Great vibe throughout this whole place. Nice outdoor patio with the umbrellas and apple trees. When…read moreit got too hot, we moved inside which got a nice breeze through the door. Family friendly, including having plenty of board and card games available to play. My husband got the dry flight and I got the sweet flight, we both enjoyed them. They had water cups and a pitcher available as well. There are also plenty of cans to purchase that aren't available elsewhere!

We live out of town and every time we are in the area we make it a point to visit GSC. Their cider…read moreis by far some of my favorite! And with the tajin rim... get outta heree!! Delicious!!!! The vibe is always super chillC people catching a sporting event on their TV's, pups hanging out... board games are available as well... it's just a place that you would love to be at!

Decided to drop by on a whim, and we tried their cider tastings. It's a small tasting area, but…read moreLuna (the dog - in photo!) is adorable, and there is some outside seating. Very casual experience. To preface, we're not big cider fans, but we're trying to branch out to try new things. Cider flight (4oz x 3) was $15, and included gravitude, which seems to be their staple, nehou, and persimmon (which is only available in house seasonally). As we dropped by on a whim, I didn't know their ciders are dry, but the host told us that at the start. Regardless, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the dry ciders. They were quite refreshing, particularly the persimmon one. You can taste the sweet persimmon undertones. Of course, we liked the one that was seasonal and only available in the tasting room! Apparently, they make other flavors in different seasons. Our host teased us with watermelon in the summer as a previous flavor, so I will eagerly await that for my next visit.

Didn't really feel welcome and not that impressed with the expensive cider samples…read moreMost of the ciders were very dry and the tasting require two costs for the cider and then the distilled beverages

zoe gave us a very thoughtful tour of the orchards and distillery and a generous tasting of the…read moreambix apple wines and brandies. she was so patient and kind and took time to answer all our questions. my favorite taste was of a lychee-flavored apple! we went home with the gravenstein pommeux apple wine and the founders' reserve brandy, apparently 2 of their best-sellers. visiting ambix spirits has been on my bucket list for a minute and i'm so glad we finally made it.

A group of four of us had a fantastic time at Ambix recently, where we learned all sorts of…read moreinteresting behind-the-scenes stuff about the orchard and the distillation process, then sampled a number of their different products. I brought four bottles of their brandy/pommeau when I went to visit friends in China, who'd never tasted anything like that before. Nothing but five-star reviews!

A hidden gem. So…read morenear Napa and Sonoma it would be easy to overlook a winery in Petaluma. But do not! I tasted from the Racing menu and was blown away by the selections. It's worth a stop.

Sam and Elliana were amazing! We are big Napa cab drinkers and the blue dog was better than a lot…read moreof Napa cabs we've had. We joined their wine club and are excited for their new tasting room to open on the Petaluma River!

Our host was Amy and she was OVER THE TOP AMAZING! Pairings- she's got 'em! Cheese recommendations-…read moreshe's got 'em! Wonderfully knowledgeable, kind, patient, and willing to go above and beyond to make your port tasting fantastic. The space is open, welcoming, and easy to get comfortable in while you sample some great port. Amy was gracious enough to recommend local art, creameries, galleries, and restaurants to make sure our stay in Petaluma was the best it could be! What a great way to end a Sunday! Thank you Amy!!!

The cutest tasting room with the most delicious ports! The decor is simple but nice and the vibe is…read morecozy. I missed an opportunity to come to an event that was hosted here recently but decided to try it out anyway. I'm so happy that I did because I learned so much and became a member! Murray was the perfect host! He was super friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us great pairing suggestions that I can't wait to try! Not only do they have ports to drink but also ports that you can drizzle on salads and desserts!

Hiveworks Mead is finally open and Sonoma County's craft beverage scene just got a lot more…read moreinteresting. The taproom is casual and inviting, plus you can wander into the back room which is their product facility, a cool sneak peek into the mead-making process that makes the space experience feel designed and intentional. The mead is crisp, carbonated, and dangerously crushable. Get a mead-mosa, you'll thank me later. Word is they'll have food trucks and live music coming soon. This place is only going to get better.

This is the cutest little place. The mead is delicious. My husband and I have enjoyed ordering the…read moreflight where you get to choose four different flavors. We bring in our own food and last Thursday they had taco night with Mexican food being made right outside the facility. Fun and relaxing!

