What an elevated experience from the elegant winery to elevated culinary experience to elegant wines rich in history in Napa, Sonoma and Argentina. Paul Hobbs is now my favorite winery in Sonoma. read more

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I really don't want to say anything because I am sometimes selfish about these amazing experiences. The food pairing by their Chef Tim is by far the best meal we have had out here in over 10 years. Second best is last year's tastings Better per our palates than the Michelin starred places we have had at least 3 times, but I'ts only my opinion. However, my wife started bobbing while eating, and that's a sign of pure joy. Thank you Tim and Paul Hobbs, the best tasting ever! P.S. Taste their wine, get on the list, you're welcome. Amazing read more

Did a private tasting on 9/10 at Paul Hobbs winery. The whole experience was amazing and great. The food was an excellent treat along with the tasting wines. The service was amazing and location was just amazing. Highly recommend to pass by this winery for a great tasting experience. read more

Paul Hobbs Winery - Tasting experience - Wineries Near Me - Sebastopol, California

Fantastic experience- Trade Tasting with the Rhythm Master EG Coudert. We really had an exceptional experience. One of those experiences that stay with you for a long long time and the wines are all so good I will recommend and purchase for the rest of my life!! Sla'inte read more

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Due to COVID we had an entire room to ourselves! This was a lovely and special experience! Refreshingly modern winery with nice wine, food, ambiance, perfectly manicured grounds with rolling hills view. Host was wonderful. Wow!! And kudos to the chef! The best applesauce I've ever had. And the cheeses were perfect paired with the wines. read more

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So, Paul Hobbs Wineries. To say that this place consistently hits it out of the park is an understatement. This was our second visit to Paul Hobbs, our first was in March 2017. And the quality of the presentation, the wines, both times, was extraordinary. We enjoyed the signature tasting both times, and this, for a paltry sum, includes the wines, five of them, and generous pours, and a cheese pairing. This time our party was just the four of us and two other couples, who were like-minded wine drinkers from Los Angeles and Alaska respectively. The rooms where the tastings are conducted are well-appointed in a contemporary style that is extremely pleasing to the eye, though understated. The tasting begins with a short tour of the facility, focusing on the vats where the fermentation takes place and the floor where the juice is separated from the grapes and stems. The actual tasting is conducted via multiple glasses arrayed in front of each of the tasters, rather than multiple pours into a single glass. The wine educator (for lack of a more concise term) then walks us through each of the wines, it's vintage and name, it's sources, output amount, and price per bottle. You know, the usual drill for an elevated tasting. The combination of the high quality wine, the awesome setting, the food pairings and the company made for a top-notch experience, one that I can heartily recommend. This is the real deal, and you only suffer by not jumping in your car right this second and tooling on up there. Oh, reservation only, be sure to call ahead. read more

Paul Hobbs Winery - Paul Hobbs, I love the decor... - Wineries Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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The Paul Hobbs experience is a home run! So intimate and inviting, the experience is without a doubt stellar! Tyson set up our reservation and was super personable and interested in our visit. EJ was an incredible host! In the know about everything PH and the wine world, having been in the industry for some time...an absolute gracious and generous host. The grounds and wine are on another level! Do yourself a favor and do the elevated tasting. You will not be disappointed. Thanks a ton for a phenomenal visit! read more

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I've tasted the Paul Hobbs 2006 Pinot Noir from Ulises Valdez Vineyard RRV and thought it was outstanding so I wanted to visit this winery. This is one of the wineries were you have to make an appointment and that isn't a big deal and I understand. We called to make an appointment, nobody answered the phone but on the message my husband heard they prefer on line reservations. We were on the road and weren't able to go on line at the time and explained that on the phone. We both thought someone would call us back at the end of the day or even the next day but nobody from this winery took the time to do so. I've experienced better service at nearly any other winery. read more

