Family-run winery that invites you into their home for private, by-appointment tastings! I was recommended this winery by a friend and scheduled an appointment by emailing the owners directly. Molly's response was prompt and I had my tasting appointment scheduled within the hour! *Note: they only accept appointments on Fridays and Saturdays* Upon arrival, you pass through the property's outer gate and are instantly welcomed by the fuzziest welcome comity, the family's golden retriever Brit! Just continue driving slowly towards the tasting room - the pup knows to stay clear of your vehicle. The tasting is $30/person, waived for every 3 bottles purchased, and includes 4 wines. Their tasting boasts wines from a selection of vineyards across Mendocino Ridge, and the four I sampled on this particular visit included: 2021 Valenti Ranch Viognier 2022 Valenti Ranch Pinot Noir 2021 Faite De Mer Farm Field Selections Pinot Noir 2021 Perli Vineyard Syrah They utilize native yeast fermentation, a traditional method that allows the grapes to express a sense of terrior and spontaneity! I enjoy exploring cold-climate syrahs, and purchased a bottle of their Perli Vineyard Syrah to share with a friend. We drank half the bottle that first night, enjoying the deep rich purple fruits and soft minerality of the cool climate syrah. Unfortunately, this wine is meant to be imbibed immediately! By the second day, the wine had already oxidized and we did not finish the bottle. Still a fun experience and nice wines, just be sure you will finish the bottle before opening! read more

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Focus. Commitment. Dedication. Grit. These are words we often associate with competitive athletics or high stakes business, not the elegant and refined world of fine wine. Maybe we still recall these words being thrown in our faces by angry parents or exasperated teachers who instructed us to invest our time wisely in something of lasting value rather than fritter it away on short-term, sometimes even self-destructive, thrills. When many of us set off on wine tasting adventures, we don't want to be reminded of how much hard work went into the contents of each glass, or to be told a true but humbling story of how it took decades of work digging, grafting, pruning, and pressing before the secrets of the vine begin to unveil themselves and the critics finally began to take notice. Why not surround oneself with light-hearted romance instead? Why not fantasize, as Robert Mondavi and his second wife, Margrit, once encouraged wine drinkers to do, about the pleasures of the Good Life in pleasure-soaked places like Napa? Well, for one, as the folks here at Drew might tell you if you asked them directly about it, all of those things are exaggerations and outright lies, even if some of them might be well intentioned. Wine making is artful, to be sure, but it's not art. It's work, and lots of it. This doesn't make the contents of the glass any less pleasurable and worthwhile. In fact, the wine takes on more meaning and seems more expressive if you sense how much inspired effort went into its production, without actually having to do all that hard work yourself. Drew wines are like that. They are crafted primarily from higher elevation vineyards above Anderson Valley with complex, uplifted seabed soils and cooling ocean breezes. They are grown from cuttings selected from high-quality heritage vineyards in California, from so-called suitcase clones smuggled in from Europe, or from clones rigorously selected and certified by viticultural experts at UC-Davis. The vineyards are tended in ways that minimize their impact on the environment using organic and no-till methods, and the wines are made using a similar set of hands-on but non-invasive techniques that are designed to showcase the quality of harvested fruit and unique mineral content of the soils in which they were cultivated. The resulting wines are not cult collectibles that command mind-bindingly high prices that only the elite can afford. Instead, they are priced accessibly given the production and labor costs involved and open to all who arrange ahead of time for $15 tastings at Drew's modest but attractively styled space in the Madrones resort, restaurant, and shopping complex between the small Anderson Valley towns of Boonville and Philo. Drew is a tiny independent operation that relies on club memberships, restaurant sales, and word-of-mouth recommendations to stay viable. In a wine world largely controlled by well capitalized conglomerates like Constellation, Gallo, Jackson Family Wines, and LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), on the one hand, or by wealthy vineyard and winery owners, on the other, it is important to remember that the majority of wine industry professionals, like those who run Drew, have dedicated years of their lives to improving wine quality and catering to the needs of a diversifying wine enthusiast public. They don't set out to shape the wine buying habits of the masses or try to place their limited annual production of wines at Costco or Trader Joe's in the sub-$20 price range. Their goals are different and far more ambitious. When you taste a Drew Chardonnay, Pinot, Syrah, or Rhone varietal blend, they don't assault your senses or flaunt their abundant attributes, but they aren't lean, austere, or stingy wines, either. They have multiple facets to their highly individualized personalities. They are models of poise, precision, balance, structure, and restraint. And they taste, smell, and feel the way that site-specific grape varietals are supposed to do if tended properly while they grow in the ground, are harvested from the vine, and then left to ferment and age in the cellar until they are ready for release. Like all good and lasting relationships, Drew wines likely will take time to get to know well. But if they make a connection with you, as a wine drinker, it will also be immediate, intense, and obvious, like love at first sight. You will never know if you don't visit. Will you take that risk? My advice? Roll those dice. Fork over the $15. It may change the way you think about wine. If not, there is always Long Meadow Ranch's tasting room right next door with a Napa Valley wine or two with which to comfort you. read more

