Sophie’s Cellars

We drove by this delightful place after a walk through the redwoods. Our experience was incredible. We had a super Pino Noir, Point Reyes Blue and herbed salami. John was very knowledgeable and friendly and sitting outside looking at all the beauty surrounding this place could not have made for a better more relaxing stop. I would highly recommend this place and will return the next time we are in the area! Hats off John and thank you!

We had the pleasure of meeting John on a Monday evening about 4:30. My only regret is that we couldn’t have stayed longer since they close at 5. However, he offered such a wealth of knowledge of the food and wine of the area and his passion around it is so undeniable. He genuinely wanted to know what characteristics we like in wine before making any recommendations, and completely nailed it. Will definitely stop in again and this time make sure we have a bit more time to do so!

John is awesome. He is so attentive and truly wants people to enjoy their time at his place. He took us outside and set us up in a comfortable spot (turned chairs to avoid direct sun, etc.) And then he brought us the most AMAZING cheese plate (with gluten free crackers, no less!), to go with the delicious wine he’d curated from the region. This place is a little hidden jewel. Great snacks and drinks and warm hospitality.

Friday evenings at Sophie’s, friends and family happily schmoozing on the decorous patio, inhaling the finest wines in the neighborhood, noshing on exquisite treats and feeling like you’re in some French country inn — sea-​kissed breezes, everyone feeling bubbly, happy, content and nurtured — and then the cows in the adjacent meadow come slowly ambling up to see what we’re sipping and what’s making us feel so friggin’ good.
Maybe it’s the Duncans Mills location that sets the tone for this hedonist’s delight — but the tasty blend of food, drink and company John features at Sophie’s is virtually unbeatable.

John is very knowledgeable, and a certifiable sweetheart.
He knows the region and knows his wine. He was able to recommend wineries to visit based on our budget and flavor profile — which made a huge impact on what wineries to go to.
Definitely will visit again when I find myself floating by the russian river. This is one of those places that my little self dreams of having one day when i grow up.
Love, love, love this place.

Great little gem in the charming town of Duncans Mills. We like to come here to get a bottle to go on the way to the beach or enjoy the wine specials on Fridays and enjoy appetizers and wine by the chiminea outside. The appetizers are delicious also. John is very knowledgeable about wine and it is fun to chat with him about all the different aspects of wine production. Several restaurants in the area offer free corkage on wines purchased at Sophie’s Cellars, which is an added bonus. Glad to have this place in the area.

Just a great selection and experience. John is amazing and I could listen to him talk about wine forever.

This is probably about the tenth time in my first year of hosting that I’ve given this advice to guests who stay with me (Green Gage Farm, Indian Valley, Novato, CA) when they ask if I have any recommendations for touring the ‘wine country’ up north. «It’s about an hour’s drive from here to Duncan’s Mills — I might suggest you stop for a morning hike at Armstrong Woods in Guerneville first, then go talk to my friends John and David at Sophie’s Cellars for advice on where you should go for a fabulous tasting experience. You can taste many of the finest wines of the region right there at their shop, but if you want a totally fulfilling visit to a winery/​vineyard, tell John how you imagine this with as much detail as possible. He is so connected to the industry of this region that with a few key words, he’ll know where to send you. Instead of winding blindly down a bunch of endless country roads, he can tell you which places are unique and why, which wines to ask to taste, and why, and probably even which wine steward to look for at the tasting bar, and why. Food, ditto.» There is no one I know who claims to have their ‘hand on the pulse’ of this area that has it over on John Haggerty; because he’s in the veins of the vines here. It boggles the mind.
No one I’ve ever sent to Sophie’s Cellars has anything but raves about the way their whole visit to the region was enhanced by their consult with John and David. I now solely count on them to make my wine buys for me every November during their fabulous sale. Oh, yes, they’ll ship it to you, too.

This was our first wine tasting stop in the Russian River/​Sonoma Valley, and David couldn’t have been a more gracious host. From selecting wine for our different palettes to recommending THE MOST FABULOUS brie and baguette sampling, he is the real deal. I am normally a Zinfandel drinker but David was able to turn my taste buds towards a lovely Grenache. He mapped out a plan for hitting wineries and eateries up the Sonoma Valley, ending in the quaint town of Healdsburg. A great little shop in Duncans Mills and a gem of a guy!

As of October 2012, Sophie’s has moved just down the road to a true tasting room in the heart of Duncans Mills. (Okay, Duncans Mills is too small to have a heart or any other organs/​appendages, but they are front and central — north side of highway 116, same as the General Store.) Same great local wine, bread and cheese selection.
I’ve attended one of their Friday night «locals» tasting nights in the new space, with cheeses, 3 – 4 wines to sample, and usually a local beer choice. I look forward to spending more time over there.
Friend them on Facebook for a discount on purchases.

