Gary Farrell Vineyard & Winery
110701 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, CA
Website: http://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/
Fans of the book or movie Sideways might recognize Gary Farrell as one of the wineries that Miles and Jack visited. Despite the mention in Sideways, this winery has been highly acclaimed for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnays by wine magazines and wine enthusiasts. Gary Farrell is located in the Russian River Valley. The two reasons I would recommend someone to this winery is its beautiful setting and great Pinot Noir.
Gary Farrell, the original owner, started making wine in the Russian River Valley in the 1970s. He produced the first Gary Farrell label wine in 1982. Gary is the one who deserves the credit for creating the small-lot Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that made the winery so successful. I learned an interesting fact when I visited that this winery does not have its own vineyard. All of the grapes are sourced from other places. Granted, the grapes come from well-known properties like Rochioli up the street. Gary built the state-of-the-art winery and tasting room in 2000. Sadly, he sold the winery to The Vincraft Group in 2004. The Vincraft Group has tried to maintain the same small lot style that Gary produced.
Gary Farrell’s tasting room
At the entrance to the winery is a gate and stone wall with a Gary Farrell sign. We drove up a short driveway to get to the winery parking lot. The winery is located atop a hill with spectacular views of the valley below. The tasting room is spacious with a wood paneled u-shaped bar that extends along the left side of the room. Behind the tasting bar are windows from ceiling to floor that look out on the beautiful setting. During the summer, the winery also offers private tastings on the terrace by appointment. In the winter, guests can pull up a seat next to the fireplace for a fireside tasting.
The tasting room was quiet when I visited. There were a couple of other small groups there at the time, but the room is so spacious that my husband and I had our own corner of the bar to ourselves. We each did a tasting to share and sampled a Sauvignon Blanc, a couple of Chardonnays, three Pinot Noirs, and a Zinfandel. I was a big fan of all of the Pinot Noirs. Even though Gary Farrell is no longer making them, they are still high quality. The lasting memory I have of this winery is looking out at the gorgeous view while sipping lovely Pinot Noir. That’s worth the visit!
The scenery outside of Gary Farrell Winery