Fodor's Expert Review Kivelstadt Cellars

Adventuresome sorts gravitate to Kivelstadt Cellars, described by a staff member as "three wineries trapped in one body." Founder Jordan Kivelstadt, an engineer by training and the son of two grape growers, likes to experiment, getting his full geek on with the fanciful KC Labs bottlings, among them a sprightly Mendocino County Zinfandel the hosts serve not at room temperature but chilled. Two standouts are the estate Pinot Noir and a Syrah called The Inheritance that winemaker Sam Baron crafts with old-world restraint, light on the oak. Other wines have more fruit-forward leanings. With this broad range of styles, something will appeal to most palates. The amusingly offhand crew pours the wines in a downtown Glen Ellen tasting room whose hip-rustic decor emphasizes new and reclaimed wood.