Few vineyards in California possess the striking vistas and extreme topography of Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery, and few wineries offer such a varied and distinguished array of wines from a single site. Located in Jenner, in the far western reaches of the Sonoma Coast in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, the vineyard stands out within the fine wine world for its unusually close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, its high elevation, and its diverse terroir. Also setting Fort Ross Winery apart is its tasting room—the only wine tasting room within the unique AVA.
Fort Ross is the westernmost vineyard in California, planted on 53 acres of hillside meadows and coastal ridgetops that plunge into canyons with dense forests of redwoods, coastal oaks, and madrone. The elevations of these vineyard blocks range dramatically from 1,200 to 1,700 feet, just above the coastal fog. Farming here is not for the faint of heart; steep, mountainous, and remote, the region boasts just a handful of growers—some of California’s finest producers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, including Flowers, Wayfare, and Martinelli. But it’s Fort Ross Vineyard and its tasting room that welcome visitors who make the thrilling, 2.6-mile climb up the spectacular Meyers Grade Road off Pacific Coast Highway. Winding through high meadows, oak trees, and thick redwood forests, the road rises up out of the ever-present fog and into sunshine, giving the sensation of floating above the clouds.
The view here is spectacular, and the Fort Ross tasting room is the perfect spot at which to witness the stellar Pacific Ocean panoramas. Beautifully appointed, open and airy, it is housed in a carefully designed structure that was inspired by the rustic barns one finds in Sonoma County. With three cupolas and a classic water tower, the redwood-colored, LEED-certified building blends seamlessly with the landscape, and its gardens are filled with swaying grasses, heirloom roses, native plants and trees, and proteas, the native flower of South Africa. A spacious deck offers panoramic views of the redwood forests and coastal landscape beyond.
“There are no other tasting rooms so far in our area because of the disincentive provided by the zoning, regulatory and permit issues,” says proprietor Lester Schwartz who purchased this slice of heaven with wife Linda in 1988. “Obtaining permission to build our tasting room was a long and arduous process, which most normal people are not willing to undertake. Someone once asked me why we planted the vineyard in such an unusual place and then built a tasting room to boot, over so much opposition. My answer: Because there is a long history of insanity in my family and a little craziness is an essential lubricant to accomplishing unusual things.”
It was love at first sight for Lester and Linda when they first laid eyes on the property; they were taken with the stunning and temperate location where on most summer days one can bask in the sun high above the Pacific Ocean while gazing down onto fog shrouded coastline far below. South African natives who’d immigrated to the Bay Area in the 1970s, they were told by many that they’d be crazy to plant vineyards on the rugged terrain. Undeterred, and after years of trial, error, and painstaking work, they were rewarded, as the site proved capable of producing truly distinctive wines. The two have overseen day-to-day vineyard operations since they first planted grapes on the property in 1998. They walk the vineyard often with winemaker Jeff Pisoni who joined Fort Ross in 2009. Together, the trio makes viticultural decisions and determines when best to harvest each block.
Pisoni’s approach is gentle and minimalistic, with the aim of producing wines that truly express the terroir and topography of this unique coastal vineyard where temperatures range between 55 and 85 degrees and soil types vary greatly. But his minimalistic approach doesn’t mean the wines are made without care. At harvest, blocks are hand-picked individually into small picking trays, and then hand sorted. All of the wines—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinotage—are fermented using native yeast, which lengthens the process and changes its dynamic. All are 100% estate grown and include blends from grapes grown throughout the vineyard as well as singular cuvées from specific blocks that have notably distinct characteristics. In fact, Fort Ross is rare among wineries in that from a single vineyard they make such a range of unique and distinctive wines from a single variety, Pinot Noir. Pisoni describes his Fort Ross wines as complex and elegant with gentle tannins, and a true embodiment of the region: coastal rolling hills that often sit in the sunshine above a sea of cooling fog.
“I find this site to be one of the most extreme vineyards on the entire Sonoma Coast,” says Pisoni. “The complexity is remarkable. It comes not only from the dynamic region, but also the specific blocks. I typically find vineyards to be representations of both the place and the people behind them. Linda and Lester decided to plant some of the most difficult terrain, include a wide selection of clonal material, and adhere to strict farming practices all along the way. From a winemaking point of view, it is infinitely complex and interesting, just like the wine.”
“Except for the few who already know of, or who have studied, the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, most wine lovers and travelers visiting the true Sonoma coast usually just travel along the Pacific Coast Highway 1,” says Lester. “They do not realize that there is access to our unique wine growing terroir just off Highway 1, where some of the best California pinot noirs, chardonnay and other cool climate varietals are grown. The gentle weather and stunning views down the Pacific Coast are reason enough to visit our Fort Ross tasting room. Combining a trip to this beautiful part of the world with a visit to our tasting room, seeing the vineyards, relaxing on our patio while gazing onto the surrounding forests and ocean in the distance, makes the experience of our wine and food pairings a sublime, incomparable and unforgettable experience.”
Tasting room reservations are encouraged, though drop-ins are welcome if there is space. Options include an $85 per person wine and food pairing that includes four wine selections and a locally sourced, seasonal tasting menu, offered Friday—Tuesday, and the Estate Tasting of four coastal wine selections, offered Monday and Tuesday for $50 per person ($40 for members). Additional visitor options include vineyard tours in the winery’s historic Pinzgauer military vehicle which seats 10. Visitors are driven to the highest point on the property where they can enjoy the 360 views from “Top of Land.” Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery offers several annual, cuisine-themed events for wine club members, such as summer barbeques, pig roasts, and paella parties, each held when new wines are released or during seasonal changes. The winery also holds special events such a mushroom hunt and culinary-focused movie nights. Reservations can be made online at www.fortrossvineyard.com/Visit, by email at tastingroom@fortrossvineyard.com, or by calling 707-847-3460.
Visitors to the area have several accommodations options, including the Timber Cove Inn, the Jenner Inn, the Bodega Bay Lodge to the south and the Sea Ranch Lodge to the north.
Photos courtesy of Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery