Larson Family was one of the first wineries in Sonoma County I ever visited and then forgot its name! When my husband and I found ourselves back there, we immediately remembered the lovely tasting room and the ever-present dogs. The one year they made the organic chardonnay we almost made it our house white but they sold out before we made the decision to buy a case. Every time I've been, including with different friend groups, I've had a good time and enjoyed my tasting experience. Definitely worth checking out, even if you don't leave with a bottle. Having tasted their wine is time well spent.
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entrance road is not good but this shop is familiar with not only traveler but also family. wine taste us so nice and beautiful house and garden . I will go again when come back.
This was our first wine tasting during COVID. We were happy that Larson Family Winery was fairly covid-safe: masks required, staff keeps their distance, tables are spaced apart, and wine flights are delivered all at once with a paper tasting guide.
The grounds are cute - probably 30 tables in a small courtyard surrounded by views of Sonoma and the Larson vines. The courtyard is dog friendly and we loved having the resident yellow lab come up and say hi.
The wine was served as a flight with a few sips in each glass. Admittedly, the servings are smaller than other wineries we've visited, but we appreciated it since we had to drive. The wine was delicious and we left with two bottles.
The food was served in boxes like a Safeway to-go counter. The water was served in bottles. I'm guessing this was for Covid - we'd definitely expect more (at least glasses for water and proper cutlery) if this weren't Covid.
The service was good - we were seated immediately for our 1pm reservation and we were checked on a few times. The wait staff did seem a little frazzled - for example, we asked to move to a different table but our request was forgotten. However, a small hiccup with our order (we ordered a tri-tip sandwich but they were out when we arrived) was resolved easily.
We paid $70 for 2 tastings (fair), $35 for a ham sandwich box (overpriced), and $20 for a charcuterie box (overpriced). We left with two bottles for $90: a Pinot Noir and a Three Lab Cab. The price was on the high side, but we still enjoyed our visit.
Spur of the moment stop with family. Great wine and friendly staff. Great spot for pictures and for kids. They have sheep out front and A tractor as well as a grassy area outside with games. Also they loved the two pups who are always there. It was a nice break from traffic on the 12!
The hospitality of this location fell short as the staff genuinely was more concerned about closing down than providing the experience and capturing the sales. Understanding that we did show up 20 min before closing, the staff ensured that they were done. We appreciate the free two pour, but we drove 4 hours up to this specific location with higher expectations.
This is a great winery. Truly excellent wine and its very private. Not too busy like some of the huge wineries. Its very, very dog friendly and very kid friendly. This may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are. I really enjoyed it a lot and will be going back.
Great wines in a laid back setting. A hidden gem. The winery Lab Retrievers are friendly and love to be petted. I had the Meritage and my wife, the Pinot Noir. Both were fabulous!
What a great atmosphere and environment. They had the best social distancing, great wine, fantastic food treats, and live music; oh I forgot to mention, it's dog friendly. It was the best day ever this year!
I've been here a few times and haven't been super impressed. They sell wines from a couple different vineyards and there is a definite quality difference between the two (Millerick wines were of lesser quality IMO).
We ended up getting a couple bottles of the three lab chard and cab as it was in our price range for our wedding. They weren't "blow me away" types of wines, but decent for the price point.
My first visit was many years ago to Larson Family Winery but I still reminisce about drinking a jug of wine and playing Bocce in the backyard looking out over a majestic view. Thank you!
Show up early, don't bring the family. Get ready for buses to pull up in the later half of the day with a boatload of drunk hipsters riding around on the kiddie toys and dropping glasses left and right (read: broken glass). It's a shame really, it was a great place and now it's turning to the end of the line bar for techie wine tours. I'm not anti-techie, I'm one myself, but man this place gets out of hand.
Such a cute winery! I love that they re so casual and dog friendly! Hunter provided exceptional service and was very friendly and welcoming! We had a great tasting and will definitely be back!
