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    Littorai

    4.2 (33 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    By appointment only

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    One of the estate's cutest working residents.
    Camelia N.

    A vineyard tour and wine tasting at Littorai's biodyanmic domaine on Gold Ridge Road, perfectly perched atop the green and rolling Sebastopol Hills, may well be the best adult fantasy class field trip - ever! You almost feel like they should issue each guest a pair of rubber boots, leather gloves, Carhartt barn jacket, and a wool stocking cap (in autumn or winter) or straw sun hat (in late spring and high summer) to appreciate fully the hands on, root to glass journey through the vines. Any traumatic childhood memories you might have of teacher-led forced marches to museums, national monuments, parks, farms, and factories will almost instantly be healed. You will never look at group learning the same way again. Especially if you love organic gardening, wildlife conservation, and agricultural land preservation as much as you enjoy cool climate, Northern Californian grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, you and your closest friends will be thrilled by the immersive lesson in biodynamic farming and natural winemaking practices. It's like Montessori school for the wine lover with Wendell Berry on the reading list, but not Heidi Barrett. You will discover the many things besides grapevines that grow on a working wine estate: from herbs and plants that are dried and steeped to produce natural sprays and applications, to the sheep who graze the vineyard rows, to the cows who provide manure for composting, to the meadow grasses that will be made into hay for fodder to keep the operation running. Add in homes for pollinating mason bees, owl boxes to keep rodents and gophers in check, oak and pine forests for protecting raptors and other edge dwelling creatures, and you've got all the makings of a Pete Seeger song. Where have all the flowers gone? Here, Pete! Here!!! They are all growing between the Pivot Vineyard's immaculate rows of trellised vines. Anytime you need extra help harvesting chamomile flowers for another calming herbal tea to apply to distressed vines, Ted, just give us a call. Who knew that agroecology could be so fun? As far as the wine tasting portion of the group field trip goes, it actually makes places like Joseph Swan or Pellegrini seem like the lap of luxury. Bare bones does not even begin to capture the experience of tasting in the raw amidst the wine making tools of the trade. Its no-frills style evokes that of small, family-run domaines in Burgundy, where informal tastings might take place on a battered piece of plywood balanced on a pair of well weathered barrels. There are outdoor-style, infrared heaters set up in cooler months that can be turned on if requested, so you won't need to shiver and shake while you sip and swirl. The wines you will taste will never be the same, as much of Littorai's production is small and highly allocated to wine club members and Michelin-starred restaurants. The exceptions are the Sonoma Coast Appellation series - barrel aged Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, plus a lovely vin gris made from Pinot Noir grape juice - and an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ("Les Larmes," meaning "Drops" or "Tears") crafted by blending from multiple vineyards (One Acre, Roman, Cerise, Savoy, Wendling). On any given day, you may get to taste a range of vineyard-designate and appellation series wines, but it would take multiple visits (or membership in the Littorai Vintner's Coastal Collection) to sample them all. We tasted 6 wines on a January 2019 visit: 2016 Chardonnay from the B.A.Theriot and Platt Vineyards; a 2016 Sonoma Coast appellation series Pinot; and 2014 Pinot Noir from Theriot, Roman, and Platt. I fell for the two Platt Vineyard wines for their exquisite balance of fruit, flower, and earth, their silky tannins, integrated oak, and soft caress. These were juicy wines that made me salivate. They finished cleanly and left me wanting more. Since the Platt Vineyard recently was sold by the widow of the original owner, these wines are among the last of their kind; this fact may have accounted for the emotional tug that they had on my heartstrings. When we open them, we will offer a silent toast to time gone by. The Theriot wines both struck me as ever so slightly off kilter, with some aromas and flavors more assertive than others - too much cedar and citrus in the '16 Chardonnay, a palate filling whiff of cracked peppercorn and drying, tannic roughness in the '14 Pinot. I didn't get rose petal, crushed violet, chopped herb, warming spice, or orchard fruit blossom, and I missed these familiar friends. It was like an orchestra where the horn section was playing too loudly to hear the strings, or where the percussion section wasn't entirely up to speed on a new composition. But I also had the sense that these wines, like a well conducted orchestra, would with time and patience find their perfect sound. All the more reason to revisit Littorai on another occasion: to see how these vibrant and wonderful things have grown, blossomed, rooted, composted, rested, aged, and changed.

    We lucked out and got to try this library wine :)
    Rachel C.

    Littorai is hands down, in my opinion, the best California Pinot Noir producer. Our scheduled tour guide was under the weather so we were pleasantly surprised when both the assistant wine maker, Dan, and winemaker Ted Lemon took the time out of their schedules to talk with us! All of the wines were outstanding and Ted unexpectedly surprised us by letting us taste both the Chenin Blanc and a 2005 Pinot. This was, by far, one of the best tastings I've been to-thank you to everyone at Littorai for your gracious hospitality!

