Jason F.
Yelp
Looking for some great wine in Sonoma County but don't want to drive all the way up Highway 101 and the bygone regions of the Russian River and Alexander Valleys to actually get to enjoy them? Then there is a new option for wine lovers all over the Bay Area who don't want to drive that far to get to a little authentic Sonoma wine in them. The best thing about Barber Cellars is they are a small operation owned by a husband-and-wife duo, Mike and Lorraine Barber, who are dedicated to sharing their small production, like single vineyard wines grown locally from right here from the Sonoma coast all the way to the mountains. After a great deal of hard work through completely renovating a small storefront in the historic Hotel Petaluma, it is now home to the newest tasting room for Barber Cellars.
You could tell by walking in from the lobby of the Hotel Petaluma of all the hard work this family put into Barber Cellars from the refinished antique furniture to the beautiful wooden floor to their marble-top bar, everything is on point here. Thanks to my friend Christine whose husband Chris managed to stumble in here one day, I was able to enjoy a complimentary tasting thanks to them becoming members here since they opened. Nothing like a free sample to taste what they're offering. And since she's a member, Christine got to sip her wine from a personalized wine glass with her last name etched on it that was available to pick up from the wall in the back of the store. What a great and fun concept to make their members feel welcome!
Of the three wine tastings I sampled, I really loved the 2014 Sonoma Mountain Zinfandel 'Mr Beast' with a combination of flavors of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet and aged in both new French and American Oak, it was really sublime and smooth. The other two samplings the 2014 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet 'Scuro' and the 2014 Sonoma Mountain Zinfandel 'Mr. Beast' were really solid selections for the tasting menu as it gave a real flavor of the unique work process that Barbers puts into their homegrown wines. Not only that but they have a whiskey coming soon and something that's truly unique for a wine tasting room, Barber Cellars has the best Dolcezza Zinfandel Dark Chocolate Sauce, which when you get a tasting it something that's perfect to drizzle on ice cream or in your egg nog. Imagine that.
We were so enamored of the wine and the entire experience of the tasting room that Christine and I decided to try out their cheese tastings which are served with salami, prosciutto, olives, crackers, local jam and your choice of three cheeses from local producers. We selected the Dacheva Brie, Point Reyes Toma, and the Marin French 'Petite Truffle' mainly because they were all cow based cheeses that we knew would not only pair well with our wine but it also wouldn't leave as strong of aftertaste. I was happily surprised on how well rounded this cheese plate not only tasted but was presented as well. There was so much food that we didn't leave hungry. This combined with us deciding to get a plate of focaccia bread served with organic olive oil and balsamic vinegar really filled us up and that's quite a rare feat a wine tasting room!
Barber Cellars is lean and mean and dedicates itself to small production and nothing encapsulates that more than their quaint tasting room. It just goes to show the best things come in small packages, without any pretense much like their wine, Barber Cellars is place that more locals and out-of-towners should both able to relax and spend some time enjoying some good bites and sumptuous wines. Hopefully this is just the beginning of the renaissance that is currently hitting downtown Petaluma.