Porter-Bass Winery

Visited Porter-Bass winery today on a whim: just google it, as I was passing it by on my way from a coastal hike back to the hotel. What a gem! Sue, the owner, was serving her estate wines in a shade of a huge wallnut tree. I absolutely loved this concept, as (in my opinion) wines/wine making is not about some fancy tasting rooms, but it's about working the earth, and farming the grapes. Porter Bass makes excellent Rhone style wines. Their chardonnay is light, elegant, without that overbearing oaky/butter taste. Truly french style! Their Pinot is excellent. Thank you for a wonderful time at your estate and great quality of wine that I will cherish at home (bought some Pinot, Chard, Cab).

Beautiful family-run winery with great wines, gorgeous scenery, and amazingly kind people! Highly worth a visit. The tasting was very intimate, so we got to learn a lot about the family, the property, and the area. If you’re looking for a peaceful way to spend the afternoon, look no further!

Amazing wine tasting on beautiful grounds! Sue was a pleasure to taste wine with 🍷✨

What a fantastic hidden gem! Sue, the owner, is a fabulous wine tasting guide and human. She spent over an hour sitting with us and chatting about the 45 years she and her family have spent tending to the land and growing their biodynamic wines. It turns out she was born in NJ (as am I!), and we exchanged many stories. Of course, the wines were unbelievable in their own right. The wines lean towards dry, savory, and rich with flavor. The views of the farm while we had the wine tasting were 11/10. I highly recommend making a stop at Porter-Bass!

Went on a Sunday and it was such a relaxing experience. We sat outside and the weather was perfect and the wine was delightful. Ended up purchasing two of the cabs as well as olive oil. Highly recommend.

Incredible Wines, incredible tasting experience! Will definitely be back, enjoyed the Chardonnay

What a great gem! We enjoyed a scenic bike ride up to their beautiful winery. Had a knowledgeable host and wines from our outdoor tasting were 6 for 6 - SO good. They also waived the tasting cost as we bought two bottles of wine! Definitely swing by if you’re in the area!

Such a nice, intimate wine tasting experience. Sit under the tree with the owner and she’ll take you through the wine tasting. We had a nice chat on a sunny day and and took home a couple of bottles of wine. Really like their Chardonnay which isn’t super oaky. If you’re in the area, make a reservation for sure. Just know that for some reason google maps takes you on the very windy, narrow back roads but there is definitely a better way taking more major roads if you plan ahead a little.

Our visit to Porter-Bass was an absolute delight! Our tasting took place under a gorgeous old walnut tree smack-dab in the middle of the property. Sue, the owner, served us six outstanding wines (the Chardonnay was fantastic, as was the Pinot, and I truly enjoyed them all. We talked and sipped and laughed, and since we bought a bottle our tasting was free! Highly recommend!

A quaint tasting area under a beautiful walnut tree in the hills on a light breeze pre-summer afternoon? Count me in. I called in for a last minute appointment and met Sue underneath the canopy of the beautiful tree. She walked me through a tasting of their organic wines and shared the story of the vineyard land, dating back to the 1800s. We chit chat, we sat in silence and listened to the sounds of nature as I sipped through each of my pours... it was a pleasant start to the day. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is less tannic, which made it an appropriate purchase for me before parting for the day. They also offer a unique sauvignon/riesling blend (it may have been a Chardonnay/riesling), but interesting nonetheless, and one I would have purchased if in the market for multiple bottles.

Thoroughly enjoyed our tasting with Sue under the walnut tree. Delicious wines and beautiful outdoor tasting venue with spectacular views of the vineyards.

We stumbled into Porter-Bass at 4:45 PM on a rainy Sunday, dragging out bikes up the hill, covered in rain and mud from a two-day bike tour around the North Bay and the Sonoma coast. Sue took us in, put a few more barrel staves on the fire, and shared with us a selection of her family's organic wines as we steamed off and discussed bike touring, the weather, the history of the region, and our shared connection to a small town in Upstate New York. She also shared with us a tasting of some of her olive oil---delicious and intense! The tasting took place inside a beautiful house, full of natural light, spacious and warm. I'm so grateful for Sue's hospitality, and for the delicious wines she shared with us!

