Jason F.
Yelp
La famiglia is home at Orsi Family Vineyards! Located in heart of the Dry Creek Valley in Healdsburg, California west of Highway 101, Orsi Family Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery that embodies their Italian heritage so much so that they flags of every region of Italy is represented as soon as you are welcome into their visitor's center and tasting room. Open since 2021, Orsi Family Vineyards is the relative new kid on the block as they replaced Geyser Peak Vineyards with over seven hundred acres of vineyards in which they not only use their grapes for their own wines which are all Italian varietals and are produced on site, but also outsource them to other vineyards. What brought a friend and I here for a recent tasting was a sign, and a rather large one at that when we were traveling to another vineyard in the area, saw their massive sign on the corner of Westwood Road and Kinley Drive pointing the way, almost beaconing us to come. When we saw online that tastings could be booked via the Tock website at the relatively reasonable price of thirty-five dollars a person, we were sold. And the wine tasting that my friend and I experienced on a recent sunny weekend afternoon was one of the most exceptional that we have enjoyed in quite some time. Nestled among the confines of their vineyards and Highway 101, of which was kept silent thanks to a barrage of tall trees, our tasting of no fewer than seven wines was enjoyed under a light sunny breeze under their shaded deck.
Upon entry to their small but very approachable tasting room, they confirmed our reservation. We were first served a glass of their chilled sparkling wine known as 2021 Spumeggiate Oro, which was a lovely crisp wine. We then followed our tasting room associate Christine to their back deck which overlooks their grassy lawn which had a number of shaded cabanas which in turn overlooks their vineyards. Our second pour was their 2022 Fiano BTL, this wine was actually on the subtler side which benefits it being paired with seafood like fish, so it actually lets your food shine. Starting with our third wine we began to enjoy their reds, all of whose bouquets were never overpowering. For our third wine, we enjoyed their 2022 Sangiovese, which was a personal favorite of mine, with a base of Chianti grapes, this smooth red wine pairs well with any pasta or simple dish with marinara. For our fourth pairing we enjoyed 2019 Nebbiolo which is sourced by using the "foggy grape" as this benefits by not having too much sun when being grown, and is known for being off-color thanks to using the grape's skin. From there we enjoyed their 2021 Montepulciano which translates into the term "beautiful mountain" which is a rare red wine that is lovely tasting wine all by itself or with a meat-focused meal. Christina was so nice that she brought out a bottle of their Rosé of Montepulciano, which when chilled was equally as lovely as their red wine when sampled on its own.
For our seventh and final pour we enjoyed their 2021 Primitivo, which is the Italian version of a Zinfandel and had a nice smooth finish to it. With wines now being served in a few local restaurants, you would have to come to Orsi Family Wines to purchase a bottle to enjoy, and that's just the way they like it as they focus on family and locally sourced products. This was exemplified by what they sell in their tasting room, which included individual servings of Fiorella's Artisan Gelato. They also grow their own olive oil trees and we were able to sample the richness of what they produce, as they offered us a complimentary olive oil and baguette bread tasting and they all paired so lovely with their wines that purchasing a bottle of their olive oil was a must. From hosting concerts featuring tribute bands and performers, a stop along the local half-marathon, a pumpkin patch for Halloween, and a traditional Italian market during the Christmas season, Orsi Family Vineyards has truly engrained itself in the local community in less than three years of official operation. This has quickly become a favorite tasting experience among the hundred or so wineries that are dotted along the local Dry Creek Valley, and it all starts with family first and at Orsi Family Vineyards, they make you feel like one of their own!