Scharffenberger Cellars

Both ladies that helped us explained the bubbles beautifully and had a great presence. The grounds are beautiful and well kept. The wine club deals are some of the best. I went home with bubbles for different future events

My absolute FAVE for sparkling wine — been a club member for years!! Pet-friendly 🦮 (on the porch & in the garden), YAY — and there are doggie water bowls on the grounds. This place is a hidden gym, and a lovely place to relax and taste a wide range of sparkling wines. There are two different flights – we did the classic, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 🍾🎊

Love their sparkling wine (especially the LHD) and as Fort Bragg locals we have enjoyed stopping in for a glass to break up the drive from Santa Rosa. I don't recommend going on wine club weekend. Staff (only 1 person) could not be bothered to be friendly or kind. Received an ugly side-eye upon arrival - no hello, no smile, just annoyance. I went in and waited patiently while said staff member finished helping others. When I made it to the counter they wouldn't let me finish my request and just said "no" before I could ask for a couple glasses of wine (not a tasting). Realized our presence was just an inconvenience, told them so and left. To be fair they did offer to pour glasses as I was already walking out. Makes me sad, but not inclined to stop by again anytime soon.

Great wine tasting experience. Patio is small for tastings so make sure you book ahead. I was there for Mother's day weekend and they had a special release of Pet Nat, it was amazing and perfect for summer.

Truly a quintessential Anderson Valley experience. Unique sparkling wines, perfectly balanced nuances, poured with grace in a down to earth style. Sam (she) is just a delight. She always makes our visit fun and engaging. This is a not to be missed wine country experience.

Reasonably priced (great quality) sparkling wine. Good place to buy a bottle and picnic.

This winery was amazing. Chuck was top notch and knew the product well. We highly recommend

Just stop and go. I promise, you’ll walk out feeling bubbly. No pun intended 😏

Dog friendly 'homey' winery serving sparkly wines.. very tasty selections, each tasting different from one another. The staff is wonderful too.

Lucked out grabbing the last two spots on their Harvest Tour (end of September). Spent over an hour with the winemaker and tasted 6 Scharfenberger wines. Beautiful tasting area. Make a reservation!

This winery has great bubbles, nice gardens and beautiful vineyards surrounding it. Emily in the tasting room is the best. We've had service from other folks here, but she is definitely by far the most exceptional service and attention to helping us. Scharffenberger has been making incredible sparkling wines for over 40 years from local vineyards, the Vineyard for this one is right on property here at the tasting room. You can also try carpe diem wines which are available at the same location. They are pet friendly, and I have a white variety of bubbles, including a zero bubbles sparkling.

Stand out customer service! Went here for a tasting and received superb samples and service. I loved our seat and the view of the property. I would say we walked out of there with several cases of champagne. No joke! Definitely worth a visit if you're debating on coming. I think we'll bring a couple friends out here next time :)

Walked in unplanned, no reservation, was told by their sister property roederer to check them out and I am so glad we did! Walked in and there was just one person there, Wendy taking care of people at the bar. She was super nice, poured me a tasting flight of their sparkling wine and even got me a bonus pour of their Chardonnay. Very pretty grounds and wine was amazing. We had the best time, our kids could play bean bag toss. It's employees like Wendy that make a difference, despite being busy, they take the time for walk ins and make a great experience for them.

Loved the sparkling, the property and customer service. I loved all the sparkling wines I tasted. They had a great palate choice from neutral refreshing, to fruit forward, tart, and creme sweet. Loved the glass so I had to one home besides several bottles. The property is so peaceful. I loved every moment!

This was not a planned visit. We were actually headed somewhere else when we found out about this place. I called at 1:50pm to see if they had any reservations available. I spoke with Sam and she said yes - at 2pm. I said - great! We were about 10 minutes away. Sam was super accommodating- she seated us on the side of the house. By the way - the grounds are beautiful~ We did the sparkling flight - and we were not disappointed.

