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Lou D. said: "Truett Hurst is a great little winery nestled in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley. Because it is in an area with a lot of larger wineries you may be tempted to pass it by, but you'll be sorry if you do. The tasting room at Truett…" read more »
32 reviews for Peterson Winery
32 reviews in English
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Review from Julie M.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
The best wine I've tried in Sonoma County. They have a delicious flight of whites and reds. Each wine had its own unique quality that left for a very memorable flavor. The whites had wonderful fruity tones and were very smooth. The reds are amazing! Many had bolder tastes but were still smooth and well rounded. My favorite is the Syrah. Blows me away every time.
I'm a local and I've done the tasting at Peterson more times than I can count. Plus, the people doing the pouring are so friendly and knowledgeable.
I highly suggest considering buying the boxed wine. It is gourmet, lasts MUCH longer than wine in bottles, is a bargain, and ships easier. -
Review from Ashley J.
11/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely one of my favorite wineries I've visited by far. On this particular visit (the day after Thanksgiving) they were offering free heavy appetizers (stew, artisan cheeses, french bread, pumpkin pie, cookies, etc.). I don't think that's a usual offer, but it was a nice little gift for them to give during the holidays. The wine here was really enjoyable, and the prices per bottle were shockingly low for the quality of the wine. Our wine host was very knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. I enjoyed most of the wines I tried here, and will definitely be back again.
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Review from Lisa C.
Pleasant Hill, CA
7/16/2011
Peterson Winery was a fantastic tasting room for us to visit. First insider tip: You can pick up some free stickers while you're at the room. They are the wine labels, but they are completely free for you to take.
Tasting is free and friendly. We were able to sample 7 different wines and hear lots of information about each of them. I appreciated that there were hooks available to hang my bag which allowed me to really enjoy the wines.
There is a small seating area where my daughter found Whitey, one of the store's friendly cats. The cats + the stickers made my 8 year old a believer in Peterson Wines.
The wines were very very good. We purchased a bottle of their Zero Tolerance and their Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. If we had $50 to spend we would have purchased their 1989 Loma Prieta Bottle of wine, as the sales woman said, it would go GREAT with a steak!
We arrived at the tasting room around 4:05 in the afternoon, and they were scheduled to close at 4:30. I never felt any pressure to purchase or felt rushed at any point.
A great hidden gem!!!! -
Review from Alex W.
Livonia, MI
4/21/2011
Great wines, great staff, great prices.
This trip we wanted to avoid any big wineries, following recommendations to smaller producers was the plan. Why taste something you can pick up at every wine store back home!
Peterson Winery is one building in a complex of maybe 6 buildings on Dry Creek Road, and really, you should check this site out! It's called the "Family Wineries" I think, and you could really spend your whole day here, like we pretty much did.
We stopped by here shortly after they opened 4/17/2011 and loved it. The lady pouring was knowledgeable, but more than that, was fun and really made you feel welcomed. There's no rush or hard sell here, they let the wines speak for themselves.
And speak they do! My wife loves her big zins and fruity petit syrah's, this place was her favorite of the whole trip. Their wines aren't ALL huge fruit either, they also have some blends, a cab and a couple of sangiovese that are delicious as well.
You should really visit here, especially if you're not into huge tannins. Most of their wines really balance the tannins for a smooth, not as dry finish as most wineries.
We really loved this winery and look forward to our shipments! -
Review from Lauren F.
2/20/2011
Loved this winery. Every wine I tasted was very different and delicious. They have a "Zero Manipulation" table wine, which was yummy, too.
There are a couple cats that hang out while you taste, too. They're sweet and harmless and gives the place a very homey feel.
It's located in a slew of other wineries (Kokomo, Family, etc.) and there's also a place that gives out olive oil samples. They're delicious, and they have this Pomegranate Vinegar that's super yummy.
The other wineries in the area are a little snobby... but this one is a keeper! -
Review from JT E.
