I first learned about Furthermore Wines when their 2019 Russian River Pinot won the Sonoma County Harvest Fair’s Best of Class award for Pinot Noir. Then, just this year I started noticing the large number of jazz acts that were appearing at their Sebastopol winery on Highway 116 and at their tasting room in Healdsburg.
“My co-founder Bob and I are crazy passionate about jazz,” said Furthermore co-owner Chad Richard. “Jazz is one of those art forms where—because it’s so underrated right now—you have these insane talents from Grammy Award winners to just globally recognized artists, who are willing to come play our humble venue. It’s been a fun focus for us curating these amazing artists and giving them a setting, and we’ve been starting to build this fan base of people who love the art form. They like being able to see it in such a casual setting and for free, which is a nice attribute as well.”
You can taste wine and listen to jazz every Sunday from 1 to 4 pm at Furthermore Wines on Highway 116. They also have jazz at their Healdsburg tasting room from 5 pm to 8 pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Shows at both venues are free. Their west county venue, an outdoor courtyard, is the more casual of the two.
Here’s just a taste of upcoming performances:
Monica da Silva and Chad Alger are a Brazilian American duo, based in the Napa Valley. Their music is inspired by a love of vintage Bossa Nova. Sunday, May 5, 1-4 pm in Sebastopol.
The Ruth Ahlers Trio features Ruth on sax, Gino Raugi (guitar) and Joel Kruzic (bass) playing jazz standards, Bossa Nova and Latin favorites, Thursday, May 9, 5-8 pm in Healdsburg.
Elana Welch Trio performs jazz and blues classics as well as originals in a soulful Chicago style. Sunday, May 12 (Mother’s Day), 1-4 pm at their Sebastopol location.
See the full schedule here. Although the concerts are free, you need to make a reservation.
A Pinot-lovers spot
Furthermore Wines started in 2006 as an urban winery in San Francisco, but it moved to Sonoma County in 2015, when Richard and Bob Zeches, who made their money in the tech industry, purchased Graton Ridge Winery.
Furthermore makes 12 different single-vineyard-designate Pinots.
“What we’re really excited about is showcasing the varied expression of Pinot Noir throughout California,” Richard said. “When you come to taste at Furthermore, we take you on this virtual road trip where you’re going to see the expression of Pinot and how it varies from Sonoma Coast to Green Valley to Russian River to Petaluma Gap to the Santa Lucia Highlands and down to Santa Barbara County.”
“Not surprisingly, our favorite place to source and grow is here in Sonoma County,” said Richard, who lives with his family in Occidental. “We are exceptionally partial to the Sonoma Coast.”
“In 2019, we were really fortunate to have Ross Cobb take over our winemaking,” Richard said. “Ross is best known for his family winery, Cobb Wines, but he was also the head winemaker at Flowers and Hirsch. He’s always been one of my favorite Pinot Noir winemakers…He’s especially known for creating elegant Pinot Noirs from vineyards that have coastal influences, so it was very on brand for us.”
In addition to Pinot, they also make Chardonnay and Reisling. Their rosé, naturally, is a rosé of Pinot Noir.
So if you’re tired of Sebastopol’s usual music offerings of indie pop and Americana, and you’re looking for a nearby spot for jazz with top-flight Pinots, now you know where to go.
Find out more about Furthermore.
