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Teneral Cellars

grape cluster

Teneral Cellars was founded in Northern California in 2020. It is a certified women-owned and operated producer of sustainable, award-winning wines. From the outset, the company aimed to harness the power of business for good, using wine as a conduit for change. Every bottle opened sparks essential conversations, and Teneral Cellars donates 10% of its profits to organizations that empower women and fight for gender and racial justice.

In June 2023, Teneral Cellars purchased Wilderotter Vineyard, establishing a new home to share its passion for wine, community, and a sense of place. Thus, Teneral Cellars at Wilderotter Vineyard was born. The 40-acre estate, located in the heart of the Sierra Foothills AVA in Plymouth, CA, Amador County, includes 26 acres of vineyards, a full winery production facility, and a five-star luxury boutique hotel called the Grand Reserve Inn. Additionally, Teneral Cellars has 28 acres of vineyards in Amador County and 10 acres in the Fair Play AVA of El Dorado County. Wilderotter Vineyard has produced some of the region's finest wines, including award-winning Sauvignon Blanc and Nebbiolo. This merger of two exceptional brands allows Teneral Cellars to continue crafting phenomenal wines and providing every guest with an extraordinary experience.

Husch Vineyards

wine and cheese - Pixabay - a.i. generated

Husch Vineyards is a small, family owned and operated winery. It is the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley appellation, located in Mendocino County (Northern California) just 2 1/2 hours north of San Francisco. The tasting room is in a hobbit cottage straight out of the Shire. Worth stopping just to see it. People were friendly. The wines were very earthy and herby, almost gamey. Definitely distinctive. The tasting is free, which is rare even in Anderson Valley, so you have nothing to lose but a little bit of time and room in your stomach for something else.

Ironstone Vineyards

Wine at picnic table - Pixabay

Ironstone Vineyards

In the heart of California’s scenic Gold Rush Country, Ironstone Vineyards will surprise and delight you with a winery that places as much emphasis on the natural beauty and history of their surroundings, as they do on the quality of their wines.

Du Vigne Winery

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

Since its inception in 2001, Due Vigne Winery has pioneered the production of hand-crafted Italian varietals, cultivated in carefully selected wine regions across California. The winery is committed to sourcing grapes from vineyards with distinct terroir, each suited to enhancing the characteristics of these varietals. From the high-elevation Sierra Foothills to the coastal and forest influences of Monterey County, every bottle of Due Vigne reflects the unique flavors of its terroir. The winery is centrally located in these renowned regions, situated at the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, California, with a mission to create world-class Italian varietals nurtured in Californian soil.

Winemaker Ken Musso can often be found among the vineyards, tending to the rows, stirring the soil, and caring for the vines. His passion for Italian wines is driven by the terroir, or “sense of place,” and his meticulous attention to detail ensures that every bottle of Due Vigne is exceptional.

Ken Musso’s lifelong passion for winemaking began in his youth, inspired by observing his father and grandfather making wine in the basement of a historic San Francisco building. The sight and aroma of fermenting grapes left a lasting impression, strengthening his dedication to winemaking. This passion was further fueled when Ken and his cousin discovered several bottles of their grandfather’s last vintage, a 1937 Zinfandel, igniting his determination to uphold the family tradition.

In 1973, Ken embarked on a thirty-year career in firefighting, temporarily setting aside his winemaking aspirations until the establishment of Due Vigne in 2004. As a relatively new firefighter in 1975, Ken brought his first ton of Zinfandel home from Sonoma in his father’s car and fermented it in the garage, emulating his father and grandfather’s methods. The success of this wine among family and friends inspired him to seek out more grapes, ideally those he could grow himself.

Ken continued to produce wines for family and friends over thirty vintages while refining his winemaking skills through classes and seminars at UC Davis and other educational institutions. In 1995, Ken and his wife Ann realized their dream of establishing a vineyard by purchasing a five-acre parcel in Garden Valley, California, where they planted their acclaimed Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Sagrantino.

By 2004, Ken released his inaugural vintage of Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, and Cabernet Sauvignon under the Due Vigne label. Since then, Due Vigne has expanded to produce over 3,000 cases annually and offers more than 15 different varietals, many of which are rooted in the Sierra Foothills. Alongside his business partner, Nina Fadelli, Ken Musso has developed a portfolio of well-balanced, richly complex, and distinctive Italian varietals, all cultivated and grown in California’s fertile soil.

Boeger Winery

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

The Boeger Winery estate, originally homesteaded during the 1849 Gold Rush by the Fossati-Lombardo family, has a rich history rooted in California's early days. Like many during that era, the Fossati-Lombardo family sought their fortune in the gold fields but soon realized that greater prosperity lay in providing goods and services to miners rather than mining itself. Their land evolved into a thriving fruit and nut farm, which later expanded into a winery and distillery. Using Mission grapes and an early clone of Zinfandel, they produced wines, and a small block of that original Zinfandel still produces wine today.

In 2018, Boeger Winery received the prestigious Wine Lifetime Achievement Award from the California State Fair, a testament to its longstanding impact on the industry.

Decades after Prohibition forced the closure of the last winery in the county, Greg and Sue Boeger discovered the property in 1972 and made it their home. This marked the beginning of Boeger Winery as the first modern post-Prohibition winery in the El Dorado American Viticultural Area. Greg Boeger was no stranger to winemaking, as his grandfather, Anton Nichelini, founded the Nichelini Winery in Napa Valley in 1890. Greg spent much of his youth at his grandfather’s vineyard, gaining hands-on experience that would later fuel his passion for the craft.

