Cole Bailey Vineyards is located in Redwood Valley, a beautiful undiscovered town in Mendocino County, situated 50 miles directly north of Healdsburg. The proprietors, Jennifer and Bob Anderson, named the winery after their son, Cole Bailey Anderson, who was born in 1998 during the week that they planted their first hillside vineyard.
Philo Ridge Vineyards, located in the beautiful hills of the Anderson Valley, produces small handcrafted lots of complex, palate-pleasing wines. Their vineyards are farmed using sustainable methods and the winery is 100% wind and solar-powered.
Philo Ridge VIneyards is a small family owned winery that specializes in small handcrafted lots of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Zin, Syrah and Cab. We are 5.33 miles up an all weather road and 100% solar and wind powered. We are open on weekends for tasting by appointment. Closed Tues., Weds. and Thurs.
This is a wonderful spot to taste in Mendocino! It's located in a charming house with a pleasant yard, and plenty of room to picnic. The hostess was charming. Organic apple juice and friendly conversation were also offered to the four year old in our tasting party, so kudos to them for that! The sparkling wines were delicious.The tasting scene in Mendocino is less money obssessed than some other areas. Scharffenberger is no exception. A fee wasn't mentioned for our flights, though there may have been one. Feeling as though one is a valued guest, rather than a dollar sign, definitely makes a person more likely to buy at a winery. We left with wine and a comp for a tasting at their sister winery, Roederer Estates, a sucessful visit, in my book!
Milano Family Winery specializes in some of the more unknown varietals such as Carignane, Charbono and Valdiguie as well as the more known Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Merlot. Housed in an former hop kiln this quaint tasting room is just off highway 101 just south of Hopland. I was quite impressed with the tasting room staff and the genuine feeling that you get when you first enter the room. The wine itself isn't earth shattering, but it's decent quality enough to keep most visitors interested.
Winemaking traditions often begin around the table. Brutocao Cellars’ roots go back four generations to a Venice, Italy dinner table. When the Brutocao family came to the New World and married into the Bliss family of farmers, it was only natural that they would combine their passions and become grape growers and winemakers.
Today, the family still blends their Italian heritage with their rural agricultural lifestyle to make some of California's finest wines. Brutocao Cellars has tasting rooms in Sonoma and Hopland as well.
Eagle Point's website seemed to be under construction at the time of this entry. We will update as soon as possible.
This small family owned winery is run by a husband and wife: Molly and Jason. It's so personal, in fact, when we arrived at their tasting room it was Molly herself that hosted us. She was very nice, but I wish she had voluntarily shared more information about the wine. It's always interesting to hear how people differentiate their wine; perhaps, she was shy. She was very attentive, however, and answered any questions we had including those involving the bizarre titles on their wine list. For example, their Pinot Noir was a " fog eater" while their Syrah came from a "Broken Leg Vineyard".
Back in the late '70s and early '80s, Eaglepoint included blocks of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but the vineyard is now home exclusively to red-grape varieties. Continued grafting and more recent plantings have concentrated on the Rhone varieties, including Syrah and Grenache, as well as their Rhone cousin Petite Sirah. Other varieties planted on the ranch include Zinfandel, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Famous over the years for Weibel Green Hungarian, now known as GH, and their line of California champagnes and naturally flavored sparkling wines, Weibel Family Wines also include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah from their Estate Vineyard in Mendocino County, California.
Esterlina Vineyards is a family-owned, California boutique winery located near the Mendocino coast, nestled in the highlands above Philo. Esterlina is totally off the beaten path, and we must of driven up and down HWY 128 at least 3 times before we found the right street to turn off. But when we made the windy drive up the hill, it was all worth it. What a spectacular view of the valley from up there! This winery was a sweet recommendation from a friend. I suggest making reservations before you come, especially since it is off the main highway and a bit hidden to find. This place is dog friendly, with outdoor seating and a beautiful view of the valley. It's casual, welcoming, and the best part, not stuffy!
Oster Wine Cellars is a small family-owned winery in California's Mendocino County. Established in 2002 by Teresa Fetzer Oster and Ken Oster. Oster specialize in Cabernet Sauvignon, producing approximately 1000 cases annually from their own estate grown, CCOF certified organic vineyards, located in Redwood Valley. From San Francisco, Oster Wine Cellars are a 2.5 hour drive north on the beautiful Redwood Hwy 101 and are available for private tastings.
The Pinot noirs from Jim Ball Vineyards stand apart from many others, even prize-winning cult wines, for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most compelling is that they consist exclusively of Estate Fruit. Fruit that is grown on their own land. Fruit that, from bud break to harvest, is farmed exclusively by their in-house team of local vineyard experts. Fantastic tasting experience. Very nice and educated staff. Rather than hope to find fruit that meets their exacting standards purchased from outsiders Jim Ball Vineyards raise the wine themselves from the ground up, from choosing the clone to the pruning to the way the vine and the sun and the earth make the grape.