Great sparkling wines but not-so great service. I really hate when the service doesn't match up with the great quality wines. Unfortunately, tasting at Scharffenberger was a classic example of this. We made our way to Scharffenberger's open house after attending the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival. First of all, let me just say that the gardens here are probably some of the best that you'll see at any winery in the valley. The gardens are so green and well-manicured. It's what really makes their front patio stand out. The environment is super cozy and intimate. You'll feel like you're tasting in the comfort of someone's home while you're here. The atmosphere is really great, and tasting amongst their garden is truly a treat. Where they dropped the ball was with the service. There was one lady in particular who just didn't seem like she wanted to be there. Everyone in my group noticed her unpleasant demeanor. I didn't get her name but she was a young pregnant lady. Not sure if she was just hormonal due to her pregnancy, but right from the gate she was snooty. The first thing out of her mouth was "It's going to be a $6 tasting fee". Not "Hello, welcome to Scharffenberger!" When she poured our wines, she didn't tell us much about where they were from. We also felt really rushed and she asked multiple times if we were ready for the next pour when there was still wine in our glasses. Clearly we're not ready, so why do you keep asking? It just really ruined the entire experience for me. Luckily, we were able to enjoy most of their wines on their front patio where they were pairing them with some delicious poached prawn bites from a local Thai restaurant. Although I do enjoy a good sparkling every now and then, it's never really been a go-to wine for me. I'm more of a red wine gal, but I must admit that their sparkling wines were exceptional. I actually enjoyed their sparkling wine way more than I did at Roederer Estate. The sparkling wines here are better quality in my opinion. Their Cremant sparkling just spoke to me. It's was lighter on the bubbles and refreshingly smooth and creamy. This are the types of bubbles that I generally go for, and Scharffenberger definitely does it right. I loved it and a we took a few bottles of this home with us. Also really enjoyed their sparkling rose as well as their Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. As far as the wines go; these are some of the best sparkling wines that you'll find in the Anderson Valley. But when it comes to the service, they are subpar. I'm hoping that the service improves in the future, but I probably won't be back for a while because of it.

Anderson Valley sparkling wine in a historic home filled with attractive artwork, Craftsman architectural touches, and immersive outdoor landscaping: this is what you will find at Scharffenberger Cellars. The range of wines here is varied, but the Blanc de Blancs 2010 vintage Brut is a Best of Class, medal worthy effort and quite affordable at $30/bottle. The 2015 estate Chardonnay was delicious and delicate, while the NV Crémant was quite intriguing, done in a different style than Champagne sparkling wine, with softer bubbles, less bottle pressure (PSIs), and silkier texture in the glass compared to the Brut and Brut Rosé bottlings. The longtime head winemaker at Scharffenberger Cellars, Tex S., recently celebrated his retirement at the end of 2017, but the wines in the current inventory were all created with his guiding input, and the best of them (like the 2010 Blanc de Blancs) will age gracefully for years to come, gaining complexity, color, and richness in the process. If you can wait! Even in winter, when the surrounding vines are dormant and the cover crops are emerging between the trellised rows, the atmosphere inside the tasting room can be quite inviting if you are not looking for an ultra luxurious setting filled with shiny things and elaborate decorations. At Scharffenberger, the wines are the stars and the house and gardens enhance the simple yet refined pleasure of sipping well made bubbly for a modest tasting fee that invites you to indulge your senses and leave with something nice. While other wineries wow you with their glitz and glamor, here they are more modest and restrained. Good thing, too! One would not want the word to get out, lest the tasting room get too crowded for you to stretch your legs, relax your minds, and get lost for a moment in the bubbles rising up in your glass ...

Do you Love California sparkling wine? Do you also love historic houses and gardens? Do you enjoy the sort of hands on attention that only a place like the Anderson Valley can offer? Well, Scharffenberger Cellars is most definitely for you! Here you will find vintage and non vintage sparkling wines made from estate Pinot and Chardonnay grapes, in addition to still white and red varietals. The tasting room is located outside the quaint town of Philo, in a beautiful old house with extensive outdoor gardens and landscaping. The Blanc de Blancs vintage wine is fantastic, as is the estate Chardonnay. Tasting fees are a modest $3 and waived with bottle purchase. Definitely a must visit place alongside Roederer Estate!

After a visit to Roederer, (mother winery up the hill) which is lovely, but a bit pretentious, we thoroughly enjoyed our tasting at Scharffenberger. Christy waived our tasting fee as we had purchased a bottle of Roederer L'Ermitage Brut. We purchased a picnic lunch at Lemon's Deli, just down the street and had a great picnic on the cute front porch. A bottle of blanc de blanc brut was a perfect match! Approachable, affordable, amiable.

