Viognier

Viognier

East Valley Vineyard

Don Dascomb and his sons went to work planting a vineyard. Over the years the vineyard produced quality fruit which was purchased by a few of the well-known local wineries. Due to market trends, by 1999 most Cabernet vineyards in Santa Barbara County were replaced by other varietals. Don and his son Dave were not so easily swayed and believed the climate and soil were right for Cabernet Sauvignon. Dave felt the key to producing a premium Cabernet from the region was to allow the fruit to fully mature, reach peak ripeness. As a result, the Estate vineyard, East Valley Vineyard, is one of the oldest Cabernet Vineyards in Santa Barbara County!

Opolo Vineyards

Granted, this tasting was free, and they were pouring wine not on the list of tastings. But they were seriously understaffed. It was a bit frustrating that we had to wait and wait and wait… We will try again next visit.

The wines here, though, are excellent. Nice variety of reds, and tasty, smooth flavors.

Horse and Plow Winery

Horse & Plow Winery merges the best of old and new world techniques to produce authentic, hand-crafted wines from Northern California. Horse and Plow Winery utilizes organic farming, small lot fermentations and traditional techniques to make balanced, food friendly and site specific wines. The North Coast, including Sonoma, Napa & Mendocino Counties, is where they live and work.

Pine Ridge Winery

The tour guide was nice and very informative. The walk in the constructed cave was standard and the wine tasting at a large round table in the center of the caves with cheese and crackers was a nicer setting than the normal tasting room. This is such a nice place with friendly folks. We had Jeff as the person taking care of us and he wasn't even rushing us. i know it was busy but he never made it seem like we had to get done and get out. he even took extra time to show us the cave and that was amazing.

Blacksmith Cellars

In 2003, winemaker Matt Smith launched Blacksmith Cellars with the release of his 2001 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, an elegant wine that celebrated the artistry, craftsmanship, and tradition of great independent winemaking.
Rock Wall Wine Company represents a new chapter in the East Bay urban winemaking scene. Founded and operated by a group of industry veterans, including Kent Rosenblum and his daughter, winemaker Shauna Rosenblum. Rock Wall wines are founded on the philosophy of the right grape in the right place and are the result of many long-term relationships with acclaimed vineyards. Grapes are sourced from all over California.

Fleury Estate Winery

We were taking to a back table in the warehouse and went through the tasting. Ask for the Passionaie (off menu) as it's quite delightful. They also have a bottle called BDX that is on the wine list at The French Laundry, but I far preferred the Passionaie. Pricey wines and a pricey tasting but totally worth the experience.

Woffard Acres Vineyard

This was homiest and friendliest of the 3 wineries we visited. The view off the hill cannot be beat. It is gorgeous. It was neat to see the vines with fruit hanging off of them. Some of it had been picked and was waiting for pick-up, which happened quite often as the owner whizzed by on his ATV. We could see people in the back taking the grapes he had just delivered and running them through a press.

Capay Valley Vineyards

Capay Valley Vineyards was established in 1998 by Tom Frederick and Pam Welch, long time residents of Capay Valley, CA. This beautiful valley is located in the northwest corner of Yolo County bordering Napa and Lake counties. It is approximately 1½ hours from San Francisco and an hour from Sacramento.

Capay Valley Vineyards produces wines from their own grapes. Varietals were chosen to complement the climate and soils. All vineyard tasks - pruning, shoot thinning, and harvesting are done by hand and tailored to each variety. Harvesting is done at night to ensure that the fruit is cool to start the winemaking process.

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