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We stopped by the tasting room in Philo on our way up to Elk, and we had a great experience. They're currently doing an outdoor tasting by appointment, one party at a time. The tasting is $20/person, waived for every 2 bottles purchased. My favorite was the Fog Eater Pinot, and I like that they do a Cote Rotie style Syrah with a hint of viognier. The owner hosted our tasting and was super knowledgeable and friendly. read more

We visited their tasting room at the Madrones and loved trying the wines and meeting Molly. Really great Pinots and Syrah. We also had their GSM blend at Wickson's restaurant and it was amazing - wish we had bought some to take home. Make a reservation because the space is tiny. Definitely worth a stop. read more

My husband and I came here for a tasting on our honeymoon. What a lovely experience! Service: Molly was super sweet at every step in the process - email, tasting, follow up, etc... You could tell she is passionate about their business. Wines: We both liked all the wines we tasted. You know how wine bottles have the explanation of what hints you might taste in the bottle? Sometimes you're left scratching your head thinking, "I don't taste that". Not with these wines! We were able to guess quite a few of the components. We tried 4 wines: the Alabarino (white), Fog Eater Pinot Noir, Morning Dew Pinot Noir, and a Syrah (I don't remember the name). They were all wonderful. Each of them had their own highlights. The Morning Dew Pinot Noir is something else! If you want a red that is smooth, sophisticated but doesn't have bite, this is the one for you. Molly said this one has a feminine feel to it, and she's right. Plus, there are undertones or rose in it! Lovely. The Fog Eater had wonderful body and taste. It too had undertones of rose. It's delicious, full, but no dry bite at the end. My husband doesn't usually like Pinots, but he loved this one. We ended up leaving with two bottles of the Fog Eater. The location is beautiful. Definitely stop by. read more

A gem of a find on wine road! Had an amazing experience learning about the growing process and weather for producing pinot in Mendo. My memory slips the name of the very gracious tasting room host. She was warm, welcoming, knowledgeable and most importantly passionate about each and every bottle Drew produces! Bought a bottle of the fog eater and Rose and am very much looking forward to enjoying them in the near future. read more

Decided to do an Anderson Valley wine tour over the 2018 Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. I tried three wineries and last, but certainly not least Drew Cellars. Drew Cellars was the best! A quaint tasting room tucked away in a lovely plaza surrounded by mature trees and a wood fired pizza place next-door. Service was friendly and relaxed. I gained a lot of background info on the company, winemaker, and all of the wines. Their Albarino is drinking wonderful right now, perfect balance between dry and crisp with citrus. I picked up a 2016 Fogeater Mendocino Pinot Noir. I have to say the Drew's are some talented wine-makers, their Pinot is right up there with some of the best I have tried, very well balanced, just the right amount of oak, floral notes, and silky finish. A very refined wine, one for the connoisseurs. read more

All the wines had great structure and balance, but would likely be too acidic or mineral tasting for the ready-to-drink crowd. Admittedly, these wines need time in the bottle to arrive at the balance that Pinot Noirs are capable of achieving. We didn't buy because we already have located our sources in CA for "investment" Pinot Noir wines and Drew Family did not move the needle far enough to meet their price point, in our opinion. The classy lady who hosted the pouring was very well versed in the product and its origins. She was a delight and very engaging. Cooper, her dog, was good boy and loved a scratch. read more

Drew - Cooper the dog - Wineries Near Me - Elk, California

I was happy to get in as they'd just reopened after the shutdown and were booked up. I remembered enjoying their Cider and wines so wanted to bring my friend. It was delicious as I remembered and all the wines are made with care, passion and are high quality. Check them out! read more