@ScharffCellars so disappointed in the dismissive & rude response by your staff today. How unfortunate for you to employ such poorly behaved individuals.

Heading back home from Fort Bragg we decided to stop here to taste and have a picnic. We did the yelp check in for the free tasting in which we didn't end up needing it since we purchased some bottles. Even so the tasting is only $10a person The place has lovely grounds and is quite affordable compared to Napa winery's .

Great wine, and generous pours. The cherry blossom were in bloom and the weather Wes perfect

After the winding, twisting, nauseating road into Anderson Valley, it was great to find some amazing wineries that totally made the trip worth it. Scharffenberger was one of our favorite stops. We rolled in with fresh sandwiches from Lemons Deli next door, looking for some bubbles and a picnic table. They did not disappoint. We did a tasting of only the bubblies (at $3 a tasting, we didn't mind skipping right to the good stuff), and even tho we liked them all, we both agreed on the Brut for our lunch. They have several picnic spots set up and initially on this warm day, we picked the shady spot, dubbing it the Germany of Scharffenberger. Germany soon became too chilly, as it will, so we packed up and moved into the dappled sunshine of the courtyard, calling it the Sicily of Scharffenberger. Surrounded by beautiful trees and roses, we soon decided the Sicily of Scharffenberger was our new high standard for picnic spots. We lingered and enjoyed two bottles of Brut before reluctantly leaving, but not before buying more Brut to go. At $19 a bottle, you can't beat that price in the area.

Only tasted 3 sparkling wines here. It all began with the now defunct Berkeley chocolate store closing.....Hershey's decision, not theirs. Then a NY Times article i read while in Manhattan about the Anderson Valley Pinots being wholly underrepresented. Then yet another accompanying about the bubbles around the area. Which then led me here to taste their Cremant Brut during open house day. Fresh spanokopita, salmon cream cheese spread and water crackers, and bubbly tasting. Like their California style, less acidity, more full and sweet bubblies. Pourer was affable and sweet. Easy to ask questions of. No snob anything here. Tastings held in a modified house, its living room doubled as a gallery parlor. Bought one bottle of Cremant--$25. That and their extra dry brut were both very very good. Cremant is a mix of grapes and made with less PSI, resulting in finer bubbles and an extremely becoming silky smooth fullness in the middle of the sip. It is something remarkable, and will be saved for a special occasion! Grounds were great...no grass but soft fine gravel with lots of tables. Picnic was had here, enjoying the music, shade, and perfect day. PS Pssst!!! Very Frenchy Roederer just west of them purchased them not so long ago!

My husband and I stopped here on our way to the coast. We are from Ukiah so we know the general area. We decided to stop at Scharffenberger since we both hadn't experience it. Let me just start by saying that the champagne (bubbles) were great. We loved them. We unfortunately didn't love our service. Once we were greeted at the counter, our server (didn't get her name but she was an elder Asian woman) was off putting. She made minimal conversation and left the area as quickly as possible after serving our next tasting. She even went as far as mentioning that my husbands signature was "weird" as he was writing out a tip. Unfortunately, as a native to Mendocino county, will never be back. She made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable which is something no business should ever make you feel.

This place was a kick. But made that way specifically (for me) by Anthony, the AWESOME African-American gentleman pouring my wine tastings today. He became my new best friend when he asked me if I was "of legal drinking age". I scrambled to pull my license out faster than I can usually get to my ringing cell phone. "Did you see the smile you put on her face?" the older gentleman to my right said to Anthony. Ah yes - to be carded! The discovery that no, there is not an ounce of chocolate to be found in the Sharffenberger tasting room, burst a little bubble I had floating somewhere in the back of my head. But I suppose I wasn't too surprised. The wines were nice. I'm not usually a fan of sparklings but enjoyed the Cremant enough to buy a bottle to take home to Boyfriend. $3 to go through the tastings but free if you buy a bottle of wine. They poured something like 8-9 wines today (sneaking 2 still Rieslings in that weren't on the printed list). As I snacked on crackers and [sadly] poured most of my sips into the bucket so that I could still get us safely to Mendocino, I realized that perhaps I like sparkling wines more than I thought. Especially these slightly sweeter "California style" ones (as opposed to the more French, less sweet ones over at Roederer ). The winery itself wasn't fantastically aesthetic. At least not for the little bit of photography I wanted to do. Got some shots of the gorgeously blooming cherry blossom trees outside the tasting room - but that was about it. The tasting room was sparse and small, sitting behind what felt like a room previously known as a parlor - but now a small art gallery. It got crowded in there quickly but was still fun and friendly for all. I'd stop again. RIGHT off 128 and definitely a good time if Anthony's pouring!

