Merlot

Merlot

Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi

wine and cheese - Pixabay

In the early 1900s, Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, newlyweds from Italy's Sassoferrato region, planted their roots in Minnesota. When the Prohibition Act of 1919 banned alcohol sales, Italian families were puzzled—wine was a daily essential. But a loophole allowed families to make 200 gallons of wine per year for personal use, and Cesare saw an opportunity.

He began shipping California grapes for home winemaking, quickly noticing that many came from a place called Lodi. With a keen business sense, he moved his family to California, including his young son, Robert Mondavi, and launched his own grape-shipping enterprise. Robert’s first job was hands-on, nailing crates for his father’s grapes, a start that would spark a lifelong dedication to wine.

Raised with values of hard work, Robert Mondavi embraced his calling. He studied business and chemistry at Stanford, followed by viticulture and enology at UC Berkeley, preparing him to make waves in California’s burgeoning wine industry. This early groundwork would help shape the legacy of one of California’s most revered wine pioneers.

West Wind Wines & Caves

wine and cheese - Pixabay

West Wind Wines began with a vision: to craft top-quality local wines while benefiting both the land and the community. The vineyard was planted in 1999 at a 700-foot elevation on Black Mountain. When John and Cynthia Klock acquired the property, following the closure of a cattle ranch, they were committed to preserving its agricultural purpose. After thoughtful consideration, they chose to plant grapes and olives. West Wind Wines also aims to support job training programs and local nonprofits that uplift the community. This combined mission—caring for the land and its people—remains central to West Wind Wines.

More than just a winery, West Wind Wines exemplifies the power of bringing people together to restore families, renew the land, and produce outstanding wine.

The Wine
West Wind Wines is dedicated to growing and sourcing the best grapes possible. The vineyard is influenced by a marine layer that rolls in most summer evenings, extending the grapes' hang time for maximum flavor and complexity. Their winemaking practices include hand harvesting, hand sorting, small-lot fermentations, and gentle pressing. Every wine is made, pressed, and bottled on-site, with aging conducted in a wine cave to reduce oak barrel evaporation and maintain consistent temperature and humidity. Through meticulous fruit selection, a commitment to showcasing the unique characteristics of each grape, and an attention to detail in the winemaking process, each wine offers a distinct profile that pairs exceptionally well with the suggested cuisines on their tasting notes.

Austin Hope Winery

bottle of wineries 2013 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

The Hope family arrived in Paso Robles in 1978 in search of land and new opportunity. As they’ve planted vineyards, grown grapes and made wine over the past 30 years, Paso Robles has become a viticulture region of significance, capable of producing world-class wines. As one of the pioneering families of this distinctive wine community, the Hope family is dedicated to sustainable farming and making wines that are delicious, accessible and memorable. Still family-owned and operated, Hope Family Wines now makes five individual brands: Liberty School, Treana, Candor, Troublemaker and Austin Hope.

Beaulieu Vineyards

corks and wine glass - Pixabay

The Georges de Latour name has become a wine legacy. When André Tchelistcheff joined Beaulieu Vineyard in 1938, he tasted the de Latour family’s private wine—known as "Private Reserve"—from the 1936 vintage. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine was so remarkable that Tchelistcheff insisted it be bottled and sold as the winery’s flagship offering. In 1940, Beaulieu Vineyard released the first vintage of Private Reserve, naming it in honor of the winery’s founder. This marked the debut of Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine destined to become Napa Valley’s first “cult” Cabernet. Over the past 70 years, Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has set the standard for Napa Valley Cabernet and remains one of the most highly collected American wines.

Longboard Vineyards

pouring a glass of wine - Pixabay

Wines were nice and we really LOVED the vibe in this surfer-chic tasting room. It's a dogs-welcome kind of spot where you want to stand around and chat up all the customers who wander in. Definitely worth a stop when you are in Healdsburg.

CK Mondavi Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

Cesare and Rosa Mondavi moved to the Napa Valley and purchased the Charles Krug Winery in 1943. Winemaking was an important part of their Italian heritage and together with their sons Robert and Peter, they created CK Mondavi – a line of wines offering both tremendous quality and value. CK Mondavi began with a vision and commitment to produce high quality wines worthy of gracing the tables of families across America. Seventy years later, this vision continues.

Mt. Vernon Winery

clusters of grapes

Mt. Vernon Vineyard and Winery is a small, family-owned and operated winery nestled in the grassy foothills of Auburn, California. The Taylor family transforms Sierra Foothills grapes into outstanding, lush aromatic wines, featuring riveting fruit flavors that are fit for a president.

The winery provides a majestic view and a relaxing atmosphere. Regarded as the largest winery in Placer County since Prohibition, Mt. Vernon offers an exceptional selection of wines and unique blends that are sure to captivate the taste buds.

Established in 1996, Mt. Vernon is pioneering the production of various foothill grapes, including Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah Port, Barbera, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold Country Nectar, and a Sur-lie aged barrel-fermented Chardonnay that is joining the Mt. Vernon collection.

Photo courtesy of photographer Randy Caparoso 

Saddleback Cellars

wine and cheese - Pixabay

Saddleback Cellars was founded in 1978 by the renowned winemaker Nils Venge. Widely celebrated as the "King of Cab," Venge made history as the first American winemaker to earn a 100-point score from acclaimed wine critic Robert Parker for his 1985 vintage of Reserve Cabernet. Today, Venge's Cabernets continue to receive impressive 90+ point reviews.

The winery remains much as it was at its inception, nestled off the Oakville Crossroad on quiet Money Road, a dead-end lane in the esteemed Oakville District of the Napa Valley AVA. While Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from the estate’s 14 acres of vineyards, remains the winery's flagship, Saddleback also crafts distinctive varietals from select vineyards across Wine Country. Visitors can experience a range of small-lot, handcrafted wines including Charbono, Vermentino, Tannat, Petit Verdot, and unique blends. The friendly staff ensures that guests feel like part of the family, arriving as visitors and leaving as friends.

Guests are invited to savor the vineyard views and the personalized experience of tasting Napa Valley wines at this intimate, family-owned winery off the beaten path.

Open Daily 10am-4pm by reservation only

DeRose Vineyards - Hollister

Grape Clusters

DeRose Vineyards has the single best Negrette I have ever had. Pat DeRose not only has one of the coolest moustaches on the planet, but he and Al (his son) are wine purists, not necessarily in the "Wine Spectator" since, they simply love great wines. Al DeRose search for new endeavors took him to central Chile where he produces and imports his Chilean wines. De Rose VIneyards is one of the oldest operated wineries in the US - 1854. At De Rose VIneyards they are not concerned about anything other than wine... nada. The DeRose family doesn't care about wine spectator's points, they don't care about who endorsed what, and I find that not simply amuzing, but delightful! Their style is very much like the old world where the people of the community get together. The winemakers, the farmers, the butcher and the candlestick-maker all living together, drinking together, eating together and enjoying the celebration of life. At DeRose Vineyards it is,"Good friends, good food and good wine.*

Hours:

Hollister Tasting Room
9970 Cienega Road
Hollister, CA
Hours:
Thursday - Friday: 11 AM – 5 PM
Saturday - Sunday: 11 AM – 4 PM

San Martin Tasting Room
255 Fitzgerald Avenue
San Martin, CA
Hours:
Friday: 4 PM – 8 PM

Pages

Subscribe to Merlot