Peter Cellars

Small and homey, Peter Cellars was a wonderful find in Sonoma. Amongst the large tourist filled wineries, Peter Cellars was both excellent quality and personable.
My personal favorites were the Rose and Merlot – both were unique in taste, slightly edgier and earthier than most, but in a refreshing way. Their outdoor patio was a great place to kick back, relax, and watch a few bocce ball games. Also, who wouldn’t love to play with Rupert, the winery dog?!
I highly recommend the Rose (many of the guys in the group loved it too…) and bring some snacks to pair with the wine as there aren’t stores or shops nearby. I’ll definitely be back!

I would NEVER recommend anyone visit this winery while you are in Napa! My mom and I were first time Napa visitors and went on two Platypus Wine Tours, Napa & Sonoma so we were able to visit 8 different wineries in 2 days and by FAR this was the worst experience we had.
We found out that since we were with Platypus they require that no other big parties be at the winery when our party is there, when we got there, there was a huge party and towards the end of the «tour» another huge party showed up. Apparently the owner of of Peter Cellars was supposed to be at the winery to great and talk to us… he showed up about 5 min before we were very ready to leave and seemed less than enthused to be there. Peter Cellar’s winery had ONE young gentleman trying serve over 20 people which obviously is going to result in us feeling rushed and a hassle to him. The young gentleman was completely frazzled and kept tripping over his words and repeating himself just to try to get everyone through the wine tasting quickly.
On top of that our wine glasses were filthy! For us much as we spent on the tour and for our tastings I am appalled with the overall experience this winery provided.
To make things worse, our group got up to pay for the tastings and the owner had the AUDACITY to ask our entire party to step to the side because another 12+ person tour was arriving and he wanted to serve them their first tasting. Are you kidding me! I have never in my life been so disgusted with the lack of customer service.
Clearly I am shocked with reading the rest of the reviews for this winery, they are glowing and its hard to believe we even went to the same winery. Everyone has an off day an unfortunately for the tour I was with, we suffered from what could have been a very fun and enjoyable experience.

A real hidden gem in Sonoma. Beautiful and intimate property encircled by a gate that allows the Rupert the golden retriever to roam and greet guests.
Peter himself poured the wine for us, and simply put, he is good at what he does.
The wine is in a different league then most wineries I’ve visited in both Napa and Sonoma over the past five years. His wine tastes very natural and earthy, which makes other wines taste like a candied cherry bomb.
Would visit again!

I’d like to echo all the other Unilocalers’ reviews of Peter Cellars for it was a refreshing and relaxing wine tasting experience.
Peter of the eponymous vineyard greeted a group of six of us, plus two dogs whom he immediately took a liking to and allowed to go off-​leash and explore the vineyard. I really cannot emphasize how much my dog enjoyed frolicking in the field and meeting the vineyard dog.
Then, Peter took us on a grand exploration of two Pinot Noirs, a Syrah, a Merlot, and then finally a Cab. All of them were delicious and refined to the palette. We ended up purchasing the 2011 Pinot and the 2011 Sonoma Valley Syrah, because they literally took my breath away.
Lastly, I have to say that Peter Cellars is the best of Sonoma and Napa. Napa wine tasting is more of the intimate, appointment-​only experience, but more of a high brow tasting. Peter Cellars was just that except for any of the Napa conceited attitude. The experience was small and cozy, but with a relaxed attitude. Also, Peter Cellars has a small tasting room and a lovely patio with tables and low and high chairs. It was very laid back with Peter and his apprentice introducing the wines but not with an overbearing experience.
I truly believe that Peter Cellars is as good as it gets!

Wines are average at best and the experience is lackluster. Proprietor is friendly but sticks to his script, which limits ones ability to learn about the wine.

A… MAZING! Peter was wonderful, so informative and kind. He explained to us all the in’s one outs, the difference in the grapes, water, weather and boy oh boy what an education. The atmosphere was relaxing, intimate, and pure bliss. As I sit here back in Florida I am drinking the 2012 Pinot Noir and going to join the wine club after this post.

Terrific atmosphere and an even better wine tasting experience. A must stop for any Sonoma trip

Small charming winery, we tasted couple of wines and they were all so good! Peter live in a dream place. Highly recommended!

Small winery, tasting with a personal touch. On our visit we tasted Pinot noirs, Syrah, merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All were excellent. We sat on the patio to taste and it made for a very pleasant experience. Call ahead or book through their website.