Following in the footsteps of the Fossati-Lombardo family and his grandfather, Greg became a pioneer in his own right by experimenting with lesser-known grape varietals, including Barbera, Carignane, Refosco, Charbono, and Aglianico. Among these, Barbera became a standout, earning hundreds of awards for the winery.

As a trailblazer in the El Dorado wine industry and a staunch advocate for agricultural rights, Greg Boeger was recognized with the 2018 Wine Lifetime Achievement Award. This honor placed him among California's most renowned winemakers, including Robert Mondavi, Jerry Lohr, Bob Gallo, and the University of California, Davis.

For those looking to experience the magic of Boeger Winery, visitors are invited to explore the estate, taste its award-winning wines, and take in the history that continues to shape its future.

Fresno State Winery

grapes - Pixabay

The Fresno State Winery produces a wide variety of wines from the most popular and well-known of wines such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to up-and-coming varieties like Syrah to lesser-known wines that are made in small batches. The complete line of Fresno State wines is available at this web site and the Farm Market at the southeast corner of Barstow and Chestnut. At the Fresno State Winery we strive to engage our students in all aspects of the winemaking profession.

Stevenot Winery

Painting by Agata Zaborowski - two women with wine at table

The first Stevenot’s came to the area during the great Gold Rush of the mid 1800’s. During that time vineyards began cropping up throughout the region as miners from France, Germany, and Italy were creating a demand for wine on an unprecedented scale. At one time the Sierra Foothills rivaled the areas of Napa and Sonoma combined in vineyard acreage with over 100 wineries established. Although the industry eventually declined with the advent of prohibition, it wasn’t long before a 5th generation member of the Stevenot family took up where his family had left off and established the winery in the late 1970s. Recognized as one of the pioneers of the rebirth of wine production in the Sierra Foothills, Stevenot Winery quickly secured its reputation for producing world-class wines and for its innovative and award-winning style.

Painting by Agata Zaborowski - two women with wine at table

Romeo Vineyard and Cellars

Sign for the tasting room at Romeo Vineyards

In downtown Calistoga this tasting room was very charming and inviting. The manager and tasting guide, Brandon, were very helpful and welcoming, we really felt at home. Great ambiance, exquisite Sempre Vive wines, cheese and charcuterie. Romeo Vineyards produces elegant awines from vines forty-two years old which reside south of a nine acre reservoir in Calistoga, California. The vineyard lies sandwiched between two forested knolls, leading to the geographical conditions that create hot days and cool nights and an extremely long hang time in our Calistoga vineyard. This allows their grapes to develop full flavors, deep color and intense complexity.

Wilson Creek Winery

Painting by Agata Zaborowski - man with pet dog and bottle of wine

Wilson Creek Winery is warm and friendly, comfortable yet exhilarating, simple yet elegant, all inspirations from the Estate wines, vineyards and Mount Palomar in the distance. What makes this Winery for me is the grounds. Tons of places to sit and enjoy your wine tastings. I think what makes it for me, is that I don't feel confined to standing at the tasting bar. I can walk around with my tastings. I don't particularly feel as free to do that at other Wineries. This winery has a lot to offer to visitors that are looking to do a little wine tasting in Temecula Wine Country.

Castorro Cellars

Logo for Castoro Cellars

Meet Niels and Bimmer Udsen, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo behind Cas­toro Cellars, a fun and inviting winery that has been making waves in Paso Robles since 1983. Their journey began with a simple dream: to create world-class wines from the beautiful grapes of the Paso Robles appellation.

Niels, a Ventura native, first dipped his toes into the wine business while studying Agribusiness at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo. His passion for winemaking, combined with Bimmer’s unwavering support, led them to establish their very own winery in the heart of this thriving wine region.

But the path to success wasn’t conventional. The Udsens embraced what they fondly call the “backwards approach”: they started by making and selling wine, then acquired their own equipment, and finally built their winery and tasting room. Talk about an adventure!

You can visit Cas­toro’s charming tasting room in Templeton, right off scenic Highway 46 West, while their winemaking facility is located in San Miguel on the East Side of Paso Robles—both opened their doors in 1990. With the mentorship of Tom Myers, Cas­toro Cellars’ talented winemaker, the Udsen family has transformed from crafting a few barrels for friends and family into a thriving business.

Today, Cas­toro boasts over 1,400 acres of estate vineyards, all certified organic and SIP certified. Niels and Bimmer have built a brand that reflects their values, focusing on approachability and environmental consciousness. Niels' father, a Danish immigrant and successful businessman, instilled in him a deep appreciation for agriculture and entrepreneurship, which shaped their winery’s foundation.

Niels discovered his love for the wine industry during a senior marketing project for a local winery at Cal Poly. After marrying Bimmer in 1981, he honed his winemaking skills in the cellar of Estrella River Winery, learning every aspect of the craft for five years under the guidance of Tom Myers.

In 1983, armed with experience and a sense of humor, Niels and Bimmer launched Cas­toro Cellars, named after the Italian word for “beaver” (Niels’ long-time nickname). Their motto, “Dam Fine Wine,” perfectly captures their playful spirit!

Cas­toro Cel­lars isn’t just about great wine; it’s about family values, too. Their welcoming tasting room is family-friendly, even offering alcohol-free Zinfandel grape juice for the little ones. Plus, the Udsens prioritize a work environment that understands the importance of family flexibility for their employees. So, whether you’re a seasoned wine lover or just starting your journey, Cas­toro Cellars promises a delightful experience filled with laughter, warmth, and, of course, exceptional wine!

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