Walt Wines

Great little tasting room and fantastic Pinot Noir. The Walt Wines are an offshoot from Katheryn Hall wines which have a very good reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Walt focuses on regional Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills AVA all the way up to Sonoma County and Anderson Valley AVA. Oh, and don’t forget on occasion they bring in a wine from the Yamhill Carlton region of Oregon, just South and West of Portland.
All things considered, the wines here are pretty tasty and show a wide spectrum of flavors and styles. The vintages are more narrow in range, but this makes the tasting even more fascinating as the common thread is the vintage and the variables being the terroir.
Don’t miss Walt Wines if you love Pinot Noir, but make sure your wallet is extra thick that day or you create some space on that Credit Card because Walt will tap into both for the tasting fees and a bottle purchase.
Have I had better wines, absolutely, but to find this quality just outside of the town square is pretty cool and you can spend a full day driving around and not find one Pinot Noir that meets the quality of their base lineup.
If you can, call ahead and make an appointment to taste the wines outside especially in the spring or fall when the weather is perfect in this part of California.

After searching around for wineries that featured Pinots, I knew I had to visit Walt Wines during my trip to Napa. My husband and I stopped by Sonoma on our first day, and wine tasted here after lunch.
The tastings here are not cheap ($ 30 pp) but it was worth trying. We sat outside, where the staff would come around once in awhile to pour us our tastings. The amount of each pour was decent, and once we got through all 6, our server let us go back to re-​taste some of the wines. My favorite was the Gap’s Crown, but we ended up purchasing a bottle of the Blue Jay due to the price difference. If you’re a Pinot lover, I highly recommend visiting this location!

Without a doubt, Walt is a must stop for all Pinot lovers as Rey source from vines up and down the best regions in Ca and some OR vines as well.
They are joined at the hip with Hall as well meaning access to great Cabs too!

Knew I was joining the club after the 1^st of 3 rounds of tasting. Blends and single varieties all tasty, including the Chardonnays which were not too oaky. Lou was super — very easy, down to earth, salt of the earth kinda guy who didn’t put the pressure on (or stand over us like other places) but was present, and provided good info and history on the wines and area. We sat outside and I recommend it — they have a peaceful and tranquil backyard.

After a not-​so-​great start to our California wine-​tasting day, this was a welcome and warm reprieve. The tasting space outside was relaxed and homey, and we could not have had a nicer man assisting us. He was up for chatting and very informative about the wines. I’m not a red wine girl but the wine here was so excellent and its descriptors so specific, I think I’ve turned into one! Absolutely worth the stop.

While I prefer Hall (their sister winery in Napa) which offers some of the best Cabs I’ve tasted, Walt is one of my favorite stops in Sonoma — offering amazing Pinots and Chardonnays that offer such great quality at what I think to be reasonable prices. A nice change of pace, as most of Hall’s wines are pretty spendy. In my mind, being members at both «evens out» in the end (that’s what I tell myself and my husband who has a heart attack each time we receive a shipment).
The staff at Walt is so friendly, and they offer a great backyard area with picnic tables. We bring our dog each time, and she’s able to wander around off-​leash which is really great.
This spot is always one we stop into while we’re in Sonoma. Not only because we’re members — I would still stop in here if we weren’t. Definitely recommend trying a tasting here — you won’t be disappointed!

Dan our server was great, very personable and his knowledge was incredible. They have a great selection of Pinot noirFriendly service in a cute town. They open till 6 so that in itself is awesome!

Well, we joined the wine club after our first and only visit here, so it must mean its good! Came here on my honeymoon while touring the Napa and Sonoma area for two weeks– and this was the only wine club we joined.
I used to LOVE pinots and moved on to Syrahs and Cabs, but the pintos at Walt were really amazing and complex. They also had some nice whites which That Guy I Married really enjoyed.
The most impressive part of our experience is the how charming the tasting room and staff are. We sat outside at picnic benches under oak trees and the staff came up and gave us our pours. The staff was very engaging and knowledgable and the experience did not feel rushed or inauthentic at all. You could tell that they really cared about the wine and your experience. I always appreciate that!
Overall a great experience and I can’t wait to get our first shipment of wine!
P. S. they have a sister winery in Napa called Hall Winery that is AMAZING as well. Well worth the visit if you have time AND if you love Sav Blancs and Cabs!

