Schug Carneros Estate is a winery located in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, California. The winery was founded in 1980 by Walter Schug, who was the first winemaker at Joseph Phelps Vineyards and later became the winemaster at Beaulieu Vineyard. Schug Carneros Estate is now run by Walter’s son, Axel Schug, who took over the winery in 2002.
The winery’s vineyards are located in the cool climate of the Carneros region, which is known for producing high-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. In addition to these varieties, Schug Carneros Estate also grows Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Sauvignon Blanc.
At Schug Carneros Estate, the focus is on producing wines that are elegant and balanced, with a distinct sense of place. To achieve this, the winemaking team uses a combination of traditional and modern techniques. For example, they employ whole cluster fermentation and native yeasts in the fermentation process to add complexity to the wines.
One of the winery’s flagship wines is its Carneros Pinot Noir, which is made from grapes grown in the winery’s estate vineyards. This wine is known for its bright fruit flavors and smooth, velvety texture. Other notable wines produced by Schug Carneros Estate include its Carneros Chardonnay and its Pinot Gris.
In addition to its wine production, Schug Carneros Estate is also known for its commitment to sustainability. The winery uses organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyards, and has implemented a number of measures to reduce its environmental impact, including the use of solar panels and a water recycling system.
Overall, Schug Carneros Estate is a respected and well-regarded winery in the Napa Valley region, known for producing high-quality, expressive wines that showcase the unique character of the Carneros terroir.
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Vidur Sehgal
a month agoWe had an amazing tasting experience with Andrew. He was able to accommodate a large group at short notice. The wines themselves were delicious - we took several bottles home. The merlot and pinot noir were our favorites. Andrew’s commentary about the wines and his experiences in the industry kept us informed and entertained. The view from the top of the hill was gorgeous.
Victoria Parker
2 years agoThis winery was beautiful and the staff was lovely! Along with detailed explanations of each wine, we got tips on how to navigate the area. Valerie was incredibly helpful and made us feel at home. Each wine was wonderful! We will definitely be coming back to this spot for annual girls trips. They ship to most states, so setting up a long distance membership is easy. Everything about our time at Schug was enjoyable.
Justin Jabs
a month agoCame here during business hours and nobody could be found to help us on the patio or in the tasting room (even after ringing the bell). Wasted a $26 Lyft … walk-ins apparently not welcome, despite it being listed as walk-in friendly on the Sonoma tourism website. :(
Trevor Quinn
4 months agoBess and Andrew hosted myself, my wife, and our friend, Susan, for her birthday. They were extremely accommodating towards us on our visit. The wines were refreshing, and we ended up leaving with 6 bottles. 2 of the 2021 Pinot Noirs, a White Pinot Noir( who knew ), 2016 Pinot Noir!, 2015 Cab!, and a 2019 St Laurent. We sat in the Library, a very cool experience. I highly recommend visiting and enjoying.
Michael Martinez
6 months agoPlain and simple, this is my favorite winery in Sonoma. The property checked all of my boxes. Quaint, calm, beautiful, family-owned, quiet, romantic, and on and on. We were lucky enough to tour the winery with Claudia Schug, the daughter of the founder. Her calmness and expertise were apparent right away. She took us on a tour of the grounds while telling us her amazing story. It was our first stop of four wineries, and the others couldn't top it. All we did as a group was talk about our first stop while we visited the others. We were greeted with charcuterie boards in the wine library, which was in their cave. We loved that she tasted with us to see what our opinions and thoughts were. It was awesome to take the journey with her. The wine was perfectly paired, and it was such an organic experience. It felt down home, while some of the others felt industrial and mainstream. We weren't pressured to buy anything, and it never felt scripted. How I know it was an amazing place was that the six of us all felt the same. We all got back on the tour bus, and looked at each other and said wow. We left with multiple bottles of wine and an experience that we will definitely come back for. I want to personally thank Claudia for the wonderful time we had. If you are in Sonoma and have a few wineries to choose from, make this one of them.