Hauck Cellars

I recently visited Hauck Cellars, what the owners fondly refer to as “The Best Little Bordeaux House in Sonoma County”. The tasting room structure is most interesting- a newly renovated 1948 Quonset hut and a comfortable, shaded side patio, with a cooling fountain and cafe-like tables and chairs for picnicking and sipping wine.  Passionate about food and wine, the Haucks produce only varietals that they themselves would enjoy drinking- that is their goal-and their love of the wines they produce shows. In addition to tasting, guests are encouraged to pair the wines with artisan cheeses featuring local favorites like Cowgirl Creamery, Redwood Hill and Bellwether Farms.  Personal hands-on attention to fruit from some of the “best kept secret vineyards” in the Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys make for delicious wines- winemaker dinners at some local acclaimed restaurants, like Restaurant Charcuterie, (Hauck is coming up again in December 2010) showcase the great accessibility of these wines with the fresh, locally produced foods for which Sonoma County is especially famous.

The day I visited I did not get to meet their famous mascot, Margaux, (she had been stung by a bee and was laid low) but her fun presence can be felt from label designs to paintings and photographs of her scattered about the TR.

Hauck Cellars has three Wine Clubs to choose from to fit any budget- all include invitations to Wine Club Events and deep discounts on many wines that are not distributed.

Here’s looking at you, kids.

TR