Berkeley, CA
11/25/2011
For some really good, reasonably placed wine, come here! The cute cats lounging around in the space are a little extra bonus. I was lucky enough to be able to do my tasting with one of the Peterson family members. She was super helpful, patient, and fun. I don't know how to explain exactly what I like and don't like at this point in my wine experience, but I explained to her to the best of my ability what I was going for and she picked out an excellent lineup for me to taste and discuss with her. I enjoyed this experience and really appreciate the time that is spent with customers on education. I highly recommend making Peterson Winery a stop on your wine tour.
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Review from Matt M.
Atlanta, GA
5/3/2010
Peterson is located on Dry Creek Road in the Timbercrest Farms complex along with several other wineries. Fred Peterson has been producing wines in Dry Creek Valley for over 20 years, with his son Jamie recently moving to the position of winemaker. The Petersons believe in sustainable farming and minimal intervention in the winemaking process. Much of their wine comes from their own Bradford Mountain vineyard in the northwest of Dry Creek Valley. We tasted through the Peterson wines with Jamie. The setting is a no-frills tasting room with quality wines at reasonable prices- no charge for the tasting. There are t-shirts and other merchandise for sale as well.
-Here's what we tasted...
-2009 Timbercrest Farms Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley- 96% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Muscat Blanc. Fermentation begins in stainless steel then is moved to French oak (10% new), full malo. Lemon-grass nose with ample tropical and citrus fruit on the palate. Balanced acidity and minerality---good to very good---$17.
-2007 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- 84% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Carignane. 80% neutral mixed oak, 10% new Hungarian, 10% new American. Ruby with medium density. Bacon, cherry, vanilla with coffee, black fruits, and baking spice tannins. Nice and ripe but not overly aggressive---very good---$23.
-2005 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley- Unfined and unfiltered. Aged 21 months in 20% new French, 20% new Hungarian, 60% 3-5 year old French Oak. Ruby and dense. Black cherry and anise with currant, pepper, vanilla. Peppery tannins and long cinnamon on the finish---excellent---$32.
-2007 Shinbone, Dry Creek Valley- 60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfined and unfiltered. 40% new Hungarian, 20% new French, and 40% 2-4 year old American barrels. Full throttle-cocoa, mocha, and black fruit with soft tannins and spice on the finish---good to very good---$28.
-2002 Agraria, Bradford Mtn Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley- 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot. 26 months in 100% new French Oak. Floral on the nose with tobacco and cedar. Violets and strawberry, baking spice, cherry. Silky firm with spice on the finish---very good---$60.
-2007 1-2-3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley- Inky and dense. Gamey, briary red fruit with licorice, ripe blackberry, and peppery tannins---good---$23.
-2006 Bradford Mountain Syrah, Dry Creek Valley- 92% Syrah, 7%Viognier, 1% Petite Sirah. Unfined and unfiltered. 22 months in 60% new French Oak. Inky and dense. Meaty wild black fruit with mocha, vanilla, and dried herbs. Smooth and silky tannins with a long finish of herbs and spice---excellent---$45.
-2007 Home Farm Muscat Blanc- 75% Muscat Blanc, 25% Orange Muscat. Fortified. Lightly sweet orange and honey notes with great balance---excellent---$30 375ml. -
Review from Erin S.
Santa Rosa, CA
9/15/2010
5 stars all for their 2007 Dry Creek Valley Sangiovese. This wine just stays with me. I tried it at an event and since then I keep going back and getting it every time. Wonderful blackberry on the palette with dripping acidity. All of his wines are made in the old world style...great acidity without the crazy alcohols.
Also enjoy their Syrah and Petite Sirah. Tasting room is a warehouse where they make the wine. Friendly staff as well! A must visit! -
Review from Jason C.
El Cerrito, CA
12/17/2008
I'm not really a white wine fan because it usually requires foresight to chill before enjoying.
But I love reds. After a hard day of work, I enjoy nothing more than spontaneously breaking open a bottle of the blood colored stuff and eating some brie and crackers.
