We dropped in Sunday around 4pm. Glad we made it before it closed at 5pm. Nice staff. We also met the winemaker Spencer. They are generous with the wine pours. $18 tasting fee for 5 wines. Their wines are bolder tasting and not bad. Most of the wines weren't tannic until you get to the last one. But nothing really stood out for us to buy any bottles. You can revisit an extra wine at the end. You can also bring outside food. They are dog and kid friendly. An open aired winery room. They also have tasting at the bar. Parking is on the street or in the parking lot shared with Devil's Canyon brewery. 1 bathroom inside. Give this place a try! Friends said it's better than the bland wines at Woodside Vineyard that they went to before coming here. read more

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Spencer is a great host, their collection of wines have aged beautifully, and their tasting space has not only an attractive bar up front but also open space in the back for large parties or quiet enjoyment of their wines. read more

Went wine exploring and found this hidden gem. We were going next door but decided to stop in here and I'm glad we did. We were greeted by Spencer and he made our visit worthwhile. We started off with flight tasting, and each and everyone of their wine was unique in their own ways. I couldn't pick a favorite! Spencer was very knowledgeable and shared many stories with us! The inside is nice, and inviting. Very good event space too if you're looking for one! Ended up leaving with four bottles of wine! Definitely visit if you're in the area. It was a nice day for some wine :) well be back! read more

Went here for an event about a week ago. Great wine! Would highly recommend. There are a few more wineries in the area too! read more

This place is great! Yhe flights are really good, The service has been great both times we have been there. The wine is the reason to go though. Its all really good. We joined the club! Haha we will be back. Atleast 4 times a year. read more

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Excellent local winery. The staff member who served us was very knowledgeable and took the time to answer our questions. The wines were excellent. read more

First off, I think it is AWESOME that there is an urban winery scene in this area. Russian Ridge is nestled in the heart of this little urban winery area. If you come here you can easily walk to the other wineries to make a full day out of it. Second, I thought Russian Ridge was a really solid winery! They had some variety to the wines that they make and everything we tasted was pretty good. I wouldn't say they made any wines that I'd consider my favorites, but I absolutely wouldn't be opposed to returning. We bought some bottles to waive the tasting fee. I will say that the people who were working there were extremely nice and knowledgable about wine. I really appreciated the time they took to speak with us as they made the experience more special. They also helped us navigate the urban wine area and gave some great recommendations for the rest of our day. read more

Wine was great and the server was a great host. Hr was very talkative and helpful. I plan to come again.

I had no idea that this place was right next to Devil's Canyon Brewery. Our experience here was fantastic. Scott and Spencer took their time to go over the wines with us and introduce my friend and I to other wine events in the local area, even though we were the last customers there after 4pm, before closing. I particularly enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon, and my friend purchased the Forte. It was also our first time trying the Concerto, which was unique and a bit tart-tasting (in a good way). Overall, great wines, fantastic service, and looking forward to visiting again, as they change the wine tasting menu monthly. read more

We held our belated wedding reception for 40 at Russian Ridge Winery (a local SC biz!), and Spencer and his team were great to work with, super communicative, and the wine was DELISH! They were so easy to coordinate with and had great suggestions for us, which was so welcome since we had no idea what we're doing. Consider holding your next event there, or even just exploring over a weekend! No Napa-priced hotel fees required. We got to hand pick the wine list, taste the wines before hand, hem and haw about what we wanted to serve and where to place flowers while holding a wine glass in hand, and celebrate a momentous occasion a few blocks away from home. Will definitely be back! read more

I've never noticed this hidden gem, and glad Yelp brought me here! Amazing Zinfandel- I'll be back!

We finally made time to visit Russian Ridge. Liked the Syrah and purchased a bottle of the Cab, but it was relegated to the cellar for a bit of aging. Owner/proprietor was knowledgeable and accommodating. We enjoyed our visit, and look forward to the next one. Enjoy! read more

Never knew there was a small wine tasting sector near Belmont in San Carlos (never even heard of San Carlos until this past weekend and I grew up around the East Bay). Came here for one of my good friend's birthday celebrations -- she wanted to do a little wine hop tasting in the area and this was our first stop. There is a small tasting room on right when you walk inside and if you just walk straight in where the barrels are on display, you'll find a larger space of tables for larger parties to sit at and a magnetic dart board to play. The father and son duo is quite knowledgeable in their wineology and they offer a good deal -- wine flight was $15 for 5 tastes (we had 6 -- a brut was added in the beginning because it was my friend's birthday) and if you purchased a bottle it would cover the cost of the flight (some bottles were $30 so you could have gotten the flight covered plus a bottle for $15). The downside is that they closed at 5pm (maybe we got off to a late start), but we were there for 1 flight and then we left. Dog friendly -- allowed us to bring a dog inside while we were there. read more

