The rustic cave setting certainly took our tasting to the next level, but the Cabernet's stood on their own. Each had a distinct character, and some were liked more than others, but we honestly enjoyed EVERY wine that we tasted. The pairing of delicious cheeses enhanced the many attributes of the grapes. Von Strasser is a small, cozy winery tucked into Spring Mountain, just 5 minutes up the hill from Calistoga. They have beautiful, rich Cabs and it's a great experience.
In 1994, Voss Vineyards was conceived and founded by Australian Robert Hill Smith, the fifth-generation proprietor of Yalumba Winery in Barossa Valley, as well as Nautilus Estate in Marlborough, New Zealand. With 160 years of Australian winemaking heritage and experience behind him, Hill Smith approaches wines in Australia, New Zealand and California with a focus on adventure, innovation and a strong respect for matching variety with terroir. With Sauvignon Blanc the priority is to craft wines that are pure and expressive.
Located off the beaten path and decidedly unpretentious, an afternoon visit to Bouchaine is a favorite. Their wine is quite good, especially considering the mostly modest bottle prices. Their riesling is crisp and wonderful, perfect for a warm sunny afternoon. Their pinots are excellent. There is a self-guided tour through the vineyards that offers great views of the southern Napa Valley.
W.H. Smith makes fantastic pinot noir and they now have a tasting room in Calistoga. They make about 5 different pinots: Sonoma coast, Helenthal, Umino, Maramar, and Maritime (a proprietary blend). They also make cabernets but I think the pinots are way more to my taste.
Harry Walker’s journey to grow grapes that would make great wine began in 1968. It was a journey that took him from Lodi, then to Napa Valley, Knights Valley, and Dry Creek Valley. When he stumbled upon a gorgeous little chardonnay vineyard in Green Valley, he knew he found something special.
In 1997 he began selling fruit to Paul Hobbs who made a Walker Station, vineyard designated chardonnay that immediately got the attention of chardonnay fans and wine critics alike. Ever since the Paul Hobbs Walker Station chardonnay has consistently been a top ranking chardonnay from vintage to vintage.
Today, Walter Hansel Winery farms 80 acres of grapes and produces roughly 5,000 cases of Pinot Noir; 5,500 cases of Chardonnay; and 1,500 cases of Sauvignon Blanc.
Waltzing Bear Wines is an artisan wine producer located in Santa Maria, California dedicated to producing small lots of ultra-premium wines. The winery's primary focus is Central Coast pinot noir, with petite sirah and viognier.
Waterstone Winery makes a very pleasant, reasonably priced 2008 Merlot at $18 and a really nice 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon at only $24, with all of their other wines being quite decent for the money and most coming from vineyards in Napa Valley (The Pinot Noir is from the Sonoma side of Carneros.) Waterstone has no vineyards, but sources all of their grapes. Waterstone Wines are available for tasting at the new Taste at Oxbow. Taste at Oxbow wine tasting salon offers a complete downtown Napa experience, featuring Waterstone Wines, along with gourmet food and boutique retail items.
The beautiful terraces of Nuns Cliff Vineyard arise at 1400 feet, high above the cliffs overlooking Nuns Canyon. The west facing vineyard slopes are planted in red volcanic soils, considered by many winemakers to be the best Cabernet Sauvignon ground on the Mayacamas Mountain Range dividing Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley. Blue/black in the glass, this wine exhales a heady perfume of juicy black fruits, toffee, and spicy notes of peppercorn and sage.
Wattle Creek Winery has brought Sonoma wine country to the city! The Wattle Creek tasting room is located in San Francisco's historic Ghirardelli Square and is open seven days a week. WInery by appointment only.