I LOVE this winery! I generally prefer Sonoma over Napa wineries. Napa is just a little too commercialized and touristy to me at this point. However, I have enjoyed quite a bit of Napa wineries in the past :) Walt focuses on Pinot and they are delicious! The Som pouring our wine is always so thorough and detailed when talking about each wine you can taste everything he explains. This place also has the cutest little backyard with picnic tables. I always make it a point to stop here when I'm in Sonoma! Go check it out! read more

We visited Walt Wines yesterday and had just an over- the-top experience. As world travelers who have been in almost every wine region on every continent, we know an authentic but original experience when we participate in one. Elan (Alan) was our host and he took us through an exciting guided journey as we traveled with him 1800 miles tasting pinots. It was educational, enlightening, fun and left us wanting more. Congratulations to him and Walt Wines, which always deliver. We are locals in Sonoma and will continue to bring our many friends by for a great experience. Cheers, Connie and Bill read more

Love WALT in Sonoma! Great Pinots from multiple regions, chocolate pairing and food pairing options. The backyard vibes is also a plus, very relaxing and welcoming. read more

WALT: Sonoma Coast Winery: Great wines: Great service. 2017 Pinot Noir and Rose is outstanding. Definitely a stop that is worth it in Sonoma. Thanks for accommodating us at the last minute. read more

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If you want to be told politely to go F yourself today or tomorrow or anytime in the future for A PARTY OF ONE for absolutely no reason then I'd say come here. They're just too busy, on a Thursday, or a Friday or really whenever to have you. Enjoy our wines...at Raley's or other fine merchants (who won't tell you to go f yourself) near you! read more

I am a member of Walt since 2016. This wine club is excellent. I normally always pick up my wine shipments and therefore normally visit them at least every quarter. They are always great. Their service is great. Their wine educators that have been there for some time are great. I really like Terry and Michael. Terry truly educates you on the wine and Michael is also great. read more

Our server was excellent! And, of course, the wine was amazing. Our experience there was well worth it. I highly recommend WALT's place to everyone! read more

This was the last stop of our wine tour in Sonoma. We had no appointment and just walked in. They gave us a room even though we had a large group. This place is dog friendly and they gave us a large water bowl for our dogs. Walt wines was very accommodating and friendly from the start. We tried a wide selection of their red wines. We were given as much time as needed and they were very patient with us because we were very loud. The wines were great and I was very happy with what they carried. I'd like to thank Walt Wines again for being so friendly and patient with us. I know we were very load at times and being that it was at the end of our wine tour on a very hot day, we should have been more considerate. I'm very thankful for how nice and knowledgeable the staff was for us! read more

Fantastic experience! Austin was the perfect combination of information, history, personal taste and knowledge of Sonoma in general! Fun time sitting in the shade in the front courtyard, we were able to experience a Chardonnay then move on to 4 flavorful Pinot Noirs! Definitely loved the laid back vibe, too! read more

We had THE BEST! Experience with Elan Villamor doing our tasting today! Seriously the best visit of our trip! Elan was so knowledgeable and is the best personality ever! We joined the Wine Club and look forward to receiving our wine and hopefully doing a zoom call with Elan to do our tasting with him again! read more

This is a very friendly, cozy if not somewhat limited space to start off a day of wine discovery in Sonoma. Actually, Walt is only one of several tasting rooms right in the Sonoma town square that can be explored without moving your car. A nice walk around the square brought us to Walt Wines where we already had a reservation (recommended) for our group of eight people. We were promptly seated because they had just opened (11:00am) and didn't have to wait for others to finish. (a good strategy). We had good and cheerful attention from the wine educator. She shared general wine information and some very interesting insight into Walt Wines specifically, which helped guide us through our tastings. As for the wines; Walt offers a variety of Chardonnays, especially for those who prefer an oaky feel to their Chards. Most were not my style, but not overly cloying either. I can see how Chardonnay aficionados would greatly appreciate them. What I found most engaging were Walt's Pinot Noirs. Their North Coast Pinots were delicious, with the unmistakable sense of ocean influence. My favorite, for sure, were the Anderson Valley Pinots. Year to year they were consistently aromatic and luscious, with good enough structure to hold up more than a couple of years in the bottle. I could not resist taking some of those home, even at that investment. Walt is a good place to enjoy at your own pace, buy some remarkable wines, and then venture to some of the other winery tasting locations on the square before dinner there. read more

Some of the best Pinot around combiners with superb service and knowledgeable wine educators (especially at the Sonoma Square outpost) for a wonderful day. These are big and bold, truly the cab lovers Pinot. Bob's, Rossela's, Sierra Mar and Clos Pepe are our favs. read more

