Blush-Rose

Blush-Rose

Lagier Meredith

red wine splashing in the glass - Pixabay

After following the challenging road up the mountainside we came to this beautiful home overlooking the valley and their fields. While the view from their home porch was breathtaking, and the active hummingbird feeders captivating, the time spent talking to this husband-wife wine making team was fascinating. A visit to this winery not only includes a tasting of their wonderful Syrahs, but also great conversation about wine making, genetics and theories of growing grapes in Napa Valley. A great stop and we will remember this visit each time we open a bottle at home.

Cheval Winery

winery logo of silhouette of a horse

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.

Inman Family Wines

pouring a glass of wine - Pixabay

Kathleen has a couple of really nice young guys working the tasting room and it looked like the winery's reputation is growing as they had been busy. This vineyard is in Santa Rosa, and Kathleen is producing some amazing wines. While she has been producing at this organic vineyard for 10 years, this seems to be her break out year, because her work is finally be recognized.

Dracaena Wines

bottle of Dracaena wine

Mike and Lori Budd have loved wine for a long time now, and have made wine for several vintages. The couple began with one of those “make wine with us” type places. Mike and Lori didn’t know where the grapes were from, other than Lodi, California. They graduated to a more serious operation with both their fruit and winery in Paso Robles, CA. The couple has had rave reviews from their friends and colleagues that had tried their wines. The winemaking couple have dreamed of retiring to California and have purchased property in Arroyo Grande to fulfill this dream. Now onto the “what are we going to do when we get there” aspect of their lives. So enter Dracaena Wines. Yes, it is a little strange name but there is a story behind it. You can check it out on their winery's website. Dracaena Wines produces some very fine Cabernet Franc wines. At this time you can order wines or make an appointment to tour and taste their wines right in the vineyard. 

Kelham Vineyards

red wine swirling and dancing in the glass - Pixabay

So, you're in Napa for a long weekend or maybe even a wallet-draining week. There's plenty of choices to feed your wine fix. This charming little vineyard absolutely, positively needs to make your "must visit" list. No tasting room. No walk ins. No boutique to purchase a variety of goods while visiting. You need to call, make an appointment, and then prepare yourself for a truly personal wine experience given where the family that grows it presents their five or six well-done sophisticated wines.

LJ Crafted Wines

winery's logo

The Jooste family, consisting of Lowell, Anne, and their four children, relocated from Cape Town, South Africa, to the scenic shores of La Jolla in 2012. Drawing from their experience managing the family-owned Klein Constantia and Anwilka vineyards—ventures they shared with two renowned French winemakers—they began crafting the vision for their new business.

Lowell, a fourth-generation member of a family devoted to the wine industry, cultivated deep ties in the international wine scene during his 20+ year career in South Africa. Launching a wine business in Southern California required both a pioneering mindset and entrepreneurial innovation to stand out in the emerging urban winery landscape. Their commitment to creativity and reducing environmental impact became key elements of their distinctive approach.

Eric Kent Wine Cellars

glass of wine - Pixabay

Kent is knowledgable, passionate, and an easy-going host. We showed up late, and he was very gracious - asked us to hang while the (on time) folks finished up, and then spent a couple hours with us. He climbs up the racks to steal tastes from varoius barrels, walking you through the parietals, methods, barrels,etc. Then to finish up, he brought out bottled versions so demonstrate the difference. Simply a great tasting experience. Bring a sweater. It's about 55 F.

Meyer Family Cellars

Glass of wine - Pixabay

Matt Meyer From an early age, Matt's goal was to be a winegrower like his father. As he grew up, he spent much of his time in the vineyard and cellar at Silver Oak. The passion he developed for wine led him to the University of California, Davis, where he was awarded a Masters in Viticulture in 2002. Karen Meyer Karen was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia. After a harvest in Margaret River, she was hooked on wine. She completed a degree in enology at Charles Stuart University, then spent the next few years working harvests around the world. In 1999 Matt and Karen met in Oregon while working the crush at Argyle Winery in the Willamette Valley. The wines produced at Meyer Family Cellars are as diverse as the vineyards in which they are grown.

Fetzer Vineyards

painting of woman with glass of wine - Artist Agata Zamborowski

Fetzer Vineyards

Fetzer Vineyards was founded in 1968 in beautiful Mendocino County by Barney and Kathleen Fetzer. One of the first California wineries to branch out into serious Chardonnay production, Fetzer remains committed to sustainability and environmentally conscious wine production. Dennis Martin oversees all wine-making at Fetzer and is assisted by Charlie Gilmore and Michael Chupp, who are in charge of white wine making and red wine making respectively.

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