    Yum

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Expensive tasting, wine was meh, kind of pretentious. Walking around their farm was kind of nice though.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Tasting fee was ridiculous and pours were very small. Our host rushed us out within 45 minutes. Not a good experience

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Littorai is a must see/tasting. The wines are out of this world. Both PNs and Chardonnays are beyond words

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    13 years ago

    Love the Pinots, I had them at Dry Creek Kitchen some time ago and it was the star of the evening.

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    15 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Awesome experience! Definitely worth the fee. The wines are great but the tour and educational aspect of the visit is the best part.

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    Review Highlights - Littorai

    “If you're either very patient or extremely fond of discussing biodynamic farming, then you'll love Littorai.”

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Fog Crest Vineyard

    Fog Crest Vineyard

    4.4(215 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    •$$

    This business does not care about it's customers and is so impossible to reach it's almost comical…read more I was a long-term customer of Fog Crest. In 2024 we received a shipment of wine where all the wine in the shipment was broken. In typical situations, wineries offer replacement of broken bottles, but Fog Crest was impossible to reach in spite of (literally) 50 phone calls and emails. Since I couldn't reach them, I canceled my subscription to their wine club. Flash forward a few months, they charge me another ~$500 on my credit card for wine, but never ship me any wine (in spite of the fact that I had already canceled online). Again, dozens of calls and emails, no answer and no response. Still trying. A few months after that, they charge me ANOTHER ~$500 on my credit card for wine, but don't ship that wine to me either. After probably 100 calls and emails, I finally talk to the wine club coordinator on the phone. She of course acknowledges my dozens of messages, and acknowledges my situation. She says she will replace the wine that was broken and figure out why they've been charging me for wine I haven't been receiving and make it right. But that she can't talk right now and she'd call me back with more information. That was a month ago. I've now called again dozens of times, and emailed. No response. Called and emailed the owner, no response. This is borderline criminal: $1,500 in charges for undelivered product, a non-existent customer service experience, and an online system so archaic that it doesn't process your cancelation and continues to charge you for product.

    Zero Accountability and Terrible Customer Service - Avoid Fog Crest!…read more I'm absolutely appalled by my experience with Fog Crest Winery. We joined their wine club in 2023 and was charged $420 all of 2024/25 for wine that they NEVER shipped. When I called to inquire about where the wine was, I was met with complete silence--multiple calls and messages went unanswered. After finally getting a call back, the person said they only called me back because "she saw we had called a lot in one day." That was the first red flag. She promised to credit my account and look into another charge that had been applied. It's been SEVEN days since that conversation, and STILL no credit, no updates, and no resolution. I've followed up with multiple calls, messages, and emails... NOTHING. At this point, it's clear that they don't care about their customers. I highly recommend staying far away from Fog Crest if you value your time and money. Total waste of both

    Photos
    Fog Crest Vineyard - Great view

    Great view

    Fog Crest Vineyard
    Fog Crest Vineyard

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    Pax Wines

    Pax Wines

    4.1(88 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    •$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Pet friendly

    Pax Wines -- Sebastopol…read more What a little gem in The Barlow! Pax Wines has such a cool, relaxed atmosphere -- part wine tasting room, part cozy lounge. The indoor/outdoor space is beautiful, with art on the walls, comfortable leather couches and lounge seating inside, plus a lovely garden patio outside. The hospitality was amazing. Everyone was welcoming, knowledgeable and made the experience feel relaxed rather than rushed or pretentious. They also offer the perfect little bites to enjoy with your wine -- warm baguette with butter and rosemary, olives, charcuterie and assorted cheeses. Simple, delicious, and exactly what you want while sitting with a glass of wine. It's the kind of place where you plan to stop in for one glass and suddenly realize you've been sitting there enjoying yourself for a couple of hours. Such a great Sebastopol spot for wine, conversation and a relaxing afternoon. Definitely one of those places I'll be coming back to.

    Such a nice time! Came in here not sure what to expect, just walking around exploring all the shops…read morearound. The staff was so warm and knowledgeable! The cheeseboard was delicious. Cowgirl creamery, other awesome cheeses, fig spread, crackers and dried apricots, yum! The wine was delicious too, we got two different Chenin Blancs, both awesome! Will be back :)

    Photos
    Pax Wines - Sparkling Rosé on tap!

    Sparkling Rosé on tap!

    Pax Wines
    Pax Wines - By Leigh-Ann Beverley, www.bonafidepro.com

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    By Leigh-Ann Beverley, www.bonafidepro.com

    Moondance Cellars

    Moondance Cellars

    5.0(150 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    •$$

    David's wine is superb! He always says that each person gets to decide what they like when it comes…read moreto tasting wine - we all have our own palates - but I find it easier to trust in David's. We have been members for years and it's always the highlight of a trip to wine country to stop by and have a delightful hour or two with the winemaker himself. You can't go wrong with a bottle of David's wine, a true gem!

