Walt Whelan and his son, Brian Whelan started making wine in their garage with long-time friends Justin Gennock and Tony Storelli. After earning several best of shows in the Fresno Fair, the team entered larger competitions and won State-wide Gold and Silver awards for winemaking. So begins Toca Madera Winery in Madera, CA with the goal to share their love of winemaking and fine wine with everyone. The Toca Madera Winery is located in Madera, California on Avenue 9 just a short drive east of Highway 99 where you will find beautiful undulating hills covered with majestic vines. Toca Madera Winery frequently has local musicians entertaining guest as they enjoy the wines of Shayne Vetter, Winemaker at Toca Madera.~

Hours:

Sat      12:00pm to 5:00pm
Sun     12:00pm to 5:00pm

In the early 1900s, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, newlyweds from Italy's Sassoferrato region, planted their roots in Minnesota. When the Prohibition Act of 1919 banned alcohol sales, Italian families were puzzled—wine was a daily essential. But a loophole allowed families to make 200 gallons of wine per year for personal use, and Cesare saw an opportunity.

He began shipping California grapes for home winemaking, quickly noticing that many came from a place called Lodi. With a keen business sense, he moved his family to California, including his young son, Robert Mondavi, and launched his own grape-shipping enterprise. Robert’s first job was hands-on, nailing crates for his father’s grapes, a start that would spark a lifelong dedication to wine.

Raised with values of hard work, Robert Mondavi embraced his calling. He studied business and chemistry at Stanford, followed by viticulture and enology at UC Berkeley, preparing him to make waves in California’s burgeoning wine industry. This early groundwork would help shape the legacy of one of California’s most revered wine pioneers.

Thacher Winery has been handcrafting wines from superb vineyards throughout California's Central Coast. Their boutique production showcases local subtleties and true terroir, focusing on creating elegant wines with nuanced flavors rather than sheer power. Utilizing diverse varietals from exceptional vineyards in Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and Monterey Counties, Thacher Winery emphasizes minimal intervention and native ferments, allowing the fruit, acid, and tannins to balance naturally. Embracing the growing season's inconsistencies and the unpredictability of harvest, they aim to produce wines that reflect the unique character of each vintage rather than a standardized product.

The award-winning winery and tasting room are nestled next to a 100-year-old KR barn, offering spectacular and ever-changing vistas of vineyards, hayfields, and oak trees. Thacher Winery and Vineyard celebrate everything that makes Paso Robles special, inviting visitors to share in their love for this remarkable region.

Tucked away in the far reaches of rugged Northern California lies Hyampom Valley - a remote river valley hidden amongst the inter-coastal mountains of Southern Trinity County. R. Merlo Estate Vineyards is located along the banks of the wild and scenic South Fork of the Trinity River and at the base of South Fork Mountain, the longest contiguous ridge in the continental United States. This wholly unique setting helps create wines that speak to the power and beauty that is Hyampom Valley.