Chardonnay

Chardonnay

La Vie Vineyards

La Vie Vineyards is a handcrafted winery dedicated to the production of fine and elegant wines of exceptional character and quality. During the sweet years of college, Ariel Lavie and Angela Hobbs fell in love with wine and each other, and the story unfolds into a passion for Pinot Noir. Ariel and Angela found themselves destined at graduation to find the ideal piece of land for premium wine production on the west coast. In 1998, they attained their 40 acre ranch amidst the heights of the Santa Rita Hills and surrounded themselves with the greatest Pinot Noir Vineyards of the region.

Starry Night Winery

Starry Night Winery primary focus at Starry Night Winery is Zinfandel, which accounts for over 60% of their production. We think Zinfandel, which is uniquely American, is not only a great wine, but also offers a significant value.

Sbragia Family Vineyards

Sbragia is a good winery and nice tasting room in this valley too full of wineries.
Enoy the scenic views down the valley when you're perched up on the patio deck.
Nice people serve the wines here. I like the crisp white wines they make.
Bottle prices range from high 20's to mid $40's

White Oak Vineyards & Winery

Love the metal sculptures in the patio and gardens. They make for a great backdrop to relax and get ready for rest of the day. The tasting room is large enough to handle a crowd, but it has never been that crowded when we stop in. The staff has always been friendly. They make a decent Cabernet sauvignon for the price.

Thomas La Tour Vineyards

Mount Veeder, home of Thomas LaTour Vineyards, touts the longest growing season in Napa Valley. All vineyard work is done by hand, due to the rugged conditions and steep slopes. Above the fog, its shallow topsoil retains little water, resulting in tiny berries, with intense flavor concentration yet soft tannins.
LaTour Vineyards is a small, family owned winery located at the top of Napa Valley's Mt Veeder. The vineyards have 25 acres planted in Chardonnay and Syrah. LaTour Vineyards is owned by former restauranteur and hotelier, Tom LaTour. Tom loves to entertain and wanted to produce outstanding wines that are affordable enough to share with friends

Romeo Vineyard and Cellars

In downtown Calistoga this tasting room was very charming and inviting. The manager and tasting guide, Brandon, were very helpful and welcoming, we really felt at home. Great ambiance, exquisite Sempre Vive wines, cheese and charcuterie.
Romeo Vineyards produces elegant awines from vines forty-two years old which reside south of a nine acre reservoir in Calistoga, California. The vineyard lies sandwiched between two forested knolls, leading to the geographical conditions that create hot days and cool nights and an extremely long hang time in our Calistoga vineyard. This allows their grapes to develop full flavors, deep color and intense complexity.

Trentadue Winery

Trentadue Winery is a great experience from start to finish. This house of ports was impressive from the moment we pulled in the parking lot, which is much larger than most other wineries. As you walk towards the tasting room one can't help but be drawn to the beautiful grounds. There is a large picnic area which can be rented for parties or weddings and would serve as a wonderful backdrop for either. Trentadue was one of the better wineries we went to in Geyserville. Their grounds are really nice for a picnic and the wine was pretty good too.

Rexford Wines

Rexford Winery handcrafts wines in small lots using grapes from select local vineyards. Their focus on single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, and other premium varieties. Rexford wines accurately reflect the varietal characteristics of the grapes and the unique microclimates and soils of the vineyards from which they come. Visitors are welcome at the winery located on the west side of Santa Cruz. The winery is open for tasting and sales Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and by appointment.

NOTE: Rexford Winery is the new name for Hillcrest Terrace Winery.

Rexford is a very small-scale operation that offers high quality wines. Sauvignon Blanc ($19), a Pinot Noir from Monterey ($29) and a Cab Sauv from Carmel Valley ($32). All were delicious and well made. We chatted with the winemaker. He teaches astro-physics at UCSC and decided to break into the commercial wine business after making some good homemade batches. He was knowledgeable and friendly.

Dieberg Estate Vineyard

When Jim Dierbert has a passion for something, he acts quickly and decisively. Just ask his wife, Mary, to whom he proposed on their first date! It was love at first sight, yet again, when they laid eyes on the Star Lane Ranch, now planted to some 230 acres of vines. "We had looked around Napa and Bordeaux for a property early on," Jim recalls. But Napa and the Old World were getting a little crowded. "We wanted open space and big sky." They found it!

Porter Creek Vineyards

The Old Vine Carignane is a nice surprise; you don't see that often. Porter Creek is about as teeny tiny as you get for a tasting room but it is a nice winery. Located centrally off 116, its easy to miss this little dirt road--make sure you don't.

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