The staff was super friendly, and grounds were very nice. But they charged $10.00 a head to drink a bottle of wine we purchased, which is ridiculous. So a $26.00 of wine cost our group of three $56.00 to drink. I won t go back.
Love love love this winery! If you reserve a picnic table: bring in a picnic, bring your dogs, heck - even bring your kids!! This is truly a family (both in diaper and canine forms) friendly place to taste delicious wines. They have bocce ball, many outdoor tasting bars and a large indoor tasting room (that tends to be a bit more adult focused). They also have a refrigerated area with cheese, drinks, and other bites. And the have a gift store with great goods. All around great place!
Showed up with group of 8 to buy multiple bottles of wine to play corn hole and bocce. Was treated with disrespect and said they could not take a group of 8 despite the place not being crowded. Person at door should work at a dive bar with the way he treated our group. Wouldn't let him serve me at a fast food restaurant. Would strongly discourage going here if you are looking for a good stop on a wine tour.
While the wine here is not the most amazing in the world, it is good drinkable wine and you combine that with super family friendly, GREAT outdoor space and you have a highly enjoyable place to visit. They don't take themselves to seriously and have fun attitudes although the outdoor service was a little more on the snobby side but that could have just been the one guy, not necessarily the whole place.
Love this winery. It has good wine and a great atmosphere. You can bring your own food and enjoy a picnic in the large outdoor space. The winery is very dog friendly and is also kid friendly. Great place to bring your family and enjoy the beautiful Sonoma weather!
Great for kids and families with dogs. I've never seen so many children and babies at a winery! There are a few dogs that find their way into your bags and they will eat your food--watch out!
Small family run winery with very reasonable wine. Great picnic tables, with family friendly games like corn hole and bocce ball. Country music playing softly in the background and plenty of dogs running around all over the place. Plus the road leading up to Larson winery looks like something out of texas chainsaw massacre lol. Nelson approved!
Went on a wine tasting tour to four vineyards and this was probably my favorite of them all. Lovely country feel, down to earth, making wine comfortable for pretty much everyone. We had Luke helping us and explaining things to us and he was fantastic. Really funny and patient with me as I learned about different wines for the first time and consumed the most alcohol I ever have to date. (Meaning I got somewhat buzzed and then stopped.) Plus we got to talk about video games and dogs. Who doesn't like to drink wine and talk about video games and dogs?
Larson is a great vineyard to have a relaxed tasting and enjoy yourself. We learned some history and some about wine. Having visited a good number of wineries in regions across the world, it's always fun when you learn something new.
We were big fans of the reserve Pinot Noir, the Millerick Meritage, and the Three Lab Cab. The prices certainly aren't cheap but are about in line with what you'd expect from a quality winery in the area.
The three dogs stole the show though! They were a great welcoming committee and were so well behaved. We loved that they allow dogs and picnics - if we were local, we would definitely be back!
They are doing a very good job with masks and social distancing outdoors. Reservations required, bottle service or flights. Packaged meats, cheeses, and crackers from the deli case.
They treat you like cattle. Tons of bus tours fighting for little bit of shade there is. Staff very strict on where you can sit and where you can't. Trying to push as many people through as possible. Avoid at all costs. This place cost our bus driver his tip, sorry but it's true.
The ultimate in dog-friendly wineries: the large open field where dogs could run off leash and ample outdoor picnic seating made our decision to join the wine club an instant one. Dogs are also permitted in the tasting room!
We are fans of the Reserve Pinot Noir and the wonderful staff. The atmosphere at Larson fosters one of the friendliest experiences among patrons we ve had in Napa and Sonoma so far. Also stop and say hello to the Larson s goats and sheep behind the tasting room!
Avoid this place if you want an experience worth your money. Worst part is the reservation required payment ahead of time with 18% service fee already included!! Its ironic because there was basically ZERO service.
Upon sitting they drop off all the tastings at once (serving size about half of what normally is given at other places). The waiter (who didn't even introduce himself) checked in on us 30 or 40 mins after, never brought or offered water, something also normally provided FOR FREE, at wine tastings. Water here is charged extra and provided in regular plastic water bottles as found in a gas station.
