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Black Stallion Winery

grape cluster - Pixabay

The original riding area now houses prized wines, instead of prize-winning horses. However, Black Stallion Estate Winery carries its heritage forward. The estate’s legacy honors the world-class terroir of Napa Valley, the pioneering spirit of the Silverado Trail, and the Indelicato family’s warm hospitality and generations of wine expertise.

From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, The Silverado Trail was home to cattle and horse ranching. In the 1950s, Richard Tam and Ben Hardister built the Silverado Horseman’s Center covering 32 acres along the southern end of Silverado Trail. The original facility featured an equestrian center with an indoor riding track, 36 horse stalls, and a grandstand for indoor riding events. The property also included an outdoor arena with a grandstand that sat 3,000 people, a half-mile race track, recreation buildings, a private paddock, riding trails, and a stallion breeding center. The center thrived until the 1990s.

Caliza Winery

Painting by Agata Zaborowski People enjoying wine out doors

Caliza is a small, family-owned and operated vineyard and winery located in the coveted Willow Creek district of Paso Robles, California. Carl Bowker, owner, and winemaker, has followed a long yet steady path towards his goal of producing special wines. Born and raised in Hawaii, Carl began his farming experience while tagging along with his father, an irrigation specialist to the local farms. This early introduction left a lasting impression and a true appreciation for soils and farming life. Little did he realize that this childhood curiosity would lead him to the special soils of Paso Robles, California.

This winery's focus is on crafting wines from varietals common to the Rhône Valley of France - Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Viognier, among others. But like many winemakers in Paso Robles, we like to throw a surprise or two in the mix. Our wines reflect what we feel are an excellent example of what the region has to offer – bold, yet elegant wines that drink well today and well into the future.

Painting by Agata Zaborowski People enjoying wine out doors

Breggo Cellars

Grape cluster - Pixabay

Breggo means "sheep" in Boontling, in honor of our place, a 203-acre farm just north of Boonville. Our Craftsman house from the 1920s and random cluster of sideways-tilting outbuildings recently served as headquarters to one of the oldest and largest sheep ranches in Anderson Valley. For 150 years, sheep dominated the agricultural landscape of Anderson Valley. Sheep, like the domesticated vinifera grapevine, occupy and even thrive on the geographic periphery - places too steep, with soils too thin and climates too cold for other types of intensive agriculture. Sheep and vines flourish where the domesticated meets the wilderness. The margins. This is our place.

Mazzocco Vineyards

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

We tasted some exceptional wine here and the customer service was great here. We were able to enjoy our tasting on their beautiful ground outside while snacking on some really nice cheeses, meats, and crackers that we brought along with us. They poured us some wines that were Members Only wines that we really fell in love with.

Massocco Vineyards

glass of wine - Pixabay

This place specializes in Zins and they make it very well here. It's actually on the jammier fruit forward side rather than the peppery notes of some zins you may have but it was very good. Enjoyed their white wines as well. There was only two that they make I believe and even the rose was pretty good.

Bassetti Vineyards

red wine being poured into a glass - Pixabay

Neil Bassetti Vineyards is a family owned company that brings you the boldest and richest wine traditions of California. Neil Bassetti Vineyards has a long history dating back to 1958 where Neil Bassetti started in the farming business of the Central Coast area. Today and every day Neil tends to the vineyards personally to ensure constant attention to the vineyard to maintain a generous annual yield. He still continues to follow family traditions. There's always plenty of food to eat after a long day's hard work. Whether it may be a celebration or family dinner, Neil preaches to bestow a bottle of wine as the salvation for anything and everything. Whether it be over dinner, a gift, or a toast at a very special occasion, we hope you enjoy a glass as much as we do. You have only so many bottles in your life, never drink a bad one.

August Briggs Wines

corks and wine glass - Pixabay

The tasting room is at the end of the main road in Calistoga, you cant miss it. Its a smaller place with three bars for tasting, all in the same room. Their dog would greet you when you walked in which was kind of nice. I really liked this place because it was smaller, they took their time with your and would answer any questions you had. The other wines were very good too but it was our first winery on the trip so we just picked up the one bottle. We spent about 45 minutes there and will definitely stop back in next time in Calistoga.

McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards And Winery

red wine pouring into a wine glass - Pixabay

This is an appointment only winery, and it has a quiet, more laid back feel than other places in Napa. The tasting room is really cute, with artwork and photography lining the walls. The wine maker's son, Julius even sells some of his beautiful photos at the winery. Our server was the wine maker's daughter, Sam, and she was great. We tried several different wines, including a Chardonnay, Malbec, and my personal favorite, the Cab-Franc. Everything was super well done. The Chardonnay was sweet, and not overly buttery, the cab-franc was smooth and the Malbec full of flavor. Sam was even kind enough to let us try one of their Napa Jazz wines. Very good, with a fancifully designed label. The best part? The wines are moderately priced. Most bottles cost around $30-40. The scenic rolling hills of grapevines, and large, earthy smelling wine cellars are great for photo opportunities. When we visited, the vineyard was in bloom with wild flowers. Super pretty. If you're in the Valley looking for great wines and an affordable price and gorgeous vistas without all the crowd, definitely give this place a try.

Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi

wine and cheese - Pixabay

In the early 1900s, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, newlyweds from Italy's Sassoferrato region, planted their roots in Minnesota. When the Prohibition Act of 1919 banned alcohol sales, Italian families were puzzled—wine was a daily essential. But a loophole allowed families to make 200 gallons of wine per year for personal use, and Cesare saw an opportunity.

He began shipping California grapes for home winemaking, quickly noticing that many came from a place called Lodi. With a keen business sense, he moved his family to California, including his young son, Robert Mondavi, and launched his own grape-shipping enterprise. Robert’s first job was hands-on, nailing crates for his father’s grapes, a start that would spark a lifelong dedication to wine.

Raised with values of hard work, Robert Mondavi embraced his calling. He studied business and chemistry at Stanford, followed by viticulture and enology at UC Berkeley, preparing him to make waves in California’s burgeoning wine industry. This early groundwork would help shape the legacy of one of California’s most revered wine pioneers.

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