Mauritson Wines

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?

LEARN MORE ABOUT PROJECT ZIN HERE

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.

MAURITSON

#CabernetSauvignon #Chardonnay #Zinfandel #SauvignonBlanc #Rosé