As stated by Pinot Aficonados " if you drink no noir you pinot noir". So class let's continue to dig in on the third leg of the Trifecta of the Russian River finishing up with Paul Hobbs. Maybe I did save the best til last,same as the Triple Crown. I absolutely love what Paul Hobbs has done with the bevy of wines in his stable,in less than 30 years & Hobb's Pinot Noir's can go against any big boy Pinots as it encompasses a total rainbow of experiences with all of your senses. Not just heavy tannins and blow your head off wines but as a woman who evolves over time in your life, the Pinot Noir experiences change throughout your entire life. Paul Hobbs started off at Notre Dame but thankfully changed to UC & the legend started (probably got tired of drinking vin ordinaire wine at the churches around Notre Dame & saw an opportunity). Incredibly a little over a decade he became known globally, &is involved in the wine industry across China, France, US, Argentina to name a few. Back in'04 Parker named Paul "Most Important Winemaker in California". He also consults with many wineries, 15 total in US(Chalone, Stewart Cellars,et.al), and 22 others internationally. WOW. I was intrigued how he focused on Argentina (Malbec anyone), but he launched Vina Cobos in Mendoza, Argentina in'99, a leader with a vision. He started the 14 acres Lindsay Vineyards (named after his father) with 3 root stocks and 5 clones of pinot, & has evolved today as the lineup is as tough as the NY yankees, with my favorite Ulises Valdez Vineyard, Hyde Vineyards Carneros... not enough space to comment about the chards, but the Ross Station 2014 is at its apex. The creme de la creme for chards has to be the '14 Cuvee Agustina from Richard Dinner Vineyards. Chard also barrel fermented for 11 mos 44% new French oak. Back to pinots...the lineup of pinot such as the '14 Katherine Lindsay Estate, & the incredible '16 Pinot Agustina is not to be missed. Remember availability on the outside is minimal. I believe the clones are Beba and Calera and yields are between 1.5 to 3 tons per acre. Scores for the pinots are top box across theboard. People comment about generous tannins, dark reddish purple, a bevy of notes including cherries, berries, nose and palate, dark chocolate and some spice , but what an oak finish...dense yet supple. Could not agree more. Pinot lineup is Russian river appellation blend, UV , Lindsay, & Hyde vineyard Carneros. The second label CrossBarn, is lower price point & about 15K cases, same as Paul Hobbs label. Hobb's lineup is phenomenal for pinot cult classic collectibles driven by the neaveux riche Millennials. Since 2012, california wine profit margins have grown 17 %, pricing is up 15 % while volume up only about 2% per Robobank studies. You do not want to swim with a ton of guppies but be the killer shark. Pinots such as SeaSmoke "Ten", Raen Freestone Occidental, Bodega, Headlands Cuvee Elizabeth vineyard, Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard, & of course Paul Hobbs UV, et al, the bar for Pinot classic collectibles is going to surge as the finesse, yet boldness of these pinot offerings will align with food pairings, friend pairings or just listening to Country Music or Jazz alone when you need to be uplifted. Paul Hobbs is in this cult classic collectible Pinot Noir class. Move over you Cab boys, as the players who strut their stuff in pinot are taking over and Paul Hobbs is one of them. The 2016 Cuvee Agustina Katgerine Lindsay estate pinot $145...in 2010 wine enthusiast gave it a 94 & has stayed in that stratosphere ever since. Donate $145 and acquire a 2016 on your next visit and share it with who is visiting you or sneak off alone as I did as I drank it alone when I went to my room. But I did start reading about history of Pinot Noir grapes and how FPS designates the clones. Tough read when drinking the 2016 Agustina and studying for a pinot test.Sorry. *The oldest sources documented in FPS records for Pinot noir are for two introductions made by Dr. Harold Olmo in 1951. *One came from Pommard, France &was designated Pinot noir. Meredith Edwards at the Mount Eden Vineyards sent the Rae clone to Goheen for clean up.At least you know the start but the finish is just to enjoy & savor what Russian River gives us- a Game Changer grape and expert vineyard talent & leaders. Ahh, to start over again! Vino Geno. Ciao. read more

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Horrible customer service there are soo many wineries to spend our money at this won't be one of them!

