Clos Du Bois seemed to make a very little effort to hide the corporate image with big buildings and parking lots marked 'Corporate visitors only'. Still they make a very decent selection of table wines, especially at their pricing. Have you been to Costco lately? While I have yet to purchase a bottle of Clos Du Bois it has been served to me a number of times visiting friends. My goal is to make a trip to try their higher end wines and their flagship "Marlestone" and their old vine carignane.

Crooked Vine Winery/ Stony Ridge
The original Stony Ridge winery was established in 1887 at the historic Ruby Hills site in Pleasanton, California. In 1975, a group of young enthusiastic winemakers leased the current Livermore property and continued Stony Ridge Winery. In 2000, the Vaughn family purchased the winery and expanded creating an additional label, Crooked Vine.

They began with a vision—to craft high-quality, hand-crafted Southern California wines that would tell a unique story from vine to glass. Planting their first vineyard by hand in 1996 not only marked the inception of Wiens Cellars but also deepened their connection to viticulture and winemaking. The initial five varieties established the foundation for what would eventually grow into a diverse portfolio of over thirty, and a modest 14-acre vineyard expanded into a sprawling 70+ acres of hand-cultivated Southern California vines.

Amid this growth, a unique extended family emerged from the business. The legacy of Wiens Cellars stands as a testament to the power of shared dreams, unwavering commitment, resilience, and perseverance. This foundational chapter, crafted through the efforts of many hands and a continuous, collective endeavor, laid the groundwork for the legacy they uphold today—an enduring commitment to family, quality, and integrity.