Do not order food here. The cheeses and beverages are the same products you'd find at a Safeway, at two or three times the price, and stored in a Starbucks-like open fridge.
These tastings are also not the cheapest, at $35 per person plus 18% mandatory gratuity, it feels like we were scammed. We have been to dozens of wineries in the area and this place does not come close to any of them, AT ALL.
In summary, all the following were terrible: - customer service - quality of wine - quality of food - quantity of wine ( for an experience as bad as this one At Least give us more alcohol!! its not like they have the best wine anyway) - value for what you get - price
This is a true family winery, where you frequently see family members working. I love how relaxed it is, and how family friendly (even for dogs!) the facility is. We became members after our first visit because we love the laid back atmosphere.
Second time at Larson Family Winery. Came 3 years ago on a bus tour and decided we needed to come back when we traveled to California from Ohio. Great atmosphere and incredible wines! Brian was great at explaining all the wines we tasted and even took time to show us around. Very relaxing and worth a stop!! So much better than all the commercial wineries in the area. Ask for Brian!
I thought the wines were really good, but the atmosphere felt like a daycare center. It's one thing to be "family friendly", which is what we were looking for, but there were little kids running around everywhere like it was a playground. I'm not sure we would return because of this. It was so chaotic.
Once we got past the mud and colder than anticipated temperature our family had a blast. Loved the tasting for $20, attentive service, games for kids and adults to play, dogs wandering around the property, and relaxed vibe. Will definitely be back!
We were members here and experienced a very rude staff member. He was rude to his colleagues inside the winery clearly making a scene. Then he was very rude to us in the members area on the patio. I've never seen such rudeness at any business.
We will be taking our membership to another winery.
My sister and I had more fun than I can describe while we wine tasted with Bob behind the counter. We were laughing before the wine was poured and every second after. Come for the wine and stay for the conversation with Bob! Leave with a couple bottles of the chocolate ....Ask Bob. AND I have to mention that there are dogs all over that are so sweet and friendly.
Just left there & I have to say Bob was amazing!! He was hilarious & the wines were excellent as well. My only regret is that I couldn't take one of the 3 labradors home with me! This is a must if your in Sonoma!!
Bob, our wine know-it-all, was hilarious! This was by far the best wine tasting guide we could've asked for! He was friendly, funny but also informative when it came to the explanations related to the Larson Family Winery and the tasting. The place is cozy and it might even feel homy. And for dog lovers, they have a book called "Wine dogs" related to the dogs that are in other Wineries along Sonoma.
Good wine, good price, good server. Not good management. They were severely understaffed so it took two hours to get through a five wine tasting, most of that was waiting for the next wine.
I cannot say good enough things about this winery! Loved the family atmosphere. There are yards games outside in the courtyard and families of all ages enjoying their visits. The dogs are the cherry on top- they could not get any cuter! I'd go back in a heartbeat!
This is a great place to go for an afternoon of wine tasting. It's family friendly, dog friendly, and probably the most unpretentious winery in Northern California. The wines are great and the staff is super friendly. Spent the afternoon there today listening to live jazz and taking pictures.
Family friendly winery with picnic tables, corn hole, and bocce ball. They have three labs that are playful but will eat your food if you're not watching it. It's casual, and almost feels like a brewery atmosphere. Wines were tasty. They have snacks for purchase of you can bring your own food. Really good place for large groups!
This wonderful place was my absolute favorite stop during our time in Napa/Sonoma. Nestled away in the Sonoma country side, Larson family winery is a bit off the beaten path surrounded by open vineyards and rolling hills. We got a delicious, crisp bottle of white wine from their inside tasting area, and went outside to their dog & family-friendly seating area. They had shaded tables and benches for plenty of people, and we spent the whole afternoon playing cornhole and bocce ball while enjoying our glasses of wine. I wish we'd had more time to spend here, but I absolutely plan to make this my first stop when I come to Napa/Sonoma again. You have to go visit!
