The vineyards of Lucas & Lewellen are located in the three principal wine grape growing regions of Santa Barbara County: the Santa Maria Valley, the Los Alamos Valley, and the Santa Ynez Valley. These valleys all run west from the coastal mountains to the Pacific Ocean, allowing warm days and cool nights to produce a long, gentle growing season.
The story of Broken Earth begins at Continental Vineyards. A 2500-acre parcel of land quietly harboring stories of hard-working caballeros, cattle barons, and grape growers whose dedication and vision shaped this place.
Originally named Rancho Tierra Rejada “Land of worked earth”, it is the determination of those who preceded us, and our care for this land that makes our wines unique. Our wines are bold representations of the place where they were born. Crafted with minimal intervention to reflect the soil, fruit, and character of this place.
Location:
A delightful tasting facility perched on the hillside that feels spacious and has a great view.
Service:
Knowledgeable and friendly staff, although this is hit and miss. The first gentleman who poured for us was very helpful, but then a brusque lady came along and stole our spit bucket that we were using and gave it to the couple she was attending.
Wines:
We had a $25 flight of 5 wines that came with the flexibility to pick any combination of the wines they were pouring. Miner does not produce estate wines and their grapes are sourced from third party vineyards.
It was fun to compare the difference between the two styles of Chardonnay, one of which (2008 Chardonnay, "Wild Yeast") received more oak aging & malolactic fermentation % than the other (2010 Chardonnay, "Napa Valley").
Humanitas is really delightful wine passionately crafted by a band of folks having a great time doing a good thing. In a nutshell, the folks at Humanitas make heartfelt wines, sell them, and donate their profits to charity. They hope to change the world...one sip at a time!
The Gainey Vineyard is part of a large, sustainable farming operation owned and run by the Gainey family for the past 50 years. The Home Ranch, the largest of the three Gainey ranches in the Santa Ynez Valley, is 1800 acres. It is comprised of 100 acres of vineyards, an Arabian horse operation, 1000 acres of rangeland upon which beef cattle feed on native grasses, and 600 acres farmed primarily to organically grown fruits and vegetables.
The other two Gainey ranches are located in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. Evan's Ranch and Rancho Esperanza are farmed exclusively to wine grapes. These very cool sites are perfect locations for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and small amounts of Syrah, while the Home Ranch on the warmer, eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley is ideal for growing Bordeaux varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
The Riboli Family WInes Estates/San Antonio Winery in LA offers complimentary tasting and winery tours. The Winery features Riboli Family of Wines and a unique and varied selection from around the wine world. Actually have 3 locations in LA, Ontario east of LA and in Paso Robles.
Planning a trip to Yosemite National Park or one of the beautiful lakes nearby? Be sure to include a visit to Fäsi Estate Winery on your itinerary. Conveniently located off Hwy 41, the newly renovated wine tasting room at Fäsi Estate Winery is the perfect place to take a break and experience our world of fine wines. Erica Magarian the wineries manager was able to allow us to do a little video at the winery which will be shared elsewhere. However, you can view a short video presentation of several Central Valley wineries we produced. Here is a hint! You have just got to taste Fasi Estates Syrah and we look forward to some interesting wines coming out later being produced by Ken Post the winemaker. ~
Woof ’n Rose Winery, owned by Stephen and Marilyn Kahle, is a small family operated Boutique winery on a north-facing hillside overlooking the beautiful Ramona Valley. We make only red wines made exclusively from Ramona Valley grapes, mostly using our eight estate grown varietals – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Grenache Noir, Montepulciano, and Alicante Bouschet (a very unique varietal). Relax on our outdoor dog and rose themed tasting veranda, view the vineyards and surrounding mountains and valley, and chat with the owners and operators; all while enjoying our current releases, many of which have been medalists at international wine competitions. For the enjoyment of the white wine only aficionado we normally offer a by the glass option from other sources.
The winery: Service was great. Wine tasting was nice, definitely do that. Lots to choose from and the chips are really good. The wines were nice as well. We took the tour which was pretty cool. The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable. He took us on a tour of the winery, told us a little about the surrounding area and the process how the wine is made.
This is a great place to bring a friend and enjoy the local wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Meet the local wine makers, taste the wines, visit with locals and impress your friends that you knew where Villa Del Monte Winery was and how to find it. It's not hard because it is right off of Summit Road. Villa Del Monte Winery is a participant of California Corks Winery Experience and winemakers John Overstreet and Neil Perrelli welcome you. Be sure to check out their Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact, last I checked there were still a few 2012 & 2013 available at pretty reasonable prices. Simply present you Membership to receive complimentary tasting for Two + and additional 10% discount on purchases.
Hours:
Check their website for tasting days and times
