Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Stevenot Winery

The first Stevenot’s came to the area during the great Gold Rush of the mid 1800’s. During that time vineyards began cropping up throughout the region as miners from France, Germany, and Italy were creating a demand for wine on an unprecedented scale. At one time the Sierra Foothills rivaled the areas of Napa and Sonoma combined in vineyard acreage with over 100 wineries established. Although the industry eventually declined with the advent of prohibition, it wasn’t long before a 5th generation member of the Stevenot family took up where his family had left off and established the winery in the late 1970’s. Recognized as one of the pioneers of the rebirth of wine production in the Sierra Foothills, Stevenot Winery quickly secured its reputation for producing world class wines and for their innovative and award winning style.

Fresno State Winery

The Fresno State Winery produces a wide variety of wines from the most popular and well-known of wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to up-and-coming varieties like Syrah to lesser-known wines that are made in small batches.
The complete line of Fresno State wines is available at this web site and the Farm Market at the southeast corner of Barstow and Chestnut.
At the Fresno State Winery we strive to engage our students in all aspects of the winemaking profession.

Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery

Smith Madrone makes only three wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling. In each case, the wine's mountain roots shine through. The chardonnay is leaner and tighter than most examples from the area, despite full ML and all new oak. This tightly structured wine needs time, and is built for it. The current release Cabernet is the 2006...how's that for integrity? The Smith brothers hold back their Cabs until they feel they're ready. While not a tannic monster, this wine has strong bones, to be sure, and needs time as well, though it wouldn't be out of place with a hearty red meat dish right now.

Ledson Winery & Vineyards

It was a good trip to Ledson, the estate was impressive, and they have a deli market, which was just right when I needed a small bite between wineries. I enjoyed the tasting here, for $15 6 wine tasting, I think the lady ended up giving us 8 or 9 wine. She was generous and knowledgeable. Asked for something really "earthy", the 2004 Cab Franc was a good one. Took a few bottles home.

Silverado Vineyards

This is a scenic winery with nice views and good wine. You can almost miss the road up the hill to the winery - as the winery is set on the hill.
Nice wine sampling - Go for a wine tasting; be sure to soak in the view.

Darms Lane Wine

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.

Grey Stack Cellars

Grey Stack makes bold, unrestrained Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from Bennett Valley, a small appellation in Sonoma County. Grey Stack harvested it's first grapes in 2005 and released its first wines in 2007 - the 2006 Rosemary's Block Sauvignon Blanc and 2005 Marie's Block Syrah from Dry Stack Vineyard. Since then, Grey Stack continues to make Rosemary's Block - one of the most acclaimed and respected Sauvignon Blancs in the new world - along with outstanding examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from several distinct vineyard sites in Bennett Valley.

Summerland Winery

Summerland Winery is a boutique winery dedicated to the production of fine wines from the Central Coast of California. Nebil “Bilo” Zarif founded Summerland Winery in 2002 with the goal of producing premium wines from expressive vineyard sources spanning from Santa Barbara to Monterey. Since then, the winery has built a name synonymous with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The 14+ different varietals from 9 renowned vineyards allow the Central Coast and Single Vineyard Collections to showcase their excellent fruit character combined with strong regional character. The winery’s tasting room is located in Summerland’s charming seaside setting, just 10 minutes south of Santa Barbara.

Omega Vineyards & Winery

Located in the beautiful San Joaquin Valley, gateway to the world-renowned Sierra Foothills and “Gold Country.” This winery honors the beauty and excellence synonymous with this extraordinary place. An 85-acre estate, guests enjoy a blend of award-winning wines and a flavor of Greece radiating throughout.

Optima Wine Cellars

Optima began as a dream producing just 400 cases in 1984, now, the winery is continuing their tradition of producing premium, world class wines. Optima specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel Port,
and Chardonnay. Stopped by for Passport weekend. Amazing wines! Hard to find but well worth looking for.

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