Small and simple tasting room, which was nice and cool on a very hot day. They charge a very low fee for tasting which is waived if you buy a bottle. Very good sparkling wine and a great Pinot noir. We enjoyed the selection offered and indulged in some tasty chocolate too.

Back in high school... my sister gave me a bottle of sparkling wine and it had on this packaging "Cremant" from Scharffenberger Cellars and since then, I was hooked. It was quite a shock to see how tiny their winery is... and since the sis isn't a fan of theirs anymore... I literally walked into the tasting room... asked the lady if she had Cremant and she said the magic answer... Yes. SOLD! Bought three... had a taste of the infamous cremant and I was out... All in a matter of 10 minutes. Me: "Damn... I must have looked like an alcoholic..." the sis said: "we're in the wine country... everyone is an alcoholic." Me: "oh." Folks, if you like sweet bubbly drinks that won't break your budget and give you a nasty hang over the next day... this place is it!

So annoyed. I have often enjoyed stopping here and enjoyed the champagne. But today I was extremely frustrated and dissapointed. We all have to deal with Covid regulations but if your hours say you are open until 5:00, BE OPEN until 5:00. Closing a tasting room to people that want to spend money at your establishment is careless. If you struggled through Covid restrictions we are here to help and support you, but we can't do that if you close or early.... ALSO WHEN I PURCHASE AN EXPENSIVE BOTTLE from you regardless DON'T TELL ME HOW I SHOULD PAY! My gosh. The lady Workin was so rude! So upset. If I could give a negative star I would.

Walking into this tasting room is more like entering an art gallery. There are paintings throughout the small space and a small counter at the far end serves as the tasting area. The brut is well-priced and very crisp. It is clear that the winery has been successful at emulating the standards set by the finest Champagne houses. Scharffenberger was one of the first sparkling wine producers to select the Anderson Valley as its primary source of fruit. The Pacific Echo label belongs to Scharffenberger. Recommended wines for purchase: NV Brut Anderson Valley (a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) Chardonnay

We came here on a Sunday afternoon. The tasting room is homey and very laid back. The woman pouring our wines was extremely nice and told us lots of stories. She was a delight. The tasting for $5 is very generous! Lots of pours...probably around 8? It's also waived with a purchase of a bottle. The tasting room ended up getting pretty busy right as we were leaving. I would definitely come back and sit out on the front patio while enjoying a glass of bubbly.

We were just turned away by someone who said they were closed, even though the door was open and Yelp hours show it is still open. Which would be mildly annoying except they were kind of snarky about it, "Oh god, what's happening here?" Um, customers? No? A couple just walked in. Curious to see if they're unceremoniously expelled the way we were.

Nice tasting room with interesting works of art, and nice selection of sparkling wines to taste. Only issue was, we asked to buy a bottle of the Brut Rose Excellence, and when we got back to where we were staying, we pulled it out of the bag to discover they had sold us a bottle of pinot noir instead - something we hadn't tasted.

Perfectly lovely sparkling winery... but not my cup of tea. I prefer the richer style of the sparkling winery just up the road. It is not that the wine is lean; it does have some up-front richness. But the crisp finish is really just too snappy for me. I realize that probably makes no sense at all. I did think that style was more suited to their minimally oaked 2004 Chard. This was the only wine I was compelled to buy, and that was really only because I could apply our two $3 tasting fee's to the cost of the bottle. Their grounds are pretty, and their staff very friendly and accommodating. If you are only going to visit one sparkling winery when in the Anderson Valley, I would advise going to Roederer. 2 surprising things: 1) John & Dottie from the Wall Street Journal apparently prefer Scharffenberger to Roederer - although the posted review at the winery suspiciously did not have a date. 2) There is no chocolate to be found on premise. And I KNOW the whole story, but still. People totally come in expecting chocolate. Why not carry a few bars and make a little extra money?

