Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Manzoni Vineyards

Carmel:
A quaint little tasting room that have big wines.
Manzoni wines have a great selection of wines for every palate.
The staff is knowledgeable and have great dining recommendations.
I especially enjoyed the Pinot Gris and Syrah (Home Vineyard).

Soledad: Manzoni turns out to have been a good stop. The valley and wine trail (aptly named River Road Wine Trail) that parallels a lazy river, offers a beautiful view of the rich agriculture in the area. The east facing vineyards overshadowed by golden Central California hills/mountains, fall colors, rich soil, framed by a peaceful farming community makes it unique and special.Small estate vineyard tasting room a few miles from the main 101 road. Gravel parking lot is next to their converted garage tasting room.
Quaint, yes, but their wines speak for themselves.

Esser Vineyards

German-born Manfred Esser began his career as a salesman for a large European winery; in 1974, he came to the United States. Esser joined Napa Valley's Cuvaison Winery as President in 1986 and, in a little over 10 years, made it one of the most successful estates in the industry. His unique approach to converting customers into "company ambassadors" has set an industry standard for client relations. Having achieved success at Cuvaison, Esser sold his partnership in 1998, fueled by the desire to begin a project of his own.
Years of preparation went into the development of the Esser Vineyards brand. Working closely with Manfred Esser is renowned consulting winemaker Paul Moser, whose style received praise for eight consecutive years from Robert Parker as a "breath of fresh air" in the California wine market.

Gott wines

This wine comes from the same area in Napa that the big cabs are located--i.e. BV, Beringer, etc... It fooled me the first time I had a glass in a wine bar. Nicely oaked with a big full taste. I have several bottles handy when I want the taste of a big red without the cost of one.

Sierra Vista Winery

Another out of the way Sierra foothill winery. A bit of a drive to get there but worth it. The view of the Crystal Range especially when there is snow on the mountains is beautiful and the fall view when the grape vines have turned color is awesome also. The tasting room is small and simple and personal. The winery's signature wine is the Fleur de Montagne. This is a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault.

Silver Stag Winery

Silver Stag Winery sits on a prime piece of Tulocay acreage in the heart of Napa Valley, just east of the town of Napa and about three miles from the Bay. Planted in plums back at the end of the nineteenth century, the soil is rich enough—and distinct enough—to have earned it consideration as an official viticultural appellation. The vineyard is defined by a gentle swale that sits at the foot of Mount George. Its microclimate, comparable to "cool Bordeaux", is a bit warmer than Carneros, but it still feels the marine intrusions flowing up the path of the Napa River. The effect is to extend the time on the vine, yielding smaller berries with less tannin and far more concentration than the Napa average. Silver Stag has planted the majority of its land in Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. Visits by appointment.

Lava Cap Winery

Lava Cap is a family-owned winery in Placerville, California. The Jones family planted their first vines in 1981 and opened the winery in 1986 on a special site in the heart of the Sierra Foothills. The family of geologists specifically selected this location for its prime volcanic soil that is particularly well suited to growing fine wine grapes. They named their new business after this unique "lava cap," where their grapes flourish in the volcanic soil, warmed by the foothill sunshine and cooled by gentle Sierra night breezes.

J. Moss Wines

J. Moss Wines’ goal is to produce not just good wines, but great wines from selected appellations in the Napa Valley. Their winemaking style is to produce intense, complex and elegantly balanced wines. The wines reflect the attention to detail of their portfolio, appeal to everyday wine drinkers, connoisseurs and some people call a “cult wine.”

In order to ensure that J. Moss wines will always be of the highest quality, they produce limited quantities from single appellation vineyards of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Total production is approximately 250 cases annually with plans to increase production.

Freestone Vineyards

Pondering Freestone's tasting room, we weren't completely sold on the idea of spending $10 on a few sips of wine, but we decided to at least scope it out. It was surprisingly quiet on a Saturday afternoon, and the tasting room staff seemed excited to have a group of 6 appear. They offered us a private tasting room where we could all sit comfortably, and even offered us plates and knives to dig into our Wild Flour spoils while we tasted. Um yeah...we like this place already. With Freestone Vineyards and Wild Flour as next door neighbors, you've got the perfect one-stop-shop for a sampling of Sonoma County's bounty. Make the most of it: get some Fougasse, and trot over to Freestone for the perfect pairing.

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