Russian Ridge Winery

Read on Unilocal how great this place was… when we pulled up .so not impressed … make shift wine tasting room poorly done off to the side of the shop storage unit… Ok… great wines here we come. I walked in where there were 2 others sitting at the end of the bar … owner «Scott «was in a political conversation with this couple … I stood there for about 30 seconds till he looks at me and actually says a greeting… ok. no worries. he knows we are here now… We take a seat and inform him we are here for a tasting. this is where my patience is waning … We are now just a distraction from his conversation. The first pour is a Chardonnay … we have a menu but its not exactly clear what we are drinking and the first pour I believe he squeezed out here is our Chardonnay. but maybe not. I asked my wife who was making sense of the hand written numbers on the menu… now the next several pours he did explain the wines a bit. but once again a customer can be made to feel they are a bother not important. each pour was drank as we sat quietly spinning our phones on the counter waiting for the next taste … when he would finally look over to notice we were done. he would pop back over and pour the next… The experience was horrible … but the best thing we got out of it was his recommendation to go next door to Cuvee. so I added a star for that 5 star visit … so thanks but no thanks

I am a member here and that definitely has its perks. I love how close it is to sneak away for a little wine tasting. The owners are incredibly friendly and chatty and they did not mind that I brought in my dog. The wine is reasonably priced and I believe, largely from the Santa Cruz mountains.

Coming from out of state (Hawaii) the plan for years has been to drive straight to Santa Rosa and hang out in Sonoma and Napa Valleys. After so many years the novelty has worn off and I’m happy to stay in San Fran and avoid crossing any bridges. But what about the wine you ask? Well Russian Ridge in San Carlos has some of the best wine I’ve tasted anywhere in California and its in South Bay so its easy to get to and no bridges to cross. The owner Scott Townsend and son Spencer make and bottle all wines on-​site. The grapes are selected from distinctive grape growing regions. The Russian Ridge facility reminds me of Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg. Neither have vineyards but produce very high quality, super tasty wines. Russian Ridge on a smaller scale, but the quality is there and the price is far more reasonable.
Russian Ridge has racked up bunches of awards, many of them gold or best in show. I’ve tasted most of what Russian Ridge has to offer and a few that Scott keeps stashed away and there is NOT ONE that I didn’t want more of. Everything is really good.
For those of you passing thru like me, you can buy bottles and pack them in wine carriers. I could only get six bottles because of airline weight restrictions. I believe there is a 2, 4, and 12 bottle size as well.
I am sipping a 2011 Russian Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Concerto Red Wine as I type this. Oh so tasty.

Great random find as I was cutting through the neighborhood earlier today. Who knew there were 3 wineries in San Carlos? Spencer provides great service and the wine was a pleasant surprise. Bought a few bottles of the Chard, the Pinot and the Concerto (a nice red blend). Will definitely be back.

The owners, Scott and Spencer, were wonderful! They even stayed open a little late for us.
The wine was good, the pours were generous. Definitely worth a visit!

Amazing service and great wines! I actually liked some of the silver medal wines better than the gold, so give everything a fair chance! Beside the wine, this place gets 5 stars for the friendly service! The winemaker and his son made the wine tasting experience so much better! They were nice, interesting and knowledgable about their wines! I will definitely be back!

Outstanding wine, great hospitality, and a wonderful location. Thank you for adding to our community!

Delicious wines … Enjoyed them all. Spencer was a great host and shared lots of great info and really added to the tasting. Will definitely be back!

uhh hello. Can you say AWESOME? Affordable, delicious wines, great tasting room, wonderful owners/​winemakers. Looking forward to seeing this winery expand and grow. Kudos, and best of luck and wishes for prosperity in coming months and years. I will be back.