So when I first tried Scharffenberger I absolutely loved it, but as I have tasted more and deveolped a liking to other sparklings I find nothing that really pops here. I mean granted these are really good sparklings and I will absolutely drink them but given the choice I will drink something else. The tasting room here is quaint, and full of local art. The person that helped us was really nice and inviting. This place for the money is good though and I will stop if time allows!

I was very happy with my visit here. My family and I tried all of their wines, sparking and non sparkling. They do specialize in sparkling wine, so keep that in mind. The girl there was very attentive and incredibly knowledgable. We were very curious about a lot of things, and she was very enthusiastic about answering all of our questions, so bravo for choosing a personable and qualified staff. The wines were very good, and my sister and I each purchased a bottle of sparkling wine. I wish I could have tried some of their other spirits, but we were on our way home from a small trip after all, and had a couple of other stops to make on our long way home. I look forward to opening up that bottle at some special occasion! Cheers!

It's a long drive from the Bay Area but worth the drive though ,very scenic and when you get there,the sparkling wines are great!

Always love stopping at Scharffenberger. The wine is wonderful and so is the staff. It's the perfect spot for a picnic. On this most recent trip after a long hike we had a picnic and glass of brut rosé. We met Christy and she is super helpful and friendly. She was the best!

The wondrous thing about Scharffenberger Cellars is that the tasting fee is only $3, for 4 sparkling and 3 still wines. Unheard of! Plus, they have a Yelp check-in offer for 2 free tastings. Incredible! But good luck getting cell phone reception here. The tasting room is inside a charming old house, surrounded by gardens where you can sip a glass of bubbly after your tasting. Scharffenberger's tasting experience is no frills -- belly up to the bar, and they'll start pouring. You'll get some good information but very little small talk. If you're into bubbles, Scharffenberger is a worthy stop. More casual and low-key than Roederer, with slightly sweeter "Californian style" bubbs.

If you haven't tried a Scharffenberger sparkling wine before, go to the closest liquor store and pick up a bottle. Whether it's a brut or rose, you don't want to be missing out! The BF and I have enjoyed several of their sparkling varietals over the years and never had a bad batch. We always knew they were "local" (meaning somewhere in the Bay Area vicinity), but never took the time to do our research until recently. Located in Anderson Valley and very close to several other wineries, a road trip over a long weekend was in order! Yes, it takes a long time to get here from anywhere other than North Bay. Coming from the SF Peninsula, it was about 2-2 1/2 hours over the Golden Gate and through the woods. But the drive itself is absolutely gorgeous... take your time and stop for a few photos in the wilderness. Scharffenberger's tasting room is located inside a cute, craftsman bungalow. When driving by I yelled, "I want to go to there." Turns out that I really did since there was delicious wine waiting inside. This definitely used to be someone's residence-turned art gallery/wine tasting room. Local art is in the front room/entryway and in the middle is the bar. Tastings cost about $15-20 per person, but that includes at least 4-5 types of sparking wine as well as a few simple reds and whites. It was nice to put a "face to a name" in a small way. Since there are so many other wineries/tasting rooms in the area, make a day of it up north and see which vino you prefer.

This wine sucked. When Amy dumps out alcohol, especially if it's wine, you know she thinks it sucks. Scharffenberger should stick to chocolate. Also, my glass tasted like dish soap...so just to be sure the wine sucked and it wasn't just the soap in my glass, I tasted my friend's. Yup. Still sucked. The staff was friendly and funny, but when my friend asked for information about one of the wines the guy read to us from the wine list. I've gotten more info from the staff at BevMo than that. The tasting room itself reminded me of a model home show room. The best part of this winery was the drunk people at the end of the bar who were out of money and trying to convince the dude working there to trade them for a bottle from another winery. Hilarious!