After doing a tasting at Bink next door, our group of 6 walked in to do a tasting with Molly, the winemakers wife. We were lucky enough to have Jason, the winemaker walk in during our tasting. They seemed like a really cute couple. I love that their tasting room really felt like a living room. There are large canvas photos of them, their children, and their property. I'm a huge fan of family businesses and this one is so sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed their wines and everyone in our group ended up buying bottles. I would definitely come back into Drew and recommend it to others in the future. Also, I'm a sucker for wine labels and they have a great design on their bottles. I'm a huge fan of pinots and I really enjoyed their selection. read more

Drew has long been one of my favorite Anderson Vally Pinot producers. It was a welcome surprise to find out that the Drew tasting room is on the property of the hotel we booked for the weekend. The tasting room staff is knowledgeable and passionate about Drew wines. I'm already on the Drew allocation so I purchased a couple of the new release wines. I typically cellar Drew Pinot's for a few years after release so I took the bottles home and will enjoy them in a few years. Drew is on the property of The Madrones along with tasting rooms for Bink, Knez and Signal Ridge. I highly recommend an afternoon of wine tasting here with lunch at Stone & Embers, the on property restaurant. I like Drew the best but also be sure to try the Pinot at Signal Ridge. They offer a great Pinot at about half the price of Drew. If you have the energy after sipping wines at the 4 onsite tasting rooms, take a 100 yard walk across the highway to the Balo tasting room to sample wines while playing Bocce. read more

Absolutely charming and delicious. Molly hosted me in their boutique-esque tasting room on a Monday. The set up felt like I was playing a high stakes game of poker, but I was dealt some very sweet hands of Pinot and Syrah. I may have to make a 2nd stop back on the way out of town for a few more bottles of Fog Eater Pinot. Great texture and taste. read more

My wife and I are huge fans of Drew wines, in particular their Pinot Noir selection just can't be beat for the quality they offer at such great prices. When you compare some of the larger wineries in the area to Drew, it really becomes clear where the to go. Drew is a family owned winery, Molly and Jason are knowledgeable and happy to share their passion with guests. They change up their tastings often so you'll always be in for a treat. Their Pinot's are some of the best and if you are looking for elegant, structured yet smooth and drinkable wines.... look no further. It is difficult to find a great Pinot that is well priced and will hold up against a quality meal pairing as well as being able to just enjoy a glass by itself. Drew's wines are definitely of that class, so don't pass up the opportunity to taste a finely crafted wine when visiting Anderson Valley. read more

A must stop. I'm so glad this place was recommended to us. We only tasted 4 wines but they were excellent. I'll take 4 excellent wines over 8 mediocre *ahem nearby tasting room*. The Albariño was an thrill (Granny Smith Apple), the pinots were very good (and I'm picky about pinots) and the Syrah was an experience (Chateauneuf de Pape ish) lean and peppery. Nothing like many masses produced boring wines. Very glad I stopped. $5 tasting waved with purchase. Bottle prices $28 and up. Definitely walk the garden area. read more

What a great find. We had a nice tasting through their offerings, loved the Pinot Noir the best, and bought some. Cozy little tasting room. Go back for sure! read more

This review is for my overall experience with Drew wines since discovering them two years back through blogs, sites, etc. Prior to joining the mailing list, I only tried the Fog Eater, since it was the only one I could find off the shelf in wine stores around the Bay Area. After joining the mailing list just in time for the spring offering, I bought a few bottles, and came to pick them up at the tasting room. I was greeted by a friendly lady - I suspected was Molly but was not 100% sure until the end of my tasting. She was friendly, and patient throughout, and was willing to answer a few of my questions (including some of my more.. novice ones). I got to try the Albarino and Syrah.. both were excellent. I usually feel awkward visiting tasting rooms or wineries since I mostly venture out to wine country alone (nobody in my immediate circle of friends are as passionate about wine), but this time I felt pretty comfortable. Thanks for a low key, but informative and interesting 20 minutes. Drew is definitely worth checking out. And as always, it's good to support the smaller producers. read more

