Starting us off with a Chardonnay and Rose of Pinot Noir that was not on the menu, she then proceeded to pour the wines on the tasting menu of two Chardonnays, two Pinot Noirs and a Zinfandel. Lianne was friendly, but she was charged with serving us and another party that was down the counter. So she was walking back and forth between us and the other group during our tasting. She answered some questions we had about Gary Farrell, but didn’t offer more than what we asked.
We did buy a bottle of the Ramal Pinot, which was amazing good. After our tasting we went out to the terrace/​patio area to take in the views. Thought they have patio tables there, they have a sign that the area was not open for picnicking.
Overall, nice winery with beautiful views. Friendly service, but don’t expect the dedicated attention since the servers attend to multiple parties at once. Also, they don’t apply the $ 15 tasting fee (Napa prices) towards any purchase, which most wineries would do and they are not part of the Visa Signature program.

Stunning Views.
Surely the view isn’t the ONLY reason to visit Gary Farrell, but that was the one aspect that caught my attention immediately.
I was fortunate enough to have visited Gary Farrell during a trip earlier this spring. The winery is located up above in the hills overlooking the Russian River Valley. Though the views are spectacular, my friends and I looked forward to the wine tasting, especially of Pinor Noir in particular.
For complete information regarding location, direction, hours, and tours, please visit:
SIP: My friends and I chose the traditional tasting priced at $ 15. We were able to sample Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and a variety of Pinot Noir. 2 of my friends decided to purchase bottles of Pinot Noir from our tasting.
SPACE: The tasting room is quite cozy, complete with a fire place in the corner. It’s spacious for the most part, and allows enough room for various groups/​people to congregate at the tasting counter.
SERVICE: Outstanding. The female staff member, Lavonne, who assisted us throughout our entire tasting provided exceptional service. She was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and very patient. I commend her extensive knowledge and expertise in explaining the regions and manufacturing of the various wines we were tasting. Also, we were quite thankful when she complied with our request for extra glasses so we could (literally) have a side by side comparison/​taste of 2 Pinot Noir we were sampling.
SCENERY: After finishing our tasting and making our purchases, we made our way to the terrace. The views are breathtaking. Just beautiful. We all sat on the terrace to take in the beautiful views and weather as we contemplated our next destination.
NOTE: Unfortunately, there are no picnic areas available at this winery.
Bottom Line: Great wine. Wonderful service. Stunning Views. I hope to return someday.

This is a gorgeous tasting room with a stunning view, plus an adorable cat that suns itself in the giant picture windows. What a life.
While I passed on the $ 15 traditional tasting, my boyfriend opted in. The people pouring our wines rotated between a couple other groups and we were sort of an afterthought. I stole a few sips here and there and we decided on a bottle of pinot noir for purchase. Most tasting rooms waive the tasting fee with a purchase; not at Gary Farrell. Our pricey bottle of wine became extra-​pricey.
I’d go back to soak up that gorgeous view but I’d think twice about buying a bottle unless I was really in love.