Merriam Vineyards Marks 25 Years in the Russian River Valley

What began as an East Coast retailer’s love affair with the Russian River Valley has grown into a sustainable, family-run estate crafting balanced wines.

Merriam Estate celebrated 25 years in the Russian River Valley. (Photo:Alexander Rubin)

Peter Merriam sold wine when he first set foot in Sonoma County.

An East Coast retailer, Merriam loved to travel west and uncover boutique wineries and bring the wines back to his customers. There were trips to Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley and Paso Robles. With painstaking attention, he tasted through lineups in search of hidden gems.

But, it was the Russian River Valley that had a siren’s call. The farming landscape reminded him of his New England roots.

“It was blue jeans, work hats and work boots,” Merriam said. “With diverse agriculture all around. At the turn of the century the Russian River VAlley was synonymous with Sonoma County and wine country. We thought it would keep its glamour for a long long period of time.”

Which happened to be a solid prognostication. Merriam fell in love with the region’s authenticity and knew it was where he wanted to build something that would last.

Merriam and his wife, Diana, purchased their first vineyard on Limerick Lane in 2000. The 11-acre property was in decline. Planted to 25-year-old vines suffering from phylloxera, Merriam committed to its rehabilitation.

“We retrofitted the vineyard,” Merriam said. “Some sites date back to the 1890s with Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We knew it would take time, but it was worth saving.”

From wine buyer to vintner, Peter Merriam has his fingers on the pules of the Russian River Valley.

Now celebrating 25 years, Merriam Vineyards has grown from that first acre to three distinct estate vineyards. Its wines are rooted in Bordeaux and Burgundy traditions. There’s many wineries that claim to make Old World styled wines.

Consequently, the abundance of California sunshine and near-perfect growing seasons every year mean few adhere to that tenant. After all, it’s up to a winery to represent the vintage. Offer consumers what the season was truly like.

Which makes the work Merriam has done even more impressive. There’s a hand on the scales of common sense here. Three unique wines that showcase the Russian River Valley, but aren’t runaway freight trains steaming down the tracks of over-extracted flavor.

The Merriam Eastside Estate Pinot Noir 2022 ($56) was very light and delicate. It’s crimson colored in the glass and light passed through it quite easily. There were pretty light cherry flavors and hints of eucalyptus on the finish. Brimming with acidity and ultra food friendly. I want some cedar plank salmon with this pinot that is barely in the medium bodied red category.

In addition to its common-sense extraction, comes the differentiation between each wine. The Merriam Three Sons Pinot Noir 2021 ($84) takes a step up to medium bodied and had cedar, forest floor and red fruit aromas on the nose with flavors of black berry and raspberry that were layered over a salty blood orange and the essence of a springs creek and forest floor.