Ladera Vineyards is the home of estate grown and produced hillside Cabernet Sauvignon in Howell Mountain Appellation. Their beautiful historic 1886 building was restored and renovated stone winery, they make their wines from the top floor for crushing, to first floor for fermenting, and than store it in the underground barrel caves.
At the top of High Valley AVA in Lake County, CA lives an Estate and winery unlike any other. Planted at an altitude matched by only 1% of vineyards in the world, Brassfield Estate Vineyards & Winery is not bound by the traditions of the valley floor. Precision, sustainable farming is our base to craft 17 varietals; from vine to bottle the wines never leave our hands. We go above and beyond; for the land we reside on, the animals we share it with, the people who join us, and of course our award-winning wines.
Winemaker James Foster’s love for the land began as a child growing up on the family farm, the historic Roseland Plantation in Eufaula, Alabama. As a teenager, his love for the land spread to the vine: spending many summers as a “cellar rat” in various wineries, James had a full vineyard-to-bottle view of winemaking. Inspired to learn more, he studied Enology at Fresno State University, then honed his winemaking skills over the last 13 years at The Wine Group. Along the way, he has partnered with grower-winemakers from around the globe on a portfolio of varietally and regionally expressive, exceptional wines at all price points.
Since 2009, James has worked with a team of winemakers on crafting flipflop wines. By collaborating closely with partner winemakers at the source, he is able to stay true to each wine’s varietal character.
Fetzer Vineyards was founded in 1968 in beautiful Mendocino County by Barney and Kathleen Fetzer. One of the first California wineries to branch out into serious Chardonnay production, Fetzer remains committed to sustainability and environmentally conscious wine production. Dennis Martin oversees all wine-making at Fetzer and is assisted by Charlie Gilmore and Michael Chupp, who are in charge of white wine making and red wine making respectively.
Odonata Wines in Salinas, California is a small family winery. They work closely with the growers to ensure the highest quality wines from the vines to the glass. Their credo is blending of old-world winemaking methods and attitudes with new learning and a continuous search for improvement. The winemaker, Denis Hoey, creates wines that are soft, supple, and feature subtle complexity. Denis and his wife Claire run Odanata Winery together. Inspired by the traditional French style, Denis produces wines that are designed to be food-friendly. They are balanced in fruit, acidity, alcohol, and wood, with flavors and aromas that are cohesive with a lengthy finish. They will always be handmade in small batches to exemplify the unique qualities of the varietal and vineyard. ~
Hours:
Mon - Sun - 11:00AM to 5:00PM
Although Etude is best known for their Carneros estate Pinot Noir and their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from sourced grapes, they do have three white wines that should not be overlooked. The 2010 Etude Chardonnay at $32 sees no malolactic conversion. It has a very nice nose and is rather fruit driven with soft melon. It is more round than brisk. The 2011 Pinot Gris 9$26) is even softer with an aroma of honeysuckle and some peach on the palate. Their 2010 Pinot Blanc ($28) with a light nose, is also softer than the more acidic and sometimes austere Alsatian version. It was nice, though, with some citrus on the palate and good balance. I really like Pinot Blancs and applaud Etude for offering this interesting varietal which is not often encountered in Napa Valley.
Visit Lake County’s go-to destination for all things wine, food, and family fun – the brand new Shannon Mercantile!
Now serving lunch in addition to our full wine bar! Enjoy sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, non-alcoholic beverages and more from local favorite, Rosey Cooks. Take a moment to relax or shop in the heart of Lake County, any day of the week.
Hours: Daily | 11 am - 6 pm
“Sonoma County is one of the most fabulous places in the world to live and make wine,” says Gary Sitton, Blackstone's winemaker. “There’s no place like it. The immense diversity—from the coastline to the mountains, valleys and rivers—still leaves me in awe. For me, tapping into this range of growing conditions is fundamental to making beautifully expressive wines.”
A hobby gone wild! That is how Idle Hour Winery, formerly Panoche Valley Vineyards, got its start. Winemaker Anna Marie dos Remedios began making wine as a hobby to relieve the stress of her day job as a newspaper journalist/business owner. Anna Marie is focused on small lot, single-vineyard designated wines from some of California's best wine-growing regions. Anna Marie learned traditional winemaking methods from mentor and renowned Pinot Noir producer Josh Jensen at Calera Wine Company. At Idle Hour Winery the focus is on these traditional methods: native yeast fermentation, gravity flow racking and the use of neutral French Oak; all very gentle in nature, applying these to all the varieties Anna Marie ferments. While you will find all of the wines at Idle Hour Winery delightful, be sure to try the Reserve Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and the Tannat Idle Hour Winery is located in Oakhurst, CA the gateway to Yosemite Park. Idle Hour was include in a short video we did featuring several Central Valley wineries you can view HERE *
Hours:
Mon- 11:00AM-6:00PM
Tues- 11:00AM-6:00PM
Weds- 11:00AM-6:00PM
Thurs- 11:00AM-6:00PM
Fri - 11:00AM-6:00PM
Sat - 11:00AM-6:00PM
Sun - 11:00AM-6:00PM
Windsor Oaks estate is open to the public only eighteen days a year. They do offer limited VIP tasting and tours.In an wine tasting event that sadly has become increasingly all about tour buses, limos, bridal parties and frat boys guzzling Coors Light in the parking lots, many wineries struggled to find the right balance of paying attention to those that were there to focus on the art of winemaking, and those that were there to party.
The folks at Windsor Oaks rose above and created a memory for all in attendance.
Special thanks goes to winemaker Julie Hagler Lumgair, who climbed atop a second tier barrel, and from above, shared a taste of yet another wine "off the list"...her passion, expertise, warmth, and generosity.
