Ambiance
Right smack dab in the middle of Dry Creek Valley.
Easy to spot. Look for the winery with bright red umbrellas.
Great place to have a picnic too.
Swing by Dry Creek General Store right down the road and grab sandwiches.
Cost:
$30 Per Person and waived with wine purchase.
Wines range from $26-$62
Appointment Needed?
No appointment needed.
Open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
There is also a self-guided walk you can take throughout the property.
Wine Pick
I love that Mauritson has a variety of wines to choose from.
Sauvignon Blanc, Zin, Cab…and even more options for Wine Club members.
I went home with a 2015 Mauritson Zinfandel.
Many people rave about the Rockpile Zins too.
Dog Approved
Yes
The grassy area next to the tasting room is perfect for dogs.
Social Media Worthy
I lucked out with an ultimate photo op during Passport To Dry Creek Valley.
Celebrity Chef Charlie Palmer was at Mauritson signing copies of his cookbook, American Fare.
Charlie and Clay Mauritson (owner and winemaker at Mauritson Wines) have been friends for over a decade.
Feel Good Vibes
Clay Mauritson’s son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome in 2010.
Six months after the diagnosis Clay, his wife Carrie, and dear friend Charlie Palmer collaborated on how to get involved and give back to DSANB (Down Syndrome Association North Bay).
Clay is committed to raising awareness and advocating for people with Down Syndrome.
The annual event Project Zin was born.
21 of the best zin winemakers in Sonoma County donate.
21 is a key number as it is trisomy 21, the formal name for Down syndrome, which occurs when there is an extra copy of chromosome 21.
This will be the 9th year of the event.
It is anticipated that 1 million will be raised in 2018.
Look carefully on the walls when you visit Mauritson.
You’ll see the most cheerful and colorful paintings.
Clay’s sister works with artists becoming independent.
Mauritson commissioned this particular artist with Down Syndrome.
How cute is the sheep drinking wine from a straw?
Wine Nerd Facts
From what I gathered while tasting at Mauritson…
Clay and wife Carrie nerd out over soil.
Makes sense.
Clay is a sixth-generation grape grower in Dry Creek Valley.
His families first vineyard was planted in 1884.
There are 150 years of farming, tending to the land, and winemaking in his DNA.
The LOAM series was developed.
The focus is on Cabernet Sauvignon.
Identical rootstock, same clone, and same barrel routine.
Goal is to keep as many variables the same except for the soil.
There are 5 soil types:
Suther, Clough, Positas, Josephine and Cole.
In the LOAM Series… Suther, Clough, and Positas are made from a few rows grown only in their specific soil type.
Loam is a blend of wine from each of the 5 soils.
The idea is to taste through the LOAM wines and really sense the terroir expressed in each bottle.
Wine Club? Fun Events?
As mentioned above, Project Zin sounds like THE event of the year.
Mauritson also has a Rockpile Vineyard Dinner that sounds amazing.
Mauritson provides transport from the winery to Rockpile Ridge Vineyards.
A three course dinner paired with current release Rockpile Wines awaits guests.
I also suggest seeing if Mauritson is participating in Passport, Winterwineland, or Barrel Tasting Weekends. They always put on such a nice event.
Sheila’s Tasting Notes
Back in 2016 my entire family from Oregon came out to visit.
We had a Jensen Family Reunion in Sonoma Wine Country.
My mom and I went back and forth…
Where should we take our crew?
Heading to Mauritson was a no brainer.
My uncle played for the Oregon Ducks in 1975.
Almost every member of my family are Oregon Ducks season ticket holders.
We planned our day so we could have lunch at Mauritson and taste.
I knew my family would get a kick that winemaker Clay Mauritson was outside linebacker for the Oregon Ducks in the mid 90’s.
My family got excited as we drove into the parking lot and saw a few cars with Oregon Duck stickers on the back windshield.
Opening a bottle of Mauritson wine takes me back to that hot summer day.
Sharing Sonoma County with my family was such a treat.
