We stopped at Martinelli on a weekend trip through Napa and went for the pinot noir & cheeseboard tasting. Everything was tasty, but the tasting itself felt a bit rushed, both the velocity of pours as well as the explanations we got. Definitely make use of the outdoor patio if the weather allows you. It's a bit of a shame it's this closeby to the road, the noise pollution of the passing cars is noticeable. read more

Was at another winery up the road a few weeks ago celebrating my birthday with a group of friends when we decided we wanted to continue the party somewhere else. So we stopped here on our way back home. We were not disappointed. First and most importantly, there is a winery cat! I repeat, a winery cat! And he is so sweet! So if that's not enough to get you in then I guess we'll move on to the wine and the service! They were so friendly and welcoming when we walked in the door. They explained our tasting options and since we hadn't been there before we decided to go with the one that had more of a variety. It did not disappoint. The wines were all excellent and I walked away with a few of them. Inside is really cool as well, its like a museum that tells the history of the vineyard so you get a whole experience while wine tasting. Will definitely be back! read more

This was a very impressive and friendly tasting experience! The gentleman hosting and giving us all the info and background about the family, their wines, their history, and about the area was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Their wines were all great too! And that tasting room is one of the best decorated we've been in! So much history and great re-use of materials and mixutres of mediums! From the train engine bar sides to the tons of timber throughout, take a walk around and pay attention to all the attention to detail. It seems they put that same attention to detail in their winemaking! Definitely would highly recommend! And if you decide to buy a bottle to sit _ sip, go to one of the tiered gardens outside with water fountains - beautiful! read more

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Absolutely beautiful and peaceful winery with great wine. The staff was attentive and friendly with light pours of wine. The wine was good but nothing I loved that I felt compelled to purchase a bottle. Recommend a tasting in the relaxing terrace! read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Famous Zinfandel with original label - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

Carson made our tasting so special. Probably the best we had all week. We tried everything. Loved the Jackass Zin. Great cheeses and very informative. We all said we would be back and they made us feel at home. We definitely bought some good wine here. Thanks Carson and the rest of the tasting staff. read more

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Just did a wine tasting here. Hospitality was great.... Carson was a great host! He's only being doing this 1 year, but he was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions! read more

Wonderful first visit. I SO appreciated the side by side pours as you can really smell and taste the difference in the wines. They had very unique and distinct tastes and smells. I really liked two of their Chardonnays and one of their Pinots. My favorite though was their muscat. Delicious! I believe my hosts were Carson and Brian and they were both fabulous. I will definitely return whenever I am in the area. Thanks for a delightful first time. read more

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Wow. Just wow. It's rare when you do a tasting that you like everything on the menu, but we found it at Martinelli's. BTW no relationship to the cider peeps - we asked. :). Seating on their newly opened patio was great, and they are dog friendly. Thank you for offering our pup a treat! All of the wines were amazing, and the ability to compare A vs B was a great format. Even though the Russian River area is known for Pinots, I found the Zins sublime, especially the Giuseppe and Luisa. Wine is very personal, so what one person likes, another will not, but I recommend you check these folks out. Superb wines and stellar service experience. Special shout out to Nicole for making our day! read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - New outdoor patio, very dog friendly!! - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

We had the best time with Julianna today. She made our experience at this beautiful vineyard absolutely extraordinary. I'm not sure if the scenery or the wines were better. Gardens, service, wines were spectacular. Cannot recommend enough. read more

Stick to sparking cider. Your wine is terrible. Absolute bottom shelf trash. Step your game up Lee, stop serving urine.