Visited Peter Cellars on a Sonoma and Napa tour today. It’s a really cute family run vineyard. Peter talks about his vineyards history and the wines he makes personally. He literally runs the entire show there. Except for entertainment that is taken care of by his dog! As soon as the dog saw a tour bus show up he ran to get his ball for us to throw! The wine corks even have little paw prints on them. We ended up buying 6 bottles of the Merlot to have shipped home. That’s a lot of wine for us being as we aren’t big drinkers but we had to take advantage of a fantastic wine at a vineyard that does not distribute through stores.

My goodness, little did I think I would come across a rustic and down-​to-​earth winery way off the beaten path making such phenomenal wines!
Peter Cellars came as a rave recommendation from a Sonoma native who apparently had dreams about the wines here after tasting them herself a while back. After tasting through the all-​red portofolio, I now totally understand what she was talking about. The owner and winemaker, Peter Mauel, greeted us himself upon arrival and gave us a quick tour of the premises before seating us for our tasting. Things could not have been kept more real as the tasting room itself was quite literally a shack housing garden tools in addition to the line-​up of wines on the counter. So awesome!
Peter’s estate pinot noir was simply stellar with the 2010 and 2011 vintages both being distinct yet fantastic in their own regard. The syrah, cabernet sauvignon and estate merlot were no exception, all possessing excellent depth and balance. And to round out the experience, Peter acted as a superb host telling us the story behind each wine as well as his own journey into winemaking with the utmost humility and plenty of humor.
Regarding logistics, the nominal tasting fee of $ 15 is waived with the purchase of two bottles (one of my easiest decisions ever) and the wine club with several tiers is available for those interested.
Cheers to Peter for a wonderful tasting experience!

wow what a treat!
by appointment only… but we had no clue so we showed up unannounced. Peter kindly let our party of 2 in and accommodated us. this is a small scale vineyard and winery out of his back yard. lovely wines and great service. beautiful setting. gentle golden retriever on the premises. best of luck to you Peter!

I visited last Friday (just before the earthquake, thankfully). What a nice, relaxing, low-​key location. The location (and the ambience) is ‘off Broadway’. Great hospitality and a terrific range of wine for tasting. I tried a rose that really surprised me. I’m going to work through a mixed dozen with my friends and family.

Really enjoyed Peter’s set up. The patio was beautiful, wine was wonderful and Peter was such an amazing host. Great wine tasting fee at $ 15 per person and it’s waived with the purchase of two bottles. Very glad we started off here!

Don’t let the initial drive in to the property fool you, once you get into this great little spot you’ll be pleasantly surprised. This was our favorite winery of the day, with several great wines poured, and even better with a little bocce ball! Make a reservation and check it out!

Gorgeous, family-​owned vineyard. Small, intimidate setting and friendly owner, who poured for us and gave the details of each wine. Excellent wine, especially the bone dry rose. Just a ten minutes from historic Sonoma. This was the perfect antidote to the giant corporate vineyards on the way into town. Highly highly recommend.

We had read reviews about this winery and wanted to check it out. We loved how down to earth and genuine Peter was. He welcomed us into his back yard where he makes his own wine. We thought it was so impressive that the wine maker poured his own wine. And Peter has the SWEETEST golden retriever Rupert that will keep you company while you try some great wine.

I’ve been a member of their wine club now for several years. I’ve not had a bad wine yet and my particular favorite is their cabernet. Quite honestly I think it’s underpriced, but don’t tell Peter that. We’ll just keep that a secret. Best part is the corks — they have small dog paw prints — a little nod to his dog that lives on the estate. Wonderful wine.

A wonderful experience, Ponta (sp?) delightfully poured the wines as we sat on the benches eating our own picnic fare. A nice change after the more formal & fancy Rams Gate. The rose was crisp and refreshing, despite my usual distaste for rose wine.
Plus, there’s a bocce ball court!

Five stars for this one man wine operation!
This place is so different from the vineyards I have visited in the past with expansive lawns, barrel rooms, and wedding-​worthy photos.
A tasting at Peter Cellars is like opening up a bottle on your best friend’s porch on a summer day. No fuss. No muss. Kicking off your shoes is highly recommended. The tasting room is a few feet away from Peter’s home where his wife and two point five children live. They also have a dog. A German, French, and US flag flies in the background and the sounds of 50 Cent fill the air. I felt like I was in an episode of the Wonder Year… REMIX!!!
Besides his wife, kids, and dog, Peter’s true love is red wines. We enjoyed four of his award winning wines and were absolutely floored by all of them. I wish I had more time here but since we were a part of a tour group our time was limited.
Reservations for this vineyard is highly recommended.