I finally got to go for a tasting at Paul Hobbs this past Friday. You aren't able to go unless you are on their mailing list - which currently has a waiting list - but my dad was in town for business and he is a member. In summary it was a top notch experience with top notch wine. Lauren was our host for the day and started by taking us into a big room with a fully set table. The wine snob that I am appreciated that we were each given multiple glasses that were appropriate for the wine were were tasting - Chardonnay, Pinot & Cab. It makes such a difference and that should have been the first clue to the experience we were about to have. With each wine that was poured Lauren told us where it was from, any important history information and what she liked about each. It was informative enough that we knew what to look for in the wine, but not too informative that we couldn't form our own opinions. Seems simple enough, but so many wineries are not able to find this balance. Below is the list of wines we were able to taste, in order: * 2007 Richard Dinner Chardonnay * 2007 Walker Station Chardonnay * 2007 Hyde Vineyard Pinot * 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet * 2006 Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Cabernet (We were able to taste this because my dad is a good customer & I hope I can taste it again after some age because it is going to be awesome!) * 2006 Bramare Malbec Paul also grows wine in Argentina so we got a history lesson there. I didn't know Malbec was originally from Bordeaux! All in all, it was one of my favorite tasting experiences ever. I will definitely need to save some money to add a few bottles to my collection and get on the mailing list so I can go back again! read more

Down a country lane off Hwy116 and past some conspiracy theorist's odd protest signs, lies a quiet oasis that is Paul Hobbs' beautiful workshop/winery. The pinots and chardonnays are world class. And they're priced that way too., They aren't open to the public and they don't host a tasting room. Join the list, and buy some wine. Then, you can visit and hang out a little. The architecture is simple and astounding. The setting is one of west Sonoma County 's best and the service is perfect. Uhhh,,,yeah, we're fans. read more

Tours and tastings are by appointment to mailing lists members, industry, and press. Sign up and schedule an appointment and they will send you a map to their winery. Right off Hwy 116 behind some protesters signs/trailers...very odd. Drive past all that and Paul Hobbs Winery appears. Absolutely gorgeous winery with rolling hills. The tasting occurs in what feels like an upscale living room. They describe the history and how involved Paul Hobbs was with the creation of Russian River Valley and in the awareness of wine to the public in the 1970's. We tasted their: 2007 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay ($75): 100% ML, natural yeast, 11-12 months french oak. cloudy fruit, apples on the palate with good acidity, lush but clean, lots of spice, some butter, but not overwhelming, butterscotch, melons, caramel, and popcorn, really lovely as it opens up. Still one of my favorite Chardonnays ever. 2007 Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir ($75): burgundy-garnet color, blackberry fruit, tight cloves, seems a tad hot, some raspberries, some meatiness 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($75): bug black, cranberries, black currants, lush berries, really nice tannis, cigar, black licorice, easily drinkable 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Beckstofffer Dr. Crane Vineyard ($165): lot more herbaciousness, cherry, red raspberries, lots more acid in this wine, earthiness, silky big mouthfeel, nice finish as well 2008 Mendoza Felino Vina Cobos Malbec ($20) spicy, inky, but more like Petite Verdot, burnt cedar, tree branch, lots of earthiness, tastes like american oak, cherry cola, prunes. 2006 Bramare Lujan de Cuyo Malbec ($40): even darker color, pruney, very ashy, but too pruney. Wonderful place to taste, but really not for your everyday wine. Their 2008 Malbec is defiantly a steal though at $20! read more

Just an absolutely outstanding experience at our first visit with Paul Hobbs Wines. From the incredible bites prepared for pairing by the Executive Chef, to the expert pours by our host EJ, we sampled outstanding Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, and eagerly await those we ordered to be delivered when temperatures for shipping cool down. Highly recommend! read more