This place has been a regular visit for years as the wine is excellent and every other experience has been pleasurable with the staff (who remembers Tom?). A few weeks ago my girlfriend and I dropped by this winery just after 4 PM for a bar tasting (4:05 PM to be exact). Knowing that they closed at 5, we didn't think this would be an issue. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a friendly member of the staff who stated that our tasting might be shortened due to the time restrictions. We totally understood and had no problem with this (even a bar tasting can take up to an hour). To our surprise, another member named Sarah then spoke up and said that she could not take on anyone else (the place wasn't busy with just two parties in the bar area). As an employer, I strongly recommend reconsidering employees that are so eager to shut down your business for the day. In fact, I've never had a wine experience with such a bold response. With so many options in wine country, I encourage others to try elsewhere. read more

I have been driving up and down River Rd for 25 years but this was the first time I stopped at Martinelli. Shame on me for waiting so long! Carson was an exceptionally fine host - well informed, friendly and with great timing. My friend and I felt welcomed and never rushed. We tried some really tasty pinots here - make sure you request the Two Sisters pinot. It's outstanding - practically vibrating with tensile energy! read more

Our experience here was...good. I was extremely excited to try out Martinelli's famed wine, but wound up being a bit disappointed. The wines are high quality, they just weren't for my palate. The Zin's were just too ripe and jammy for me. And I drink quite a bit of Zinfandel. We were even offered to try a few different wines off the tasting menu, which was nice. Just couldn't find something that said "Pick me, I'm the one". I'm not a fan of creamy Chardonnay's as theirs, although it wasn't overly oaky and quite balanced. Again, just not for my palate. The pinots we tried were good, not mind blowing, but good. I actually ended up buying 2 bottles of Sonoma Coast and 2 Single Vineyards. Aside from a preferential palate piece, our wine guide that day admitted she was pretty new. But she definitely needed a little more experience under her belt. The wine explanations seemed a bit rehearsed and I could tell she wasn't picking up on our palates, whereas someone more seasoned probably would have led us towards a few different selections. She was very nice though and have no doubt she'll get there. We did order a cheeseboard, which is preorder only I believe (I made reservations by phone a weeks early). I didn't know it was going to be a steep $50, but it was straight up the best charcuterie board I've had: 2 Cheeses, 2 meats, olives, fried raviolis, veggie salad, artichoke dip, onion jam and more. Definitely worth it. With that being said, the tasting veranda is beautiful. The staff is really friendly and accommodating. But the wines weren't my personal speed. Hopefully I'll get a shot at trying some different stuff in the future that I'll like. read more

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Martinelli was one of my favorite wineries to visit while tasting in the Russian River Valley. Their estate is so charming! On the walk up, you'll notice a stairway leading up to an adorable little waterfall that's surrounded by their beautiful vineyards. The stairway will lead you to their exclusive outdoor tasting area. We actually ended up tasting inside which was just as charming. There are bottles of wine everywhere! Their tasting area is centered right in the middle of room which presents a very inviting atmosphere. Inside, you'll also find several other points of interest. They have their Zinfandel wine tank that's comically known as their "Jackass Zinfandel Tank" right against the back wall. There are several vintage items including a vintage bottle opener and a vintage style fireplace. If you're a collector, they have so many wonderful collector's items for sale. This winery is full of so much history, and we had a great time learning about Martinelli's roots. Speaking of such, Martinelli Winery has not affiliation with the Martinelli apple cider brand. They are two totally different entities. We came here during the food and wine affair, and they were serving chicken cacciatore with sour dough bread as a pairing with their wines. Let me tell you... it was absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS! The entire staff was cordial and inviting! We conducted our tasting with Lea, and she is an excellent sommelier! She was very knowledgeable and was able to pinpoint some excellent selections based off of our preferences. If you're a red wine lover, you will LOVE Martinelli's selections! Their 2014 "Vigneto di Evo" Zinfandel and 2014 "Moonshine Ranch" Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley were my particular favorites. Both were smooth and tasted extraordinary! They make quality wines and you will taste it with each sip. We lingered here for quite a while just socializing with the other guests and sommeliers. The atmosphere is really casual and relaxing. We thoroughly enjoyed tasting and Martinelli Winery & Vineyards and are looking forward to our next visit. read more

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We spent a fantastic afternoon tasting wines at Martinelli Winery. Gabby was a wonderful hostess - so knowledgeable about the wines and a delight! We chose the wine and cheese tasting - the cheeses from Bohemian Creamery added so much to our tasting. We look forward to our next visit! read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Tasting room - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

Great tasting! Julianna was very nice and informative. Beautiful winery and great wine!

