Founded in 1968, Diamond Creek is California's first exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyard. Visionary pioneer Al Brounstein defied modern conventions and planted Bordeaux varietals on secluded Diamond Mountain. The three vineyards produce a small amount of long-lived wines that are elegant with great depth and richness, honored and cherished by connoisseurs the world over.
We popped into this beautiful tasting room. The lady behind the counter was very informative and sweet, and understood that we were in a bit of a time crunch so she poured our wines quickly while still giving us explanations of the grapes that were used to produce each wine. I thought the wines here were very different because they were blends of grapes grown in different regions. We had the general tasting ($15/person) and particularly enjoyed the pinot noir and the syrah. Art work from wine artist Agata Zaborowski - Agata Art Gallery
We dropped in unexpectedly on Saturday and received excellent service with Brian. We chose to do the Reserve Tasting and found all of the wines very good or excellent. It was raining out so we didn't tour the grounds but the winery itself is filled with beautiful artwork. Brian walked us though the history of the land and winery and of course the wines and we didn't at all feel rushed. He was very polite and patient with us. Their Late Harvest Chardonnay, which we didn't even know existed, is a must try, even if you don't typically like Chardonnay.
Join Antelope Valley Winery/Donato Family Vineyard for tasting, tours, shopping, and vineyard picnics Wed. through Sun., 11AM to 6PM. The winery also sell Grass Fed Buffalo and a large variety of game and exotic meats, like Venison, Pheasant, Wild Boar & Alligator to name just a few! Antelope Valley Winery produces a wide variety of wines to please every palate. *
Hours:
Weds- 11:00 to 6:00pm
Thurs- 11:00 to 6:00pm
Fri- 11:00 to 6:00pm
Sat- 11:00 to 6:00pm
Sun- 11:00 to 6:00pm
Les Behrens (aka the Jersey Boy) was born in Perth Amboy, NJ and moved to California with his family as a young boy. Lisa Drinkward was born and raised in southern California but realized that she was a northern California girl when she spent her college years in Humboldt County. Arcata, CA was where Les and Lisa met and were married in 1987. Their mutual love of food and wine led them to create Folie Douce Restaurant in 1991. Lisa explored her creative food side as chef, and Les was able to develop his passion and palate for wine as sommelier and wine buyer. A mutual enthusiasm for wine developed, resulting in the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for their eclectic wine list. This passion and the encouragement from friend and mentor Ed Oliviera prompted Les and Lisa to purchase their first 3 and a half tons of grapes in 1993. Bob and Lily Hitchcock came on board during that first harvest to manage the business and financial machinations of the winery, and Behrens & Hitchcock Winery was officially formed. Les, without any formal training, has been the sole winemaker at Behrens & Hitchcock since its inception, making wine in a style that flows from his great instinct and confident palate. Although Lisa is involved with all aspects of winemaking, during harvest her real focus is on vineyard management and grower relations. After four years of running both the restaurant and winery, Lisa and Les sold Folie Douce in 1997 and moved to Napa Valley to make wine full-time.
In 2005, with the announcement of Bob & Lily’s retirement, Lisa and Les bought out the Hitchcocks' share of their Spring Mountain winery, leading to the formation of Behrens Family Winery. The name Erna Schein on the label is a dedication to Les’ mother, a woman who was near and dear to all who knew her. Her home was a place of hospitality and friendship, a feeling that we try to replicate here at the winery. She was also a fantastic baker, taking after her mother who was a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef. It is Erna’s original vintage Kitchen Aid pictured on our label. It reminds us that food and wine is our favorite way to create and maintain friendships.
In 2012, two families decided to officially start a winery. Wanting to own a vineyard and build a winery facility from the ground up, they purchased a 6-acre Syrah vineyard and adjoining lot on Wetmore Road in South Livermore. Their winery, Dante Robere Vineyards is named after Dan and Bob. They currently make and pour their wine on Tesla Road in east Livermore while they await completion of construction of their new facility on Wetmore Road scheduled to open in 2015. Their goal is to make wine from Livermore Valley grapes when possible but also to procure quality grapes from other wine growing regions that are well suited to certain unique varietals. Their estate-grown Syrah, blended wines featuring the estate Syrah, and other Rhone varietals such as Grenache and Mourvedre are their signature wines. But they also produce the stalwart varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Chardonnay, as well as more unique wines such as Tempranillo, Touriga and Barbera.
Ray is the owner and winemaker, has been in this location for 16 years. He sources fruit from a variety of places, and has some varietals (wine types) he always makes, and also mixes it up sometime. Besides the 4 varietals usually pouring the current for sale list will have chardonnay, several pinots, gewurztraminer, zin, and more. Total case production for D'Argenzio is only 3k cases a year.
The reds were all fantastic..I really was pleasantly surprised. Their tasting room has a large table that they invite you to sit at, or , you can go outside and sit at those smaller tables, if you choose to. Wines are fantastic and the people here are passionate, welcoming and knowledgeable. They host a number of fun events and perks for wine club members. They also are well known for their micro-batch wine making - come make your own wine from start to finish (blending, bottling, labeling) with the experts!
Fenton Herriott Vineyards is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills at the gateway to Apple Hill, and is situated on what was once the old Pony Express Route and resides just 1/2 mile from the Smith Flat house. This region has a vibrant prospecting history, and is just a short distance from the gold mining towns of Coloma and Sutter's Mill. The Sierra Nevada foothills has been used for farming for well over 100 years. The Mediterranean climate of this area combining warm summer nights and hot summer days with free-draining volcanic soils is especially ideal for grape growing and allows us to produce the quality fruit needed for our complex, delicately-balanced and full-bodied wines. As a small, family owned winery, Fenton Herriott is intimately involved in every part of the vintner process - vineyard and vine maintenance, grape crush, fermentation, barrel ageing, bottling, and packaging.
Silvestri Vineyards began in the Piedmont region of Italy as an immigrant's dream of a better life. The year was 1908 when a young girl from Castell'Alfero, and a young boy from Novara prepared to leave home and travel to America. Joseph (Joe) Silvestri and Eugenia (Jenny) Martinetto would later meet and marry in New York's 'Little Italy' where they worked in the restaurant business. With the arrival of their children, they moved across the Hudson River to Teaneck, New Jersey, with the hope of building a life and a business of their own.
In 1950 a grandson would be added to their legacy and it was in this grandson that the Silvestri family would once again feel the wanderlust that had brought them to this land of dreams and opportunity. Finding his voice in music, Alan Silvestri traveled to Los Angeles in search of his dream through the pursuit of his art. Music was his vehicle for expression but food and wine, the staples of life at home, were never far from his heart. After meeting his wife Sandra in 1978, they would often travel back east where family events and occasions were always marked by wonderful food served with Jenny and Joe's homemade wine.