I've been drinking Peterson's Zero Manipulation for years. It's my favorite red for under $20. Hands down. I stumbled upon Peterson by chance, as it's easy to miss, but the fates were with us and wanted us to take back a little piece of Healdsburg's finest to SF. Not only that, their Pinot Noir and Zins aren't too shabby.
Want to know what it's like to live the good life?
If you are smart enough to join up for the wine club and become a friend of Fred, the genius behind the scenes, you're invited to a lovely party in the cellar barn where you enjoy not only a great selection of wines, but a wonderful buffet style dinner. Fred, Jamie (his son, new winemaker, and young prodigy), and Jan (the ultimate coordinator), make everybody feel like family during this event. A family that loves to drink, laugh, and have a good time.
Our car needed a jump, so they let us park overnight. In fact, we didn't even need to ask. In the morning, Jamie hung out and chatted with us about his trip to France where he gorged on Foie Gras and Bordeaux's finest. What other winemaker would do that for perfect strangers?
I've been to wine country plenty of times. There are more expensive and snobby flavors but I will always hold a special place in my heart for Peterson.Listed in: My favorite times, Best date places
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Review from Luke H.
2/3/2009
I haven't been here yet, but I virtually met Jamie Peterson.
He gets five stars for not ripping me a new one.
When I posted my one star "review" on Preston Winery on his Peterson site by accident, and I even went so far as to switch the Preston and Peterson names. He didn't give me a much deserved "WTF." In fact I got a nice invite out of my snafu.
Jamie, next time I make it over the hill from Calistoga, I am coming to your spot for some of the fantastic zero-manipulation wine.
Sorry for manipulating your review (if only temporary).
Luke -
Review from Jeff D.
Oakland, CA
12/11/2006
Fred Peterson has been in the wine trade for decades, first as a vineyard manager, then grape grower, then winemaker.
His wines are elegant, food wines, mostly zin and cab (as well as a rose, grenache, sangiovese, some blends, and some other varietals) that DON'T grab you buy the throat with their new oak and high alcohol and scream DRINK ME NOW, MR PARKER!!!
As such his wines don't appear in the Wine Spookulator or the Wine Score Advocate. You find them in restaurants, small wine shops or at friend's homes.....
No his wines are more seductive - they purr, coo and entice you to have them with with food.
I discovered his wines by accident, in a restaurant in healdsburg ten years ago, and drove from the restaurant to the winery, where we tasted though all of his wines - and promptly joined his wine club.
We carry several of his wines in my store - especially his zin and "zero manipulation" blend. They are fairly priced and elegant companions to any meal.
When you go to the winery, you'll be attended to by either fred, his daughter or one of their friends - folks intimately involved in the winery, the grapes or some other operation at the place. Unusual for today, but common twenty years ago..... -
Review from Nick F.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2010
This winery I found while on a wine tour with my girlfriend and her co-worker, on an epic journey to map out all the free tasting rooms in Sonoma County.
Peterson is on the A-list for Sonoma wine tours for the following reasons:
-Totally free tasting
Not just free, but free to the extreme. Tasting fees are a slap in the face to the spirit of wine tasting, but at Peterson in no way will you be asked to pay a fee (unless you look like you're about to trash the place, more on that later.)
-Lots of tasting options
They will literally pull out about 6-7 bottles of wine they've chosen for the day and you can spend a good couple hours there figuring out which ones you like best. Note that this is on weekends only, not sure about weekdays but it's probably the same.
-Great staff
The first person we met was a nice man who took us in and poured us a lot of wine. He had a lot of great stories as well and was a great host. The second time we went, it was with a large group of about 8 people. The lady who was working that day almost threw us out for not calling beforehand (note: be sure to CALL THEM BEFOREHAND on a weekend), but quickly decided we were a good bunch of people and not teenagers and let us sample.
Also, the winery itself is owned by a Geyserville Fire Department volunteer, and those guys are as good as it gets for a small town fire protection district.
-Great wines
Every wine I have tasted at this place is exceptional, including their "Zero Manipulation" table wine. 10% discount for 6 bottles or more sold, so take a group. But call beforehand or you might get hit with a fire hose.