Service and ambiance is definitely outstanding. Perfect place to try some excellent Chardonnay and Pinot noir with friends and family. However their store policy does not allow you to bring outside food or snack unlike the parent winery at Hall, so if you are looking to pair your wine with some of your favorite cheese or bread, you are definitely out of luck, thence only 4 stars. read more

Our first trip to Sonoma. Terry at Walt was a big part of our positive experience in Sonoma. He was knowledgeable, put up with our questions and he didn't make us feel rushed through. Even accommodated starting us earlier than our planned tasting time. Thank you for making this a great trip. read more

We had a wonderful tasting outside under their coast redwood tree. Elan was our guide through the tasting. He did a fabulous job helping us understand the differences between all the Pinot Noir varieties. It was fun to taste the variation that different climates and soils give to the wine. read more

All I have to say is wow- what an experience. We were greeted immediately by Elan and felt like we were family. By far the top tasting experience we had on our trip that we will remember for a lifetime. Elan was so knowledgeable and guided us through what we were tasting. The wines were incredible and highly recommend this experience! Will be coming back again! Thank you so much! read more

I got kicked out of another winery for not making an appointment!! The man made me feel so embarrassed for not knowing their policy.. anyways. I arrived here! They saved my afternoon and made me feel so much better!! Amazing wine! Absolutely adorable atmosphere! Welcoming staff! Highly recommend!! Have a great day! Good luck wine tasting. :) read more

Great find on a side street off the main square in downtown Sonoma. Hubby is a big pinot fan, me not so much but I loved Walt Wines. Their staff was informative and very friendly. The tasting room is smallish and I was pleasantly surprised when the staff told a group with a baby stroller that it just wasn't big enough for them. Yay! I love that there are still places out there who treat wine tasting as it should be and not a way to overly commercialize the process with big tasting fees. Fees were waived with purchase. We'll be back! read more

Unfortunately the tasting room experience has gone down hill at WALT. As part of the HALL/WALT empire, there seems to be less and less attention devoted to this name over the years. Melissa and Emily are no more, leaving a rag tag skeleton crew of over worked employees and very spotty service. While the Pinots are terrific with a $75 price point, the tasting room is very hit or miss. Perhaps they can staff up soon with more knowledgeable and caring employees, but for now I'm afraid it's a hard pass. As a now former club member, they seem more interested in signing up new memberships and selling wine than hosting existing and loyal club members. If you want to chance a visit, make a reservation (definitely don't walk in) and take your chances. Sad to see these wines leave my cellar, but there are plenty of great wines and new experiences out there. read more

My wife and I recently visited Walt and we're not happy at all with the service. We were lead to a private tasting room where we were given a flight of Pinot wines. All good till our host just referenced us to scan various codes to hear about the different wines. These short few minutes of videos told us virtually nothing about the individual wines other then location and soil type. Two of the clips were identical even though the two came from different Vinyards... read more

Side by side tastings of Walt Pinot Noir. Elan was our guide and could meet everyone where they were on their wine journey. Elan's education, grace, and charm made Walt Wines a highlight of our trip. read more

We were members of Walt for over a year, and got several friends and family members to join. We have memberships all over sonoma, Napa, Healdsburg and along the coast in California. No where have we been treated more poorly than Walt, which is disappointing because their wine is some of our favorite. On the first occasion, we drove all the way up to Sonoma to pick up our wines. We were told by Mr. Kelly that they had already shipped, but they hadn't. They wouldn't let us pickup and made fun of us for asking to. Our wine showed up almost a full month later. We live in San Francisco, so it clearly had not shipped when Mr. Kelly said that it had. The confusion / misinformation is one thing but the rude, mocking tone and lack of understanding was what made us reconsider our membership. Fast forward a few months, we came in with our dog and asked if Walt was dog friendly. Mr. Kelly told us that we needed a reservation, even though the place was wide open. Again, not even necessarily the information but the tone it was delivered. Very offensive, rude, and off putting. Needless to say we will not be signing up again and will no longer be referring. read more

Great little tasting room and fantastic Pinot Noir. The Walt Wines are an offshoot from Katheryn Hall wines which have a very good reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon. Walt focuses on regional Pinot Noir from Sta.Rita Hills AVA all the way up to Sonoma County and Anderson Valley AVA. Oh, and don't forget on occasion they bring in a wine from the Yamhill Carlton region of Oregon, just South and West of Portland. All things considered, the wines here are pretty tasty and show a wide spectrum of flavors and styles. The vintages are more narrow in range, but this makes the tasting even more fascinating as the common thread is the vintage and the variables being the terroir. Don't miss Walt Wines if you love Pinot Noir, but make sure your wallet is extra thick that day or you create some space on that Credit Card because Walt will tap into both for the tasting fees and a bottle purchase. Have I had better wines, absolutely, but to find this quality just outside of the town square is pretty cool and you can spend a full day driving around and not find one Pinot Noir that meets the quality of their base lineup. If you can, call ahead and make an appointment to taste the wines outside especially in the spring or fall when the weather is perfect in this part of California. read more