This small family owned winery is run by a husband and wife: Molly and Jason. It's so personal, in fact, when we arrived at their tasting room it was Molly herself that hosted us. She was very nice, but I wish she had voluntarily shared more information about the wine. It's always interesting to hear how people differentiate their wine; perhaps, she was shy. She was very attentive, however, and answered any questions we had including those involving the bizarre titles on their wine list. For example, their Pinot Noir was a " fog eater" while their Syrah came from a "Broken Leg Vineyard". The origins of these epithets were hilarious. (Fog eater is apparently a nickname for coastal dwellers and Broken Leg vineyard got it's name because the owner had fallen and broken his leg on a steep hill of some sort.) OH, and they have a corgi named Sir Grizzly Bear too (mine is just Grizzly bear)! I picked up a bottle of their 2009 Pinot Noir (from Valenti Vineyard) as it is the pride and joy of Anderson Valley, but I loved their Sryah as well (also from Valenti Vineyard). I look forward to seeing what their next vintages will taste like and hopefully new varietals pop up. A malbec, perhaps? Note: tastings are 5 dollars a person, but waived if you purchase a bottle of wine. read more

If you are interested in tasting exceptional wines, and meeting a family whose passion is representative in their production of Pinot, Syrah and Albarino - DREW FAMILY CELLARS is my favorite place to taste, converse, and become educated on the process of building amazing small lot wines. Jason and Molly have continued to be laser focused on the quality, foregoing the large lot, high case counts that you will see in others. They were recently recognized as one of the top 100 wines in CA the SJ Mercury wine section, the secret is out! The new wine tasting accomodations are great. Thank you again for a consistent, high quality experience. We will be back. read more

I am a huge fan of Anderson valley small producers. Drew has been in the headlines a lot- so we were curious to try their wines. We mostly had 2008s which was a tough vintage (fires)- and were unlucky with their Rose. However, I had some great interactions with Molly and had some more Drew elsewhere (in Wisconsin of all places) and think their wine-making is really noteworthy. In a better year- likely to produce really great stuff. In any case- stop by as the wine will likely be different from the rest of the valley (their vineyard are up on the Mendocino ridge). read more

Small, cozy, friendly. Very nice staff and great tasting wine. I would visit again soon.

Absolutely first class wines handcrafted locally. The tasting room is located right before the town of Philo. I understand they have a loyal following and you can tell by the wines. I would really recommend stopping by. Try the Syrah!! read more

The Drew Family wines are exceptional, a direct result of the hard work and dedication of Jason and Molly. As a professionally trained Chef, I love to pair their collection with both vegetarian and meat inspired entrees... the Drew Pinot is one of my secret weapons. read more

HI My wife and I did a tasting today at the Drew Tasting room. We really like the wines and have visited the tasting room twice in the last two years. However, this experience was highly unsatisfying,not because of the wines which are excellent, but rather, the arrogant and dismissive attitude of the person leading the tasting. She began by rudely insinuating that I did not know the difference between a Petit Sarah, which I thought they produced, and a Syrah. Arrogance. She was generally obnoxious in her descriptions of the wine, clearly considered us as novices and beneath her consideration as knowledgeable wine drinkers. We happen to have visited at least 20 of the 70 vineyards in the Anderson Valley. I can assure you we won't be visiting again nor recommended the visit until she is gone. Frustrated wine tasters. read more

Great whites! The Albarino was quite a surprise. Worth the stop.

I have been a huge fan of Drew's wines (particularly their Pinot Noir), and was delighted when they opened their tasting room near Philo earlier this year. I stop in every chance I get! They are conveniently located near several other wineries (including Goldeneye and Jim Ball), and one of the owners is virtually always there, which is a real treat. read more

I had the opportunity to try Drew at the Boonville Hotel at dinner. I am a new fan! They told me to go to their tasting room and was met by Kirk who mans the tasting bar. They specialize in Pinot so you are in good hands there. Had the chance to try the Morning Dew Pinot and it is ssooooo good! Bought several bottles as well as the Fog-Eater Pinot. Boontling for coastal dweller! Fun stop! read more

What a fun winery! A relatively new tasting room, and its not on the winery itself, but Molly Drew is great - you get 1:1 attention, and they make great Pinots. Really the personal touch is what its all about. Definitely stop in - - you'll probably wind up buying a couple cases like we did! read more

Drew Family Cellars is making excellent wines in one of my favorite wine-producing regions of California. While Anderson Valley has started producing some over-the-top Pinot Noirs, the Drew wines are all elegant and restrained. The two times I visited the tasting room, Molly and friends were friendly and accommodating. read more

The man pouring our wines was the hodor of pourers. Monotone and uninteresting. He knew few words. "Here's a Pinot. Here's another Pinot. Pinot, Pinot." Thanks god the wines were much more interesting. The gatekeepers, morning fog and fog eater are all excellent wines. Well done Drew. 5 stars wines, one star entertainment. read more