Merlot

Merlot

Judd's Hill

glasses of wine, wine bottle with chateau in background - Pixabay ai generated

The reds were all fantastic..I really was pleasantly surprised. Their tasting room has a large table that they invite you to sit at, or , you can go outside and sit at those smaller tables, if you choose to. Wines are fantastic and the people here are passionate, welcoming and knowledgeable. They host a number of fun events and perks for wine club members. They also are well known for their micro-batch wine making - come make your own wine from start to finish (blending, bottling, labeling) with the experts!

Fetzer Vineyards

painting of woman with glass of wine - Artist Agata Zamborowski

Fetzer Vineyards

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.

Golden Mountain Winery & Lodge

wine and cheese - Pixabay

Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge is located in the Fair Play AVA (American Viticultural Area) at the heart of the California's Gold Country, in the beautiful and idyllic Sierra Foothills of El Dorado county, nearby historic Placerville. We feature fine hand crafted wines made from organically grown premium wine grapes and a unique Irish Bed & Breakfast. 37 years in Fair Play. Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge became Fair Play's first winery in 1980.

Coturri Winery

grape clusters in the vineyard

When in wine country, some enjoy a Disneyland experience -- fake castles & dungeons, tram rides, huge gift shops, docents, buses, limos, and a million things to distract you from the wine. And then, there's Coturri. The production is tiny. The facility is a garage. Check out the Syrah, Zin, or anything that they might happen to have on hand to share...and you'll get a great bottle of hand-made wine with little intervention of any sort.

Hatcher Winery

painting of winery and patio

Hatcher Winery was founded in 2002 by owner/winemaker Matthew Hatcher. His skills as a winemaker have put this winery on the map and the tasting room in Murphys is a very popular stop for wine lovers in the Sierra Foothills. Matthew Hatcher is the owner and winemaker, and his wine making talents have put Hatcher on the don't miss list of Foothill wineries.

Richard Perry Vineyards

wine and cheese - Pixabay

Like all great wines, Richard Perry’s story begins with the soil. In 1988, Richard and Sheila Perry planted the first block of what would become 15 acres of hillside vineyards on their ranch in Coombsville, located in the southeastern corner of Napa Valley. The Perry Vineyards were a product of pure passion and an unyielding work ethic. Richard personally carved terraces into the panoramic hillsides of their estate, planting Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and a touch of Merlot. They began by selling their fruit to Napa winemakers.

Vines

In those early days, Richard was among a select group of growers who began to recognize the full potential of Coombsville’s soils and climate. To showcase the superior qualities of his fruit and vineyard’s terroir, Richard decided to produce his own wines under the Richard Perry label. Their first commercial vintage was released in 1997.

Wines

Ever curious and committed to improvement, Richard partnered with another Coombsville pioneer, Ken Bernards, who became the winemaker starting with the 1998 vintage. Together, they refined both viticulture and winemaking techniques, ultimately creating wines renowned for their beautiful expression of Coombsville terroir.

Mountain View Wines

grape cluster

MANAGING DIRECTOR - CO-WINEMAKER
Angelo Pera took over the reigns of Mountain View Winery in 2010. Angelo has increased the amount of wine being produced by adding several small, micro-vineyards (less than 200 case annual production) to the wineries portfolio. The new, ultra-premium vineyards allow the wines to showcase not only varietal character but appellation character. In total, Mountain View now has 19 vineyards currently under management.

WINEMAKER
Winemaker Philip Zorn is a respected winemaker with broad international experience. Philip has been the winemaker at Mountain View since 1990. Born in the US and raised in Germany, Philip attended the nation's top school of enology and became winemaker at a number of top California wineries. Philip has a keen understanding of California's sub-regions and the intricacies of making wines from various California appellations.

Elizabeth Spencer Wines

bottles, glasses of wine and grapes - Pixabay

The best part about the tasting room is the staff. I enjoyed someone taking the time to talk to me about what I was drinking. Also, there is an adorable outside patio where you can sit and sip your wine. Plenty of buttery breadsticks and fresh water refreshed our palates between sips. Such an experience helped us to trust our own responses to the wine. Bryanna allowed us to explore the wines without overloading us with facts about the grapes or winemaking process. She responded to our questions with sensitivity and no hint of arrogance. All of us came away from the experience with a heightened awareness of the care with which Elizabeth Spencer wines are sourced and crafted. The reds we tasted were distinctively delicious, each proudly representing its appellation and the winemaker's skill.

Buccella Wines

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

Buccella, under the guidance of well-known winemaking consultant Celia Masyczek has fashioned brilliant Cabernet Sauvignons in both 2006 and 2007 and the 2008 continues their success. The 2008s are slightly more powerful, backward wines but they have enough structure as well as sensational concentration and depth to support the tannins. ROBERT PARKER RATING: 95

Wente Vineyards

grapes - Pixabay

Founded more than 125 years ago, Wente Vineyards is the country’s oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery. Today, the winery maintains its leadership role in California winegrowing under ownership and management by the Fourth and Fifth Generations of the Wente family. Blending traditional and innovative winemaking practices, the winery draws from approximately 3,000 acres of sustainably farmed Estate vineyards to create an outstanding portfolio of fine wines. Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, fine dining and championship golf.

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