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Blush-Rose

Firestone Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

Founded by legendary tire innovator Harvey Firestone’s son, Leonard, and his son, Brooks, Firestone Vineyard was the first estate winery established in Santa Barbara County in 1972. What began as a dream to plant a vineyard and establish a winery has today, with Vintner Bill Foley’s guidance, grown to 325 certified sustainable vineyard acres in one of the most desirable appellations in California — Santa Ynez Valley.

Firestone Vineyard's wines include varietals such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their 325 acres of historic vineyards lie approximately 26 miles from the cold Pacific Ocean, creating a moderate, arid climate and an extremely long growing season. These unique growing conditions, combined with certified sustainable farming techniques, yield wines that are concentrated, elegant, and firmly structured.

Petroni Vineyards

wine by the fire - Pixabay

We had a wonderful experience at the winery. We were greeted by Elizabeth and tasted approximately 8 wines out by the pool. The atmosphere was very relaxed and I loved how we could just taste our way through the wines at our own pace. It was also nice to break up the tasting with olive oil and fresh bread. What makes Petroni different from other wine tasting experiences in Sonoma?: - sit down tasting - relaxed atmosphere (uncommon at most Napa and Sonoma wineries) -fabulous wines, the real "stand-out" for me was their unfiltered Pinot Noir, it was incredible!

Dakaro Cellars

Had a great time visiting with David at his Whitmore winery. The focus at Dakaro Cellars is on Rhone and Bordeaux Varietals, Italian and Spanish Varietals: Syrah, Viognier, Tempranillo, Pinot Grigio. David Roth when asked how he got into winemaking to the point of producing for others to enjoy his reply was; "Well, I took a hobby that I really enjoyed and ruined it by making it into a job." I have do disagree with David as his love for wine and the experience of sharing his wines with others speaks just a little louder. Dakaro produces some nice wines and produces a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourverde and Counoise that is very impressive. If you can get your hands on a bottle take your time and experience the wine change and evolve as you enjoy it. Nice, layers that seem to unfold so nicely if you don't rush through the wine. What a wonderful gem from Shasta Cascade area. Dakaro Cellars is a little of the beaten path, but worth the drive if you are near Redding. We are pleased to have the folks at Dakaro Cellars as one of our winery friends and listed in our California Winery Directory.*

Hours:

Mon-Fri   Closed
Sat-     12:00pm to 5:00pm
Sun-    12:00pm to 5:00pm

 

Tobin James Cellars

women enjoying wine

Tobin James Cellars is not your traditional estate with vineyards, but definitely a fun winery to visit and often the place to stop by many that are escaping the heat of the Central Valley. If you are even slightly intimidated about your knowledge of wines, come here - they will put you at ease!  The staff really wants to talk about things other than tannins, oak, and other terms so common in wine articles.  If you are serious about your wine, the owners - Jobin James, Lance and Claire Silver - are completely open and passionate about the wines they make. But if you are a "grape-nut" like me who would like to have fun while tasting great wines without being judged by condescending staff members - this is the place to be.  It is a pleasure to have this sterling place in our wine directory.*

Hours:

Daily - 10:00AM to 6:00PM

 

Frias Family Vineyards

wine splashing in the glass

You really do feel like family at Frias Family Vineyard. Had the opportunity to taste here with a car service we hired and were greeted by Manny. It was a rainy December day so we tasted indoors, but Manny pointed out to the vineyard where there are chairs on the hillside to taste when it's sunny. Definitely need to come back to taste with that view. Manny is also a bit of a comedian which pairs well with the wine! The Frias wines we tasted across the board were darn good. From the Chardonnay to the Rose to the many Cabs, it's all well done

Chronic Cellars

Painting by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski

The legend of Chronic Cellars dates back to 2004 when our founders, Josh, and Jake Beckett, combined their winemaking skills with their wit and humor to turn an idea into reality using two tons of the best – or ‘chronic’ – grapes to make killer wine. Ever since then, Chronic Cellars has been fully committed to making seriously good wine for people looking for a little dose of adventure. Our disruptive style is matched only by the killer quality of our wines, made with character to match our clever and playful labels.
Painting by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski

Narrow Gate Vineyards

AI generated image of grape cluster - Pixabay

This winery is a must see/taste. The winemaker/winegrowers - Frank and Teena are truly special. Their passion translates into every bottle of wine. They have a very nice selection of both white and red wines that will appeal to just about every taste.Take a beautiful drive up to Narrow Gate and check them out!

Fresno State Winery

grapes - Pixabay

The Fresno State Winery produces a wide variety of wines from the most popular and well-known of wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to up-and-coming varieties like Syrah to lesser-known wines that are made in small batches. The complete line of Fresno State wines is available at this web site and the Farm Market at the southeast corner of Barstow and Chestnut. At the Fresno State Winery we strive to engage our students in all aspects of the winemaking profession.

Richard Longoria Wines

Wine swirling in the glass - Pixabay

Longoria Wines is an artisanal family winery established in 1982 by Rick and Diana Longoria. Rick’s decision to start his own wine label was born out of a desire to produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two varietals he was not producing as the winemaker for J. Carey Cellars, his first job as a winemaker. Rick sensed that those two varietals were poised to become the signature varietals for the new Santa Barbara County wine region, and he wanted to become a part of this new movement.

Verdad & Lindquist Family Wine Tasting Room

Pouring wine into glass - Pixabay

Louisa Sawyer Lindquist has dedicated her entire adult life to the business of wine. Her journey began at the age of 21 with cellar work at Long Island wineries, including an internship she created at Hargrave Wine Cellars, the first winery on Long Island, in Cutchogue, NY. She continued her experience at Scuttlehole Vineyard, which later became Channing Daughters Winery. Louisa then transitioned to fine wine retail shops and restaurants, followed by roles in sales with wine distributors and importers, and eventually direct sales at wineries. This path has been a rewarding journey for her.

In 2000, Louisa founded Verdad Wine Cellars, with the goal of crafting pure, balanced wines from the exceptional vineyards of California’s Central Coast. Her focus lies in the cool, coastal vineyard sites of this region, inspired in part by the wines of Spain. The Spanish and Mexican heritage of California fueled her passion for using Spanish wine grapes. In 2014, after a client requested a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, she ventured into making Cabernet for Verdad, recognizing it as an incredible grape that produces some of the most age-worthy wines in the world.

Alongside her husband, Bob, Louisa also collaborates on creating a Demeter Certified Pinot Noir and a balanced coastal Chardonnay under the Sawyer Lindquist label.

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