A native of Brittany, France and former Restaurateur, Roger Nicolas turned his energy and passion into growing grapes and producing premium wine. In 2003, Roger released his first vintage of RN Estate wines and has been crafting these sought-after wines ever since.
When Pat and Tom Heineman purchased the property in 1980, opening a winery was not in their plans. They wanted to own some land “out in the country”. They chose the location for its beauty and feeling of serenity. As educators in the Livermore they met the couple who would later become their partners in the winery, Carol and Rich Howell. Pat and Carol were fellow elementary school principals in Livermore. The two couples shared many common interests including the enjoyment of good wines.
Robert (Bob) Craig, the founder of Robert Craig Winery, began his long and storied career in wine at The Hess Collection on Mount Veeder in the 1980s. Before establishing his eponymous winery, Bob's passion for Napa Valley Mountain Cabernet led him to spearhead the official recognition of both the Mount Veeder and Spring Mountain District AVAs.
In 1990, with the help of three friends he met at business school in Chicago 25 years earlier, Bob founded Robert Craig Winery. He arranged to purchase fruit and custom crush his first commercial release of the 1992 vintage. The 1993 vintage release introduced three Cabernets that remain the core of the winery's business today: Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Affinity. Now, four decades later, Bob Craig is recognized as one of the most important figures in Mountain Cabernet development and production in Napa Valley history. Drawn to the mountain terroir of Napa Valley, Bob found his calling on Howell Mountain. In 1995, he and his partners purchased 22 acres at the summit of Howell Mountain, the vineyard property that would become the winery's estate. The first Howell Mountain vintage was released the following year to critical acclaim.
Bob and his wife Lynn worked tirelessly to promote the Mountain Cabernet message across the country over the next decade. The Wine Spectator named Robert Craig Winery one of its "Top 50 Producers," while reviewers such as Robert Parker Jr., Stephen Tanzer, and others heaped praise on the Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Affinity Cabernets. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the number of wineries in Napa Valley nearly tripled, and the number of Napa Valley brands grew more than tenfold. This led to a much more competitive environment for small wineries. To navigate this crowded landscape, Robert and his partners hired wine business veteran and Mountain Cabernet aficionado Elton Slone in 2004 to direct all operations at the winery. Elton retooled and refocused farming practices, winery equipment, and personnel in the first years of his leadership, bringing the wines to their highest level of concentration, complexity, age-worthiness, and site expression. With a renewed emphasis on quality farming and winemaking, as well as carefully selected vineyard parcels, the winery received outstanding reviews from The Wine Spectator, Robert Parker Jr., and Antonio Galloni, among others.
Elton Slone and the Robert Craig Winery team continue to honor Bob’s founding principles of producing small-lot, site-expressive wines from high-elevation vineyards with shallow soils. Elton became a full partner in 2007 and, following Bob’s retirement and departure from the wine business in 2012, has continued to lead the winery forward with the other three founding partners: Michael Adams, Derek Ruston, and Michael Nugent.
Quaint wine tasting room included cheese, croutons and chocolates to taste with their port. Seems to be the only tasting room serving mature wines from 2003 and 2004. The 2004 Legacy Cab was awesome. If they were charging, I didn't notice since we purchased several bottles. Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Some of the best pinots you will ever taste. It's not a huge winery but it definitely is about quality over quantity.
Miramonte Winery: A Premier Destination in Temecula
Founded in 2001 by Cane Vanderhoof, Miramonte Winery stands as one of Temecula’s most beautiful, popular, and forward-thinking wineries. Located in the heart of Temecula Valley, Miramonte is dedicated to premium winemaking, with its wines earning numerous awards, 90+ scores, and other accolades.
A visit to Miramonte Winery offers stunning valley views, a delightful tasting room, a highly popular restaurant, warm and friendly staff, and some of Temecula's finest weekend entertainment. Esteemed publications such as Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, USA Today, Thrillist, and Eater all consider Miramonte a must-visit destination. Fodor’s Travel hails it as “Temecula’s hippest winery,” and Wine Business Monthly recently honored it as one of the Hottest Brands of 2023.
Our Tasting Room is very unique compared to others, as it is in a barn. We are open every weekend starting in the Spring till the late Fall months. It is also used as the headliners dressing room during our Summer Concert Series.
Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00-5:00 pm
Andersen Vineyards is a small quality vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains organically growing Cabernet Sauvignon. and Merlot grapes. Andersen Vineyards makes a fine wine blend they call Romantic Red. Approx 75% Cab and 25% merlot. Our 2001 will be available in July. Wines are made only from Anderson estate grown grapes. There is still some cases of 2000 available 60% / 40% ( 40 left ). Anderson is currently wholesale only at this time. Andersen Vineyards sells from one case and up to license holders for their stores or restaurants.
Westbrook Wine Farm the vineyard and winery are located on a mountainous forty acre site at an elevation of 1440 feet in the central Sierra Nevada range of eastern Madera County, California. Close to the hamlet of O'Neals and not far from Bass Lake, the town of Oakhurst and the Southern entrance to Yosemite National Park.
THE WINERY HAS CLOSED - Located in Trinity County is Meredith Family Vineyards. The vineyards were planted on the historic Olsen Homestead and the first vines were planted in 1986. The vineyards consist of primarliy with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sangiovese, with smaller plantings of Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Being on the inland side of the California Coast Range and at an elevation of about 1400 feet, with warm days and cool nights, allows the grapes to develop excellent color and flavor. All of the wines are made with the fruit grown at the vineyard. -
