NORIA Winery — Attraction in Berkeley

Heard this winery was owned and operated by Japanese folks and they focused on Pinot Nori. Say no more. I had to visit. Came on a weeknight and it was pretty quiet. I called ahead to see if a reservation was needed, but nope, I was told to just go in. One of the owners Nori greeted me. I knew what I wanted as I checked out their flight menu beforehand. My friend and I each got the red wine flight (3 Pinot Noirs for $30). I enjoy munching on something when tasting so I chose the sesame beef and pork sausage to pair with.

I was curious about how Nori started and he told me two ah-ha moments in his life that led him to wine. I asked him many questions about his journey and he was more than happy to share. As a wine maker, Nori was very thorough also in introducing his red wines. He even brought out the soil sample to show the differences.

I really liked the first Pinot Noir. It was from Umino Vineyard in Russian Valley. I felt that it had depth and intensity. The 2nd Pinot Noir (Sangiacomo Vineyard) was good, but felt that it was a shade of the first one. Not sure if I would have switched the tasting sequence. The third Pinot Noir was grapes grown in the limestone region in Chalone. Unfortunately, this limestone gave a peppery taste that I did not enjoy. The sausage had a lot of flavor and tasted great with the crackers. In terms of pairing with the Pinot Noirs, it did not overpower the wines, which was great.

$30 for a flight is quite affordable compared to Napa although it only had 3 red wines. I would go back again to try other snacks and Nori’s...

I visited Noria Wines this past Saturday and my friends and I loved it! The owners were so nice and you really felt like you were at a friends house drinking wine. They have food pairings that went really great with the wines. I am not a Chardonnay drinker, but I thought this Chardonnay was probably one of the best ones I've ever had. It wasn't buttery, it was clean and crisp and I bought a bottle. They do a variety of pinot noirs and they were all delicious. I highly recommend coming here, the space is great, the owners are super sweet and they explain everything about the wines and where they come from. Great visit and hope to...

Surrounded by natural wine tasting rooms, Noria quickly became our favorite winery in the area! On our first visit, we became members, and since then, every return has been met with a warm welcome, even for our dog. We appreciate their Japanese-inspired wine, which is not only unique but is also delicious! I love their savy b in particular which has a lychee aroma and is so tasty but everything is delicious. They have many food pop-ups and events which we would be more inclined to attend if they had more vegetarian options. Nonetheless I highly recommend checking out Noria to enjoy the wine and...