Russian Ridge is a cute, unpretentious tasting room on the little Peninsula Wine Trail. It was a bit crowded when we arrived, so we decided to take our first pour and head into the barrel area where they had a couple of tables set up for overflow. Even though we weren't in the main tasting area, we were never forgotten about and our server was incredibly friendly. He gave us lots of information about each wine we were tasting as well as a few laughs! We tried the Chardonnay, 2012 Pinot Noir, Merlot, Concerto Blend, Zinfandel, and Port. I believe there was one more that I can't recall before the Zin (oops!), maybe a Syrah? Our favorites were the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, but everything was very drinkable and tasty. Being from Washington wine country, California wines are a bit more acidic and less grippy than I'm used to, but Russian Ridge seems to make solid wines and I loved the father/son winemaking team as well as the overall attitude of the winery. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in the area or looking to taste but not willing to drive up to the big shots in Napa or Sonoma! read more

We had a busy morning and couldn't get to wine country so I Googled "tasting rooms near me" and much to our surprise, we found around 10 all nestled into the industrial side of Redwood City. We loved the son and dad team at Russian Ridge. So friendly and such great service. Cute tasting room + great wine + interesting conversation = a great day. read more

Russian Ridge Winery is amazing. We highly recommend this quaint little place in San Carlos where the staff treats you like family and the wine is of the utmost quality. Scott and Spencer are very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about wine making!! read more

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Coming from out of state (Hawaii) the plan for years has been to drive straight to Santa Rosa and hang out in Sonoma and Napa Valleys. After so many years the novelty has worn off and I'm happy to stay in San Fran and avoid crossing any bridges. But what about the wine you ask? Well Russian Ridge in San Carlos has some of the best wine I've tasted anywhere in California and its in South Bay so its easy to get to and no bridges to cross. The owner Scott Townsend and son Spencer make and bottle all wines on-site. The grapes are selected from distinctive grape growing regions. The Russian Ridge facility reminds me of Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg. Neither have vineyards but produce very high quality, super tasty wines. Russian Ridge on a smaller scale, but the quality is there and the price is far more reasonable. Russian Ridge has racked up bunches of awards, many of them gold or best in show. I've tasted most of what Russian Ridge has to offer and a few that Scott keeps stashed away and there is NOT ONE that I didn't want more of. Everything is really good. For those of you passing thru like me, you can buy bottles and pack them in wine carriers. I could only get six bottles because of airline weight restrictions. I believe there is a 2, 4, and 12 bottle size as well. I am sipping a 2011 Russian Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Concerto Red Wine as I type this. Oh so tasty. read more

A total gem. No, you're not going to get pretty scenery here -- the winery is in the middle of an industrial neighborhood. What you will get, however, is delicious wine served by a knowledgable team: the winemakers themselves. We've been multiple times and have been impressed each time. A lot of care goes into each wine, and the team takes the time to explain what you are drinking and answer questions. The Chardonnay and Cab are particularly tasty. Enjoy! read more

Truly the hidden gem of San Carlos. I found this place by accident, after a couple tastes of their amazing wines I became a Wine Club member. In the two weeks following I went back three more times to enjoy the wines they were pouring, each time leaving with at least one bottle. Almost as wonderful as their wine is the atmosphere. Everyone, from Scott and Spencer to the other patrons, are really fun and friendly. I cannot rave enough about Russian Ridge. read more

The owners, Scott and Spencer, were wonderful! They even stayed open a little late for us. The wine was good, the pours were generous. Definitely worth a visit! read more

How have I not heard about the wine tastings in San Carlos until just yesterday?!?! Russian Ridge was a great tasting room where the winemaker Scott poured our tastes. You NEVER get that in Napa or Sonoma. My husband is a home wine-maker and Scott was more than happy to talk to him about home wine-making, offering tips, sharing stories, and taking us in back to see his operation. Scott greeted everyone who came in the door like family. And the wines were tasty too! We bought a few bottles to take home and will definitely come back. read more

