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Fenestra Winery

cluster of grapes

Fenestra Winery was established by the Replogle family on the historic Ruby Hill property in Pleasanton in 1976. In 1980, the winery moved into the century-old George True Winery building on Vallecitos Road in Livermore. The building, which had suffered from years of neglect, required significant restoration; the Replogles removed tons of trash, installed a new roof, and reinforced the structure. In 1997, the winery building underwent further refurbishment, and vineyards were planted around the property. Specializing in classically balanced, award-winning wines primarily from Livermore Valley grapes, Fenestra Winery is recognized as Livermore Valley’s first boutique winery and has celebrated many years of producing fine wines.

Outdoor & Indoor Wine Tasting
Tasting Room Hours: Friday- Sunday 11:30-4:30 p.m. Last Seating at 3:15 for a full wine tasting.

 Reservations encouraged, but walk-in’s welcome if space available. 

Groups over six people requries a reservation. 

Read our guide to Livermore Wines and Wineries

Meeker Vineyards

pouring wine into glass

The tasting was a blast, the guy behind the counter was knowledgeable and funny. Why can't all tasting rooms have this kind of service? He listened to what we said and altered our tasting to fit our palate. Excellent service.

Miraflores Winery

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

There are a lot of wineries to choose from in El Dorado county, but this should be one of the first that you try. The tasting room at Mira Flores Winery is beautiful, and included high ceilings and a nice roomy tasting bar. The patio outside is stunning, and would be a nice place to enjoy a picnic lunch. Dick, our pourer, was friendly, accommodating, and we really enjoyed spending time with him. Five stars for ambiance and service.

McNab Ridge Winery

6 bottles of wine

cNab Ridge Winery now combines the pioneering winemaking spirit of John Parducci with the new tradition and vitality of Rich Parducci. Rich makes wine in the style made famous by his grandfather, John: complex, approachable, and enjoyable to drink. Production in 2005 was 12,000 9-liter cases.

Mauritson Vineyards

glasses of wine with fireplace in background

A great choice for Healdsburg. The area is known for it's Zins and you'll find many decent wines at Mauritson. The tasting is free to Visa Signature card holders. The tasting room isn't terribly fancy but it's nice and there's an outdoor area for warmer days. The staff was quite friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

Cedarville Vineyard

people sharing wine

In 1995, Jonathan Lachs & Susan Marks found the perfectly situated 20 acre property at 2,500 ft. elevation, located 1/2 mile up a dirt road from Fair Play Road, which would become Cedarville Vineyard. With Cedarville Vineryard 15 acres of vineyard coming into maturity, in 2000 Jonathan & Susan built the winery here on the estate. The panoramic views from the top of our vineyard spread from Mount St. Helena to the west to Pyramid Peak in the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada to the east. Jonathan and Susan chose the name, Cedarville, in honor of a nearby ghost town (founded in 1852) that boomed for ten years during the Gold Rush. Now, 150 years later, little remains of the original town, but the winemakers feel connected to the spirit of the pioneers of this historic area.

Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery

Cinnabar Winery is a family-owned establishment that embraces winemaking as a harmonious blend of science and nature's magic. Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, their vibrant Saratoga and Gilroy Tasting Rooms serve as the heart of the winery, where they collaborate with local growers to transform California's finest grapes into distinctive and approachable wines.

History

Founded in 1983 by the late Tom Mudd, Cinnabar initially planted vineyards and constructed a majestic winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Following Tom's passing, the estate changed hands in 2007, and Cinnabar relocated to its new home in downtown Saratoga.

In 2019, Ron Mosley, the original vineyard manager, took ownership, completing a remarkable full-circle journey. Ron is dedicated to honoring Cinnabar's legacy while steering the business toward an exciting future. Cinnabar's philosophy remains rooted in the joy of creating serious wine with a sense of fun.

Retro Cellars

vineyards vines in autumn colors

When Mike and Kara Dunn established Retro Cellars in 2003, their goal was to honor the rich history of both the vineyards and their family's legacy in the Napa Valley wine industry. Mike's family had founded Dunn Vineyards on Howell Mountain in 1978, the same year Kara's family began Pecota Winery in Calistoga. Upon meeting, Mike and Kara discovered that they shared similar experiences growing up in the Napa Valley of the 1970s, a time when the community was comprised of modest farmers.

They chose the name "Retro" to pay tribute to the generational groundwork that had been laid for their venture. This sense of continuity is further reflected in the label artwork, which was created by their then 11-year-old son, Alex. Now 28, Alex is a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, a part-time cellars hand at both Dunn Vineyards and Retro Cellars, and a builder of hiking and biking trails in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Simi Winery

table, wine, grapes, and cheese

“As we focus on evolving SIMI into a leading premium consumer lifestyle brand, we have made the decision to cease hospitality operations at SIMI Winery early next year,” wrote Alex Wagner, Constellation's vice president of communications in the wine division.

Girard Winery

wine and cheese

After a day of trekking around Yountville and St Helena I wound up at Girard Winery. Girard stays open till 7, very smart move I must say as they get the overflow of folks looking for a place to continue their wine tasting adventures or a place to grab drinks before heading off to a nice dinner. It's not a showy vineyard or winery so if you are looking for the fluff you will not find it (although it is a nice tasting room). What you will find are some REALLY GREAT WINES.

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