What a special place and unique experience! No frills tasting under an old olive tree. We enjoyed talking with the owner about the history of the property and their winemaking process. It was so cool to experience a tasting at such a small vineyard. We loved the Chardonnay in particular. If you're looking for a unique tasting experience this is it!

Wonderful tasting experience in the yard under the tree (thanks to some excellent weather that week). The setup allows for nice interaction with some of the other guests, but it's appointment only, so you're not going to be forced into a big group setting. Was great to taste wines from the estate and get a better understanding of what makes their vineyard so special. Our host was also gracious enough to suffer through my confusion between carignan and carmenere! :)

Unpretentious, family owned, biodynamic, winery nestled away in the hills of Gurneville. We tasted wine with the owner and wine maker in the shade of a large walnut tree overlooking their vineyards in a private valley. It was a very educational and intimate experience. Oh... and the wines were great too! ;) You have to make a reservation to taste, so do so well in advance. My favorites were the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignon, but my wife loved the Sav Blanc and the Chardonnay. They also offer olive oil from another family business, so make sure to ask for a taste while your there. My only recommendation would be to have a bucket of ice to chill the white wines while tasting. Temperature was in the 90's when we tasted over July 4th holiday weekend and I would have preferred a light chill. Shout out to Luke for making our experience so memorable! Thanks again, buddy!

I'm not quite sure I knew what I signed up for when I made the reservation but this surpassed all wine tasting expectations! We were lucky enough to be walked through our tasting with Luke (who doesn't normally do the tastings)! He was super informative of the land Porter-Bass is on, the grapes and when they are picked, and the wine making process. I loved the intimacy of this tasting--just us, Luke, and five bottles of wine. It was an experience like no other, and we left with a bottle of Zinfandel (though I'm regretting not getting one bottle of each I tasted), and good tips on food in the area! Thank you for a truly spectacular time :)

Located in a hidden spot and reservations area required Service - great stories and background of the winery Parking - limited so find a spot at the side of the roundabout. Wines - solid choices. Found the Chardonnay and Pinot really nice. Sauv Blanco and can also good. Like most wineries the company was great. Meeting new people Shout out to the marine biologist / fisheries peeps. Cool stories! Pro tip #1 - google maps and Apple Maps will both get you there but.....google will take you down the back way "shortcut" down a narrow road thru the forest which may have you doubting your decision. Ha. Rest assured you will get there. Winery on your left as you crest the hill If you go via Apple and stay in the main thoroughfare take a right and winery on the right. You will feel like you stayed near civilization. Be adventurous!

Beautiful quaint family-owned winery and a different experience than the other establishments in the area. The best part about the tasting was the wonderful vineyard views from under the walnut tree and of course the cute cow on the property that you will pass by on the way in. Their wines are organic and it was good to learn about how the salinity in the terrain affect the flavor profiles on that side of Russian River valley closer to the coast. They also grow olive trees for oil. We felt a bit rushed through our tasting but that was probably only because we arrived late  (called ahead to inform). We were the only ones on the property in our appointment slot and there weren't any other parties as we were leaving so not sure why we were rushed but that aside, we enjoyed the wine and the gorgeous views.

This is the most down to earth wine tasting I have ever done in my life!!! And I have got to say I love it. Organic wines and friendly owner. My friends and I decided to stop for wine tasting here while we were on our way to AutoCamp in Russian River and we were amazed by the views of this place. Very quiet and unique and wines tasted great too. $25 per person for 5 kinds of wine but they would waive it if you purchase a bottle.

This is a very family-friendly winery that welcomed my autistic toddler, my friends, & me with big smiles. I especially appreciated that my toddler was able to enjoy the property, from the water feature, to the hills, and the little critters, while I tasted some amazing wine! The Pinot Noir was my favorite. I highly recommend this place and hope to be back soon! Thank you for your great service, Sue!

We did an excellent tasting with Sue yesterday! She was very welcoming and shared a lot about the history of growing in the area, and how they do biodynamic farming. The wines were delicious, with the Cabernet and Zinfandel being our favorites! This is definitely a backyard treating, no fancy tasting room here. The perfect spot to leave all that pretentiousness behind!

wonderful experience! Weather was perfect (shout out to the sky) and we relaxed and tasted wine! They also have delicious olive oil. Small place but amazing wine :)

If you're looking for a nice easy winery that welcomes dogs and kids (we got both ) please visit here and support this wonderful place and we got to pick tomatoes from their garden (gratis) to go with their delicious olive oil!