-Cats
There are cats here, and they are lazy.
-Location
It's right near a place that gives out free olive oil samples, so try those too. Avoid the other wineries at the location, they either trick you into paying fees or act snobby.
Pay them a visit, but be sure to CALL THEM FIRST TO TELL THEM YOU'RE COMING. They are small and sometimes don't have enough people to deal with huge groups. -
Review from Andrew Y.
2/27/2011
part of the wine mall, we tried 11 wines here! We got the full monty. Chardonnay to Cabernet. Really nice staff. Prices are really good. We away with the 1-2-3 Cabernet. It will sit in the cabinet for a few more years and probably will taste great!
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Review from Michael B.
Los Angeles, CA
7/26/2011
I was extremely impressed with Peterson Winery. The tasting room was relaxed with a beautiful view of the hills from the window. After visiting a few other pretentious wineries that day, I enjoyed the comforting atmosphere of Peterson. Our wine expert, Melissa, poured us several different types of wines to try and educated us on how each wine was developed. She was friendly, personable, knowledgeable and we left wishing she could accompany us for the remaining wineries we were to visit that afternoon. I'm excited about returning!
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Review from Maureen O.
Millbrae, CA
2/4/2010
Awesome winery. In the cutest area, right off of Dry Creek Rd. Literally if you wanted to make an inexpensive weekend you should go to all the wineries in this little area, you go up a little hill and there is a big red barn. Take a cab there wine taste and then take a cab back. You can stay at the Best Western hotel right off of Dry Creek Rd. Seriously, do it!
You can walk to all of them...Start off at Peterson because the people who own it are awesome! The wine is amazing my favorite being Zero and the Mucat Blanc which is so yummy and sweet! It's such a relaxed and comfortable place. They have the cutest kitties there too and this is coming from a girl who doesn't even like cats. After take a stroll to kokomo Winery and PapaPietro. There is also a couple other ones around there that I haven't had the opportunity to go into.
I have come to Peterson WInery Twice. Once for my Birthday and once for one of the stops at my sister's bachelorette party wine bus. Equally a great experience both times for myself and others who I have been with. Keep it up guys! You are awesome! -
Review from Dion J.
Novato, CA
12/22/2010 2 Check-ins Here
First time visit, had a great time! Cameron and Patrick were great!! This is definitely a good place to stop!! Wines were great!
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Review from Ryan G.
Concord, CA
6/25/2011
In my opinion this is the best family owned winery in Dry Creek. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Plus the wines are excellent and very reasonably priced. If you're looking for a nice relaxed place to go to, try Peterson.
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Review from Myra O.
Albany, CA
7/18/2011
Decent wine and attentive staff. The tasting is free which was a rare surprise. Feels a little bit like your wine tasting in a strip-mall.
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Review from Michael M.
Burlingame, CA
11/14/2010
Nice little winery in the family of wineries off Dry Creek Road. The owner was a joy to talk to. He and now his sons run the winery. Had very good zin, and a great Primitivo which we bought. Worth the stop.
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Review from Julie P.
Ann Arbor, MI
10/31/2007
WOW! I live in the bay area and get a chance to visit a ton of wineries. I almost didn't write this, mainly because I want to keep it a secret. But, I think it is important that a great winery get their accolades. To me, the following dimensions are important:
Wine -- Stellar. All of great vineyards that they have been sourcing for years. I am especially fond of their zins. Most have limited cases.
Value -- Excellent. Most of their bottles are in the very affordable 20-25 range.
Selection -- I just checked by cellar. I have zins, syrahs, carignane, blends, sauvignon blanc, sangiovese, rose, and petite syrahs from Peterson. This makes it nice to be a club member, as you know you are not going to get the same three wines over and over.
Anyway, enjoy. Visit. But don't buy too much or tell too many people. -
Review from Jeff P.
Oakland, CA
4/3/2009
I agree with Poochie M . . . the wines are good, not great. I favored their Zero Manipulation while my friend favored the Shinbone, a Syrah/Cab blend. It was also a hike to the restroom.
