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Open 10:00 to 5:00
Appt required? No
Last barlinwine.com visit: 2012 (April 15, 2012 Itinerary)
Directions:
Hawkes Alexander Valley
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Hawkes Sonoma
View Sonoma in a larger map or Get Directions
Tasting:
Things are a little different at Hawkes.
Let's start with our arrival. Winery dogs are a common site in Napa and Sonoma, but this was the first winery pit bull I'd met. As we approached the door to the tasting room, Windy stood and stared at us, a red gash where someone (or something) had recently taken a chunk out of her cheek. I love dogs, but I didn't get a lot of love from that initial stare. But after a little exploratory sniffing (by Windy) and some butt scratches (by me...her butt, not mine), Hawkes' wine dog was as friendly as any other.
Jake Hawkes (son of the owner) and his PR/Marketing manager Jeremy Spring manned the tasting bar when we arrived, clad in casual work shirts, Jakes's bald head and goatee furthering the bad-ass image introduced by Windy. The image was muddled, though, by their display throughout the tasting room of antique tea pots. I glanced through the window behind the tasting bar, and noticed a number of picnic tables and chairs, all color-coordinated with the winery's colors of black and red. What's going on here? Clearly there's a soft underside to this winery's tough exterior!
We tasted a Chardonnay, a Merlot, and a number of excellent Cabs at their shiny tasting bar in large, Hawkes-logoed glasses. Hawkes produces 3 single-vineyard cabernets (Pyramid, Red Winery, and Stone) in shockingly low quantities (85-150 cases), and blends these together to make their Alexander Valley Cabernet. All of the wines were good, but the cabs were particularly delicious.
We finished the tasting and I put together a small order of a few bottles of cabernet to ship. Jake came over to make his pitch for the wine club, and I started to smile and prepare my kind decline -- I liked their wines a lot, but I'm already in too many clubs. Listen to this, though: a cab-only wine club is available -- 6 bottles, twice a year. They discount futures for the single-vineyard cabs to 50% of retail ($35 vs $70) AND throw in free shipping on all wine club purchases. Unbeatable.
Editor's Note: In 2011, Hawkes opened a 2nd tasting room just off the square in downtown Sonoma. The wine, stemware, and even the room are all about the same. They've also added some barrels of single-vineyard Cabernet to try samples from, making this room just as worthy a stop as the Alexander valley location.
Things are a little different at Hawkes.
Let's start with our arrival. Winery dogs are a common site in Napa and Sonoma, but this was the first winery pit bull I'd met. As we approached the door to the tasting room, Windy stood and stared at us, a red gash where someone (or something) had recently taken a chunk out of her cheek. I love dogs, but I didn't get a lot of love from that initial stare. But after a little exploratory sniffing (by Windy) and some butt scratches (by me...her butt, not mine), Hawkes' wine dog was as friendly as any other.
Jake Hawkes (son of the owner) and his PR/Marketing manager Jeremy Spring manned the tasting bar when we arrived, clad in casual work shirts, Jakes's bald head and goatee furthering the bad-ass image introduced by Windy. The image was muddled, though, by their display throughout the tasting room of antique tea pots. I glanced through the window behind the tasting bar, and noticed a number of picnic tables and chairs, all color-coordinated with the winery's colors of black and red. What's going on here? Clearly there's a soft underside to this winery's tough exterior!
We tasted a Chardonnay, a Merlot, and a number of excellent Cabs at their shiny tasting bar in large, Hawkes-logoed glasses. Hawkes produces 3 single-vineyard cabernets (Pyramid, Red Winery, and Stone) in shockingly low quantities (85-150 cases), and blends these together to make their Alexander Valley Cabernet. All of the wines were good, but the cabs were particularly delicious.
We finished the tasting and I put together a small order of a few bottles of cabernet to ship. Jake came over to make his pitch for the wine club, and I started to smile and prepare my kind decline -- I liked their wines a lot, but I'm already in too many clubs. Listen to this, though: a cab-only wine club is available -- 6 bottles, twice a year. They discount futures for the single-vineyard cabs to 50% of retail ($35 vs $70) AND throw in free shipping on all wine club purchases. Unbeatable.
Editor's Note: In 2011, Hawkes opened a 2nd tasting room just off the square in downtown Sonoma. The wine, stemware, and even the room are all about the same. They've also added some barrels of single-vineyard Cabernet to try samples from, making this room just as worthy a stop as the Alexander valley location.
Recommended wine: The Pyramid Cabernet was my favorite of the bunch, but all were solid. The best recommendation I can give, though, is to join the wine club! That's the best deal I've come across in Napa or Sonoma.
Ratings (out of 5):
 WINE | 4.75 |  TASTING ROOM | 4.50 |
 ATMOSPHERE | 5.00 |  VALUE | 4.75 |
 OVERALL | 4.75 | ||
Nice review, Greg. But you've got the whole bad-ass thing all wrong. They're major softies at Hawkes (with the exception of the dog).
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