We did a seated tasting here. Excellent wine, excellent service from Gabby. We truly enjoyed the experience and look forward to future shipments. read more

Beautiful place to sit outside and have a glass of wine, the inside of the building is also very cool, all old wood barn style, service was good, did not do a tasting but did look like they were very interesting and knowledgeable. read more

We couldn't pass up the big red barn driving along River Road. There's no nexus to the apple cider btw. Staff are super friendly and welcoming - unpretentious. Come here to relax, have some wine, and meander around. They built a nice new patio with a picturesque waterfall. Our hostess with the mostess Rosé (how fitting) poured us tasty wines, and she was the sweetest lady. The Zinfandel was my favorite. My friend ended up buying the muscat. Love the vibe, can't wait to come back to enjoy the patio setting with a bottle of Zin and delectable snacks. 'Til we meet again ~ cheers! read more

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Everyone was so lovely here! Terry and Ivy went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. Don't forget the cheese with the wine!!! read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

If you are thinking the same company as Martinelli the apple cider you are like me! It's not though. I didn't know there was another Martinelli brand out there and wine. And you would think they are just a branch off but nope, they are totally different. This is my BFs hometown and he always drives by Martinelli but never went until now. We were heading back to the bay and I suggested we take advantage of wine country and do another tasting that wasn't out of the way. Martinelli is right there and they opened at 10am. Yes drinking early is good! We stopped there around 10:15 and did their basic wine tasting. It tasted good to me! We also got to taste their dessert wine and the lady that helped us gave us a tip on drinking sweet dessert wine. The tasting room was nice and big. They were nice and friendly and knowledgable here. They also had a beautiful picnic area up near the vineyard! And had regular eating grapes growing everywhere. We tasted some and it was vey sweet and delicious! read more

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Martinelli was one of my favorite wineries on my Labor day wine tour (I went to 8 that weekend). I had booked a Terrace tasting online, which was $25 per person. My friends and I got there 30 minutes before our 11AM appointment, which was the first one of the day, and they were just setting up the terrace. They were nice enough to give us a welcome wine (separate from the tasting) while we waited. The outdoor terrace is adjacent to the vineyards. And there are grapes growing on the wooden trusses, which we were told we were free to try. I tried muscat, pinot noir, and zinfandel grapes right off the vines. Our server was knowledgeable about the history of the winery. The Martinellis have been growing grapes since the 1880s; the real OGs of Sonoma winemaking. We tried 2 Chardonnays, 2 Pinot Noirs, and 2 Zinfandels. I was blown away by the Zinfandels which were strong but not heavy and jammy. Our server told us to take a guess on the alcohol content. I guessed 14.5%. My friends 15%. And it was 16.5%!! CRAZY. Because didn't have that typical heat and heaviness. I obviously bought a bottle. 2016 Giuseppe and Luisa. Amazing. I love wineries that give a personal experience. Our server was great. You could tell that he cared about the wine and how it was grown. He gave us a lesson on "brix," which is the measure of how much sugar is in the grapes. A degree of brix is 1 gram of sugar per 100 grams of grape juice. And based on the degrees of brix, they know when to pick the grapes. I know I'm a wine nerd. I think this stuff is cool. Our server let us re-try any of the wines we had tasted. I was curious to try their syrah, which wasn't on their tasting flight, but they were happy to let me taste it in their tasting room. It was a gorgeous day outside and my friends and I had a great time. The only downside was that the terrace is still within earshot of the main road so you can still hear cars whizzing by but it's still such a great experience. I highly recommend booking the outdoor terrace tasting. read more

