The staff here was not your typical in-your-face, super-upseller, super high energy and friendly type of pourer-- but she was very helpful, sweet and laid back which was kind of nice for a change. The room itself is worth the stop! All the hand carved wood--surrounding the barrel-made bar in the middle of the room, the tasting bar, and the walls is beautiful. The wood gives this place a super relaxing, comfortable cozy wine tasting environment.
Before founding Grey Fox Vineyards in 1996, the Arrigoni and Cecchi families spent much of their free time pursuing their passion for flying small planes. It was on these getaways that conversations turned to dreams of planting a vineyard and building a winery. Bruce's family had a tradition of making wine at home and Gary had a good chemistry background. A seed was planted and it began to take hold.
Ended a lovely wine weekend at Fisher Vineyards with a tour and tasting overlooking the valley. Cameron was our hostess and what knowledge, charisma and overall hospitality! Their cabs are phenomenal - the Coach Insignia and the Cameron's Vineyard are my favorites. It was a pleasure to tour the smaller, family run wineries, where wine is their passion, their history, their legacy.
*Tiny* building with beautiful scenery, Teldeschi let us venture into the back room to see all the Oak barrels with the sweet alcoholic juices we were imbibing. There's something to be said about a winery just being a place for wine.
This is a scenic winery with nice views and good wine. You can almost miss the road up the hill to the winery - as the winery is set on the hill. Nice wine sampling - Go for a wine tasting; be sure to soak in the view.
Concannon Vineyard has a proud history of “Firsts.” Always an industry leader, Concannon is the first successful winery to be founded by an Irish immigrant. When James Concannon planted white Bordeaux cuttings in the late 1800s, we became one of the first wineries to make Bordeaux-style wines in California. In 1950, we hired the first professional, female winemaker, Katherine Vajda. In 1961, we introduced America’s First Petite Sirah, sparking a love affair with the variety.
Try the 2008 Primativo - spicy, black pepper, complexity, a real treat. On Saturdays, they have live music to go along with great wine tasting. Gary and Christina Smith continue the fine art of winemaking and vineyard tending, which Gary’s father began with his three sons. Now with three sons of their own, the Smiths handcraft small lots of classic varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Primitivo, Syrah and Chardonnay from their 10-acre certified organic vineyard near Grass Valley, CA.
Hidden Jewel of Sonoma County. Pezzi King Vineyards Family owned since 1993. Winemaker Chris Barrett is a native to the Sonoma County wine country. He has seen this area grow from a few wineries to the prestige that the area holds today.
Janis and Richard own 120 acres of zinfandel in the Lodi Appellation east of Galt, CA. Janis’ grandfather Barsetti came to America from the southern party of Switzerland in 1903. Her grandfather settled in the Galt area in 1911. Janis’ father and grandparents bought the property where the vineyard exists today, in 1941. Up until 1995, when the vineyard was planted, the land supported a dairy, beef cattle and crop operation. The birth of Barsetti Vineyards as a wine label began in 2001.
The tasting room is beautiful, especially the natural stone bar in the room furthest from the entrance. The gardens are also worth the visit, with human-high flowers and an eclectic collection of sculptures. Oh yeah, and one of the guys in the tasting room yodels - definitely a forgotten art.