Sue was very sweet to talk too. And gave us the history of the winery. Very intimate and the wine is very good. Bought a couple bottles. Definitely a place to stop!

Such a beautiful and charming place, definitely a local place filled with beautiful views and Kitchen the cow. Sue is very kind and helpful, she went above and beyond to help me with my reservations. Wine is delicious.

Great small vineyard with great wines and a great story. The wine tasting was held under a walnut tree. It's a little off the beaten path, but we'll worth it.

Unfortunately this was the first vineyard we stopped at on our trip. The experience was nothing short of cathartic, and I can't imagine any vineyard will ever live up to this place.

Great wine, great people, great place. Small family run vineyard. Beautiful surroundings. A very nice experience

Such a beautiful winery. $15 for a private testing on the beautiful property under a gorgeous walnut tree! A cute cow named kitchen on the property, beautiful vineyards, and friendly faces truly make this an awesome spot! Delicious wines and tasting fees waived if you buy a bottle! Stop by and give them your support!

Went there to get a tasting. Called 3 hours before to make a reservation-no answer. The older lady with the long grey hair said "can't do it". We asked if it was possible to just have a glass instead of a tasting so they wouldn't have to keep attending to us. Her response "you need a reservation". We reminded her we called 3x with no answer. She then responded, "ya, we were busy, can't do it, we're harvesting a tree, you need reservations". I have been to countless wineries. I can understand when someone can't accommodate. But the attitude and rudeness was not needed. So disappointed. Susan, please understand how to talk nicely to human beings. It's very disheartening and left me with a bad vibe. Beautiful venue- sh!tty person.

A local run family business winery we stop by on our road trip ! Mom was extremely nice and waive the tasting fee if we purchase a bottle ans of course we had too It's small but love the laid back carefree feel of wine tasting under a tree !

If I can give the customer service zero stars I would. We called the winery to see if we can stop by for a tasting and got no answer. We stopped by to see if they can accommodate us, as most wineries try to do, and NOPE. We got RUDELY sent away like we were an inconvenience. It was hard not to feel like this was a racial profile.. I'm extremely disappointed more for how I was treated rather than being told a reservations were required and they were unable to let us taste.

This sweet winery is tucked away past winding roads through the redwoods. If you feel like you're going the wrong way, you're not. Continue on the road and you'll soon see this beautiful winery through the clearing. The vibe is perfect and laid back not to mention great wines and olive oil! My boyfriend who isn't into the wine scene loved this visit and loved the wine! Definitely book an appointment if you're staying or passing through Guernville. It's a quick drive and worth the visit!

Susan was kind and knowledgeable. Delicious tasting and beautiful views. Bought a case to ship back home and enjoyed an extra bottle on the trip. Tasting fee waved with any purchase.

I came for a short weekend trip with a group of friends. None are wine experts nor do not do tastings often, so I wanted to pick a great winery with a nice variety to get them excited about tasting and that wasn't too stuffy or pretentious. This fit the bill and more. It is a beautiful laid back, rustic property with a family that truly cares about good wine. We drove up in the afternoon without a reservation, but they were able to accommodate our party of 5. The drive up is a bit off the beaten path through the forest, which was a great change of scenery. We sat under this beautiful walnut tree for our tasting with another small group. Our host Sue, who has been tending to the winery and vineyard with her family for the last 40 years, was pouring for us today. She was very friendly, and happy to answer our questions about the wine. She was very generous and allowed us to re-taste something we had another question about. She also brought us a few walnuts to crack and sample from the tree we under as we sampled. We did enjoy walking the grounds of the property a bit. We met a few chickens in addition to Kitchen, the cow. Sue was able to tell us which grapes were on which side of the property, and a bit more about how they grow. Overall, everything we tasted was a hit! When it came time to check out, Sue let us know that the tasting fee is waived with a purchase. Everyone in our group was already excited about taking home their favorite bottle, and no one left empty handed. My partner and I actually fell head over heels for their zinfandel and bought a case to use for our September wedding. (for those out-of-towners they do ship!) We look forward to opening the case later this year and remembering a very pleasant afternoon at Porter-Bass.

