Occidental Wines Sonoma from the Legendary Steve Kistler

Occidental Wines from the Legendary Steve Kistler

The Occidental Entrance

We have arrived to Occidental. What a stunning entrance after driving through acres of beautiful vineyards with the coast in the back drop. I can’t wait to see what is inside!

Our Host

Our warm welcome from the lovely Catherine Kistler. After spending over 2 hours with her hosting us and sharing their winery’s history and story with us, by the end I felt like I had a new friend. This intimate family tasting experience is beyond special and not the average winery experience I typically find.

The stunning winery with spectacular vineyard and ocean views.

Touring the winemaking facility which is spotless. You can tell Winemaker Steve Kistler is a perfectionist, his tanks are just as spectacular and perfect as his beautiful wines!

The barrel room! Also note that Occidental is only making Pinot Noir Wines, I was asking where the Chardonnays are stored and they are not. So you Chardonnay lovers will still need to satisfy your Chardonnay fix with Kistler Wines, Steve’s first project. Read more about Kistler Wines here.

The Tasting

The beautiful set up for our tasting. I love how bright and open this room is with the vineyard as the stunning backdrop.

Freestone-Occidental

We tasted the Freestone-Occidental first and it’s probably the wine that appeals to most people; for starters, it’s very easy to drink, and it has great coastal flavors. But, it has a bit more subtle earth nuances vs. the SWK Vineyard (a higher hillside vineyard). They were both spectacular I just think this is the easy “everybody” wine you could give to any Pinot Noir drinker and they’d love it!

Of the three wines I found this to be the earthiest with the deepest earth flavors yet still very balanced and delicious. The wines were were spectacular with beautiful balance and acidity, this just was a bit less silky and smooth than the Freestone Occidental.

Enjoying a tasting while meeting and chatting with legendary Winemaker Steve Kistler. This was such a special special treat. Not only getting to visit Occidental but to get to know Steve, Catherine and hear first hand the brand’s history, evolution and plans for the future!