Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Monticello Vineyards

The winery is located in the middle of the valley, not too far off of Highway 29, but just enough away from the beaten path to allow you to enjoy the beauty of the wine country. The property features a beautiful bulding modeled after Jefferson's Monticello and has picnic tables to taste outside. The tasting room was not overly crowded like others we have visited. When you visit, ask for Robin Williams. She is an incredible hostess! She makes you feel welcome and made our visit special They offer a nice selection of reds and whites. The best wines are priced under $40 a bottle, which is bargain for quality wine in the Napa Valley. Monticello is definitely worth a visit.

Aubin Cellars

Aubin Cellar's vision is to make wine that reflects each vineyard's pedigree: soil, clonal selection, and appellation. In blending old world methods and modern concepts of wine production, Aubin Cellars attempts to craft wines that show balance, fruit purity and Verve.

Bernardus Winery

The dynamics of Bernardus Winery's tasting room showed their unique personalities with ALL that work behind the bar! I was belly laughing over Greg's one liners while he poured, and as Philip explained the informative part of the wines we were tasting. Great combo!!!! All of us tasters on the other side of the counter had sooooo much fun!!
They have a couple of Sauvignon Blancs, several Chardonnays, a few Pinot Noirs, and a couple of blends. They're all well-made wines, but none impressed me until the 2006 Signature Marinus. It's full of tannins and spice and ages well. If you're in Carmel Valley, Bernardus is a must-stop.

Clos Du Val Wine Co.

Tasting Room & Picnic Grounds: Clos Du Val boasts one of the most friendly, down-to-earth winery experiences in Napa Valley brought to you in an incomparably beautiful setting. Clos Du Val offers everything from a casual tasting at their tasting bar, to formal tours and tastings with the winemaker, to large group wine tasting and blending seminars. Beautifully manicured grounds provide the perfect setting for romantic interludes or picnics with family and friends.

HDV Wines

I heard about HDV through a Sommelier. Based on his recommendation, I decided to pay them a visit. They're owned by Larry Hyde of Hyde Vinyards & Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanee Conti in Burgundy, France.

This winery and tasting room are among the more intimate and rustic in Napa. I was treated to a private tasting that was hosted by their in-house wine pro, Lawrence Townsend. He slowly walked us through the wines (tasting lasted almost 1.5 hours) and shared the HDV story from the very beginning. We were pretty curious about their vineyard and their unique style of wines. Lawrence gave us his undivided attention and answered our questions leaving no stone unturned.
Tasting: $25 pp
Extremely reasonable tasting fee considering the quality and length of the tasting.
Fee waived with 3 bottle purchase- again, totally worth it.
By appointment only*
Private tasting*
4 delicious wines

Sunstone Vineyards & Winery

The tasting room is reminiscent of some of the small wineries in the Provencal French countryside, featuring a kitchen complete with a wood-burning oven and two stone barrel-aging caves built into the hillside. The gorgeous courtyards and picnic grounds provide the perfect place to experience the wines. The Villa at Sunstone now serves as an extension of the Sunstone Winery lifestyle by providing a culinary center to entertain guests for weddings, winemaker dinners and private culinary retreats.

Kachina Vineyards

THIS WINERY HAS CLOSED 

The grounds are beautiful and built to resemble a Tuscan villa and I must say that if you close your eyes while you're out on the patio sipping their Cabernet Sauvignon, you feel like you're miles away from civilization. Greg, the owner was extremely nice and told us that the winery is 100% solar powered and only about 2 yrs old, yet the '07 Cab was drinking deliciously and the '06 Port is worth a return trip by itself!

Vicarmont Vineyards & Winery

The people couldn't have been nicer, the wine was great, and the place is nice. What more could you ask for? I especially liked the rose, the cab, and the zin. The people here are most definitely dog lovers. Nice little place with lots of charm. Everything you would expect from a small Lodi winery.

Fawnridge Winery

The Perry's have been avid wine lovers for thirty years. After living in North Lake Tahoe for fifteen years they moved to Auburn in 1989. The couple raised sheep together and cared for their property overlooking the Sacramento Valley. Upon learning that local grape growers were bringing back the grape and wine industry as it was during the historic Placer County Gold Rush era, they decided to develop vineyards on their property. With the help of friends they planted Barbera and Syrah in the summer of 2002. Stewart and Stephanie are personally involved in every aspect of the vineyard management and wine making process.

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