Beautiful location with amazing views, chill staff, pretty good wines that are great value for the…read moreprice. Karah Estate is a local gem. The staff are very friendly and it's a great place for families or groups. They sometimes have live music. They are ok with you bringing your own food, just buy their wine! I like their rose of pinot noir and their port is pretty good too. Let's support local wineries like Karah!

I would like nothing better than to have Karah be successful since they offer a great fire barrier…read morefrom idiots throwing lit cigarets on hyw 101; near our property that borders Karah vineyards. However, to save money they have chosen to use propane canons to ward off birds instead of using netting like other vineyards. At least 30 to 40 families in close proximity have to deal with this noise nuisance for months until harvest lasting from sun up to sunset every day. After many complaints over the years, they made a valient effort last year to keep the noise down. This year, they're back at it. So enjoy your cheap wine (selling for $50 a case) at our expense including children and pets who are disturbed daily until harvest.

I try not to use the phrase a "hidden gem" too often or not at all, but Sonoma Aperitif should fall…read moreinto that category if it indeed a legitimate term to use! I had loose plans to visit Sonoma Aperitif on a weekend a few months back, but was not committed due to other plans. Well I had some spare time and figured I'd try to stop by and see if I could do a walk in tasting/sample. Laura who is the owner graciously accepted us into her old style barn converted into a tasting room. It really displays the Petaluma hospitality as well as the true country vibe of the aesthetics inside. For those a tad confused about Aperitifs, it is not your normal cocktail you will throw back or glass of wine/beer. They are typically served before or after (Sometimes depending on the country/region) to cleanse the palette. This is not to say you cannot make cocktails with it, but typically from what I have been told it is an after or before meal "sipper". Back to the tasting, Laura had a few that she was pouring today ranging from Lime/Citrus to Buddhas hand and Grapefruit. All had their very own distinction from each other. The real jewel of the tasting was the fact that Laura was pairing everything with very simple ingredients to make delicious cocktails! To give an example a aperitif splash with a rosemary shrub gave the aperitif a whole different level of complexity. The tasting itself was very affordable, and at the time included a wine tasting at the same bar by another company (No longer being offered though). Flavors may change throughout the year due to the seasons of various fruits though, so what one may see on one visit, may be gone the next depending on inventory, so keep that in mind if you really like any of the aperitifs. I could easily recommend this to someone who is looking for an alternative to Wine and Beer tastings.

Apéritif is a French word derived from the Latin verb aperire, which means "to open". An apéritif…read moreis an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet." Fantastic alternative from ciders and wine tasting. (But I still love ciders and wine :) I've never experienced aperitif. Laura, the creative mistress and owner was highly informative and had so much passion with her creations. Her previous career led her to this wonderful libation. The public gets to reap the rewards. This tasting bar shares the barn themed building. We came in to taste her aperitif creations and ciders from a very new up and coming cidery, "Acre and Spade" (see my Yelp review) After our cider tastimg, she placed 3 different tall slim bottles of aperitifs and poured each one in a very tiny martini stemmed glass, along with a ceramic bucket to pour any extra aperitif. As she poured each aperitif one flavor at a time, she offered the flavor profile. It's great with a bit of ice, which is extra perfect on hot days. She then made a cocktail using a lemon flavored "shrub *" and one of the aperitif (sorry I forgot which one). It was delish. I felt so "classy" lol. She added a sprig of fresh rosemary, so as your sipping, your nose picks up the Rosemary aroma. We offered our opinion for each aperitif and she listened intently as we slowly tasted each one. Their was no wrong answer as each flavor description is subjective to our own taste buds. This visit was eye opening, informative and very enjoyable. Our group ended up purchasing a pack of cider and few bottles of aperitif. She mentioned she had a few strawberry aperitif which we were lucky to enjoy. These aperitifs will be part of holiday dinners or any festive group gatherings. But equally fantastic for summer parties or warm/hot weather. * "The term "shrub" can also be applied to the sweetened vinegar-based syrup, from which the cocktail is made; the syrup is also known as drinking vinegar. Drinking vinegar is often infused with fruit juice, herbs and spices for use in mixed drinks."