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Martinelli Winery & Vineyards is a true undiscovered gem in the heart of the Russian River Valley just north of Santa Rosa right off Highway 101's River Road exit. Just a slight left turn a couple of miles down the road and you'll notice the rather large red barn facility that hosts their tasting room which overlooks almost 450 acres of rolling hills of grapes (which is the total of their many vineyards throughout the region). They been open at this red barn location since 1987 and they sell about 85 percent of their grapes and keep only 15 percent of that for their own wines. It's all about having the best of the best here at Martinelli (and no they are not affiliated with the legendary apple cider makers, so if you're bringing your kids look elsewhere for non-alcoholic libations, although we suggested we should sell them in a fridge here). We happened to be up in the region with plans to visit another nearby winery and Martinelli's has been grabbing us every time we are driving through the region, we had time to kill so we said why not finally try this place out? We honestly did think, like so many others, that they were affiliated with the cider beverage company, which of course upon entry we immediately found out that they were not from our tasting room associate Rose (pronounced like the wine). I do feel they should have cider tucked away in their public refrigerator along with the bottled waters and cheeses and meats (how cute would that be?). Instead when you go inside their red barn tasting room you will find a small but lovely tasting room that serves as their main point of business. There are other interesting things like wine presses inside that give off the impression of a wine museum both for the most part, this is a small but mighty operation. They weren't too busy on this Sunday afternoon we arrive as there was plenty of parking, we immediately noticed this beautiful new outdoor wooden patio that overlooked the property and tasting room. We were greeted by our tasting room associate Rose and she presented us with two tasting options either the Terrior Flight, which is the entire list they are presenting for 25 dollars or a select 4 tastings from that same list for 12 dollars. My friend knew we had a considerable amount of tasting to do so we were thrilled when we were allowed to split the select 4 tastings, one taste of the Chardonnay, the Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and the Muscat. I really like the 2014 Bella Vigna Chardonnay which had a light flavor of citrus and crisp pear, it was neither buttery or oakey and dry. It would have paired well with sushi. The 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir had a nice sweet aroma of flowers and berries. It went down very easy which would be great with any meat dish. Martinelli's oldest vine is over one hundred and thirty five years old and they put it in a blend called the Lolita Ranch Zinfandel which had a wide range of flavors from lychee to wild berry and cocoa powder and it like many of their other wines had a higher content in alcohol and lower in sugar. Our tasting room associate was nice enough to serve us both the Zio Tony Ranch Syrah which was really smooth with a touch of Earl Grey tea mixed with very young tannins alongside the lovingly named 2013 Jackass Hill Muscat of Alexandria which had the purtity of apricot, lavender honey, pineapple, gardenia, and honeysuckle. The Muscat was so sweet and sublime I had to get a bottle and at 35 dollars was a real steal and therefore made our tasting absolutely free! You can't get a better deal than that! The team at Martinelli's is really down to earth, that's why I like Sonoma wines, especially the Russian River Valley, they're not as stuffy like the tasting rooms in Napa and really go out of their way to welcome you with open arms without pressuring you to sell you on anything. And the team of John, Dominic and Rose really lived up to that promise. I can't wait to return to the vineyard grounds and enjoy a picnic in their new atrium deck overlooking the entire estate. You feel like your home here at Martinelli's and that is fact that can never be taken away. read more

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Had a tremendous experience at Martinelli, thanks in large part to Josh, who we'll remember as the person we want to guide us through any wine tasting going forward. Our group of four ordered two tastings and while we sipped our way through some delicious wine, we peppered Josh with a million questions, each one leading to great information and usually a story. We're not wine critics by any measure, so I can't necessarily guide the experts to any particular winery, but for a reasonable price we started our day with a perfect tasting at Martinelli and left with a remarkable list of personalized recommendations for the rest of our weekend. read more

Had a great visit! Wines were amazing with fantastic service. Staff walked us through each wine, provided great details at a relaxed pace.

Great wine, great service, great Pinots and Zins! It's also conveniently located near a handful of others wineries. Definitely recommend. read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

Our visit was exceptional. The wine is quite good. Also - The tasting room has a lot of history , which our server Dave explained so very well. If you are in the area , don't miss the experience. read more

We had out of town guests come and they wanted to do a tasting at Martinelli Winery...it was a super awesome experience for all!! Our server Megan was fantastic and very knowledgeable of their wines!! They also did a great job with social distancing and the cheese board was outstanding!!! This is a place to checkout!!! read more

Our experience at Martinelli's was nothing short of amazing. Maud was hands down the best host out of all the wineries we toured. She made sure we were comfortable, entertained and satisfied with with our experience. If you need a couple of laughs she is your girl! 100/10 recommend. read more

