Cheval Winery
6 acre property with a 2 acre vineyard with a modern tasting room, show horses and alpacas on property. Open Wednesday -Sunday, dog friendly, food truck Fridays, and live music on weekends.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
Martin Ranch Winery
This winery is fun! They're only open the third weekend of the month. Tucked away down Redwood Retreat Road about 3.5 miles from Watsonville Road, the drive to get here is truly spectacular. They are only open the third weekend of each month and passport weekends. They ask that you sign in and they then give you name tags with your first name on it. The staff was friendly and the owners Therese and Dan were walking around greeting people. Dan and Therese Martin clearly have a passion for making great wine. They have scores of awards for their wine but that's not what they lead with. Their tasting room is welcoming and intimate. The vibe is comfortable and engaging. Martin Ranch produces a variety of wines from Chardonnay to Cab Franc, Sauvignon Blanc to Sangiovese.
Highland Valley Vineyards
Ray Schnorr and Jeannine O'Brien, owners, farmers, and winemakers, began their journey with a simple landscaping idea—planting 10 Zinfandel vines alongside their home in Rancho Bernardo. They sourced the plants from Sonoma County, stored them in a hotel during a trade show in San Francisco, and planted them in the spring of 2004. A year later, as the vines thrived, the question arose: “What are you going to do with those grapes?” What started as a casual interest in wine evolved into a full-blown passion for winemaking. After acquiring the necessary equipment, building refrigerated storage, and eventually purchasing land for a vineyard, their amateur label, "Slippery Slope," was born.
During this time, Ray immersed himself in winemaking, taking classes at a local community college and online courses from UC Davis. He became active in the local home winemaking community, earning recognition and accolades in county and state winemaking competitions. Jeannine, too, became a winemaker, producing a gold medal-winning vintage. More recently, she passed the rigorous exam to become a Level 1 Sommelier in the Court of Masters.
In 2007, they acquired their property in Highland Valley and began construction on their winery and vineyard in 2009. Acknowledging the region’s rich history of grape growing, which spans over a century, they named their estate Highland Valley Vineyards and designed the winery in a 1920s craftsman style.
Their approach blends traditional winemaking techniques with modern technologies to craft wines of distinction and character. They specialize in producing bold red wines with full body, balanced fruit, and a rich finish. To complement their estate-grown grapes, they source fruit from San Diego (South Coast), Mexico, Paso Robles (Central Coast), Amador County (Sierra Foothills), Lodi, and Dry Creek Valley (Sonoma County).
As winemakers and farmers, Ray and Jeannine now oversee the full journey from earth to bottle, practicing sustainable farming to enhance fruit quality while minimizing environmental impact.
Ehlers Estate
I had my first taste of Ehlers Merlot At Twisted Vine in Fullerton and fell in love. I drove down hwy 29 visiting various wineries and we saw Ehlers and had to make a stop. We stepped into their tasting room and was greeted by their friendly staff behind the counter. She asked if we had an appointment and we told her we no. They were closing up in half an hour by the time we stepped in but was they very accommodating, instead of turning us away, she squeezed us in for a tasting.
CK Mondavi Vineyards
Cesare and Rosa Mondavi moved to the Napa Valley and purchased the Charles Krug Winery in 1943. Winemaking was an important part of their Italian heritage and together with their sons Robert and Peter, they created CK Mondavi – a line of wines offering both tremendous quality and value. CK Mondavi began with a vision and commitment to produce high quality wines worthy of gracing the tables of families across America. Seventy years later, this vision continues.
Rodney Strong Vineyards
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.
Sanford Winery
In the Sta. Rita Hills, it all began with Sanford. In 1971, the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard became the first vineyard in what would develop into a world-class, cool-climate wine-growing region. From its inception, Sanford Winery has been a pioneer in the Sta. Rita Hills, thriving and innovating under the vision and hands-on leadership of the Terlato family.
The story starts with botanist Michael Benedict and his friend Richard Sanford, who were dedicated to finding a cool climate location with just enough heat to ripen wine grapes without over-ripening them. They sought a place where they could grow grapes and craft wines that would rival the best in Europe.
Michael embarked on an extensive journey, researching and touring the cool coastal regions of California to find the ideal site. After much observation and data collection, he identified a unique part of the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, located at the foot of what would ultimately become the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. The first vines were planted in 1971, and the Pinot Noir from this remote vineyard soon generated significant buzz. This success inspired others to seek out the magic of the region, establishing the foundation for what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA.
Though Michael Benedict and Richard Sanford would part ways after the 1980 vintage, Sanford Winery continued to flourish. Over the years, it has remained notable for its pioneering history and for producing exceptional wines from the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, which also supplied cuttings for many surrounding vineyards.
Great Bear Vineyards
Our passion at Great Bear Vineyards is to grow the highest quality grapes and to make superb wines. We are a family-run vineyard and winery.
Great Bear Vineyards is the culmination of the Meadows-Smith family’s dream to create world-class wines to share with friends, family and our community.
We proudly tend our vines by hand using sustainable farming practices, working in harmony with nature. Our winemakers, Jenny and Marcus, craft small lots of award-winning wines from our premium grape
Beringer Vineyards
Beringer Vineyards is a large winery in St. Helena, California. Founded in 1875, Beringer Vineyards is "the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley", and is a California Historical Landmark. There reserve Cab is one of my favorites. The tour is informative and interesting so if its your first time I recommend it. But for regular visitors to Napa then the tastings and select wines are what you'd come here for.
Charles R Vineyard
Charles R Vineyard is one of Livermore Valley's big wine secrets - well maybe that's not true with the number of reviews I have found. Charles R is a great little find, here's why: Great wines at decent prices: The Sauvignon Blanc that they just made is light, crisp and delicious and their cabs which are good too. Service with a smile: It doesn't matter how many people are packed into this little tasting room, they always have the nicest people helping visitors and who simply love to chat about wine. The Charles R Experience: From the sitting on their patio nibbling on food you brought while savoring a glass of their wine to tasting in their tasting room, the overall experience is so "laid-back Livermore".
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