Mr. Swan makes some very nice California pinot noirs and zinfandels. Sure, this is not OPUS ONE facility-wise, but Rod makes great wine at more than fair prices. I appreciated their willingness to educate people and enjoyed their 07 Tannat.
n 1982 Sir Peter Michael established the Peter Michael winery on a square mile of rocky volcanic ridges that form the western face of Mount St. Helena in Sonoma County. From the beginning, the wine growing philosophy was modeled on the French tradition infused with a few modern influences: One, the vineyard terroir would be the single most important feature. Two, the wines would be elegant rather than overstated. Three, there would be a hundred-year commitment to the development of a great estate. Given this commitment to the product, only a limited quantity will ever be made. The winery estate is a breath of fresh air, a place I LOVE to visit and a view worth the trip. You must be on their mailing list to enjoy a Tasting/Tour. Next time I have a tasting, I am hoping to try some of their Chardonnay.
Don't miss Enkidu amongst the cluster of newer tasting rooms in Kenwood. The staff is always friendly and always willing to open anything you may want to try, Don't miss the 07 Humbaba, 08 Sangiovese and the Tin Barn Chardonnay.
Line 39 offers consumers a selection of varietals from Lake County AVA, as well as the North Coast and other areas in California. Check website for distributors of Line 39 wines.
Ended a lovely wine weekend at Fisher Vineyards with a tour and tasting overlooking the valley. Cameron was our hostess and what knowledge, charisma and overall hospitality! Their cabs are phenomenal - the Coach Insignia and the Cameron's Vineyard are my favorites. It was a pleasure to tour the smaller, family run wineries, where wine is their passion, their history, their legacy.
It was established in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley in 1983 as a Chardonnay estate and was known as Crichton Hall Vineyard. The estate was acquired it is totality in 2002 and the 14 acres of original Chardonnay vines were replaced by the Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. In 2005, the first estate grown Darms Lane Cabernet Sauvignon was produced. Today, Darms Lane produces around 500 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, 400 cases of Chardonnay and 250 cases of Pinot Noir every year.
Napa Valley's Dolce Winery is the only winery in North America that is solely devoted to producing a single, late harvest wine. It is one of the few wineries in the world willing to make such a commitment, sharing a common philosophy with the great Sauternes producers of Bordeaux. Dolce cellar is located within the caves of its sister winery, Far Niente, in California's Napa Valley. Visitors to the winery are welcomed with a hosted tour, followed by a tasting of current and library vintages. By its nature, Dolce is a rare wine that cannot be produced every year. Dolce is made when a natural, beneficial mold called botrytis cinerea attacks the grapes on the vine, while evaporating the water content and concentrating the sugars, acids and flavors. The inaugural 1985 vintage yielded only six barrels, and production grew to nine barrels in 1986. The 1987 vintage was not fine enough to be bottled and 1988 was so warm that no botrytis formed and the grapes were never harvested. The 1989 vintage was the first commercial release of Dolce and it was introduced to the market in 1992. Visits are by appointment, only.
Dolce embraces a deceptively simple philosophy: the pursuit of perfection in the art of late harvest winemaking. Created in 1985 by the partners of Far Niente, its existence is the result of overcoming remarkable adversity and developing expertise that no one else in the U.S. has. Dolce stands as the pinnacle, where Mother Nature and craftsmanship combine to define luxury through a wine capable of flirting with your emotions like no other.
Open from 10AM to 6:00PM, closed on Sunday and Monday. Come visit with us, taste our award winning wines and savor the flavors of our Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey Pinot Noir, Dry Creek Zinfandel, Dry Creek Petite Sirah, Green Valley Sauvignon blanc, Patrona Muscat- Alexander Valley (our lovely summer wine or any time wine), Late Harvest Chardonnay or Portentous (port)-Dry Creek Valley.
The Dry Creek wineries produce a wider variety of wines and styles of wines than the traditional PN and Zin crowd along the Russian River. The Amphor tasting room location is in the same parking lot as 10 other wineries tasting rooms - right off Dry Creek Road. Stop at this location and you will be able to taste wines from Amphora, Collier Falls, Dashe, Forth, Philip Staley, Peterson, Lago di Merlo, Kokomo, Mietz and Papapietro.
he winery sits ontop of a hill, right at the napa/sonoma carneros region border. The building, architecture, and scenery are simply breathetaking. If you arive early enough in the morning, you can take a tour, where they walk you around the production facility downstairs. The wines are pretty pricey, but they are pretty darn good. A lot of the wines are estate grown pinots and chards, but they do source some amazing Cabs from upper valley. They are a very busy winery, but they are very attentive to each customer.
Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery
