Fritz Underground Winery

Nestled into the side of a hill off a wooded country road is a subterranean winery with a futuristic look right out of Woody Allen’s Sleeper. No orgasmatron booths here, but there is plenty of well-made wine and a great staff to show you around.

Driving up Dutcher Creek Road, look for the turn-off for Fritz Underground Winery; continue up the hill through the woods until you come to the gardens and unique archway entrances to the underground tasting room and winery. The arched doorways open onto a courtyard patio with comfortable tables and chairs for your enjoyment. The hillside location gives great views of the countryside.

As you go inside, you are actually going underground to get to the tasting bar. The winery is a three-tier, gravity-flow operation, with the wine flowing from one level to the next as it progresses from crushing to fermentation to aging. The winery produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Old-Vine Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Most of the wines are vinified using native yeasts to create more complex flavors. All the white wines are currently single-vineyard-designated. Because they own properties both in the cool Russian River Valley and the warmer Dry Creek region, the winery is able to produce excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as Zinfandel and Cabernet.