Paul Hobbs came recommended to us by a friend in the wine distributing business. We made reservations for a tasting and had a wonderful time. There were only four people in our group, including us, making it close to a private tour of this gorgeous winery. Emily was our gracious hostess for the afternoon and she was charming, knowledgeable, and accommodating. She told us the wonderful story of Paul's life and history of the winery in the stunning living room of the main house. The house is modern, sleek, and very stylish. It was quite a juxtaposition to the rustic gardens surrounding it, but it worked. Clean lines throughout the house mirrored the perfectly planted grapes, as well as the extraordinarily clean and organized tank and barrel rooms. The entire property is an engineer's dream! We were comfortable and cozy on the couch, sampling the wines and talking about Paul, the land, and the development of his wonderful wines. I particularly enjoyed the 2007 Lindsay Estate Pinot Noir and the 2008 Bramare Malbec that I sampled that day. They are both rich in flavor and expertly crafted. We would not hesitate to come here again, it is beautiful! read more

Outstanding experience. We were familiar primarily with the Paul Hobbs pinot noir but came away having tasted elegant chardonnays and gorgeous cabs as well as a wide range of pinots. I recommend the Vineyard Delegate Experience -- beautiful wines paired with restaurant-quality food. Lovely grounds. Our host, Tyson, was fantastic. Understated elegance from start to finish. We are fans for life. read more

I am honored to receive a private tour from this establishment. Our tour guide, Jennie aka The Wine Maker, was very knowledgeable about all the processes, chemistry, basically anything you can ask about the wines. You can feel and taste the passion that goes into the production of these high end wines. We enjoyed our visit and will defintely come back! read more

The wine at this place is hands down fantastic. There is no doubt that if you go here, and enjoy wine, you will be happy. The reason I didn't give it a 5 star rating is more based on my personal opinion/experience. The place is beautiful, modern clean and meticulous. I felt like i was walking into someone's fancy house (and wasn't quite sure I felt welcome). When we arrived for our tasting, there was nobody there to great us. We heard voices in another room, so followed those, and eventually found the rest of our group. Waited a few minutes for our guide to great us, and he did say that we were early and he wasn't quite ready for us. (Based on other reviews, I was afraid to be late and be turned away!) We had booked the tasting ahead of time (which is required). We started the tour with a glass of chardonnay, and a small bite prepared by our guide which was fantastic. We then had a brief tour of the winery, saw some spectacular views, and even got to taste a bit from a barrel that someone was racking. That was VERY cool! Our group headed back into the dining room for the seated tasting, which was paired with some cheeses. Their high end cabernet was probably supposed to be the star, but I personally enjoyed the chardonnays and pinot noirs more. I think the only reason I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars is that for the price, I really expected to be blown away by the experience. I wasn't quite there. Still a great experience, and I'm happy to have done it. Would I revisit? Probably not. I go to Sonoma instead of Napa because I enjoy and appreciate the homey and casual vibeI normally get at the wineries. This place felt more like what I would expect at a place in Napa. Stunning, elegant and refined. I can't say that's a bad thing! read more

I've been a fan before of Paul Hobbs wines. However they seem to have gone downhill recently. Especially the Pinot Noir which was very disappointing. Maybe he has spread himself too thin with wineries making Malbec in Argentina and even a Paul Hobbs cruise. I've read that they are expanding in the area with more vineyards. I wonder what happened to that perfect Pinot Noir? Will take my business else where until they concentrate on their core business. There are too many excellent Pinots being produced in and around Sebastopol. read more

Five star wines, five star service, five star food. Four star rating because their $425 Beckstoffer ToKalon cab is less than $240 everywhere else. read more

Paul Hobbs can do no wrong when it comes to wine. We did a tasting of their four wines. You will need to book a reservation in order to have a tasting but it's worth it. They offer two kinds of tastings and are open on weekdays. The winery itself is very beautiful and modern. Make sure to ask them to turn on their fireplace! Our tasting lasted about an hour and a half in a group of 7. It was very intimate and a great environment. We had four of their wines and each wine just got better (I was a big fan of their chardonnay). The lady who was giving us the wine was very insightful about each wine, the vineyard, and just the wine business in general. After the tasting we got to tour the vineyard and see where they make and store their wine. It's such a beautiful estate and we ended up buying a few bottles to go. Make sure to join their contact list so you get notified when they start selling! read more

