Roche Carneros Estate Winery
122 W Spain St., Sonoma, CA 95476
Website: http://www.rochewinery.com/
I visited Roche Winery for the first time in 2008 on my honeymoon. This is a small family owned winery started by Joe and Genevieve Roche who met as medical students in Nebraska. After college they got married and moved to San Francisco both working as Pathologists. However, they both wanted to go back to a simpler way of life and went looking for a farm in Sonoma County. After settling down in Sonoma, they learned that their property could be a good growing area for grapes. In 1982 they planted their first vines and have been making wine ever since.
When I visited, the tasting room was located in a farm house in the southern end of Sonoma near the race track. I felt it had a real down home feel. Since then the tasting room has moved to downtown Sonoma and the wine making operations were moved to a new location outside of the city of Petaluma. Joe and Genevieve have turned the general management of the winery over to their children. In 2015, seven years after my original visit, I made it a point to stop into the tasting room in downtown Sonoma to compare the experience with what I remembered from my first trip. I am very glad that I went back because I was able to better appreciate the wines after several years and lots of wine tastings under my belt.
Roche Tasting Room in Downtown Sonoma Square
The tasting room in downtown Sonoma is in a great location. It is right off of Sonoma Square where there is lots of food and shopping. I would describe the tasting room as “cozy” because of the outdoor fireplace and tasting bar. There were quite a few people there when we stopped in toward the end of the day, but it didn’t feel over-crowded. Most of the visitors were hanging around outside either sitting at the one of several tables with friends or hanging around the bar. There is also a small tasting bar inside. Roche produces more than ten varieties of wine from their Carneros estate including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and some dessert wines. Their wines are reasonably priced. The staff was very friendly and helpful and allowed us to sample extra wines. My husband and I enjoyed the Carneros Estate Reserve Pinot Noir the most. In addition to the dry reds and whites, they have a few dessert wines. I tried the Tamarix which is a blush wine that reminded me of pink lemonade and the Late Harvest Merlot that was a little too much like cherry syrup for me.
This winery was a really fun experience and a nice way to end the day. I would return again with friends.
Outdoor tasting bar at Roche