About Ernest Vineyards
Ernest Vineyards is named for the quality the name implies — earnestness, sincerity, the serious and genuine engagement with the work. The given name Ernest carries both the English 'earnest' (sincere, serious, genuinely committed) and its German predecessor Ernst (meaning seriousness and vigorous pursuit of purpose). The Sebastopol estate declares both: these wines are made with genuine seriousness and sincere commitment to the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that the cool fog corridor produces.
The Ross Road estate in the Green Valley of Russian River Valley area produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from one of the fog corridor's most consistently cool sub-zones — temperatures that rarely allow the vines to overheat, resulting in natural acidity, extended hang time, and the kind of structural tension that earnest winemaking can preserve rather than eliminate.
The appointment-only format reflects the earnest philosophy: visitors who come to Ernest Vineyards are serious about understanding the wine, and the winery takes that seriousness seriously.