Free AGAIN. No fee. Screw Napa. We stopped by here and tried 12 sparklies and amazingly, no headache. Bought 2 bottles of the Cremant and 1 bottle of the Extra Dry Brut . Do keep in mind that super markets sell these bottles for 25% less, so in a sense, you are paying for the tasting fee . . in the prices! We liked the tastings here better than Roederer and Cremant is our favorite bubbly so far. Ambiance was kinda meh. The staff was nice but seemed to be less knowledgable than other wine enthusiasts. Overall experience: 3 stars.

Both Roederer and Scharffen Berger Cellars tout that their sparkling wine has been served at White House dinners, so we felt quite presidential on our preemptive strike at the heart of the Anderson Valley wine country. (preemptive meaning in this case before it gets Napa-ized) The lovely Jessica P. had a bit of a sneezing fit as soon as we got in, a running theme of our blitzkrieg assault on the Anderson Valley, and a kind couple next to us was nice enough to go out and get a Benadryl to help her get through it. Needless to say, we got their tasting fee. Not being a huge sparkling or Brut fan, but able to enjoy them nonetheless, we were here to satisfy JP's curiosity, though I do have to admit I bought a bottle of sparkling Pinot Rose at Roederer for an upcoming anniversary. Had I not, I probably would have picked up something at Scharffenberger. The server was friendly, knowledgeable, a bit formal, but that's a good thing at a sparkling tasting. Not having quite the taste for sparkling, I'm probably not the best judge of the different offerings here, but it's a must stop on the wine trail here if anyone in your party is into sparkling.

I've been visiting the Anderson Valley since the early 1980s. Back then there was Navarro, Handley, Husch, and (once upon a time) Edmeades -- a label long gone but still remembered. Then Allan Green built Greenwood Ridge Winery/Vineyards on the Ridge above Anderson Valley, and hosted for 30 years the California Wine Tasting Championships, which I entered many times as a "single" and several times with my wife, Brenda. Then John Scharffenberger established his winery, with the tasting room in the same small cottage you find today. He made a name for himself and for the Anderson Valley as a viticultural area that could produce fine quality sparkling wines. I stopped there many times to savor the flavor notes and the soft, yeasty aroma of the wine. John sold the business, and founded the chocolate company in Berkeley, which still bears his name. Scharffenberger Cellars became Pacific Echo -- go figure. The wines were every bit as good, perhaps better. We became members of the "Flying Cork Club", and I kept half a dozen bottles of Vintage Brut Reserve (if I remember correctly), and enjoyed them for special occasions and holidays. Tex Sawyer has been the winemaker from the beginning (I believe), and continues to be the steady hand and studied taster who continues to oversee the making of the wines, now under the control of French corporate vintner, Maisons Marques and Domaines, whose most famous label is, of course Louis Roederer of Champagne, and the brand Cristal. This story would not be complete without mentioning Roederer's own Anderson Valley transplant, Roederer Estate just a bit West of Scharffenberger's tiny building. But Scharffenberger continues to have it's own vineyards, and own unique tastes driven by Mr. Sawyer's hand. I've been told the two organizations may share some resources, but ultimately they have individual tastes and "noses". I'd be happy if Tex or someone else at Scharffenberger wants to correct some of my facts or suggest that my opinions may be a little wide of the mark. Clearly, the Valley is a much different place than it once was. Sheep and apples dominated the farmland when I first began my regular visits. There are still apple orchards, or course, and some sheep, but vineyards and wineries are the dominant economic engine in the Anderson Valley today.

One of the best tastings I have ever been to. Maybe because there was no pressure to buy or too much talk of wine club. Very casual and nice tasting. Very inexpensive. We had 5-6 tastings and almost all bubbles which is my favorite. I ended up buying the library reserve since I have never seen it in stores. The tasting room does have some interesting artwork as well. I would definitely go back.

Scharffenberger has a very quaint & friendly tasting room. It's very New England looking. They focus on sparkling wines which aren't typically my thing. But theirs are surprisingly good & affordable. They do also offer some still chardonnay & pinot noir. Cute stop, but if you're not into sparkling you may want to skip this one.

