Fashioned from the wood of a single 400-year-old redwood tree, the tasting room of Greenwood Ridge Vineyards is a thing of beauty. It was designed by Aaron G. Green, San Francisco architect, associate of Frank Lloyd Wright, and father of Allan Green, the winery’s owner. Its massive windows provide visitors views of the Anderson Valley and bathe them in natural light as they linger over the luscious wines.
“We always thought that our wines were unique,” Allan explains. “So when it came time to build a tasting room, we went for a unique look.” He chose an ideal spot for the tasting room—four miles northwest of Philo along Highway 128 in the Anderson Valley. It was completed in 1986, six years after Allan started making wine. “We were one of three wineries then,” Allan reminisces. “I guess that makes us Anderson Valley pioneers.”
The striking tasting room is also a museum of sorts. It features an intriguing display of many of the wine cans Allan has collected through the years. Now numbering more than 400 wine cans, Allan’s collection is the largest of its kind in the world.
But when it comes to his own wines, Allan uses bottles: beautiful bottles silk screened with a dragon motif. They are filled with award-winning wines that have earned considerable respect. In fact, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards has been named one of America’s top 30 wineries by Wine & Spirits three times in recent years and has won 11 Best of Show awards. A popular Merlot and Zinfandel blend, Home Run Red, was created in honor of the World Champion Greenwood Ridge Dragons Men’s Senior Baseball League team founded by Allan in 2001.
Not surprisingly, the tasting room sees many repeat visitors. After enjoying the singular architecture, magnificent wines, and wine cans, guests can follow a charming bridge to an island ideal for picnics. Greenwood Ridge Vineyards is truly as good as it looks.