    We were passing by and spotted this winery on the map - overall, we had a really enjoyable and…read morepeaceful visit for a one-off wine tasting. David was as nice in person as on the phone when booking the appointment the same day. We had the choice of indoor vs outdoor for the tasting - both were nice spots but it was really nice out with the picnic table, pond, scenic hills, horses, heron, rat terrier Mikey, and the lounge chairs where we could enjoy our BYO lunch (Mexican from Roy's). Moondance has been in this location for over 20 years and co-promotes businesses in town, including the local Nepalese spot where their wines are served (Yeti), which is pretty cool. They only make 4 wines right now - two reds, two whites - and there were fans of all between the two of us, especially the Sauvignon Blanc, the Chardonnay (which was less buttery and less dry than others), and the Pinot Noir. The pours were the standard smaller size, which at least one of us appreciated, lol. Our tasting ended with a tour of the old cars, which at least one of us also appreciated. A nice couple of hours well spent in Russian River Valley.

    Photos
    Moondance Cellars
    Moondance Cellars - Mike guarding the property

    Mike guarding the property

    Moondance Cellars - Outside

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    Outside

    Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega Kitchen - French lentil soup and tomato soup

    Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega Kitchen

    4.9(434 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    •$$

    Folks. This place is a hidden gem when it comes to a family oriented dining experience with…read moreservice, and the food is simply amazing. Fresh, home grown ingredients, freshly made, in a quaint and relaxing atmosphere. Brian and Meek (spelled that wrong) have something very special here. The desserts were original, unique, and delightful! Vegan options make this place very versatile with no compromise on taste at all! We hosted a retirement party for girlfriend's mother and it's away from the hustle and bustle of the Barlow for a truly intimate experience. Thanks again to La Bodega and next time we'll come for their wine!

    Absolute GEM of a place…read more I simply cannot write enough compliments for this wine shop and restaurant. What an amazing place. The food is great and the wine pairing is divine. We tried the arancini, artichokes, pear tartlets, mezze platter for appetizers. The arancini and mezze platter were standout. Arancini was perfectly crispy and the pita was so fluffy and flavorful. We had the rigatoni, pesto, and mushroom ravioli - all wonderful and fresh. The desert was delicious and decadent. The wine pairing is the best part of the meal. The sommelier is extremely knowledgeable and kind. He goes out of his way to help you find your perfect wine, no matter how many pours. It was fantastic and I could not recommend it enough. The service is just amazing. Everyone treats you like a regular and enjoy getting to know your party. They even sang for a friend's birthday and got the whole restaurant involved. Absolutely fantastic - I will definitely be back!

    Photos
    Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega Kitchen
    Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega Kitchen - Beet Salad

    Beet Salad

    Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega Kitchen

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    Iron Horse Vineyards - View from outside at Iron Horse

    Iron Horse Vineyards

    4.1(449 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    •$$

    Edit in response to comment: Visit is from November 15th, 2025. Closeup of moldy grape from…read morecharcuterie board is attached below now. We've heard a lot of stellar reviews for Iron Horse, so we were underwhelmed by our experience. To start, we checked in at the front, got a glass of sparkling to start, and was told to wait for everyone joining us to get here. We waited for a few minutes. Our host ended up forgetting us and started walking off with the other party when they finally showed up, and the guy we checked in with had to go tell him we were part of his group. I enjoyed the charcuterie box that comes with the tasting, albeit there was some moldy bits here and there. We got the harvest magnum experience ($90/person). They offer more affordable experiences as well. To be honest, I wasn't impressed with any of the wines. I did enjoy the seating experience, the charcuterie box, and the mini impromptu tour everyone was given of the production. The wine itself was underwhelming for the price and as nothing stood out to us, we finished our tasting and didn't grab anything to go. As we weren't wine club members here, the host didn't pay us much attention. Worth trying once, maybe, to see if their wines are to your liking.

    Ok the good. Beautiful place. Privately owned vs a lot of vineyards are being bought up. Great…read moreview. Damn good wines. A little pricey but damn good. The overall experience though lacks. Our host was not great. Greeting person seemed not friendly and stressed. Standing like that under an umbrella with no benches seems cheap and annoying. We bought wine and really like the Rued Chard and some of the sparkling. But we won't be back and we are locals. Stinks because for a few staff changes and nicer seats this place could have it all. Oh and outhouse bathroom not cool when you are spending money. Like your wines and magical view/location but too many easy fixes for us to come back or recommend.

    Photos
    Iron Horse Vineyards - A Winter Fairy Tale

    A Winter Fairy Tale

    Iron Horse Vineyards
    Iron Horse Vineyards - The View

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    The View

    Littorai - winetastingroom - Updated September 2026

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