Marine Layer Wines — Attraction in Healdsburg

I was originally thinking of coming here because the name appealed to my inner-nerd, but it became a foregone conclusion after the staff at two other tasting rooms strongly recommended Marine Layer. Located right on the main square in Healdsburg, it’s a relatively small, but stylish tasting room that serves wines made from grapes sourced from vineyards around the Sonoma Coast.

When I visited (walk-in, no reservation, sat at the bar), they were offering two tastings.

Seasonal Selections for $30 2023 Las Brisas Vineyard Vermentino 2023 Carina Rosé 2021 Aries Chardonnay 2021 Lyra Pinot Noir

Single Vineyard Exploration $40 2021 Hawk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 Whistler Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 Moon Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

I went with the Single Vineyard tasting - you get an extra pour and higher quality wines for only $10 more...seemed like a no brainer to me. As for the wines, the two Gap’s Crown wines from the Petaluma Gap were so great, I almost felt bad for the other wines even though they were very good too. I love Sonoma Coast wines for their lovely balance of fruit, minerality, and acidity, but the GC wines were really over the top. It’s a shame that they don’t pair the wines with food because I think Sonoma Coast wines are at their best when part of a meal...

The two guys that were working at the tasting room were awesome too (guy 1 = dude with a twin brother who works at Reeve and guy 2 = dude originally from Sandy Springs, GA). Sorry, I am awful with names, so that's the best I can do... They were friendly, knowledgeable, and most importantly, enthusiastic about what makes Marine Layer wines special. I was very happy and grateful that I stopped by for a tasting before my...

Can I just move in though?! Seriously, we've been to MANY tasting rooms in Sonoma County and this one might just be one of the most beautiful and welcoming! Beyond the gorgeous digs, the wine and mezze plate were also epic, and the hospitality was like chatting with an old friend. If you like coastal, cooler climate pinots and chardonnays, this is the place for you. (They also have a way-too-easy-to-drink rosé that is chef's kiss.)

We came in for a Sunday afternoon tasting with our 8-month-old son, and not only did they warmly welcome all of us and make us feel beyond comfortable, but they also took the time to chat with us, sat us in a nice quiet area with comfy seating for us and the baby, and truly made us feel at home. If you're considering the snack plate, DO IT. It's fancy but also delicious (which is hard to do in my opinion) and beyond worth the price.

This is a new tasting room that we will 100% be back to and recommend all our friends to visit. Bonus points that it's on the Healdsburg town square where we love to...

Nice tasting room located on the square in Healdsburg. Employees are very nice, outgoing and knowledgeable about the wine. The wine is good, with the Chardonnay as the standout for us. Tastings are $30 for 4 of their wines and $40 for 5 of their single vineyard wines. We opted to taste all wines and therefore did both tastings between the two of us. Our wine educator also poured us a splash of their cool climate Syrah and a splash of their Sparkling wine. My reason for not awarding 5 stars is their policy for not comping tastings with the purchase of wine. For those that have no problem with that, it might be a five star winery. Since I have visited literally 100's of wineries and would say only about 2% have implemented a policy like this it warrants a reduction of at least 1 star. It was our anniversary, we made a memory and that...