Having been in customer service for many years I’ve learned that you can have the best product but if you provide a poor experience, the product becomes overshadowed by that poor experience. This is how I felt yesterday at Walt. We had a large group without a reservation, the staff here acted like they couldn’t accommodate, even though the backyard was only half full. The staff then continued to teach us a lesson in what they require to spend money there by announcing to the whole patio that «next time, we will need a reservation because your group keeps getting bigger and bigger.»
For such an expensive place, the lack of class in the delivery of policies was surprising.
Wine was decent, venue is beautiful, staff was horribly rude.

The people working here are RUDE. Came in with a large party on Saturday, half of the tables were empty and they acted like it was a burden to accommodate us. Two people in our party were parking the car and joined late and were refused entrance even though half the place was empty. Wine was good but the rude service will prevent us from returning.

They suck. I came with a big group and they were completely rude did not want to let 2
People from our party come in because it was toooo much. Completely not professional. Will not be back.

Honestly. Fucking whack. If you want to feel upidy. Come here. Honestly reservations? They have an extremely big money tree in the back. So they can be completely empty and not accept a party that buying bottles.
Walked in with a group of more than 6 and OMG. had to negotiate to get the last two people to the table. And there is plenty of room for a big group. Ugh
Wine is good. A bit overpriced.
Cheers. We are headed to Steiner’s

The Walt tasting room was great. We drank the tasting flight in the backyard area which was so relaxing. Dan took great care of us and explained where the grapes from each wine came from. Highly recommend, would return here again.

Great staff, very knowledgeable. We loved sitting on the back patio while we did our wine tasting. It was the perfect Sonoma wine tasting experience without having to go all the way to the wineries!

What an awesome spot right off the square! Fabulous Pinots, wonderful staff and gorgeous scenery!
I loved the concept of sitting outside (or inside the little house on a cold day) and enjoying the picnic tables with friends and an awesome tasting!
My only thought is maybe set some small snacks out on the picnic tables?
I’ll be back for more!

This is by far my favorite place on the square to taste and share wine with friends. Walt Wines is located 1 block off the square behind the Swiss Hotel. I’ve been a member for over seven years and enjoy my club benefits for dinner events, pick up parties and complimentary tastings. I love that my membership is honored at the sister winery, Hall in St. Helena and Hall Rutherford. The wine and the staff are outstanding and we’ll educated which is always fun no matter what level wine noob you may be! This is a true Chardonay and Pinot House. Tasting fee is usually waived with bottles purchased. Definitely check them out if your a Pinot fan! If you play your cards right… there might be a yummy Cab open from Hall to dive into!

We always make a stop at this tasting room when we are in Sonoma, as we enjoy theirlovely wines. The staff here makes it a great tasting experience, as they are friendly, knowledgeable and never stuffy or huffy! We finally decided to join their wine club, andare very happy we did! Highly recommend a visit to this tasting room. Tasting fees are currently $ 20.00, waived per bottle purchased. They specialize in chards and pinots, all are really top notch, and very different, so it is impossible for me to pick a favorite!

If you like Pinot this is the place for you! Terry was fantastic, he gave us a great description of the wines and was really friendly and engaging. He even gave us a great amount of information about the area and the grapes. We got to talk to one of the wine makers also, who was really informative and really enjoyed «talking shop» about California wines.
The music and art was great but really, they could have a tasting room in a shed with a three legged wobbling chair and this place would still be amazing, the reason? The wine is SO freaking good. Every wine we tried was just amazing but the Blue bird was incredible.
I would say this is a must go to place for Pinot Noir lovers, they have something for everyone.

Terry was great! Took us through their portfolio of pinot wines — got to try a chard and one of their Kathryn Hall wines. If you are a member you can bring 4 guests! for free. If not it is $ 20 a person which I thought was worth it. Their pinots are more robust than most — however they have a partnership with Dick Shea from Willamette Valley — cannot wait to try as he is like the Yoda of winemaking! Delicious wine — try it! Cute little house converted to a tasting room. Enjoy!

Locally owned Pinot Noir house in the town of Sonoma. I have met the owner there at several events. Pinot’s from all areas of California. Great tasting room, Generous pours and friendly staff. Oh, did I say I love their wine?!! Absolutely!