“When I was a little kid, both my mother and father came from musical families. My father was a great flautist, composer, and conductor and my mother’s father was a wonderful Neapolitan songwriter. Her brother was a fine trumpet player in the same orchestra my father played in. He brought his friend home to dinner one occasion, and that’s how my father met my mother.”
-Francis Ford Coppola
Once upon a time, not so long ago, in a valley known more for cattle ranching than vineyards that the story begins. It was the Winter of 1999 when Frog's Tooth Vineyards began its life as a tadpole with the purchase of 67 acres of land in the Salt Springs Valley of Calaveras County. It slowly grew through infancy until the Spring of 2003 when it began its transition to adolescence with the planting of approximately 10 acres of premium wine grapes.
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Mayo Family Winery produces small lots of single-vineyard wines under the premise that the world's most interesting and highest quality wines must come from a single-vineyard source that can be expressed in the wines' aroma, taste and texture. Founded in 1993, the winery has two winemaking facilities in Glen Ellen, California, each fitted and equipped to produce particular types of wines. Mayo Family wines are only sold online or in their tasting room attached to the winery in the town of Glen Ellen and their two other tasting rooms in Sonoma Valley.
Westbrook Wine Farm the vineyard and winery are located on a mountainous forty acre site at an elevation of 1440 feet in the central Sierra Nevada range of eastern Madera County, California. Close to the hamlet of O'Neals and not far from Bass Lake, the town of Oakhurst and the Southern entrance to Yosemite National Park.
Their wines were good, and actually moderately priced. The one that really stood out was their Gemini a Zinfandel-Syrah blend? We also picked up a bottle of their Full Moon a Zinfandel, Syrah and Cab Franc blend. Worth a stop if you are in Paso.
Midnight Cellars had its origins in a slightly tipsy, laughter-filled moment on the back patio at Domaine Carneros during the summer of 1993. While enjoying a family getaway to Napa and Sonoma and after several winery visits, Rich made a whimsical statement that would later prove to be life-changing: "Hey old man, when you retire you should buy a place like this and have us run it for you."
Initially laughed off and soon forgotten, the idea resurfaced years later when Robert, ready to retire early from his career as a patent attorney, still brimming with energy and passion, recalled Rich's suggestion. He approached Rich with the proposition, "If you were serious about this winery idea, I'm in."
At the time, Rich was newly married and living in Chicago with his wife Michele, and their first reaction was a firm "no way, Dad." However, after considerable reflection and several glasses of wine, Michele and Rich decided to embrace the unconventional plan. They sold their new house, one of their cars, and made the move to California to start anew. Despite how improbable it sounded, they followed through with the plan. They arrived in California on July 31, 1995, and immediately immersed themselves in country life—one that lacked bars, restaurants, and shopping. The city dwellers from Chicago experienced a significant culture shock.
Each family member took on a specific role and began learning their responsibilities: Robert and Mary Jane focused on the overall operations, Michele managed the tasting room and later took on bookkeeping duties, while Rich learned the intricacies of planting, maintaining, and harvesting the vineyard, as well as winemaking.
After 29 years of steep learning curves, the family remains committed to making wine accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for everyone.
If you appreciate handcrafted Californian wines made in an honest 'Old World' style, welcome to Clavo Cellars. It's great to have you with us.Clavo Cellars is the winemaking project of respected Central Coast viticulturist Neil Roberts. A pioneer of regenerative vineyard farming, Neil's wines exemplify boutique production. Crafted with an expert light touch from premium grapes, Clavo Cellars wines are perfect expressions of the vineyard and terroir that nurtured them.
Whether you enjoy Clavo Cellars wines at home, in a restaurant, or in the Templeton tasting room, you will taste the time, care, and attention that goes into each bottle. The grapes are sourced from vineyards known and managed by Neil, and picked only when they are ready. This ensures that Clavo Cellars wines tell a story not just of their place, but of their time as well.
We ate at the kitchen first which was absolutely delicious. I never ever thought I would eat some tomato bisque. Yummy. Then walked next door to the tasting room and used our 2 for 1 coupons and started tasting. Donna was a very good host and was able to be attentive to everyone. She was Explaining what all wines were that we drank. And also offered some suggestions. Nice. The winery is very nice which have a kitchen next door.
Ultimate Vineyards, situated in the heart of Temecula Valley wine country, produces wines primarily from its 75-acre estate vineyard. This vineyard benefits from a unique combination of geological and topographical features that result in fruit with exceptional intensity, weight, and richness. Positioned in the bed of the ancient Santa Margarita River, the vineyard has accumulated millennia of sediment deposits. It also rests in a natural geological bowl, where cooler nighttime air drifts in and settles, preserving higher levels of acidity and tannins in the grapes. The ample sunshine, combined with gentle ocean breezes, helps the grapes develop deep color and sugars.
The vineyard’s soil, mostly sandy loam, offers excellent drainage but has low organic matter due to limited rainfall. To foster "Living Soils," Ultimate Vineyards enhances soil health through annual applications of organic compost, inoculation with beneficial microbes, and the planting of nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Their philosophy centers on creating a thriving, healthy ecosystem in the soil to promote better vine growth, more consistent ripening, and higher quality grapes. To achieve this, Ultimate Vineyards avoids the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides on their soils.
This winery is fun! They're only open the third weekend of the month. Tucked away down Redwood Retreat Road about 3.5 miles from Watsonville Road, the drive to get here is truly spectacular. They are only open the third weekend of each month and passport weekends. They ask that you sign in and they then give you name tags with your first name on it. The staff was friendly and the owners Therese and Dan were walking around greeting people. Dan and Therese Martin clearly have a passion for making great wine. They have scores of awards for their wine but that's not what they lead with. Their tasting room is welcoming and intimate. The vibe is comfortable and engaging. Martin Ranch produces a variety of wines from Chardonnay to Cab Franc, Sauvignon Blanc to Sangiovese.
NOTHING but the best to report to about JUSTIN. The Vineyard and Wine Tasting Room are very nice, almost like being in another country. Peaceful and serene. The wine tasting room is relatively new, I believe we were told they opened about 6 months ago (from their prior location). The room was modern, tasteful, and chic. JUSTIN offers dinning in a beautiful dinning room that overlooks the vineyard. Of course, plan on making reservations ahead of time. The wine tasting was a success. We discovered their 2011 Right Angle and their 2011 Reserve Malbec. Both are AMAZING.
Nestled on the Northeast border of the Temecula Valley sits Doffo Winery. Founded in 1997 by Marcelo Doffo, it is one of a few micro-boutique wineries in the region and the only one built around the former site of a Temecula historic landmark schoolhouse. Situated on 15 acres of rolling vineyards, the winery possesses a unique combination of old-world and warm family charm. It is also home to MotoDoffo, the family's private collection of over 100 racing and vintage motorcycles.
