Sonoma County Wine Country – Deep Dive: Day II

Posted on   December 16,2025   By John Compisi

Each Wine Writers Educational Tour unfolds as a 3+1 day immersion into the soul of a wine region — three days of structured exploration, plus an optional fourth for those who wish to linger. On average, we meet with up to sixty winemakers and taste as many as 180 wines. Each glass is a story; each vineyard, a chapter. 

Our journey began in Napa (2018), wandered through the earthy elegance of the Willamette (2019), and embraced the bold character of Paso Robles (2022). Sonoma, with its layered geography and diverse microclimates, felt like a culmination — a place where the threads of previous tours converged into a rich, sensory tapestry. From fog-kissed coastlines to sunlit valleys, the region revealed a kaleidoscope of terroir and technique, matched only by the generosity of its winemakers. 

Day Two began at Ramey Wine Cellars for a tasting with some of the Sonoma County #WineLegends that felt like stepping into the living history of the region. Starting with David Ramey, the father of Chardonnay; Rod Berglund, founding winemaker of La Crema and Owner/Winemaker of Joseph Swan Vineyards; Joel Peterson, aka the godfather of Zin and Founder and Winemaker at Ravenswood Winery and now founder and winemaker at Once and Future Winery has been a winemaker for 50 years and, finally, Greg LaFollette of Flowers Vineyards and Winery and now Marchelle Wines, arguably one of California’s most influential winemakers of the past three decades.

Aside from some of their current releases, we were treated to some amazing library wines including a 35 y/o Zinfandel, Old Hill Ranch from Peterson, a glass that spoke of endurance and authenticity and a 29 y/o Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford from LaFollette that revealed the elegance of time’s touch.

These were not just wines, but conversations in liquid form — each bottle a testament to vision, patience, and the artistry of Sonoma’s winemaking. The discussions that accompanied them were as insightful as the wines themselves, reminding us that legends are not only made in vineyards, but in the stories shared around the table.

After lunch at Ramey Wine Cellars, we gathered for a special seminar devoted to the Syrah wines of Sonoma County. Seven different AVAs were represented, each glass offering a distinct voice in the chorus of Sonoma terroir:

•            Ramey Wine Cellars (David Ramey, Founder) – Petaluma Gap, Rogers Creek Vineyard, 2019

•            Anthill Farms (Anthony Filiberti, Owner/Winemaker) – Sonoma Coast, Annapolis-Sea Ranch, Campbell Ranch, 2021

•            Argot Wines (Justin Harmon, Owner/Winemaker) – Sonoma Mountain, Argot Wines Indigo, 2021

•            Arnot-Roberts (Duncan Arnot-Meyers & Nathan Roberts, co-owners) – West Sonoma Coast, Que Syrah, 2021

•            Donelan (David Milner, Winemaker) – Bennett Valley, Judge Vineyard, 2019

•            Lasseter Family (Tony Biagi, Winemaker) – Moon Mountain District, Trinity Ridge Vineyard, 2021

•            MacLaren (Steve Law, Owner/Winemaker) – Russian River Valley, Dutton-Gregori Vineyard, 2021

To anchor the tasting, we included a reference wine from the Northern Rhône — a classic 2020 Brune et Blonde, Côte-Rôtie from E. Guigal.

Together, these wines revealed Syrah at its most refined: elegant, velvety, and marked by soft tannins. Rarely have I experienced such harmony in a single sitting, where each pour seemed to balance power with grace, and each AVA added a new dimension to the story of Sonoma Syrah.

The afternoon carried us to Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs location, where a seminar on Sonoma Zinfandel, led by Assistant Winemaker, Michael ‘Mike’ Bairdsmith, unfolded like a masterclass in microclimates. Five different Zinfandels were poured, representing five AVAs across the county. It was a vivid demonstration of how one grape varietal can express itself in strikingly different ways depending on soil, elevation, and exposure.

From there, we traveled to Robert Young Estate in Alexander Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon took center stage. Eight winemakers — each present to share their craft — poured Cabernets from eight distinct growing areas of Sonoma County. Wineries represented included: Anakota Wines, A. Rafanelli Winery, Enfield Wine Co, Fisher Vineyards, Hamel Family,  Laurel Glen Vineyard and Pine Mountain Vineyards.

The format was as instructive as it was inspiring: varietals paired with terroir; voices paired with vineyards. The wines were as distinctly different as the collection of renowned winemakers and the bottle prices, ranging from $59 to $165, reflected that diversity of terroir.

By the close of Day Two, we had tasted 35 wines. It was a day that reminded us that learning about varietals and AVAs is best done not in theory, but in the glass and in situ — guided by the hands and stories of those who make them. The evening was capped with special selections opened over dinner at Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria in Geyserville.

If you have not been, Diavola is a dining destination worth noting. Nestled in what locals call the ‘Capital of Winegrowing’ in Sonoma County, Geyserville, Diavola embodies the region’s spirit of hospitality and craft. Its rustic Italian fare — wood-fired pizzas, house-cured meats, and seasonal dishes — pairs seamlessly with the wines that surround it.

Ending Day Two here felt fitting: after tasting across Sonoma’s AVAs, we gathered at a table where food and wine met in harmony, reminding us that terroir is not only expressed in the vineyard, but also celebrated at the table.