The Mauritson winery and tasting room on Dry Creek Road
Mauritson Wines – Rockpile Wines
Along Dry Creek Road are many interesting wineries to visit. One of those is Mauritson Wines. The Mauritson Family has a long history in the Dry Creek Valley. The family began as sheep farmers in land where Lake Sonoma is now located. When they were forced to sell this land under the Eminent Domain laws for Lake Sonoma, they began to focus on vineyard lands in Dry Creek and above Lake Sonoma. This area above Lake Sonoma has become one of the most notable vineyard areas in Sonoma County and is called Rockpile. Just around 2000, winemaker Clay Mauritson convinced his father that is was time to use some of their vineyards to make their own label of wines. The big barn-style structure pictured above has now become somewhat of a landmark as you drive along Dry Creek Road. The tasting room is bright and cozy with an array of wines to be offered to the wine country traveler. None more sought after are the wines made from the Rockpile AVA. The Zinfandels are big, bold, and full of complex fruit flavors that delight the Zinfandel wine enthusiast. The Rockpile Zins are produced from vineyard blocks. For example, Jack’s Cabin Zinfandel and Cemetery Vineyard. There are other varietals made from Rockpile, but it is Zinfandel that is the king. Mauritson Wines is open daily from 10am to 5 pm . It is just a few miles west on Dry Creek Road from the Highway 101 Exit at Dry Creek.
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