Bambi & I enjoyed a leisurely hour tasting all the wines. It was a quiet day, & the young lady was generous to open bottles that were not "on the list". This is a winery that specializes in Pinot Noir. And I'm a Pinot freak. Most of the 400 bottles on my home wine rack are Pinot Noirs from California and Oregon. Though there is a family resemblance of all the Rosseler wines imbued by the winemaker's art, the flavors / acidity / mouth feel does differ from the wide range of grapes used. Yes, a Pinot Noir wine made from grapes grown in southern Monterey county does taste really different than grapes in Sonoma county, and especially grapes grown in the Willamette Valley Oregon. Rosseler makes wines with grapes from all those regions, and more. I bought 2 bottles. The Chardonnay ($32) and the Russian River Pinot Noir ($48). It's expensive for my budget. But, I'll pour these when wine savvy guests come for dinner. If you're an experienced wino - I recommend you visit. If you are a wine novice, and can't taste the difference between red wines, skip it. read more

Roessler Cellars is a young, small production winery in Sonoma. Their tasting room is in a charming house once owned by the Sebastini family just off the main plaza in downtown. We arranged a private tasting with Roger Roessler, the proprietor. He developed a great love of wine over 20 years as a restauranteur, and opened his winery 7-8 years ago. Roessler mainly focuses on Pinot Noir. He sources grapes from excellent sites throughout California and Oregon and makes seventeen (17) single vineyard Pinots. Wow! Prices are typical for quality small-batch Pinot ($35-50). Roger emphasizes the combination of food, wine, and great company. So, our Pinot tasting occured at the Girl and the Fig over lunch. Roger helped us through his wines, describing the flavor profiles, origin, and styles. He's very personable, charismatic and friendly. Not your typical wine producer. I didn't take any particular tasting notes, but I'll summarize our tastings as follows: 07 Big Bend (Chardonnay) - dry Burgundian style. Very soft and nice. 07 Bluejay (blend) - spice, fruit forward. Lots going on, still needs another year in the bottle. 06 Bluejay (blend) - lush, fruity California pinot. Excellent. 06 Brosseau (single vineyard) - ruby, slighty sweet (sticky). Burgundian style Pinot. 06 Savoy (single vineyard) - from the northern coast of Sonoma. Similar to 06 Bluejay. 06 La Encatada (single vineyard) - from Richard Sanford's (Alma Rosa) La Encatada vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. Slightly more tannic and rich, nice mouthfeel. I love Alma Rosa, and was impressed that this wine has much of the same feel. So, is it the producer, or the grapes? Summary: A great Pinot producer and excellent proprietor. Tastings are by appointment only, so you need to call in. read more

Walt Wines - Wineries Near Me - Sonoma, California

Austin- the most knowledgeable! Great place, joined and will be back very soon. Best pinots read more

Elan Villamor, wine educator, is fantastic! If you want a fun, personable and informative tasting at Walt Winery, make sure to book with Elan. We walked away with a membership because of our experience:) read more

We had tried to do a tasting at Walt about a year ago on a previous Napa trip, however they had a private event that day. We hadn't really thought about scheduling another tasting until we found out that AJ from Chappellet Growers Collection had moved over to Walt. It was awesome to see AJ as we walked in. He, and the whole staff, made us feel welcome and provided amazing service. The staff provided very nice options for tasting menus, and checked where we had already been that day to provide some different tastes. The Pinots were amazing and AJ walked us through each with his special brand of knowledge and humor. He rounded the experience out with some light snacks and a "splash" of some special choices that made a fine finish. Schedule a tasting here for a very easy, well rounded wine tasting and friendly experience. AJ or any of the staff will make you want to return. We will!! read more

Walt Wines - AJ and my Wife - Wineries Near Me - Sonoma, California

Being the sister winery of HALL wines in St. Helena, my wife and I expected to have a wonderful wine tasting experience - and we did. Paige, our hostess and Wine Educator, was very knowledgeable and charming and the Pinot Noirs we had were excellent. No inside seating yet (the same at HALL, where we were the day before) but a spacious and comfortable outdoor patio. If you are into Pinots, don't miss this one. read more

