Established in 1999, Carr Vineyards & Winery specializes in limited production wines from Santa Barbara County. Owner and Winemaker Ryan Carr also oversees the management of over 100 acres of vineyards, allowing him to handcraft each vintage from grapes grown to his specification. Varietals include Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Franc. Visit them in downtown Santa Barbara to experience the art of winemaking.
Another out of the way Sierra foothill winery. A bit of a drive to get there but worth it. The view of the Crystal Range especially when there is snow on the mountains is beautiful and the fall view when the grape vines have turned color is awesome also. The tasting room is small and simple and personal. The winery's signature wine is the Fleur de Montagne. This is a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault.
The strongest line-up of red wines in the Amador County. Just that simple and straightforward. Jeff history in Paso Robles winemaking shows up in his product here. Big. Bold Varietal flavors. Huge Palate. Strong finish. Complexity enough for everyone, but not edgy and overpowering. A true gem in Amador! Jeff Runquist is an amazing wine maker and he utilizes grapes not only from Amador but all over Ca. Open Friday through Sunday 11-5 Limos and large groups by appointment only.
It all started back in 1988 when Eric’s parents purchased the land where the winery and vineyard sit today. Eric was still attending Cal Poly earning his BS in Ecology and Systematic Biology at the time but helped his dad by designing and planting the vineyard. After getting the vineyard planted and producing, Eric began to expand his wine knowledge. Biologist as his day job, Eric went back to school, attending UC Davis’s enology extension courses. Eventually, landing his first wine job with Ken Volk at Wild Horse Winery in Templeton and then moving into a position with Kendal-Jackson Winery. Eventually in 1998, Eric made the first official vintage of Zenaida Cellars and has been working on developing the wines ever since.
Ampelos has been a family endeavor from the start.Initially “corporate folks”, we loved getting away to the Sta. Rita Hills on the weekends and dreamt of one day planting our own vineyard and making wines. A cancelled meeting in New York on the morning of September 11, 2001 helped us to realize that someday was today! Driven by a deep love and passion for the art of viticulture. We are truly a small boutique winery producing about 3500 cases a year. Our focus is viognier, rosé of syrah, pinot noir, syrah and grenache.
Costa de Oro Winery’s mission is to produce the finest wines from the Central Coast using the artistry of Old-World winemaking styles and New-World grape growing practices. We were driving into Santa Maria to do some wine tasting and spotted it right off the freeway. A nice tasting room, with great wine items to shop and purchase as well.
The wine hostess was great and made recommendations on where to go next.
Gershon Bachus Vinters is located on De Portola Dr., across from Cougar Winery. Gershon Bachus is a wine producing estate that's located at the top of a hill, providing gorgeous 360 views of Temecula Valley. You drive up a huge hill and park your car in the gravel driveway. It's home to the "seated tasting." You walk in, are warmly greeted by Kenny and/or Christina, have a seat, and enjoy some of the better red wines I've found in Temecula. GBV is more spacious than the typical tasting room experience, so it's great for groups. Tastings are $22 each and the number of wines offered in the tasting is generous.
Lone Buffalo Vineyards, launched in 2007 in Auburn, CA is the culmination of owner and winemaker Phil Maddux’s thirty-five year passion for wine making. The buffalo's power and resilience in the face of encroaching civilization symbolizes hope and renewal for humanity and harmony among all people. Here in the Sierra foothills, Lone Buffalo Vineyards symbolizes this same hope and renewal with its contribution to the re-emergence of the wine-making tradition in Placer County.
Saxum Vineyards focus is primarily with Grenach, Syrah and Mourverdre based blends from the Templeton Gap/Willow Creek area of Paso Robles, California. This Central Coast Winery produces 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year from these winegrapes.
Had a great time! Russel was a lot of fun and gave us some great info and was really accommodating. Really enjoyed our time. The wine itself was great as well, for $5 (which can go toward purchasing wine if you choose) there were about 6-7 wines. A good variety as well. We even stayed after the tasting to enjoy a bottle of wine from Arroyo Robles right away. They are also open later than some of the other tasting rooms, which is a plus! Russell also gave us some great advice on where to go next.
