Grenache

Grenache

Big Basin Vineyards

pouring a glass of wine - Pixabay

Big Basin Vineyards was founded in 1998 on an historic site in the Santa Cruz Mountains next to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The old ranch property was first settled in the late 1800s. Wine grape cultivation had been started by French immigrants by the early 1900s and continued until 1965 when the property was sold by Justin Lacau, who had named the property "Frenchy's Ranch", to a timber company. By the 1990s, all that remained of the vineyards were redwood stakes and scattered vines hidden by brush and poison oak bushes. The mission has been to restore this historic vineyard site using modern, organic viticultural methods. The winery building was completed in December 2003 on the same site as the original 1890s house/winery structure which burned down in the 1970s. It is a 'Monitor'-style barn with a timber frame construction built using redwood selectively harvested from the estate.

Chiron Wines

bottle of Chiron Wine

Wine is a magnificent creation formed by the union of natue with cultue. To sybolize this idea Mark McCoy and Bobby Moy include a stylized key, the symbol for Chiron to represent the "I" in Chiron. In January of 2020 Chieron wines became a winery partner with The Studio at Feast It Forward. 1031 McKinstry Street in downtown Napa. You can do a walk-in or call ahead for a private tasting.

Dakaro Cellars

Had a great time visiting with David at his Whitmore winery. The focus at Dakaro Cellars is on Rhone and Bordeaux Varietals, Italian and Spanish Varietals: Syrah, Viognier, Tempranillo, Pinot Grigio. David Roth when asked how he got into winemaking to the point of producing for others to enjoy his reply was; "Well, I took a hobby that I really enjoyed and ruined it by making it into a job." I have do disagree with David as his love for wine and the experience of sharing his wines with others speaks just a little louder. Dakaro produces some nice wines and produces a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourverde and Counoise that is very impressive. If you can get your hands on a bottle take your time and experience the wine change and evolve as you enjoy it. Nice, layers that seem to unfold so nicely if you don't rush through the wine. What a wonderful gem from Shasta Cascade area. Dakaro Cellars is a little of the beaten path, but worth the drive if you are near Redding. We are pleased to have the folks at Dakaro Cellars as one of our winery friends and listed in our California Winery Directory.*

Hours:

Mon-Fri   Closed
Sat-     12:00pm to 5:00pm
Sun-    12:00pm to 5:00pm

 

Skylark Wine Company

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

Skylark Wine Company is a collaboration between Boulevard Restaurant Wine Directors John Lancaster and Robert Perkins. Both have years of experience in the Wine Industry. I wanted to taste this wine strictly because it was an interesting blend of 47% Carignane - 47% Syrah and 6% Grenache. Carignane has a long history in the state of California and add a texture layer to this wine. The wine has heavy heavy earth and spice notes. I couldn't quite put my finger on them all. The confusing part is a good thing because it made me keep coming back for a new sip to figure out the components. This wine would definitely benefit with food

Qupe Wine Cellars

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

In contrast to the Old World, Qupé focuses on cool climate expressions of Rhône varietals due to a distinctive geographical feature that sets them apart from most other regions of California, as all vineyards are all located in East-West valleys (vs North-South) which function as open windows to the cool Pacific Ocean. The benefit to the vineyards of being along the coast and running East-West is that the cold, moist air gets pulled in and creates a layer of morning cloud cover over the vines which reduces temperatures and sun exposure on the grapes. This is why cool climate varieties excel in the coastal regions of the Central Coast and allows Qupé to focus on cool climate expressions of Rhone varietals.

Frick Winery

corks and wine glass - Pixabay

Bill Frick and Judith Gannon started this winery in 1976 with the proceeds from the sale of their 1957 Chevrolet. In the small, cool winery, hidden away on a back road, Bill Frick hand crafts complex, rare wines that reflect the true character of the grape.

Fenestra Winery

cluster of grapes

Fenestra Winery was established by the Replogle family on the historic Ruby Hill property in Pleasanton in 1976. In 1980, the winery moved into the century-old George True Winery building on Vallecitos Road in Livermore. The building, which had suffered from years of neglect, required significant restoration; the Replogles removed tons of trash, installed a new roof, and reinforced the structure. In 1997, the winery building underwent further refurbishment, and vineyards were planted around the property. Specializing in classically balanced, award-winning wines primarily from Livermore Valley grapes, Fenestra Winery is recognized as Livermore Valley’s first boutique winery and has celebrated many years of producing fine wines.

Outdoor & Indoor Wine Tasting
Tasting Room Hours: Friday- Sunday 11:30-4:30 p.m. Last Seating at 3:15 for a full wine tasting.

 Reservations encouraged, but walk-in’s welcome if space available. 

Groups over six people requries a reservation. 

Read our guide to Livermore Wines and Wineries

Paul Mathew Vineyards

wine by the fireplace - Pixabay

Mat Gustafson, the former winemaker at Sebastopol-Dutton Estate Winery and current co-winemaker at Moshin Vineyards, crafts small lots of Pinot Noir and other varietals from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast under his personal label. Prior to starting his own label, he had worked for twenty years in the restaurant business and in retail sales. Along with business partner, Paul Sloan, he launched the label in 1999, but by 2001 had assumed full control and began to concentrate on Pinot Noir.

Ripken Vineyards & Winery

Swirling glass of wine - saman teher - pixabay

We go down the road less traveled. We appeal to wine drinkers that wish to explore the joys of Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Carmine, Petit Verdot, Alicante Bouschet, Tempranillo, Graciano, Souzao, Touriga National, Grenace, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Barbera, Dolcetto, or Corvina as blends or varietal wines.

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