For those of you who don't know, John Sharffenberger (that's right, the chocolate guy) started with champagne before he ever got to chocolate. 20 years of experience brought him much scientific pallatization, and so he applied everything he learned, with a good friend who is a doctor, and they began making chocolate. He applied the science of wine to chocolate, and now the rest is history. Of course, Hershey's just bought Sharffenberger, so John's doing just fine. This is great, no-frills, relatively inexpensive champagne. Sharffenberger sold to another winery some time back but they've still retained their exceptionally crisp finish and refined reputation. You should definitely drop by and be whisked through the tasting. You'll probably find yourself purchasing a couple of bottles of something.

Scharffenberger was a great stop which I have repeated a few times on my trips through Anderson Valley - I enjoy their wines and the small tasting room has more of a retail/customer feel than "in the weeds" winery feel. It's cozy and refined - great chocolate tastes with the reds.

Scharffenberger Cellars was pretty good. There wasn't a clear sign for the tasting room, or maybe we had the "tasters" mentality and just drove past it.. We were greated by a nice woman who had been working there for 5 days. She was great, knowledgable and friendly. They had all of these little pieces that were made from the cage for the wine bottle. I usually make chairs and they had turtles and other fun stuff. we chatted about that, I made them my version of the chair, they put it up on display with the rest. The wines are good. The place is simple and exactly what I thought an anderson Valley winery would be like. This was my first! :) Great place, love the Rose. They have a nice variety: sweet and brut. One of the only places that has a Cremont because they are harder to make, and sell.. All good!

After already visiting Roderer and having a so-so time in Anderson Valley. I was pleasantely suprised with my visit to Scharffenberger. The place was cute and friendly. The staff was very nice and accommodating. My favorites: 2005 Blanc de Blanc NV Brut

Great experience! 6 different champagnes, one white and one red wine for a very affordable price! Friendly staff and a beautiful garden. Our favorite was the Cremant champagne. Will definitely come back if we are in this area again.

We visited the Scharffenberger Tasting Room in Philo, California in early September 2016. The drive from the SF Bay Area was just beautiful, especially through the redwoods. We had a destination in Ft. Bragg for the weekend. The tasting room in Philo was quaint and the gardens were comfortable looking. I loved it. The server was very nice & friendly. We enjoyed all the wines served, but the Cremant and the Pink Ice were our favorites. We returned on our way home for more Pink Ice. Today, we joined the wine club and again purchased the Pink Ice for our upcoming holidays. It is a pretty shade of rose from Pinot grapes and it takes a frozen, half strawberry, perfectly.

next time will someone please tell me it's called wine tasting for a reason? I walked out of here TANKED. what do you expect when they give you 12 half glasses of sparkling in a span of 15 minutes?!!! nevertheless, the place was really cute and quaint, and the artwork on the walls featured a local artist. The server was really nice, and just laughed her ass off as I downed every glass. I ended up buying a bottle of their Cremant....simply delicious! I guess you can only get it there too, since they only make a limited number of cases each year. Their prices don't really go above $30 a bottle, and the tasting fee is included if you buy at least one product. Next time you pass through Anderson Valley, make a pit stop!!!

Four of us visited on Oct. 27. It was a wet day and we were the only visitors at that time. I smelled cigarette smoke when we walked in but it dissipated quickly. A few minutes later the two younger women, who were behind the tasting bar when we walked in, were sitting on the front porch with full glasses of wine/sparkling and one of the was smoking. A little later one of them came inside to refill their glasses, bringing the smell inside when the door was opened. Even though it was raining lightly it would have been lovely to sit in the porch while we went through our tastings. But having someone smoking right by the front door made it disgusting to even have to walk through that smell when we left.

Worse tasting experience. Stephanie was impersonable, did not tell us what we were tasting and tried to rush us through the process. I finally stopped the tasting, and asked why she was being rude to us and her reply was, " I have a toothache." Unacceptable, inexcusable. If you have a bad toothache, you should take a sick day. It was too bad. I do not recommend this tasting room. If you happen to be in the area, keep driving.

What else can I say but "eh"!

Meh. I only came here once, and probably will not return, based on the personalities of the two staff in the tasting room during our visit. They appeared as though we inconvenienced them with our presence, and were not friendly at all during our tasting. It was a little uncomfortable. We bought our bottle of Cremant and high-tailed it out of there. Based on all the quality in the Valley, you can skip this one.