It felt like visiting family and hanging out having a glass (or few) of wine. The wine was lovely and organic which made me happy.

The best Chardonnay I've ever had in a super intimate setting. If you're looking to get away from touristy vineyards, Porter-Bass is perfect. My husband and I sat with the owner and had a lovely conversation while tasting delicious wine in a secluded farm setting. Quiet and off the beaten path. Call in advance for reservations.

Fantastic wines. We loved the low key and modest wine tasting. They were very helpful with shipping wines for us as well. Make sure you make a reservation in advance though!

I've been to the facility 3 to 4 times. The first was to do some wine tasting - their Pinot is amazing - and stayed for dinner. My first impression was that it was a keeper, except it had accessibility "issues". I contacted one of the owners and told him of my concerns, and low and behold, he agreed to fix them, which he did! The wine is amazing and the Restaurant, a local jewel. Most recently, they've built a new wine tasting room, so if it's cold or rainy, you'll be cozy and warm. A great experience you should have as a resident or visitor. Five stars!

A lovely family winery hidden in the hills outside Guerneville. If you've ever dreamed of sipping wine in silence while watching fingers of fog crawl across tree tops like the smoke from so many camp fires then this is the winery for you. The land for Porter-Bass was cleared in the early 1900s by Italians who ran the winery through prohibition until the 60s. It's a beautifulify remote farm that straddles two hills in the middle of the Santa Nella forest. The location likely explains why the winery continued to operate in the 20s and 30s: you would not expect grape vines in an area with this type of climate but the wines taste delicious. The Zin and Pinot were our favorites. They also have a non-estate white but it didn't wow us add much as the reds did.

Omg, a small hidden gem, just when you think you are lost the winery appears. Susan met us out front for a tasting under the trees. We enjoyed the entire tasting and went home with Sauvignon Blanc, 2014 Zin, 2014 Chardonnay, 2014 Pinot. Highly recommend if you enjoy good wine and off the beat finds!

I've been here twice with my wife. It's a really unique and fun experience of tasting wine directly with the winemakers. Porter Bass is a small family operation and the casual way you get sit in their yard and get a small lesson in wine making is really nice. Luke is really cool and unassuming. I can't recommend Porter Bass enough. Make sure to reserve your slot through their website.

A LOVELY winery I found thanks to Yelp when my friends and I were spending a weekend in Russian River. I highly recommend you set up an appointment and swing on over here! The owner Susan is super nice and informative. Their family lives right there! We got a cheap tasting ($10?) for 5 different wines and of course it's waived if you buy a wine. The wines were as cheap as $15 so I recommend buying yourself one of their tasty wines. You can then just explore the vineyards on your own since the tasting is just your group, it goes by relatively quickly. We walked around and took some pis and were on our way!

My favorite part was the drive here - small road that feels like driving through a little forest. Wine tasting under the nut tree was a lovely experience, but a little awkward. We came without an appointment and saw a couple sitting outside of their home, reading. I asked if they did tastings without appointments, and Susan said yes. She gave us a quick history but that's about it. We (my partner and I, nobody else was there) felt like we were annoying her by being there. I actually liked their Zin and Chardonnay, but couldn't get past the weird rushed vibe. Maybe she didn't think we were serious about purchasing because we're young? I don't know. We've never been treated this way at a winery before. The wine was good, but nothing wowed us. The view from the outdoor tasting bench is pretty, but there's really nowhere to walk and nothing to tour. We'll visit again when in the area, but only with an appointment to avoid the awkwardness we experienced last time.

Our visit to Porter-Bass Winery was a memorable one. The winery is located amidst a sprawl of Redwoods on the side of a mountain. It doesn't get more beautiful or picturesque. There were three wines for us to try on the day of our visit. The woman who poured was fun to talk with and she mentioned that Yelp has been helpful with spreading the word about their winery. Woot! Their pinot noir is on the list at French Laundry, so that was the purchase we made. Looking forward to cracking it open on a special occasion! One thing to note is that we did not realize tastings are by appointment only. We were in luck when we pulled up unannounced and they were able to serve us. But I'd definitely recommend calling ahead.

