Eric Ross Winery

Stumbled upon this little gem on our way to another winery. We were greeted and served by Eric himself. It took a few minutes but he eventually warmed up to us. He was very pleasant very knowledgeable, and very humble bin fact, I had no idea he was the owner until I asked him. He’s a Navy veteran and superb guy. Very small scale winery and I would love for everyone to check him out.
We went on a weekday so not super busy. I would definitely recommend to stop by. He’s also a former photographer and you can see his work around his place. It was great to get to know him and his wine.

The Eric Ross is an unassuming tasting room off the main drag in Glen Ellen. We popped in by chance, but I’m so glad we did. There was no problem with not having reservations, although I think they are requested for groups of 6 or more. We were immediately warmly welcomed by Eric himself and then got to enjoy the very reasonably priced tasting — $ 15. Eric is a very interesting guy who is great to chat with. Besides that, every wine we tasted was even better than the last and they were all exceptional. I was sad we had spent most of the day at bigger wineries with flashier facilities and less impressive wines. Make sure Eric Ross is on your list if you’re heading to Glen Ellen!

This was a quality wine tasting experience in the middle of the mountains (a bit of a drive to get here, but well worth it!). The wines were very good and we had A LOT of fun at the tasting room. Everyone was very friendly and informative about what we were drinking, where it was from, and what the wine would go well with (although sometimes it was everything!). The walls are covered in photographs of their vineyard workers and idyllic views. Something interesting to look at while you sip some delicious wine.
While Eric Ross is a bit of the «beaten trek» I think it is well worth the trip out here. Quality wines and a highly enjoyable tasting experience.

Loved it, as I’m a fan of aromatic white wines. These great folks have an Albarino and Viognier available and after a long walk on a hot day at nearby Jack London State Historic Park a glass of Viognier — yes you can buy by the glass and sit outside — was just perfect.
We bought 2 bottles to take with us and one of them is already gone!

Eric Ross came recommended by a friend who just moved to the area to work in ‘the biz.’ It was our first stop, and we were all impressed by each of the 7 – 8 wines he tasted for us.
We visited a number of other wineries of varying price points/​quality as the day progressed. And after completing a taste, we’d often catch each other in the eye and say, «Yo, this ain’t no ‘Ric Ross.»
But we were wary of the fact Ross was, after all, our first taste of the day, when our pallets were at their best. We visited Eric again to buy [another] bottle on our way back to SF. He poured another taste or two, and we can happily confirm that even after a full day of tasting, it was *still* that good.

Thoroughly enjoyed the experience at Eric Ross Winery! Eric poured for us and was an excellent host with passion for his wines. Ahh, the wines… the Wines on the tasting list were fantastic… some of the best in Sonoma!

We went for an earlier tasting, so we got some one-​on-​one time with Eric (Ross was Eric’s business partner — Eric bought him out right before the Great Recession). I’ve been coming to Napa and Sonoma for a long time. After it became an adult playground, people would race from tasting room to tasting room, and it wasn’t really about the wine. At the time, I wished they would charge for tastings to keep the partiers at bay. And they did it. I gladly paid for premium tastings and life was good. Now, it’s not so good. Earlier this week I paid $ 30 to taste three wines… one of which sold for 10 bucks a bottle. What? The big thing now is pressuring you to join the winery’s wine club. None of this has to do with Eric. He’s passionate about his wine — which is very good, the tasting is very low key, he knows his stuff, and there is no pressure. It was very refreshing after some visits in Napa Valley. I have to admit, that I now much prefer Sonoma to Napa Valley. I only belong to one wine club, and I joined that over a dozen years ago. But this week I joined Eric’s.

I think of Eric Ross as the Cheers of tasting rooms; Dennis and Diane always know our name and I’ve never met a person I didn’t like among my fellow tasters. Oh and the wines are good too! You’ll be surprised by the number and variety of bottles open for tasting. Given the variety, you are sure to find something you like. My personal favorites are the Albarino and the Tempranillo. They also feature a late harvest port that is great, and this is coming from a self proclaimed port hater!
For more insights and photos check out my full review:

Stumbled upon this winery after a massage next door. Wow! Great surprise! The wine is fantastic, Eric himself pours for you and he is the sweetest guy!
I signed up for the wine club immediately and it was the first winery of the day… Not even a drunk purchase. This is the first and only wine club I have signed up for… Now that’s saying something!
If you’re in the area, I highly recommend you stop by and see Eric!

Hands down our favorite winery in all of wine country. We head up to Sonoma often as we live in the Bay Area. If we can only stop one place, it’s Eric Ross. Dennis and Diane in the tasting room make you feel like family and are the nicest, most welcoming people you could ever meet. The wines are great and they have a show stopping old vine port we love as well. We bring our dog, Remington in with us usually and they treat him like a special guest as well. Highly recommend a stop in to Eric Ross– you won’t regret it!

Dennis is awesome! I couldn’t stop smiling. Great prints to view for purchase. Enjoyable wines. A fun experience.

Dennis and Diane create the ideal tasting environment. They are kind, entertaining, knowledgeable hosts. They seem like family and I always look forward to visiting Eric Ross. Best Pinot I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a few).

