The Ross Valley Winery

Elite '09

16

167

Veda F.

Fairfax, CA

9/14/2009

A winery in San Anselmo?  Are you kidding me?  No, I'm not.  I was strolling down the street and found a winery in San Anselmo.  I'm not in Napa anymore but must have channed the experience.  I zoned in and entered the smell of the grape!

I sat down, had a taste, made a few new friends and I can definitely say that I'm a fan of the Ross Valley Winery.  I joined the wine club as well - very resonable.  The tasting room stays open until 7 p.m. and wine club members taste for free - ya!  

The grapes are bottled, aged and fermented in San Anselmo.  This prime location is great for the locals.  What a treat to have a winery right here in San Anselmo.  I still can't get over it.  The fruit comes from Sonoma and Napa counties.  There are jewels and metal winners in the selection and if you're a wine lover like me, you'll take your 5 bucks and taste 5 wines - also a deal as they pour generously.

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8

38

Tom C.

Fairfax, CA

11/15/2008

It's easy to overlook this tiny winery in downtown San Anselmo, or perhaps imagine that it's a pricey little boutique shop because of it's location. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Paul Krider has been making wine for 40 years, and was crazy enough to create this winery so he gets to do what he loves. I find him knowledgeable and easy to talk to, and if you catch him on a slow afternoon, you can learn a lot about the business.  Yes, they really crush and ferment grapes in the back. And if you get on his email list, you'll get the opportunity to help every fall, when the grapes come in.

His business got a bit of a boost when he got the brainstorm to make an inexpensive wine this fall called "Recession Red". It's priced at 1/1000th of the DOW Industrial Average, so what was $11 a bottle at first is now selling for $8.50. And it's a steal, a lively blend of cabernet and merlot that is well-balanced with a fruit-forward bouquet and decent complexity.

One thing you should know is that his wines have minimal sulfites, so they are not very resistent to temperature changes or mishandling. If you don't drink them soon after purchase, it's important to store them in the proverbial cool dark place. He uses real corks, so you have to store them on their side, like any decent wine -- his wines will lose a lot if you put them upright in a warm cabinet for a few weeks or months.

I understand a "Recovery Red" is in the works, and that his apprentice has made a nice dry rosé that will be released soon. In the mean time, we're enjoying his 2006 Chardonnay a lot.

Join his wine club, and he gives a nice discount. The chardonnay is about $14 a bottle.  Also get on his email list, so you can hear about some of the artist events and non-profit fundraising events that he sponsors.

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Elite '09

380

358

Sammy S.

Alameda, CA

7/19/2007

My utmost apologies because I'm not even attempting to be anything but useful here. Read it and whine bitches!

I wish I was giving this quaint little winery more than two stars (which I perceive as generous considering the manner in which I was treated), but alas, when the owner of a business has his nose so far up in the air you know he can smell god's farts, I have no choice but to tattle on his punk ass.

A few months back my mother, who is an artist, excitedly began telling me about this little winery that agreed to display a number of her paintings and throw an art opening/wine tasting in her honor. I too was ecstatic, as my mother is a wonderful artist who took a break from her passion to work in "the real world" for about 10 years and hasn't had a chance to show off her pieces for some time now.

Fast-forward to Momma's art opening. I enter this small, yet charming space. It's a bit industrial, with a rustic, antiquey flair. It's decorated with a long and sleek bar littered with an assortment of wine bottles, large and woody barrels, and of course, my mother's paintings.

I stood proudly eying each painting, eaves dropping on conversations of praise, mingling with neighbors, colleagues and old friends of my family's, and then I decided it was time to get myself a glass of wine to pair with the handful of cheese I grabbed as I swept by the food table.

I walked up to the bar, listened to the owner describe what sounded like a magically delicious Cabernet to the woman next to me and decided to ask for a taste of it.

He wrinkled his nose, gave me an utter look of disgust and said in his most pompous voice "You know, there's a reason the bottles are organized in a certain order. This is a wine tasting."

As the blood drained from my face and my stomach twisted in angry knots, I reminded myself that I was there for my mom and that I would try my hardest to avoid embarrassing her at her party.

"Yes sir, I'm aware of that. But I don't really want any white wine right now, so I'll just take the Cab."

I walked away fuming and decided I'd remedy the situation by eating 10 more handfuls of cheese and playing in the nearby parking lot with my nephew.

When I came back for more wine I decided to humor the oaf of a man and ask for his opinion of what I should taste next.

"Well, you already tried our best wine. So why don't you try this different cab? It's younger, like you."

The stink-eye came out in full force, but I saved my angry rant until after my mom's show was over. So now, I'm here to tell you that if you love wine, love charming, independently-owned business, and love being treated like a 12-year-old who just got caught shoplifting, by all means, take a trip to the Ross Valley Winery.

I love wine, I love independently-owned businesses, I do NOT love being treated like I just stole a bottle of your finest house blend by a pedantic wine snob who obviously hasn't had a good lay since Nixon was president, or ever!

You know what senior sucker face? I did not come to your winery to sit around and shoot the shit about how smart you are and what a refined palate you have. I came to your winery to support my mother. Don't worry, I won't be back. Not because you treated me like I was just delivered by the freaking stork, but because YOUR WINE IS NOT ALL THAT!

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Comment from Kerry K. of The Ross Valley Winery 7/12/2009    Hide »

There's a sign that hangs behind the tasting room bar that…    More »

There's a sign that hangs behind the tasting room bar that reads, "Be Nice or Leave - Thank You".

Thank you for leaving.  

Your fascination with my boss' sex life is disturbing.  We're grateful that you won't be coming back.

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2

14

Nicole C.

Brighton, MA

9/8/2006

You know what I like best about living in Marin? Being able to edumacate city folk on the really amazing places to be discovered over the Golden Gate. Never mind that 90% of the people I know who live in San Francisco don't know where San Rafael is. But I digress.

I must follow up the first great review of The Ross Valley Winery with a second, only mine will be a five-star award. Here's why:

1. Paul, your winemaker and host, is a wonderful story teller who will entertain you with light sarcasm and heavy wit while you sip delicious wines.

2. The Red Hill Red is amazing.

3. So is the Chardonnay.

4. He makes a port-style wine called Fermez la Port. The name is great and the wine is delish.

5. If you join his email list, he'll send you hilarious updates about what he's been up to lately. They are truly entertaining.

6. His storefront is on San Anselmo Avenue in downtown San Anselmo, so you can get crunk and walk around checking out all the great shops there. Plus you can eat some great food at one of the many restaurants.

So there, San Francisco!

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43

180

Holly B.

Blair, NE

12/27/2007

Paul was wearing a santa suit when I came in to this place for the first time...I guess I had been pretty nice this year, because his pours were wonderful.  Merry Christmas, Mr. K!

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