Porter Creek Vineyards
George Davis planted this hillside in 12-foot rows in the 1970s, and his son Alex doubled the density by planting between the vines instead of pulling them. The family lives on the property and you taste in a wooden shack.31
Why go
Alex Davis grew up here in the seventies and eighties, learning the vineyard beside his father, surrounded by the people who made Westside Road what it is: Davis Bynum, Gary Farrell, Burt Williams, Ed Selyem, Joe and Tom Rochioli.3 He farms organically with minimal intervention and states the aim plainly: balanced wines with soul, low intervention, integrated winemaking, and stewardship of the farm and surrounding environment.
3
The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are estate-grown, bottled and labeled on site.3 The Carignan is the one wine here that comes from somewhere else.1 The 2025 Rosé of Pinot Noir ran to 90 cases at $36.3
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Viognier. Mobley calls it a fine example of a white grape seldom seen in this part of the county, full of tropical fruit like mango.1
- Order: the spicy Carignan, which she says not to overlook.1
- Order: the Grand Tasting at $50, one Chardonnay and four estate Pinot Noirs plus a sixth pour the host chooses. Buy two bottles and the fee comes off.3
- Avoid: the outdoor tables if you are counting pennies. They carry a $25 fee that does not come back.3
What locals & experts say
- Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, Top Sonoma County Wineries 2025:
Being at Porter Creek, you may get the feeling that you're at somebody's home — and you are.
On the wines:Vintner Alex Davis, whose father founded Porter Creek in the 1970s, makes wines here that feel untouched by time: restrained Pinot Noir, sunny Chardonnay, balanced Zinfandel.
1 - Mobley again (6 September 2023):
This tranquil estate is one of the best places to go wine tasting on Westside Road, the winery-packed route through the heart of the Russian River Valley.
2
Good to know
- Check the bridge. The winery posts that the Wohler Bridge has been closed since 6 April 2026 and stays shut into October 2026, which changes the drive.3
- Walk-ins are taken as space allows, and reservations are preferred. Phone 707-433-6321.3
- Alex Davis runs a private tour for $125, or $100 for club members, for two to five people, in a 4WD through the steep hillside blocks or on foot if you fancy the hike. It ends with the Grand Tasting.3
- Dogs are welcome, one to a table, and children have to stay seated unless an adult is with them.3
Verdict
should-visit — Esther Mobley calls the wines untouched by time, restrained Pinot Noir and sunny Chardonnay and balanced Zinfandel, and picks out a Viognier full of mango that almost nobody else on Westside Road grows. She also rates this one of the best places to taste on that road, which is a road with Rochioli and Gary Farrell on it. Alex Davis learned the ground beside his father alongside Davis Bynum, Burt Williams and Ed Selyem, and farms it organically with minimal intervention, whatever else you may read. Fifty dollars, waived if you buy two bottles, one dog per table, and the Wohler Bridge is shut until October 2026, so check the route.