Meyer Family Cellars
A lovely taste of wine, right in downtown Mendocino
The charming entrance to Meyer Family Cellars’ Mendocino tasting room
We stepped onto the old wooden sidewalk on the more western section of Main Street, welcoming the cool shade under the overhanging deck from the second story of the building we had come to. It was an incredibly warm day for Mendocino! Even with the pretty brisk intermittent gusts of wind that had kept us on our toes during our picnic earlier (our paper plates seemed to have a constant hankering to blow away in the breeze), the sun was definitely making his presence felt as he shone on down out of the brightest of blue skies. And because of all that beautiful sunshine, we were feeling pretty hot! Being so darn toasty, we relished the instant cool that washed over us as we crossed the threshold of our destination – the invitingly cheery Mendocino tasting room of Meyer Family Cellars.
A shady patio = heaven on a sunny day
We paused for a moment in the fresh interior of the little tasting room – we were early for our reservation, the gal was talking with the other little group of wine sippers on the shaded patio out back, and it just felt so good to be out of the sun. As we waited, we perused the sweet pictures of the different generations in the Meyer family hanging on the wall, telling the pictorial story of a family dedicated to the art of wine. Soon, Casey was striding in to greet us with eyes and voice smiling around her facemask. Despite our early arrival, she graciously escorted us to one of the charming little tables out back and got us settled.
Enjoying a taste
What a lovely tasting! Casey ushered us through the 5 wines on the tasting menu, filling us in on the background of the winery, the history of the Meyer family’s journey into the world of wine, and the stories behind each wine she shared with us. She started us on the Rosé of Syrah, which was refreshingly tart and dry while also giving off hints of shortbread and vanilla – perfect for how warm we were still feeling! Next, their 2017 Chardonnay made from the cool climate grapes grown at Donnelly Creek Vineyards just down the road from them in the Anderson Valley had us dreaming of baklava with its subtle hints butter and honey, even with its crisply dry finish. Third on the list was the 2017 Peterson Vineyard Pinot, whose bright terrior shone through each sip like a sharp line of logic. Next up was son Matt Meyer’s sweetheart, the cool climate Syrah that he brought to the family repertoire after coming back from his university years. Tannic and bold, we could taste the care he put into each bottle. To finish things off, we rolled the 2017 Fluffy Billows Cab around our tongues, savoring patriarch Justin’s favorite grape. Perfect.
A little Syrah, anyone?
Giggles came from the other table across the patio as we savored the last drops of the Fluffy Billows. “He’s so cute!” the girls cooed as an orange and black wooly bear caterpillar inched across the gravel under their chairs in funny little waves of furriness. We had to chuckle ourselves – the caterpillar was a pretty darn adorable sight, and we were so enjoying this sweet little oasis of a tasting room. Good wine, good company, good weather – what more could we have asked for?
Make your own reservation to visit Meyer Family Cellars next time you’re in Mendocino! Their Mendocino tasting room is open Friday-Monday, noon-5:00. You can book online or give them a call at (707) 895-2341.
Words & pictures by Laura Hockett