Great selection of wine and cheese just before you head into the wonderland of Monte Rio.

Great little store!
We stopped by here for some more information on local wines and tasting. Spoke to David (a fellow Brit that moved to California 20 years ago) and he was really helpful in suggesting the best Wineries for a tour along with some leaflets and a map of the area. He even gave us advise on which wineries give free samplings for customers of Sophie’s Cellars!
They have quite an extensive selection of wines and a fair amount of cheeses and crackers.
If you are staying in the area whether it’s for wine tasting tours or just a short break I definitely recommend a visit.

Sophie’s is a great wine shop! They have an excellent selection and helped us pick out a couple of really unusual and delicious wines aimed right at our specific tastes. The folks there are very knowledgeable and clearly wine nerds (I mean that in the best possible way). They also offer discounts to locals and have arrangements with some of the local restaurants to offer no corkage. Very cool place…

If you are in the Russian River Valley because of the wine, Sophie’s Cellars needs to be on your destination list.
We were pointed here by the innkeepers where we were staying and we were extremely impressed.
A great little wine shop with a solid selection and amazing service. The shop is run by two guys and Mark (I think that’s his name) was great! He prides himself on pairing wine and food and has an EXTENSIVE knowledge of wine and the local wineries (he has a relationship with many of the local vintners). We are not experts on wine, but he did not condescend to us and actually taught us quite a bit. This guy loves to talk about wine and we did not get bored.
They have a deal worked out with a ton of local restaurants that won’t charge corkage fees if you purchase from Sophie’s.
Even better than just that, Mark printed the menu for us from the restaurant we told him we were planning to go. After we told him what we would probably be ordering from the menu, he walked us around the store suggesting some great wine pairings.
They also gave us some vouchers for free wine tasting at some of his favorite wineries.
We will not only be going back here, we will probably be going back before we leave town tomorrow!

Great place. These guys really know their wines. Great local wine
store in the Monte Rio area.

A must if your passing through Monte Rio and you like wine.
Super nice Sommelier, nice selections of wine, and a few really good beer’s. There is also a small refrigerated section of yummy eats too.
I like the simple, open lay out of the store and the friendly service by the owner/​sommelier. he has great local knowledge of the wine and food industry.

Excellent wine selection here, some gems you won’t find elsewhere. The cheese selection is very good and the prices are not marked up. This is a great place to grab your items for a very fantastic picnic. My husband and I found a few wines to add to our collection and will be stopping by again soon!
The people working here are very friendly, knowledgeable and interesting to converse with about wine and the area. We really enjoyed our stop here and look forward to coming back.

The two guys were super sweet and helped us pick a delicious Tempranillo to go with the Elk we had for dinner… Not only that, but they also helped us pick this amazing cheese– Goat, Sheep & Cow from france that went perfect with the freshly baked baguette they had!
Will make sure this is a stop every trip to Guerneville!

This is one of those times when I wish Unilocal had a «half star» rating as I really want to only give Sophies a 3.5. But, I’ll default to four.
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I popped into Sophie’s in pursuit of a Zinfandel after perusing their selection online. When I walked in the door the sole employee greeted me and asked me what I was looking for. He didn’t even let me start to browse. He was on me like white on rice. I said that I wanted a Zinfandel. He asked me if I would be bringing it to a restaurant. I said no, that I was cooking. He then asked if I wanted a Zin that was more red fruit or black fruit. I said I was unsure but that I was leaning toward the 2004 Carol Shelton Wild Thing at $ 28.99. He then offered up a Douro at $ 8.99. I said that «I’ve never had a Douro so I don’t know what I am getting myself in for.» «A wine pairing,» he snapped.
Damn, Sam!!! Step off!!!
I ended up taking the wine I had come in for.
When he rang me up, he asked «What phone number do I have you in our system under?» I said that I wasn’t in their system. He then prodded, «But you live here» «No, I am renting a house.» «Oh, well, I’ll give you the locals’ discount anyway.» The locals’ discount is 2%.
Despite my perhaps overzealous attendant they do have a wide selection of wines. And, at the bottom of the receipt is a list of 8 local restaurants where you may bring your wine purchase and not be charged a corkage fee. There is a one bottle limit. One restaurant is in Monte Rio, 3 in Guerneville, and one each in Occidental, Forestville, Jenner & Bodega.

Cheese = great selection/​variety for such a tiny place.
Wine = yummy. Need I say more?
Service = great. They were so friendly and helpful!
Prices = what you’d expect to pay for good cheese and wine. We splurged, as we were on a mini-​vacation!