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We knew before hand that Paul Hobbes wines were great, and the chard, pinot, cab and even their Malbec (from Argentina) we sampled at the winery were every bit as good as expected. However, what really sets this place apart is the quality of the tour. The grounds here are impressive, and the guide herself (Ms. Sonya Thurston) was outstanding. Just a bit of information for those thinking of visiting... There typically is only one person on staff at the winery, and they're not always available to take phone calls. So it's best to make your reservation on-line (you can't just show up at the winery), that way you can bring your confirmation letter with you to the tasting (it comes with directions - the winery is somewhat difficult to find, for all that it's right off of Hiway 116). There's a tasting fee to visit, and you need to provide your credit card information before they will book your reservation. Also, the winery is closed on weekends, and their signature tour (lasting around 90 minutes) only takes place twice a day, 4 days a week. Lastly, when they tell you a tour starts at 10 or 1:30, they really mean it here. If you show up more than 15 minutes late, they will cancel your reservation (this happened to a threesome that were scheduled to go on our tour). All that aside, if you follow the instructions on the website, and show up on time for your scheduled appointment, you'll have a great time at Paul Hobbes. Both the tour and the wines are THAT good! read more

we recently enjoyed two of the Paul Hobbs, the 2011 Russian River Pinot, and the Crossbarn Cabernet... both outstanding wines and both well worth enjoying as often as possible.! i think the best guage..is just how long someones eyes are closed while tasting, followed by an exhaled OH MY GOD THATS SOO GOOD...:) these are both wines that you can enjoy with and without a meal...both can be put away as well and enjoyed in years to come. read more

Took the food and wine tour on a Wednesday. Our host was EJ and he led an informative and laidback tour. He was excellent and I would recommend him. The wine was amazing and the food was great. read more

Absolutely Outstanding! Spotless. Beautiful. Delicious. Tyson was our private guide/sommelier, extremely knowledgeable & passionate about his work and it showed. If you like the higher end experience this is the place!! read more

Wonderful winery!! The tour, wines and staff were incredible! I highly recommend this place. Pinot noir was my top pick

Paul Hobbs is responsible for clear-cutting some of the most beloved properties in Sebastopol. His grapes are full of pesticides and chemicals and he recently clear cut a beautiful FORTY ACRE APPLE ORCHARD right next to apple blossom elementary school! Now over seven hundred school children will be exposed to his dangerous chemicals year after year. Does he care? Of course not. Does the ONE THOUSAND signature petition to stop him mean anything to Paul Hobbs? Nope. The only way to stop Paul Hobbs is with your wallet -- don't buy his wine! read more

We were excited to be able to attend a tasting at Paul Hobbs. We were greeted by Chelsea and started our $45 per person tasting. Our first wine was a Chardonnay, minimally poured and a non descript wine. It was the lowest price point chard on their extensive retail list. While we were anxious to try other whites, we were told that this was the only one opened for this tasting. Onto the Pinot, and again at the lowest price point with no other options made available to us, we found the wine too young to appreciate, and again non descript. Next the Syrah, which at the $50 price point was a great value and a fantastic wine. We then took a tour of the vineyard. The landscape was breathtaking and the winery immaculate. Very impressive! Before returning to complete our tasting, we were informed that the Cab grapes are provided from renowned lineage and are all aged in 100% new french oak, thus commanding prices between $125 - $350 per bottle. We returned to the tasting room and were once again poured a very small amount of a 2013 Cab which recently bottled, we found unapproachable, as well as being the lowest price point Cab. Nothing from the previously mentioned, renowned linage vines. The tasting was a disappointment and the rather pleasant Chelsea had become unwilling to pour any additional wines, including their South American wines, which we were expecting to taste based on other reviews we had read. When we asked about the library wines which were advertised as part of the tasting on the website and print marketing materials, the response was the wines that she had opened for today, were the only ones available for our tasting. As frequent California wine country patrons, we have never had an experience as disappointing as the visit to Paul Hobbs. Our advice for potential future visitors, go down the road to Merry Edwards where the experience and ability to taste a wide variety of great wines, side by side, is much more pleasant and for FREE! read more

best food tasting/pairing experience I've had at a winery. will recommend to all of my friends!