Great views, greater wines. Ridge is a must. The wines offered by Ridge are top notch, well balanced, unique wines. While you can find their wines in some stores make the trip up the mountain where you can taste some of the more limited offerings. Also and estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains * Monte Bello * Santa Cruz Mountains * 17100 Monte Bello Road * Cupertino, CA 95014
The owner spent a lot of time on us explaining his wines and the winery's history. To be fair, there were not very many other customers. Still, he kept us entertained and conversed with us for well over an hour. We felt very welcome.Love how they work with their grapes. You know! if they promise me a bottle of the Sangiovese that I barrel-tasted today, I would probably give them another star. Image Aglianico Grape Clusters Courtesy of Randy Caparoso
Sample handcrafted wines made with grapes from the beautiful vineyards of San Diego County at Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery located in the heart of the Ramona Valley American Viticulture Area (AVA). Taste award winning reds, a dry rose and interesting whites in our quaint tasting room or on our lovely view tasting terrace, often along with artisan cheese samples. Family owners/wine-makers Micole Moore and Teri Kerns focus on vineyard specific, single varietal wines like their Double-Gold Estate Tannat, Paccielo Reserve Sangiovese and smooth drinking Cadillac Cab. White wines include a dry Muscat, Viognier and a newly released Dessert wine called “Indulgence,” made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
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.
A visit to Littorai offers an exceptional opportunity for an intimate and personal tour of this state of the art biodynamic vineyard and farm. The tour is followed by an exclusive private tasting of Littorai’s world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, showcasing the true expressions of Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley terroir. Private tours and tastings are available by appointment only, Monday through Saturday.
Richard Sanford came to the Santa Ynez Valley 40 years ago with the desire to create wines that would rival the best of France. First to recognize the potential of the Santa Rita Hills, now an officially accredited American Viticultural Area as Sta. Rita Hills, and first to plant Pinot Noir vines there, Richard is a pioneer with a well established reputation for excellence in winemaking.With over 100 acres of certified organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards focuses on continued excellence in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir - Vin Gris (a dry rosé). All wines are food friendly and display the high acid, and extraordinary balance for which Richard Sanford’s wines have been known since 1976.
Located in Rutherford, west of Hwy 29 off Bella Oaks Lane. The tour/tasting appointment here will last about 60-90 minutes, depending on the group dynamic. Standard cave tour and sit-down tasting. You pay for what you get - pricer than other wineries, but the wines are excellent, full-bodied and rich. Family owned and run, committed to the environment. Great tasting experience.
Bart and Barb Obrian's property is a 33 acres of vineyards, a bonded winery, and their home. When you visit, you will be treated to an intimate experience in their backyard sitting at picnic tables under oak trees. Tour and Tasting – a 60 minute tour and tasting experience. Your tour starts outside at a picnic table overlooking hundreds of acres of vineyards. Then you will visit the main fermentation and barrel storage room of the winery and learn about how wine is fermented in our 500 to 3,000 gallon stainless steel tanks and then aged in French oak barrels. Your tour will conclude in our bottling line room, where you can see thecrusher/de-stemmer, must pump, and bottling line. $20 per person; fee waved with the purchase of 1 bottle of wine per person or wine club signup per couple.
What a great experience. I love this tasting room. A must if you are going wine tasting in Sonoma County. Downtown Healdsburg is as quaint as can be and the wines here are excellent, and the people working here are super friendly.
Bernardus Winery, founded by the well-traveled and discerning Bernardus (Ben) Pon, is situated in the picturesque Carmel Valley. Pon could have chosen any location worldwide for his namesake winery, yet he selected Carmel Valley for its ideal west-facing orientation, warm days, cool nights, and breathtaking scenery. He was confident that this unique environment would allow his vineyards to produce wines that could compete with the finest globally. Over 25 years later, Pon achieved this goal with his acclaimed estate Bordeaux blend, Marinus, named after his middle name, as well as a distinguished collection of single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
Nearly two decades ago, Pon also anticipated the needs of wine enthusiasts by opening the first tasting room in Carmel Valley Village. He transformed the former Bank of America building into a welcoming space for wine tasting and education. Today, the Village hosts over 20 tasting rooms, with the Bernardus Tasting Room offering not only exceptional wines but also a charming outdoor patio, a private room for wine dinners, and a comfortable lounge.
Following Ben Pon’s passing in September 2019, Bernardus Winery continues under the leadership of his business partner, Robert van der Wallen. A fellow Dutchman and advocate for quality, van der Wallen shares Pon’s vision and commitment to maintaining the winery's high standards. He has also founded Bernardus Golf reflecting the same emphasis on innovation and excellence as Pon’s legacy. With a passion for fine art, golf, and wine, van der Wallen is dedicated to advancing the Bernardus legacy for years to come.
