The estate is very modest and the owners live on the property. The tour starts with a history of the brand and an introduction of the backyard. Then we were invited into the home of the owner, Robert Hunter. The tasting took place in the living room.
The tasting experience is fantastic. Don't expect fancy sights - you'll pull up to a nondescript warehouse - but Fred basically will let you taste whatever you want, giving as much commentary as you like. It's truly a great way to quickly get a great exposure to a range of uniquely Sonoma wines. By appointment.
Oakville Ranch is the original mountain vineyard of the sub-appellation that produces the New World's most celebrated Cabernets. Covering just two square miles at the heart of Napa Valley, the Oakville district may be small, but its wines play a very big role in the connoisseur's collection. At 1,400 feet above the valley floor, the Oakville Ranch vineyards produce fruit that speaks from the appellation's signature red volcanic soil with a mountain accent.
In the two decades since Bob and Mary Miner purchased the 350-acre ranch, plantings have slowly increased from an initial 55 acres to today's 75 acres of predominantly Bordeaux varietals.
It's definitely a trek up the mountain, but well worth it. Kristin led our tasting in the greenhouse--the grounds are amazing and the wines are especially good (Cab Franc). They are only open by appt. M - F, but it you will be on the Silverado Trail on a weekday call and make an appt.
BK Cellars is a unique urban winery in Escondido. Here you can enjoy aiir conditioned, crystal chandelier tasing lounge. Enjoy the wide selection and flights of 5 or 6 of their wines. Feel free to bring along a few snacks to enjoyr with your tasting.
The winery itself is likewise a one-man operation. Far from being a modern computer-monitored factory, it's more like an old fashioned one-room school house with me teaching all the grades; all the various pieces of equipment and barrels sit around the room like children of different ages waiting for their turn.
The wines themselves benefit from the small scale and individual attention and from the unique qualities of the Santa Cruz Mountain environment. The Chardonnay is a full-bodied white wine aged in American oak barrels. It will complement flavorful dishes like roast chicken or baked salmon or Orah's spicy baked tofu. The Merlot is a substantial red wine. It will complement a holiday brisket or a roast.
Husch Vineyards is a small, family owned and operated winery. It is the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley appellation, located in Mendocino County (Northern California) just 2 1/2 hours north of San Francisco. The tasting room is in a hobbit cottage straight out of the Shire. Worth stopping just to see it.
People were friendly. The wines were very earthy and herby, almost gamey. Definitely distinctive.
The tasting is free, which is rare even in Anderson Valley, so you have nothing to lose but a little bit of time and room in your stomach for something else.
Founded in Oakville, California in 1885 and restored in 1979, Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Starry Night Winery primary focus at Starry Night Winery is Zinfandel, which accounts for over 60% of their production. We think Zinfandel, which is uniquely American, is not only a great wine, but also offers a significant value.
The Wagner family legacy of winemaking has been carried on for three generations. The family’s deep roots of farming grapes and producing wine began in 1915 in the Napa Valley. Charlie F. Wagner and Lorna Belle Glos Wagner, along with their son, Chuck, established Caymus Vineyards in 1972. Chuck saw great potential for producing quality wines outside of the Napa Valley as well, and by 1988, Chuck began planting land in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This appellation, located in Monterey County, is along the cooler coastline, yielding early ripening for Chardonnay. Mer Soleil Chardonnay became the product of this quality chosen site, and has been run by Chuck’s eldest son, Charlie F. Wagner II, since 2001.
Mietz is a small producer of exceptional quality wines available to taste at Family Wineries of Dry Creek tasting room at 4791 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Restrained style of winemaking makes these wines particularly food friendly.
