Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

La Rochelle Winery

label of wineries Pinot Noir

A very friendly small winery with it's focus on Pinot Noir. I first experienced La Rochelle's wines back in 2010 or 2011. I was inspired that day at a tasting to start my blog www.california-wine-trails starting with the tasting notes on a napkin that same day. It has been sometime since I last visited but if you enjoy Pinot Noirs this is certainly one winery to experience just how versatile this grape is and the different ways it can end up in the glass. Yes, I had a couple of favorites, but it was the best tasting of that day. While they do their best to accommodate walk-ins, they encourage setting an appointment so you have the time and attention to enjoying these wonderful wines.

Picchetti Winery

wine and cheese - ai generated - Pixabay

From the lofty heights of Montebello Mountain the grapes make the journey down to the historic ranch where they are examined, pressed and crushed in the shadow of the original Picchetti homestead house. Under the gaze of the ever watchful and vigilant peacocks, sweet juice is magically turned to wine.

Trombetta Family Wines

Wine label for Trombetta Pinot Noir

Trombetta Family Wines handcrafts beautifully balanced small lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from vineyards that exemplify the area in which they are planted. Erica Stancliff winemaker and daughter, takes great pride in producing wines with purity of flavor and balance. Rickey Trombetta, mother and owner, works closely with Erica and our growers to identify only the best fruit for our wines.

Trombetta Family Wines story began around the family table with food harvested from our garden paired with wines we loved. Our journey into winemaking began in the mid 80’s as home winemakers. Our passion for great food and wine led us down this lifelong journey.

Rickey and Roger learned to make wine from Carmine Indindoli, a wine grape grower, co-worker and neighbor. A passion was ignited and they pursued winemaking courses at Santa Rosa Junior College and UC Davis.

An opportunity to work side by side with Paul Hobbs in 1998 changed our hobby into a passionate pursuit of winemaking. One night at dinner, Paul discovered Erica’s palate at age 10. Encouraging Erica’s talent, Paul walked vineyards around Napa and Sonoma counties with her. In 2010 Erica graduated from California State University Fresno with her degree in enology. 

As a note currently the winer is having tasting (outside, weather permitting) by appointment.

George Wine Company

wine barrel - Pixabay

George Levkoff had his wine epiphany when a friend brought a 1991 and 1992 Williams Selyem Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir to share at dinner. Four years later, he left his job as a bond trader on Wall Street and headed west to Sonoma. He interned at Williams Selyem from 1999 to 2002, learning the winemaking process.

Idle Hour Winery Oakhurst

Idle Hour Winery logo

A hobby gone wild! That is how Idle Hour Winery, formerly Panoche Valley Vineyards, got its start. Winemaker Anna Marie dos Remedios began making wine as a hobby to relieve the stress of her day job as a newspaper journalist/business owner.  Anna Marie is focused on small lot, single-vineyard designated wines from some of California's best wine-growing regions. Anna Marie learned traditional winemaking methods from mentor and renowned Pinot Noir producer Josh Jensen at Calera Wine Company. At Idle Hour Winery the focus is on these traditional methods: native yeast fermentation, gravity flow racking and the use of neutral French Oak; all very gentle in nature, applying these to all the varieties Anna Marie ferments. While you will find all of the wines at Idle Hour Winery delightful, be sure to try the Reserve Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and the Tannat Idle Hour Winery is located in Oakhurst, CA the gateway to Yosemite Park. Idle Hour was include in a short video we did featuring several Central Valley wineries you can view HERE *

Hours:

Mon-    11:00AM-6:00PM
Tues-   11:00AM-6:00PM
Weds-   11:00AM-6:00PM
Thurs-  11:00AM-6:00PM
Fri -      11:00AM-6:00PM
Sat -     11:00AM-6:00PM
Sun -    11:00AM-6:00PM

Cline Cellars

corks and wine glass - Pixabay

This isn't your usual winery experience--Cline is surrounded by an impressive property, but this location is also rich with historical relevance. The mission on downtown Sonoma used to actually be located where Cline stands today. The vineyard was cute and cosy. IHas picnic tables in the front lawn laid out so you can have your own snacks to accompany your bottle of wine after your tasting.

Deaver Vineyards

pouring some red wine - pixabay

Ken Deaver, with his signature denims and cowboy hat, bends his broad shoulders to uncork a bottle of Zinfandel, a task that reveals his deep knowledge of both wine and grapes.

A tour across Deaver's 300 acres offers a glimpse of history, with 140-year-old Zinfandel vines and eight acres of Mission vines, originally brought from Mexico by Jesuits and Franciscans. These Mission vines were planted around 1854 by Ken Deaver's great-grandfather, John Davis, and a decade later, Ken’s grandfather planted the now-famous Zinfandel vines.

For years, Deaver's "old vine" grapes were sold primarily to home winemakers. The first vintage of Deaver Vineyards Zinfandel was bottled under the "Lakeshore" label in 1985.

Today, Deaver Vineyards is celebrated worldwide for its velvety Zinfandels. The Tuscan-like climate of Amador County also provides ideal conditions for producing exceptional Sangiovese, Barbera, and rich Ports.

With over four generations of Deavers cultivating grapes in Amador County, Deaver Vineyards boasts a deep heritage. Known for its velvety Zinfandel and some of the oldest vines in the region, their wines are widely regarded as true classics.

Paul Hobbs Winery

cluster of grapes

Top notch experience with top notch wine. Our host for the day started by taking us into a big room with a fully set table. I appreciated that we were each given multiple glasses that were appropriate for the wine were were tasting - Chardonnay, Pinot & Cab. It makes such a difference and that should have been the first clue to the experience we were about to have.

Watkins Family Winery

corks and wine glass - Pixabay

The beautiful terraces of Nuns Cliff Vineyard arise at 1400 feet, high above the cliffs overlooking Nuns Canyon. The west facing vineyard slopes are planted in red volcanic soils, considered by many winemakers to be the best Cabernet Sauvignon ground on the Mayacamas Mountain Range dividing Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley. Blue/black in the glass, this wine exhales a heady perfume of juicy black fruits, toffee, and spicy notes of peppercorn and sage.

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