Our friends and I are up at Dry Creek Valley for the annual passport event, since we are around the area, we thought we can try a couple more wineries. We found this small family owned winery and made a 9am reservation for our wine testing. Luke, the winemaker was the son of the founder of Porter-bass, he was very knowledgable and answered all our questions and gave us a very detailed background of their wines. We tried two Chardonnay, one Pinot noir and one Zin. We ended up purchased a bottle of Zin home. I always appreciate these smaller wineries which is less commercial, less marketing and devoted all their time and effort to their wines. Keep it up and we'll be back. :)

Did a socially distance tasting under their walnut tree. The Zin was fantastic and the Pico a Poco wines a good value. The kids loved at the farm cow, Kitchen.

Excellent tasting in a rustic setting. The wine itself is terrific and I look for it all the time in NYC.

Delicious wine! Don't miss the Pinot noir. Hosts were kind and down to earth. This was the perfect stop on a road trip through the Sonoma County scenery.

Guerneville, California. "Russian River Valley" sounds so much better! Let's call it that. A recent trip to San Fran led us here. One might call it the poor man's Napa Valley, but then "one" has never been to Napa Valley either. My husband wanted to go to the Russian River brewery. He also wanted to canoe, see the Redwoods, and visit a winery to which I said something pessimistic and wife-like, scolding his dreamy nature: "This is a two-day trip. You can't have it all." And then he found the Porter-Bass Winery. And we had it all. The place is lovely, as you can see from my picture. An adorable little boy named Enzo will show you the animals, and his parents will show you the best Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel in the area. We bought a case and had it shipped home. It's almost gone... Cheers to the Bass family!

My husband and I visit this region every year on our anniversary, and Porter-Bass is always a highlight of our trip. There are no frills here, but because there is no tasting room and no tour busses, that means there is only beautiful scenery, a relaxed atmosphere, and fantastic wine. In fact, the tasting takes place under the canopy of a generations old tree in the vineyard where the grapes are actually grown. Bliss.

Host/Owner Sue graciously accommodated our late arrival (I emailed ahead of time to let her know...). The roads get smaller and smaller - fear not. Trust your GPS. "Only" five wines but that's to be expected from a family-owned winery. Be prepared to let your hair down and enjoy a rustic tasting in a beautiful, working setting. It's a different and compelling experience - not at all mainstream. FYI the tasting fee is now $15.

What a marvelous place. DON'T turn up here unless you have called ahead and made an appointment. This is a family run little place at their home. Came with my friend who had been here before (not sure how anyone would know about this place nor find it otherwise?), and so she already knew how tasty the wine was. We tried a few different wines, and both bought the older zin to take home with us. It was raining hard the day we went but the couple were happy to let us take a walk about the property and take photos. Give them a call and see if you can stop by if you're in the area. It's lovely to see how it's done when it's not a huge winery with fancy tasting rooms.

A small family winery seemingly away from everything else. Nothing fancy but so tranquil and nice that I couldn't give it anything other than 5. We ended up walking away with my new favorite Sauvignon Blanc for $25 and a tasting of 5 wines was only $10/person.

Not a fancy setting, but we sat out overlooking the vineyards and enjoyed our tasting there. The wines were really nice and we bought quite a few.

Awesome family owned winery! Did realize it was appointment only but when we pulled in the owner walked out and was more than happy to accommodate! Wine tasting was $10 with the fee being WAIVED if you buy a bottle. Wine was amazing! I wanted a bottle of Pinot or zin but couldn't decide because they were both so good! Ended up buying both! Worth a stop!!

Who answered the phone when we called for an appointment? Luke Bass. Who's the son of the original planters? Luke Bass. Who's the winemaker? Luke Bass. Who gave the tour? Luke Bass. Who poured the wines? Luke Bass. Who sold us the wine? Luke Bass. His vineyards are biodynamic certified and have gone into some pretty stellar wines for other boutique cellars. As a winemaker, Luke's less known. He's moved towards minimizing new oak and he's basically only adding new barrels as they need to be replaced. The pinot was much more ephemeral and the zin was very elegant. The chard was pretty good too He's also so incredibly open about just about everything in the process, so just ask! Great stop for anyone looking for a more personal touch in a wine tasting.