This place was great. A huge group of us went in unexpectedly like 10 minutes after they opened and they handled us like a boss. Wine was great (I ended up buying a bottle which comps your tasting fee). The tasting room was a tad small but it didn't cause any issues. They mentioned they were hosting 20 people not too long after us so clearly they can hold 20 people (please give them a heads up don't be like us). read more

I git the opportunity of tasting a 2011 bottle of cab from this winery at our Grand Opening Party of ACTION SIGN SYSTEMS . I must say that it is delicious! I would definitely give these folks a visit read more

Simply the best! Love the Petit Syrah and Pinots. The guys, Scott and Spencer are great too! read more

Russian Ridge Winery - Wineries Near Me - San Carlos, California

uhh hello. Can you say AWESOME? Affordable, delicious wines, great tasting room, wonderful owners/winemakers. Looking forward to seeing this winery expand and grow. Kudos, and best of luck and wishes for prosperity in coming months and years. I will be back. read more

Amazing service and great wines! I actually liked some of the silver medal wines better than the gold, so give everything a fair chance! Beside the wine, this place gets 5 stars for the friendly service! The winemaker and his son made the wine tasting experience so much better! They were nice, interesting and knowledgable about their wines! I will definitely be back! read more

Had a mimosa with a friend last S aturday at the Industrial Arts Car Show and Street Faire, it was delicious. It is always fun to go in and chat with Scott and his son. Great job on the sparkling wines guys! read more

Delicious wines ... Enjoyed them all. Spencer was a great host and shared lots of great info and really added to the tasting. Will definitely be back! read more

I am a member here and that definitely has its perks. I love how close it is to sneak away for a little wine tasting. The owners are incredibly friendly and chatty and they did not mind that I brought in my dog. The wine is reasonably priced and I believe, largely from the Santa Cruz mountains. read more

Outstanding wine, great hospitality, and a wonderful location. Thank you for adding to our community!

From start to finish, this place is amazing. Great selections to tastes from. I dare you not to buy a bottle to take home.

Enjoyed tasting the wines along with great conversation with the winemaker Scott. Loved the Concerto at dinner after the tasting. Don't' miss a visit here. read more

This was such a great find! Love the champagne here! On a hidden street and so cool. Great talks with the owner too.

From the outside you wouldn't know what to expect. It's in an industrial area, next to another winery & brewery with a very small tasting room but the wines!!!! We had just come from another winery in the area that had a nice tasting room but mediocre wines. Here we loved every wine we tasted. The chardonnay was one we could agree on. The zinfindel was delicious. They even let us taste the port which was not on the tasting menu. Scott & Spencer were knowledgeable and fun. They made the atmosphere friendly and it translated into a great experience. Another side note-it was getting later in the day and we hadn't eaten lunch-the cheese, crackers & chocolate were much appreciated. Will definitely be back even though we ended up buying a case of wine this time! read more

Read on Yelp how great this place was... when we pulled up ..so not impressed ... make shift wine tasting room poorly done off to the side of the shop storage unit... Ok... great wines here we come.. I walked in where there were 2 others sitting at the end of the bar ... owner " Scott " was in a political conversation with this couple ... I stood there for about 30 seconds till he looks at me and actually says a greeting ...ok.. no worries .. he knows we are here now... We take a seat and inform him we are here for a tasting .. this is where my patience is waning ... We are now just a distraction from his conversation. The first pour is a Chardonnay ... we have a menu but its not exactly clear what we are drinking and the first pour I believe he squeezed out here is our Chardonnay .. but maybe not.. I asked my wife who was making sense of the hand written numbers on the menu... now the next several pours he did explain the wines a bit .. but once again a customer can be made to feel they are a bother not important.. each pour was drank as we sat quietly spinning our phones on the counter waiting for the next taste ... when he would finally look over to notice we were done .. he would pop back over and pour the next.... The experience was horrible ... but the best thing we got out of it was his recommendation to go next door to Cuvee .. so I added a star for that 5 star visit ... so thanks but no thanks read more

Great random find as I was cutting through the neighborhood earlier today. Who knew there were 3 wineries in San Carlos? Spencer provides great service and the wine was a pleasant surprise. Bought a few bottles of the Chard, the Pinot and the Concerto (a nice red blend). Will definitely be back. read more

Russian Ridge Winery is a great place to stop. It is next to my other favorite San Carlos winery, Flying Suitcase. Because they are next door to each other and are my other favorite wine tasting places in San Carlos (the others aren't that good) making it a perfect double stop with no intermediate driving. Good wine at a reasonable price. read more