Pinot Gris / Grigio

Pinot Gris / Grigio

Lago Di Merlo Vineyards & Winery

The father-son duo of the Merlo family work together to produce varietals of Merlot, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Syrah, Moscato, and Cabernet Franc. Located on the Dry Creek Valley Appellation, the 200-acre (81-hectare) estate not only grows its own grapes, but also sells the fruit to other wineries. Wine barrel tastings are hosted for visitors to the place, while other events like Winemaker dinner, have its own fan base.

Mason Cellars

This is one of my favorite tasting rooms in Napa by far! They allow dogs inside and the woman who usually pours for us is so nice! Most importantly, however, the wines are extraordinary.

Particularly on a warm day, we love coming in to this bright and cheery tasting room for a some Sav Blanc. The 2011 Pomelo for me is the standout among the Sav Blancs for its vivid style and citrus, guava, passionfruit flavors with a grapefruit nose. I almost always end up bringing a bottle home. Honorable mention to the Three Pears and Mason Reserve, which are equally fantastic!

Luna Vineyards

Gorgeous building, three stories including a tower overlooking the vineyard. Comfortable couches, both inside and out. Nicely decorated. Definitely a winery kind of feel.

Since it was stop one, I split the classic tasting with two others.
Our server was friendly and super informative, pulling out a map every so often to tell us where the grapes of each wine came from.

Russian Ridge Winery

Affordable, delicious Santa Cruz Mountain wines, great tasting room, wonderful owners/winemakers. Looking forward to seeing this winery expand and grow. Kudos, and wishing the team the very best on their latest wines and their tasting room location in San Carlos. Open Fri., Sat. & Sun. Russian Ridge Winery is a participant of California Corks Winery Experience. Russian Ridge Winery offers two for one tastings and 10% discount on all bottles purchased. Both tastings free with any bottle of wine purchased. When you visit be sure to tell Scott and Spencer we say Hello from CaCorks.

Hours:

Mon-Thurs     Closed
Fri       5:00pm to 9:00pm
Sat       1:00pm to 5:00pm
Sun      1:00pm to 5:00pm

Swanson Vineyards

Such a fun winery! The Swanson's were there when we paid a visit and took the time to come over and speak with us on a more personal level asking where we're from, and what we did to make small talk. A very lovely couple that made you feel at home. They also had a very nice gentleman playing music on a very special instrument (I can't remember the name) in the front garden/patio area.

Mitchell Katz Winery

Mitchell Katz Winery has been a family affair from the beginning. With help from his wife, Alicia, production has grown to 8,000 cases a year. The winery was started in 1998 in memory of Mitchell's grandfather who passed at the age of 96. Mitchell also named one of his creations, a blended wine, after his youngest son, Wesley. Mitchell and Alicia consider their venture to be a living memorial to the man that devoted more than a half century to home winemaking.

Nelson Family Vineyards

The folks at Nelson Family Vineyards believe in their motto that “Great wines are born in the vineyard.” Nelson Family's goal is to gently guide the grapes into wines that show off the balance and high quality that they strive to achieve in their vineyards.

Hendry Winery

Reservations are a must! Call a couple of weeks ahead of time, so you get the day and time slot you want. They only have two time slots, either 10am or 2pm. The wine tour and tasting runs about three hours (half tour, half tasting), but it's totally worth it! The winery grounds are gorgeous. Great scenic views. The tour and tasting combo is $40, but it's waived if you buy an equivalent amount of wine. Sweet! Their bottles range from about $25 to $50 depending on what you get.

Rowland Cellars

Rowland Cellars makes about 7,000 cases of wine a year from appellations in Napa and New Zealand. The Ramspeck family started making wine 450 years ago and the brand was re-introduced by Gerry and Linda Rowland in 1991. Their other two brands are Rowland and Cenay.
Ramspeck Pinot Noir is made in Napa County. I tasted a 2009 vintage and found it to be darker than most Pinot Noir wines. It had a strong fruit and tobacco bite to it initially, but further consideration showed softness and a smooth finish. I liked that it was different and it was complex. What really makes it special is that it’s not something that you can find at any store. It’s unique, and inconsistent, and only available in limited quantity.

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