Walt Wines - Gayle and Jim enjoying our WALT wines on a beautiful fall afternoon - Wineries Near Me - Sonoma, California

My friend and I stopped by for an impromptu tasting on May 27. We had a pleasant experience tasting and I was impressed enough to bring home some of the impressive wines offered. The experience has been overshadowed and ruined by the fact they charged me twice for my purchase and will not correct it. I have followed up with Walt 6 times now without ever receiving a call back or my double charge returned. It is 11 days later and this has not been corrected despite many assurances and apologies. I cannot recommend Walt and would actually extend an admonition to completely steer clear. By their actions I would say they are a risky business to hand your credit card to. read more

We went to Walt today for the pickup event. Loved being greeted with a glass of Sangiacomo Chardonnay. Tasted three wonderful 2017 Pinots from there in a very relaxed atmosphere. We became club members a year ago and was a great decision. I work in the industry and belong to two other clubs primarily because the wines are exceptional,the experience is fun and they are dog friendly. All the staff we have interacted with are friendly ,accommodating and knowledgeable. We especially enjoy Terry C. Along with the wine we picked up today we received information on the wines and other goings-on with Walt. What I didn't expect was to receive custom bottle neckers for each of their wines and a couple of generics other Walt wines. Brilliant. Saved me time. Thanks Walt Wines. Well done. read more

3/2021- just left disappointed. There was 4 tables and only 1 server (Jeff) when we arrived. So we understood waiter was busy. Moments later 2 tables left and waiter still didn't make time to drop by our table to discuss wines, history etc... $55 down the drain. read more

Excellent wines in the most adorable setting. Quaint little house with private rooms make it a perfect place for a group of 4 to enjoy a semiprivate wine tasting. A variety of wines only available here. Highly recommend stopping in when in the area. read more

If you like Pinots, the wines are a 5 and our favorites. The service for our tasting was a 3. They were not full/busy and two people in our party couldn't be seated until all party members were there ( I was parking the car). The outside is beautiful and is a great place to taste. Our host didn't share too much information about the winery or different variations. There were about three or four tables there (not full) and time before pours was very very slow. We were often waiting. That said I was a member years ago, and rejoined. The wines are amazing. Especially the $~40 pinots (La Brisa/Blue Jay). Check them out! read more

Had a lovely experience here with family. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, and paid just the right amount of attention during our tasting. Overall the atmosphere was relaxing, and the wine was good, I'd go back. read more

We found this tasting room to be pretentious and didn't think the wine was all that great. We didn't feel the need to take any home while by the end of the day we were wowed by Jeff Cohn Cellars and Benziger Family Winery. read more

Jennifer at Walt. That's all. Do it! She's amazing, the wine is beautiful. She did a great job of explaining the varietals and served us with the perfect amount of small Talk. :). The Sierra Mar Pinot was our favorite. If you are a member, you taste for free, otherwise it is $30 per person. Also, if you are a member at Walt, you can switch wines around and receive Hall wine since they are sister wineries. I write this review because being a meme her, I sometimes feel like they are annoyed with me showing up Without an appointment. My suggestion is to book an appointment, but, today we didn't have one and Jennifer treated us like gold!!! read more

Not good due to the service of Michael. He may be the manager of the tasting room. Wine was placed by the same person that gave us a bottle of water. Micheal shared the locations of the vineyards and walked away. He did not share any additional information. Very disappointing. I would not go back. read more

Huge shout out to Elan Villamor sommelier at Walt Wines for his solid knowledge as a wine educator and his sparkling personality which made our experience so much fun. Ask for Elan!! read more

"I'm on wine tour with AJ my man tasting each and every pinot with a glass in my hand" 1000 miles of Pinot's was a marvelous way to kick off our Sonoma day. Walt crafts Pinot Noirs from Santa Barbara to as far north as Oregon. Having AJ as our Meriwether Lewis was the perfect guide to take us from Willamette Valley to Santa Rita Hills. AJ was well versed in the ways of wine and had a great attitude that helped kick our adventure off on the right trail. The lighter style of an Oregonian Pinot was a proper homestead to depart from. Fortunately no one got dysentery or mauled by a bear on this Oregon Trail. Traveling south through Anderson valley we sipped on an elegant Pinot. We then pit stopped in Sonoma for a drink from the Russian River and Carneros respectively. Southward ho! we arrived at the Santa Lucia Highlands for a wind swept Pinot of pure delight. Finally on to our destination of a big jammy bold Santa Rita Hills Pinot. North to south, backwards to front, top to bottom any way you slice it these Pinots are excellent. read more