Bob is a great guy, he is like a stand up comedian while he present you the different wines. It is a small Winery with a little place were you can see all the products. I was in love with a book they sell, the Wine Dogs, which is about the dogs of lot of vineyards from the area
We had a lovely visit last week and this was our first stop before hitting 2 other wineries, my husband and I both agreed this was our favourite. We would love to return one day , in the meantime we have the 3 Lab Cab to enjoy along with the delicious brittle
Really enjoyed my wine tasting. Perfect location for family. It's the first winery my kids have ever thanked me for taking them to. Bocce ball, corn hole, winery dogs, and lots of space for kids to have fun.
Larson Family Winery one of the most pet/kid friendly wineries I've been to. I don't normally associate wineries and kids together, but I'm sure there are a lot of adults with kids who would love to wine taste, and feel that their kids were welcome too. Unfortunately, wineries like that are rare. Larson Family WInery is an exception.
Located in the Sonoma Valley, Larson is just down a dirt road from a major Sonoma Valley thoroughfare. The vibe is "old barn" and family is welcome. The tasting room is actually in a barn, and in the back is a large grass area, bocce ball, picnic tables and beautiful views. The vineyard is located where the Sonoma Valley meets the sloughs in Carneros. It's where the fertile valley starts to blend with the wetlands of the bay.
There is a laid back feel around the tasting room. Their motto is "What we don't drink, we sell". My last visit was Oct 28th, 2018 for the Pet Costume Contest. Gwen and I took Bagel and Jerry and just happened to win the 1st prize when Gwen dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, and Bagel as the wolf. Jerry dressed as Ceasar but did not win any awards. I dressed as a middle-aged father in cargo shorts, and Crocs, and also won no prizes.
I left with about $100 worth of wine: 1) Wingo White: a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewurtz, and Alberino 2) Sonoma Red: a blend of mostly Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Tempranillo, and other variatals 3) Sparkling Brut: a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 4) Pinot Gris
Come here for kids and dogs, but do not come here hoping to have anything drinkable. This may be the worst tasting I ve ever had in 10 years of tastings, yikes. 2/5 because unfortunately the wine matters at a winery...
Overall, a nice winery tucked away along Sonoma Creek. Perhaps most known for their friendly labrador dogs roaming the property and their so-named Three Lab Cab. Lots of picnic tables in the back, but fairly restrictive policies and pricey tastings.
~1 hour from SoMa (42 mi) No Reservations Required (Except Picnic Tables) Open Daily 10am-5pm (Last pour 4:50pm)
$20 per person, Current Release Tasting Flight $30 per person, Reserve Tasting Flight (Waived with purchase of 2 or 3 bottles, respectively)
Pro: * Nearby San Francisco (~1 hour) * Cute location, tucked away along Sonoma Creek * Great place to picnic with table reservations * Pretty good wines (but not distinctive) * Can accommodate large groups (with reservation) * Ample space for cornhole
Cons: * No views, not particularly scenic * Expensive and restrictive table reservation system * Last pour at 4:50 * Hit-or-miss with staff friendliness
Note: Reservations are required for weekends and holidays for outside picnic tables and requires at least a current release tasting ($20) per person. These fees are not waived even with purchase of a bottle, making it a bit pricey.
Bad service, not an enjoyable experience. No choice but to listening to stories, restricted sitting, rude personnel... the guy telling the annoying stories is so loud!
It's certainly an interesting and welcomed spot. It's so easy to satisfy a mixed family. There's generous pours of wine and okay priced tastings (was $15 but they charged us $10 since it was getting late) and lots of space to play including games for children and drunk adults. Though, I don't recommend it just for the way. This really is a family spot. Wine isn't really the main attraction.
1 year ago 5 stars. Out of nostalgia I give it a three. Now a place for frat guys and the ladies who date them - loud, obnoxious, disrespectful people who believe louder is better. Larson: a return to FAMILY winery would be welcome. Wine is still very good.
larsonfamilywinery.com
