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David Coffaro Winery
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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"So, I've been to this winery twice, and I have to say it's by far my favorite. Their wines are great, especially the Zins. The staff is…" read more »
10 reviews for David Coffaro Winery
We stumbled upon David Coffaro's winery in 2004 when visiting my cousin in Sonoma. She and her boyfriend took us on a tour through 3-4 wineries. Coffaro wasn't on the list - we found it by turning into the driveway. A fortuitous discovery.
There were 4 of us and another couple. It was mid-June. We had visited a good, an ok, and a fantastic winery. The fantastic paled in comparison to Coffaro's.
We enjoyed the standard 4 tastes. David then asked if anyone was interested in what else he had going on, and we all said yes! We stepped into the area with all the barrels. About 10 tastes later (no, I'm not exaggerating), we toddled out the door with our treasures, and found a place to enjoy our afternoon picnic.
We've since visited another time, and placed a deposit on the futures. Two cases of wine - mostly Zins and a few others - really great. Our next adventure is beckoning soon...
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If you are up in the Dry Creek area and love rich, red blends at excellent values then this is the place to stop. If you don't mind paying money for something you won't see for another few months or even a year, then you definitely have to stop to check out their futures. The place- in addition to their wine- has character!
We were their the barrel tasting weekend (possibly the most annoying time in Healdsburg if you don't have a limo rented and are on a mission to taste (and forget) as many wines as possible)- and it was a surprising gem. We were able to taste 10 of their 2008s straight from the barrel and buy at $17 a bottle (1 case minimum) instead of paying $28 once its bottled. The Estate Cuvee, Terre Melange, Escuro and Block 4 were all fantastic wines- also notable is the Carignan (100%!!!- where else will you find that??)
The staff made the tasting all the more enjoyable- Dave Coffaro (aka "The Master Blender") has a passion for little known (to these parts anyhow) varietals (Tannat, Lagrein, Algiaico) and knows how to bring out the best in them. The younger generation is represented by Matt (brewmaster on the side) who will cheerfully entertain you as you taste.
They only lost a star due to their avid fan Raiders shrine... :)
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Just recently discovered this place while we were barrel tasting and omg I'm glad we did! They had an abundance of barrels to taste from and ALL of them were amazing! Though it was a little odd that their big screen was playing Beyonce's latest tour...but that is another story. Super friendly people, great wine both in the barrel and the bottle. We brought home two of their bottles the block 4 and the Zin and loved every ounce of them! Definitely one of my new favorite stops in Dry Creek! Note: this is not a posh stop- that is not their purpose...rather they provide great wines!!
They had some nice everyday wines... ended up buying a couple bottles of Escura - a rich red. But was a little annoyed with the whole tasting experience. David came in at one point while Matt (our pourer) left to get a case for a customer. He was going on and on about how delicious the 2007 wines that were just released were and how much he was enjoying them. When we asked to taste some, he referred us back to Matt. So when Matt returned, we asked, and he said we could only taste 2004...period. Matt explained that they had clearance prices on the 2004 to make room for the new release, so really were pushing these. On the one hand, that allowed us to pick up a case at some unbelievable prices... but on the other, if the 2007 were so much better, why was I buying and tasting 2004??? Left me annoyed with the place as a whole.
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So does it rain here? Never. Well, that's what they told me on a gorgeous day when I discovered them on my househunting trip 2 years ago. Skip the pretention and head up to Russian River for real family-owned wineries and forget about paying to taste. David Coffaro's operation is laid back and fun (think the Boss blasting out of premium speakers on a huge projection screen in a large tasting room lined with barrels of tasty frankenwine - is that a picture of the Beatles with Mohammad Ali? hell yeah it is!). The staff is attentive and friendly. Their current apprentice Matt, will even provide free winery tours if you call ahead and arrive early. Prices are very reasonable and the futures are a terrific deal. Hope you don't mind screwcaps because there are no corks here. Also check out their former apprentice's venture (Brendan Eliason) in the East Bay, Periscope Cellars.
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They have good wine I must admit, but they cater to the 50-something crowd, despite having dorm room furniture in the cellar/tasting area. We were 30-somethings and felt a bit ignored. This would be good place to enjoy superbowl sunday, though. Go Raiders!
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What do you get when you mix a stark barrel aging facility, a wine bar, a non-pretentious oenophile, a small Oakland Raiders shrine, and a massive A-V system plus a couple of acres of vines of unusual to exotic vines. At this place, Cinsault is considered as commonplace as Chardonnay. Honestly, Davis PhDs and Master Sommeliers excepted, who has heard of Pelousin? We had a lot of fun. David was not there when we arrived, but showed up soon after. When I asked how they produced relatively clear wines without fining or filtering, he pulled out the equipment he uses for racking and explained in detail. This led to an interesting discussion of tartrates and cold stabilization. I imagine David as a Randal Grahm of Dry Creek - less popular varietals, avant guard, old world (field blends, etc.) technique. The visit was worth the price of admission even if they charged.
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Definitely add this place to your last of wineries to visit in the Dry Creek Valley. Dave is a super nice guy who really knows his wine. He makes some very interesting blends using some rare & obscure European varietals. I particularly liked his 2005 "Fresco". After tasting what he had in bottles he then offered us barrel tastings which was a lot of fun and very informative. Additionally, his prices are quite reasonable.
The other reviews I've seen are very informative. I would just add my personal experience of starting the day here, kinda damp, autumn Monday. That's right, try starting your week here with a Monday morning 10:30 visit. We were greeted with low-key hospitality and were soon discussing Alinghina and the aforementioned Pelousin, and unfiltered versus Unfined (speaking of Pelousin, turns out the only other also family-owned winery making a Syrah-Sirah in Dry Creek is Preston?). The crush was on so we were standing next to several tons of fermenting fruit. The key point I wanted to add is that this is a classic specimen of a family winery that you will never hear of. The bottles I bought (including the Fresco) were all from runs of 300-400 cases - so outside of the tasting room, you ill never see this anywhere but on a restaurant wine list or at the Dean & DeLucca wine store.
the wines were great and the guys were very interesting and obviously knowledgeable. they also were showing the georgia-florida game on the big screen which you don't see at most wineries. great laid back atmosphere.
