Sonoma Coast Wineries: Karah Estate Vineyards

We moved to Sonoma with one goal in mind: to become the ultimate wine hipsters. Well, two goals: to become the ultimate wine hipsters AND drink a ton of wine from the best wineries in Sonoma. And eat a lot of good food. Fine, we have a lot of goals. Enough about our goals. We’re scouring Sonoma County for the best little known, small run wineries we can find in order to achieve the greatest virtue of hipsterdom: telling you all about the really cool places we love that you've never heard of. We’re doing this for you. Trust us.

Sometimes Bacchus gives you a sign. In the case of Karah Estate Vineyards, it was a billboard on the side of the 101 North going through Cotati. Figuring we had nothing to lose, we pulled off the highway in search of new wine.

The entrance to Karah Estate is right off the exit. You drive up a dirt road between rows of grape vines, past sheds, out-buildings and equipment until you get to the tasting room. When we arrived there was a crew of vineyard staff working out of the garage next store. The tasting room is nice enough, but it really feels like you're in the middle of a working winery (which, you know, you are). We did our tasting at the bar. As is often the case in Sonoma, the vistas are kind of breathtaking and there's seating outside to take advantage of that fact.

Things were pretty quiet when we visited. We only shared the bar briefly with a woman and her daughter who pulled off the highway to take a break from traffic. We tasted a rose, a chardonnay, four Pinot Noirs and a dessert wine. We had a great conversation with the staff about the winery, the Petaluma Gap and Sonoma wine culture. It's always great when the person pouring your wine knows what they're talking about. Remember to ask questions. You'll learn so much. To the notes!

These wines were all pretty much medium bodied and well balanced. Nothing was tight or overly tannic. All were ready to drink right away.

2013 Rosé of Pinot Noir: Butter, wax & ripe strawberries on the nose. Green too. Strawberries, almost ripe orange with a hint of cranberry and baking spice on the finish.

2014 Chardonnay: Clementine, honey and orange pith on the nose. Apricot, blood orange & oak on the tongue w/a decent amount of pepper on the finish.  

2012 Pinot Noir: Blackberries in syrup on the nose and just a hint of cocoa powder. Cranberries, coffee, nutmeg & coriander on the tongue. A ton of grapefruit and zest on the finish.

2011 Pinot Noir: Raspberry compote & oregano on the nose. Just a touch of green as well. Sour cherries with hints of lemon and coffee on the tongue. Black pepper on the finish. Very mild and smooth.

2010 Pinot Noir: Ruby and ruddy in color. Blackberries, roses, coffee grounds and farmyard on the nose. Blackberry jam, cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla, oak, baking spice & red pepper on the tongue. This would be a great steak wine.

2013 Pinot Noir: Fresh pulled weeds, day old fruit salad, caramel and pipe tobacco on the nose. Cranberry, blackberry hints of coffee & kumquats on the tongue. Little bit of pepper & chalk on the finish.

2013 Forte: This is the dessert offering from Karah Estate. Milk chocolate, raspberries, hazelnut & caramel on the nose. Almost like a tawny port or Sherry. Cherries, vanilla and cocoa on the tongue. A little bit of oak & spice on the finish. It's soooo smooth. Oh, and they gave us pieces of dark chocolate, too. Love that!

Like our bar mates, we stumbled across Karah Estate Vineyards wandering along the highway and decided to poke our heads in for a look. One of the best pit stops we’ve ever had. If you’re heading up the 101 to Healdsburg or Santa Rosa, schedule in an hour long break around exit 479. You can thank us later.

Karah Estate Vineyards is in Cotati, in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast AVA. It’s literally two seconds off the 101 just north of Petaluma. We can’t imagine a reason not to swing by there if you're on the 101 and have the time. At least think about. If nothing else, learn a bit more about why you should visit them at http://karahestate.com/. Seriously, it’s right off the highway.