Ambiance
A massive, old door with heavy hardware greets you.
Must be import business happening behind such a formidable door.
Welcome to a down and dirty family owned winery.
The wine tasting aesthetics is rustic.
On a hot day the temperature inside the wine tasting/ barrel room is very pleasant.
No fancy large bar for tasting.
Sink into an intimate wine tasting space where wine barrels get top billing.
Gloves, hoses, brooms, are reminders that farming grapes is the noble mission at Joseph Swan.
Clearly if vines could talk, they’d share a proud history of this Russian River winery.
And the beautiful vines are there for your sightseeing pleasure when you stroll the property.
Cost:
Tasting fee $10 for 6 wines.
Buy a bottle and fee is waived.
25 varieties of wine ranging from $30- $70 range.
Appointment Needed?
Sat and Sun no appointment needed: 11:00-4:30pm.
Fri and Mon tasting by appointment only.
Wine Pick
A $30 2017 Gewurztraminer stole my heart.
Touted as a wine that goes very well with spicy food, pork, rich fish or cheese, yes please.
Surprise. A Gewurz that is not sweet at all.
I also couldn’t resist purchasing a 2014 Pinot Noir.
Other favorites include many versions: Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah.
Dog Approved
Yes
Plenty of shade for your pet on a hot day
Social Media Worthy
I found the vineyard views in the back of the tasting room spectacular.
Perfect backdrop for a photo.
Feel Good Vibes
2017 marked the 50 year anniversary of Joseph Swan Winery.
Joseph Swan’s last vintage was 1987.
Sweet Story: One year before Joseph Swan died …….
He saw his daughter, Lynn, marry Rod Bergland.
Rod Bergland was the assistant winemaker under Joseph Swan.
Lynn and Rod have carried on the Joseph Swan mission and tradition of exceptional wine making.
A romance that blossomed in the vineyards.
Wine Nerd Facts
You won’t find high tech equipment at this winery.
This winery is old school.
In 1969 the wine community thought Joseph Swan was crazy to plant Pinot Noir.
Joseph saw the fog rolling in and went with his intuition and got the last laugh.
Pinot Noir is still one of their premiere wines.
The wines are also imbued with the goodness of the soil
Sandy, ancient sea bed soil with compressed granite.
Add some French influence to the mix.
Joseph made several trips to France to study the French wine making style.
Swan’s Zins are not the big jammy style, but rather more peppery.
This is not a winery dictated by trends.
Joseph Swan Winery is a trend setter.
Wine Club? Fun Events?
The wine club title: Joe’s Drinking Buddies!
Three Tiers: 3 bottle, 6 bottle or Double the Fun Membership.
Imagine getting a cross section of 20+ different types of wine.
Sheila’s Tasting Notes
This is not a winery dictated by trends.
Everyone you meet here is the coolest wine geek.
Think the show, Big Bang Theory, but centered around wine.
When you place a bottle of Joseph Swan on the table you might as well say:
Check Mate
When Joseph Swan is poured, there are no comparisons.
So glad I have this new treasure of a winery on my radar.