The 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition had 47 judges tasting 4,300 wines. After three days of sipping and spitting, the awards for Best Syrah/Shiraz, and Best of Show Red Wine, went to the 2004 Canihan syrah "Exuberance." It was the first commercial release of Bill Canihan's life, and his was judged the best red wine in the entire competition, which encompassed a galaxy of wines from all over the world.
What a great experience. I love this tasting room. A must if you are going wine tasting in Sonoma County. Downtown Healdsburg is as quaint as can be and the wines here are excellent, and the people working here are super friendly.
Love the metal sculptures in the patio and gardens. They make for a great backdrop to relax and get ready for rest of the day. The tasting room is large enough to handle a crowd, but it has never been that crowded when we stop in. The staff has always been friendly. They make a decent Cabernet sauvignon for the price.
Nestled in the warmest edge of the Russian River Valley, Merriam Vineyards invites guests to cross cultures while tasting California-crafted Bordeaux-style wines in a beautifully appointed tasting room designed with the comfort and warmth of a New England-style home. This new winery, representing an east meets west experience, lies in the hub of three major California appellations, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley, and is the gateway to Healdsburg’s wine country.
The A. Rafanelli Winery was founded in the early 1900's and this unique winery is still family owned and operated. The founder, Alberto Rafanelli, was an Italian immigrant who settled in the Healdsburg, California area and started making wine.
In the 1950's the winery was moved to the Dry Creek Valley and by 1970 had established the current label. This winery specializes in Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot producing only 11,000 cases annually. The philosophy is quality over quantity.
Tasting and purchases are by appointment only. Wines are only available through direct purchase or through selected fine restaurants. - Art work by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery
Dropped in here without an appointment, but our hostess kindly welcomed our group of four. The winery emphasizes on the Rhone varietals, including a serious syrah and grenache. They also make a pretty tasty zinfandel as well.
Since 2001, Freeman has been one of the great pioneers of cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, charting a course to the western edges of California winegrowing, where the influence of the Pacific Ocean shapes the character of the wines. In doing so, they have helped to define a more balanced, sophisticated and thoughtful style of winemaking—a style that has been embraced by connoisseurs and collectors around the world.
Located in Green Valley of Russian River Valley, a sub-appellation of Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, River Road Family Vineyards and Winery is a family owned and operated winery committed to producing exceptional wines.
When we drove up we were greeted by 2 dogs and Jim the owner. The place is quaint and wine is phenomenal. Jim the owner took his time and explained the wine making process to our group, he even had us taste one of the grapes on the hillside. One of my favorite wines was the wine blend called "Sisters" which is made from the traditional Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec, all estate grown
Wine tasting at Preston was a fun experience. The tasting room had a welcoming atmosphere with lots of funny books decorating the bookshelves and samples of their olives and sourdough. There were other groups also present, but we were attended quite quickly. Hidden gem. This is what wine country should feel like...to be continued.