Amazing tasting — Dennis made us laugh, knew his business. It’s non rushed experience. The sign on the door explains 6 or more need to book ahead. A place with great wine, that will tell you that they are to busy to waste your time, or rush others through a wonderful experience. That’s what Sonoma is about … Why would you complain about that?

What a great winery! Where other wineries in Sonoma valley are short changing on pours and food Eric Ross is in a class of their own. Very friendly staff and an awesome little winery. If you haven’t stopped here yet you need to!

Before we even fully walked in, we were told by a man «we will never get to you» because they were apparently too busy. It was very rude. I will not recommend this place to anyone especially since we called before going there.

Walked in 30 minutes before they closed with a group of 9. The guy working said «we will never get to you and go check out x winery «. Well in that case we will go somewhere else and spend our money somewhere else. DO NOT GO HERE. Unbelievable.

Winner of the oddest tasting room encounter we’ve had in 20 years.
We were referred to Eric Ross by another winery in Glen Ellen (where we just picked up two cases), who called ahead on our behalf to say we were coming over for a taste.
Upon entering the tasting room, which was very busy, we were almost immediately met by a harried gentleman who stepped out from behind the counter to say, «We will never get to you, and we are out of clean glasses». He then suggested we go to the tasting room across the street.
Essentially asking us to leave… at 3:15 on a Saturday.
Out of clean glasses? In a tasting room? How about offering a comp taste at a later date (we are local) versus simply suggesting we leave.
Bad form Eric Ross.

This was the first of 4 wineries that some friends and I hit on a wine tasting tour awhile back. I loved that we were able to split our tastings, so a friend and I shared a tasting between the two of us (and if we bought a bottle, I believe that our tasting fee of $ 10 was waived). For a tasting of 9 wines, it’s not a bad price to pay!
The people behind the counter were very knowledgeable (though I don’t know much about wine, so it’s not like I could run a fact check) and very friendly, not even blinking an eye when our group of 10 breezed through the door. Prices also weren’t too bad in terms of bottles, ranging between $ 25 – 50, depending on what you wanted.

There’s nothing like stumbling across a truly memorable wine tasting experience, and Eric Ross Winery is just that. It’s exactly what I look for in a winery — small, completely unpretentious and run by friendly, welcoming people (Dennis & Diane Mitchell, Tasting Room Managers) who are knowledgeable and pleasant.
I was especially delighted when I paid an unplanned visit to their tasting room, and encountered Dennis, who not only knows his wine, but also has a great sense of humor. Even better, Dennis has a love of pop-​culture and movie trivia that rivals my own. There are many factors which contribute to a tasting room experience, but one of the most «mission critical» is the charm and charisma of the pourer. Over and above the comfortable, rustic setting and the quality of the wines, you will not feel a lack in this regard when visiting Eric Ross!
My friend and I were waiting for our Salon Tasting appointment at nearby Audelssa Estate Winery, saw the sign, and walked in to the tasting room. We paid our tasting fee of $ 10 (waived with the purchase of 2 bottles) and enjoyed generous pours of the eight different wines that were available that day.
The wines were solid across the board; the one I liked best was the 2009 Gout de la Vigne, «Taste The Vineyard» Syrah, so I bought a bottle to take home, which I enjoyed on a recent rainy evening after decanting it for a few hours. It’s a full-​bodied wine with a hint of licorice and a pleasant smoky note, as well as intriguing aromas of pepper and blueberry in its nose.
My partner in crime that weekend and I travel well together, despite the fact that I am the only avid movie trivia buff among the two of us. Now that we’ve come to know each other, my trivia Jones no longer incurs friction; when we’re together, I dial back my aficion for this type of pop-​culture unconsciously in much the same way that bilingual people find themselves speaking only a single language when they are among unilingualists. This condition increased my enjoyment all the more when I realized that Dennis’ deadpan humor masks the convoluted, twisted brain of a fellow trivia junkie. I responded to one of his veiled movie references in kind, and we happily dueled with enough obscure, pun-​laden cinematic details to do the Skywalker Clan and their light sabers proud! It took a while before we returned to the non-​trivial world of unaffiliated humans.
Even if, like my friend, you can make it through whole days at a time without discussing John Cusack’s comedic gifts (as well as his lack of lips), or the merits of Walter Houston’s acting vs. John Houston’s directorial skills, I’m confident you’ll enjoy a visit to the tasting room at Eric Ross. The laid back, friendly service combined with the setting, the wines, and prices which are on the lower end of what you’ll find elsewhere in this area are a great value add to any wine tasting expedition!

The playfulness of the owners comes through in their wines.
This was the last winery we visited after a weekend of tasting, so were probably a little extra tired (and a little extra tipsy). The staff put up with us and made us feel welcome.
The tasting room is spacious and playfully decorated with toy cars and tanks, a rooster figurine, and a slingshot flying monkey. They have some comfy couches and chairs to relax in while you try the wine.
Tasting costs $ 10 and is reimbursed with a 2 bottle purchase (a tad different from most wineries which reimburse with a 1 bottle purchase).