Old World Winery

Very small winery, but very interesting wines. The case sales are a great bargain, for very nice wines at about $ 8 a bottle. Happy to have found this place and will be back

I have been enjoying the wines of Old World Winery for about 4 years. When his wines are good they are outstanding and great bargains. His wines are not for those who want the same thing year after year. He surprises you with every vintage and every wine that he crafts.

Fantastic 2009 Petite Sirah bottle for only $ 21! A steal.
It’s a privately owned, family vineyard that specializes in ‘old world’ techniques, the owner hires a team and actually goes out and hand picks the grapes himself a few times a year. There is zero additives or chemicals or fancy machines which may ruin the quality. You can taste the difference. He also specializes in ancient Italian (I think) vines that are really unique flavors.
The farm has pigs and chickens and fresh eggs as well. Definitely worth a visit to pickup some cases (some are as low as $ 5 a bottle) or a nice Petite Sirah.

What a great find! I didn’t get the name of the young lady who was pouring, but she was very knowledgable and nice. The wines were quite good (and the prices were FANTASTIC) — and the Aborious was a very interesting new taste for us. Nice use of upcycled materials in the tasting room, and fascinating fermentation method as well. It’s a bit of a trek from San Francisco, but we hope to come back often!

I can’t say enough good things about this winery. Derek the owner is so friendly, knowledgable and personable, I always have a great time here. Yesterday we came here in a group with several kids age 2 – 8. They loved the swings, chickens, pig and being able to run around. The adults loved that we could enjoy tasting the wonderful wine while the kids hung out on the completely enclosed patio. Derek makes Sauvignon Blanc, pinot Gris, Zin, blends, and a couple french varietals that I have never heard of. All the wine here is great!

Derek was great! He works very hard for this place! The wine in the pic was the best!!!

Really fantastic wines! Especially the Aborious which is a rare grape in the world and grown only at this vineyard in the US. The owner is friendly and so are the rest of the staff. Go here on your next time in CA wine country!

Old World Winery was one of the most interesting wine tasting stops we’ve made in a long time. Since my husband and I are local, we taste our fair share of wine, but Old World Wines had a number of wines that showcased methods and techniques we had never seen used by other wineries. Our tasting was handled by the owner, who was extremely personable and interesting. They also had a wide range of price points and several excellent wines. We walked out with a full case.

One of the most beautiful things about Sonoma County are the people that make it so unique. Darek at Old World Winery makes wine in the «Old Way» Just like his Grandfather did in the late 1800’s in Sonoma County. He welcomes the public to participate in his events and to come out and stomp grapes. His wines are very unique in the sense that they are made in the same ways his ancestors made wine. And in case your wondering who he is related to… Look up Martinelli Winery. A six generation family of Sonoma County winemakers, Darek definitely keeps it real! Thanks for sharing it with us at Sonoma County Wine Blog!!!

This is a cute family owned winery! There isn’t much to do or see here but I enjoyed how homey this winery felt. We were the only customers and the girl who served us was relatively new but knowledgeable about their wines.
I’m not usually a white wine type of person, but there is some novelty to their whites. I actually purchased a bottle for $ 12, which I thought was a GOOD price.
They also grow a grape called Aboriou, which is rare in California. It’s a big hit among wine lovers.

My sister and Broil (bro-​in-​law) invited me to join them for a wine-​tasting dinner that they’ve attended at Old World winery. These events happen and if you’re a regular at the winery, you’ll somehow come to know about these. The dinner event has a limited quantity and fills up immediately, so if it’s something your considering, just do it!
The setting for the dinner wine event is homely with every nuance & offering of a sheik sit down atmosphere available. I met all sorts of people from retired hand craft makers, small business entrepreneurs and a wonderful couple from SF that works in brand marketing. The chef of these events is the wonderful Helena G. Giesea of «Helena’s Kitchen». Her food was five star quality as was her personality in table side conversation. Our host of the evening was Derek Trowbridge (owner) of Old World Winery. Darek shared stories of wine making, tradition and family. His presence was warm and inviting quite like the tastes of their Old world wines. Needless to say, with every pairing from the dinner event, I ended up leaving with a few bottles of tasty wine for friends back in Chicago.
If OWW is a possibility on your list of «to try» when in wine country, definitely ask about the dinner event or other such events. Tasting at wineries is one thing but getting to enjoy a quality meal with pairings is a whole other level to tasting. I’m uploading photos for your viewing pleasure. I love pot pies and Helena won me over with her Dungeness crab pot pie.

This winery sits on the cusp of town. It is indiviually owned and operated; Darek is a wonderful host and wine connoisseur. And if his kids are around, they are an even bigger treat! We thoroughly enjoyed the blends which are his specialty. Try the Jauggernaut. It is in a unique flip-​top bottle that you can bring back to refill. Can’t wait to go back and visit again.

What I liked about OWW, is that they make wines both new style and old world style. One of the wines I liked during barrel tasting was the Sauv Blanc — fermented in a cement egg shaped fermenter and then aged in oak — which was crisp yet had a minerally feel to it which I liked and appreciated. I also enjoyed from the barrel a grape varietal called ABORIOU which is rarely grown in California and is an almost extinct grape varietal originally from France. Very interesting and look forward to its bottling.
This winery is easy to miss, being the first winery on River road off 101, but worth the stop.

Tasted here during this weekends barrel event. I like the fact that I was greeted by a chicken, LOL. The wines are very good and they have a grape that you can only find here. I’m not going to spoil it so come here and see what I am talking about.
Nice staff, «old world» grounds and wine making ways… like…foot stomped! =)

Came here for Barrel Tasting Weekend! a great small little hole in the wall winery (which I like!). Good Zin! Will come back for more tastings during the Summer

Darek was a great host. First met in New Orleans when he was pouring at a local wine store. Took him up on his offer if we were ever in Santa Rosa. Definitely a stop to remember! Coordinated a picnic lunch and spent several hours on a Sunday afternoon in his picnic area enjoying the wines and his company. It was a hard decision on which to buy but ended up sending a case of his Zin home. We’re coming back as it is very hard to get his wines locally. I would recommend both visiting the tasting room and buying some wine.

Just opened January 2010 and it should not be missed. If you are in the Santa Rosa area doing some wine tasting this should be on your list.
The Owner/​Winemaker Darek is super down to earth, pours great tastings and is reasonably priced. The tasting room has some stories so be sure to ask about the bar and the different furniture pieces.
Darek is sometimes joined by his daughter who is super cute and learning the business quickly!
Oh and he pours late so definitely do not skip! Looks can be deceiving.