We were greeted by to lovely young women escorted into a private room where several clean glassses were set up along with a complimentary charcuterie tray. Gabby our wine expert was not only knowledgeable about the wines but also the incredible history of the family and the winery. Definitely one of our favorite of the 16 tours we have done resulting in ending up with us joining their wine club . We will be back for sure! read more

This is an adorable little stop if your winetasting in Sonoma County. It's inside an old barn from the late 1800s that was built by the original family. I enjoyed coming in here and learning about the history and of course tasting the wine. One thing to note is that this winery does small batches of wine. So much of what we tried was actually not available for us to buy because it was already sold out. I did end up buying a delicious to dessert wine which I look forward to having in the future. The prices are a little bit high here but I think it's well worth it to learn about the history and support a small family. read more

Seriously some of these reviews are absurd. I have been coming here for 20 years and bar none this the best winery in RRV. If Pinot Noir or Zinfandel are your thing you can do no better. If you are lucky you will get on there mailing list and enjoy not only the wine but how this wonderful family treats there patrons. They do special events a couple times a year that are not be missed! We have been fortunate to meet many of the family over the years and each time is special with many insights & fascinating story's from one of the oldest family owned winery (over 100 years) in the RRV. The tasting room staff are friendly & knows there product and are all long time members of this 5 star winery. Now the price point is not any where near 2 buck chuck, but you pay for what you get. If you know some Wine Geek friends, bring them a bottle of Giuseppe & Luisa Zin, I promise they will thank you and expect you to bring more every time you visit Cheers PS lol @ low rates read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

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In terms of quality, Martinelli offered the best-tasting reds during our wine tour. For $5, I tasted the following: (1) 2005 Bella Vigna Pinot Noir ($40) - a very solid red. Impressive plum, blueberry, and ripe cherry fruit with a medium to full body finish. (2) 2006 Three Sisters Vineyard Pinot Noir ($60) - contains red fruits with floral qualities and peppery spice. Wild strawberry and raspberry flavors. (3) 2006 Zio Tony Ranch Syrah ($75) - My favorite one of the three. A 92+ points winner with hints of plum, licorice, and blackberries. I didn't care too much for the the tasting room; a little bit too dark and dingy for me. It didn't seem lively at all. But the wines, I strongly recommend. read more

Fantastic spot. Wines as alway were great. Lee Ann was great and went above and beyond with opening specials wines and offering knowledge.

Enjoyed a late afternoon wine tasting on the patio a few weeks ago. Service was great and the many pours were generous. Felt very safe. We had our kids with us and they enjoyed the goat cheese and flat bread. Tasting wasn't waived when we purchased a bottle, but I understand that might not be possible during a pandemic. Definitely a place to check out! read more

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon wine tasting. They have it worked out perfectly for both the summer heat and social distancing. Beautiful patio with mist and shade and tables far apart. Great wines with amazing personal service by people who truly know and love Sonoma County wines. We had such a nice time. It was so relaxing- a perfect summer day. read more

Turley makes their Zins? I'm in! Yes, after our tastings, surprise...I bought a bottle of Zin. read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Martinelli Winery & Vineyards. - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

I finally got the opportunity to stop in here during the Winter WIneland event. The wines are fantastic and easily the best we tasted that day. They are on the pricier side, but I bought 2 bottles anyway because they are really, really good. I can't say that my palate is good enough to really describe each wine I tasted. I am more of I like it, love it, or dislike it kind of wine fan. I am not the "I taste wet leather and red berries with a hint of anise". Either way, I recommend stopping in and trying their wines. read more

Unpretentious tasting room and very nice people work here. They're nice and patient and no rushing here. They have a nice patio too. This is not apple juice!! read more

Martinelli Winery & Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Windsor, California

The history of this place is really interesting! Ask about the three generations of farming that has happened on their land. Typically we both don't like chardonnay, but they had one estate one that blew us away! And also, we preferred their pinots over zinfandel. Again, the higher end one was a fave -- and actually left with a bottle of it. I bought their moscato as well. Tasty, not too sweet. Definitely a treat. They are very friendly, and have just the right amount of information when tasting. I'm glad a friend recommended for us to stop into Martinelli. read more