Roche Winery Vineyards - Sonoma

So, let's start with the positive. The patio is really quite lovely undulating grassy area, windscreens, and great Feng shui. We hit it on a very nice February afternoon and got lucky. The ambience sets you up for a breezy and slightly upscale experience. Our server was decent and kind, albeit a little perfunctory. Unfortunately the wine was ... just not good. The roses too fruity, the reds too facile, and even a little bit of funky aftertaste on some. Our group of four couldn't even bring ourselves to buy even one bottle which is unheard of for us we usually can find something alluring. The only other quibble was that a set of kids were running amok on the grassy area. It felt like the parents had truly taken the day off of parenting and the staff sort of shrugged their shoulders. Perhaps Roche should consider an adults only section which would go a long way towards mitigating this.

I've driven by Roche Tasting Room located in downtown Sonoma many times over the years and was excited to finally try it. The ambiance is very welcoming and comfortable. They have tastings available at their indoor and outdoor bar and seated tastings outside. They have a covered area during the wintertime and a couple of firepits. The tasting room is located right across from the Sonoma square. Mark was our host for the tasting, and he was wonderful! He shared the history of how Roche began and that it is still a family owned and operated winery today. Those are often hard to find these days so it's always great to support a family winery. They offer both wine tastings and wines by the glass. I enjoyed a wine tasting since this was my first visit and liked all of the wines that I tasted and purchased a couple bottles of their Rose. I will be back to grab wines by the glass as this is a perfect spot to relax and enjoy.

I took my mom and auntie here for a pre-dinner drink and we had a great time. The service was fantastic and the wine was good. This location downtown makes it a great additional stop to any outing.

Enjoy the experience at Roche, had a beer and a glass of wine and a tasty charcuterie board. The outdoor area is very serene for being in the middle of town. Great place to visit try it out.

Came Saturday with a group for a birthday. Had a reservation, we arrived promptly but was not acknowledged by staff at the outdoor counter. They were sucked into whatever was happening on the ipad, didnt look up. I asked the young tall employee if this is where we check in, he wrote my name down on a orange piece of paper and took us to a table. After waiting 10 mins with no table service, I went up to the counter and was again not acknowledge by the staff who was looking at the ipad. Another group was also waiting to be acknowledged. Finally I asked the older short haired woman with glasses if they do table service, she seemed taken aback that I asked the question and came over to our table, brought a bottle of water and repeatedly asked me if I had a reservation, if we checked in, and my name.I didnt appreciate being asked multiple times, this was awkward. We ordered the wine, she came back and poured the wine. After that, no employees came to our table for 30 mins. There was hardly anyone at the winery that afternoon since it was a rainy day. I watched the 5 staff who rotated around the counter service other tables, but never came over to ours. Not to ask how we liked the wine, if we wanted more wine, more water. Basic customer service. I had to go up to the counter once again and asked the employee if we can close out our tab. It would be a joke to tip the suggested 25% on the ipad. Even after checking in with the tall guy in the beginning or the woman, I receive an email while we 're there letting me know I was a no show to the reservation.I live in this town, i 've been to almost all the wineries in this zip code. Never have I had awful service until this time. It left a poor taste in our mouth, especially for a birthday celebration. What I can say is we live in an expensive time where our money is hard earned and we want to intentionally use it to support businesses we like. Unfortunately this ones off the list now.