Located at 900’ elevation overlooking nearby Bennett Valley, on the northwestern flank of Sonoma Mountain, Silver Pines vineyard is well situated to yield pinot noir clone 115 of uncommon complexity. Planted in 2000 by owners Norm and Carole Silverman, the vineyard has a cooler microclimate dominated by infusions of morning fog, followed by warm afternoons tempered with brisk afternoon breezes as the fog courses back in through the Petaluma Gap by nightfall.
The Hope family arrived in Paso Robles in 1978 in search of land and new opportunity. As they’ve planted vineyards, grown grapes and made wine over the past 30 years, Paso Robles has become a viticulture region of significance, capable of producing world-class wines. As one of the pioneering families of this distinctive wine community, the Hope family is dedicated to sustainable farming and making wines that are delicious, accessible and memorable. Still family-owned and operated, Hope Family Wines now makes five individual brands: Liberty School, Treana, Candor, Troublemaker and Austin Hope.
Black Kite Cellars is dedicated to reaching the pinnacle of what Pinot Noir can be-a marvelously aromatic and flavorful wine. Jeff Gaffner, Black Kite Cellars winemaker is committed to quality and this is reflected in the limited number of cases released.
The winery is named for the beautiful but endangered Black Shouldered Kite that is native to the Anderson Valley. These incredible hawks can frequently be seen circling the skies over Black Kite Cellars.
Pondering Freestone's tasting room, we weren't completely sold on the idea of spending $10 on a few sips of wine, but we decided to at least scope it out. It was surprisingly quiet on a Saturday afternoon, and the tasting room staff seemed excited to have a group of 6 appear. They offered us a private tasting room where we could all sit comfortably, and even offered us plates and knives to dig into our Wild Flour spoils while we tasted. Um yeah...we like this place already. With Freestone Vineyards and Wild Flour as next door neighbors, you've got the perfect one-stop-shop for a sampling of Sonoma County's bounty. Make the most of it: get some Fougasse, and trot over to Freestone for the perfect pairing.
We had a great time here. We stepped in here while waiting for another winery to open. The very first thing we noticed when we opened the door was the intoxicating scent of wine. We were able to take a self-guides tour around and realized the large barrels were right in the open, which was why the facility had that lovely sweet wine smell. Tour was timed perfectly, not too long, but not too short, and we had a super nice tour guide. Wine tasting after the tour was extra fun.
The winery itself has a ton of history and is one of the longest standing wineries in the area. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Our tour consisted of a drive around the property by our guide, Ben, a tour of the wine caves and finally trying the wine itself! Views are gorgeous all the way from Oakland, Sonoma, SF.
Atop the rolling hills just outside Creston, Michael & Margene Mooney began the fulfillment of their dream to plant a vineyard, build a winery and establish their home. The family took up residence on the property in the Summer of 1998 and planted the 5.5 acre estate vineyard in the Fall of 1998. Chateau Margene’s first wine was their 1997 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, with grapes sourced from a vineyard in Paso Robles’ west side Templeton Gap area and another vineyard off Airport Road in east Paso Robles. The first wines off the estate were the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2006 GSM & 2007 GSM both sold out very quickly at the two tasting rooms, as did the 2007 Syrah & 2008 Mourvedre. After producing Pinot Noirs from Paso Robles from 2002 to 2007, Michael and Margene researched the cooler weather climates of California and chose to acquire grapes from Monterey County for their Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. The 2008 and 2009’s both sold out immediately.
Chateau Margene at Limerock Orchards
Tasting Room hours: Daily from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (except major holidays)
6996 Peachy Canyon Road (Corner of Vineyard Drive & Peachy Canyon Road)
Paso Robles, CA
Since 1984, Byron Winery has cultivaed an obsession for crafting site-specific Pinot Noir from distictive vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills appellations. At the time of this winery's listing their wines are available by allocation only. You can contact Byron WInery by going to their website and signing up.
Mr. Swan makes some very nice California pinot noirs and zinfandels. Sure, this is not OPUS ONE facility-wise, but Rod makes great wine at more than fair prices. I appreciated their willingness to educate people and enjoyed their 07 Tannat.
We arrived on a sunny May day and it was easily over 90 degrees. We stopped by Navarro and I have to say - the grounds were gorgeous! There was a bench with a picnic table for those who wanted to lunch and wine. It overlooked gorgeous green lushy grass on a hill. The tasting room was very cozy and small but definitely very welcoming. Our pourer was friendly and gave us a great restaurant recommendation.