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Review from Tim M.
Berkeley, CA
7/27/2008
One of my new favorites in the area. The staff is friendly and helpful, th wine is good (and also organic). They also have some organic produce out next to the wine tasting room. Its a nice spot to bring a picnic, pick up a bottle of wine at the tasting room and just go at it.
The wine is not too expensive -- arouns $25-30 per bottle. -
Review from Megan H.
Healdsburg, CA
1/12/2007
The Petersons are family friends, but this doesn't bias my affinity for their wines. They have a small, crude set-up, but many of their wines are amazing. The dessert Muscat is grand, especially for the price. In fact, all of their pricing is very reasonable. The Syrah and Bradford Mtn Zin are two of my favorites, plus they make a delicious, earthy Anderson Valley Pinot (Floodgate). Great place to visit if you want to experience real winemaking - no over the top selling done here. Update: they recently have added a new tasting room into the mix - go check it out!!
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Review from Jan C.
Haiku, HI
3/11/2008
On our Barrel Tasting tour over the weekend, we caught this winer at the Family Wineries on Dry Creek Rd. The little tasting room is not much to write home about, but the wines certainly are. They have a Sangiovese that is great. Their Cab is a bit thin, but the flavor profile is all there. What we LOVED were their Zins. Two were being poured, which were both as good as it gets! Be sure to try this one out on your journey around wine country!
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Review from Alured P.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2008
Staff was very friendly and helpful despite me being there with a group of 8 people who arrived at different times, were asking tons of questions multiple times and the like. The have a lot of Zins, of which I am not a big fan as I just don't like Zins, but I liked several of the other wines including an amazing Sangiovese. Prices might be a bit high but that is probably me being spoiled by the Hopland area. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.
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Review from Eme L.
Mountain View, CA
12/29/2009
I'm not reviewing the winery, but the bottle that we bought when we were there. We can around closing time, so we didn't actually get a chance to explore. We did leave with a bottle of Carignane. I was only familiar with this grape as a blend, not alone. What we got was a bottle of a small pressing (only 275 bottles). It was delicious! Light, refreshing, but not too sweet. Not terribly complex, but a great drink. Definitely worth a return visit to see what else they have to offer.
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Review from Ryan G.
Wichita, KS
2/5/2008
You can say anything you want...but the 1999 Agraria Big Barn Red (Cab Franc) is one of the best wines I have ever tasted in it's price range. Seriously. I've tried plenty of wines...this is the real deal, and I think I have the last 3 bottles in existence.
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Review from Heather H.
Sacramento, CA
5/27/2010
Nice folks, good wine. Good with kids. They have 2 cats who were very tolerant of our toddler. The attendants knew a lot about the wine. We had a good time.
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Review from a b.
Lafayette, CO
6/11/2009
Peterson gets 5 stars for being affordable and fantastic at the same time. Everytime I am there I want to buy more bottles than we need. The people working the counter have always been exteremly friendly and eager to tell us the Peterson story.
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Review from J.D. P.
San Rafael, CA
7/11/2008
One of my favorites and not just because I share their last name (which IS how I discovered them though.....the Peterson Merlot at RNM restaurant in SF was too hard to resist). Fred and family are extrmely nice, engaging people and they make great wine! The Zin's and the Gravity Flow Syrah are my all time favorite Peterson wines, with the aforementioned Merlot a close 3rd. Always a routine stop when we do the annual barrel tasting tour.
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Review from S T.
San Clemente, CA
3/16/2010 1 photo
Some very nice wines with an amazing staff for their tasting room. Carl and Patrick pulled out all the stops for us and we tasted some great wines and our shippment was waiting for us when we got home. You two are the best. You made our day!!
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Review from carol c.
Windsor, CA
5/31/2009
The last review I think was mistaking Peterson for Preston Winery. this has happened before but just wanted to straighten things out. Peterson does not bake bread, Preston does ! No strawberries or fava beans at Peterson. There are two great cats, Whitey and Red who would love to have you stop by for a visit.
