Legend has it, each year at the beginning of the growing season, a band of coyotes from the nearby foothills, sneak into our vineyards, and for no apparent reason other than treachery, chew on our irrigation lines with wild abandon. Following these scandalous acts, they have been known on occasion to join paws and dance around, howling at the moon in celebration.
With passion and patience, Fiona and Hal Barnett created this vineyard and winery in 1983 with the intent of producing small amounts of hand crafted Cabernet Sauvignon wines from their estate. Since the first vintage of Barnett Vineyards, Spring Mountain has proven to deserve it's own AVA and become known as a unique mesoclimate, producing exceptional Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots.
Not long ago, a group of friends with deep roots in California’s Central Coast set out to create something special—Biddle Ranch. What began as a shared dream has since evolved into a labor of love, taking their families on a remarkable journey into the world of winemaking.
At its heart, Biddle Ranch is about the simple pleasure of enjoying exceptional wine in a stunning setting with cherished company. Every day, they strive to bring that feeling to life in their tasting room. With the skilled hands of winemaker Ryan Deovlet guiding the process from grape to glass, and the next generation taking the helm, Biddle Ranch is proud of what they’ve accomplished and excited to share it.
Visitors are invited to experience the beauty of their varietals firsthand. At Biddle Ranch, they promise a warm welcome and a feeling of home.
At the top of High Valley AVA in Lake County, CA lives an Estate and winery unlike any other. Planted at an altitude matched by only 1% of vineyards in the world, Brassfield Estate Vineyards & Winery is not bound by the traditions of the valley floor. Precision, sustainable farming is our base to craft 17 varietals; from vine to bottle the wines never leave our hands. We go above and beyond; for the land we reside on, the animals we share it with, the people who join us, and of course our award-winning wines.
The winery itself has a ton of history and is one of the longest standing wineries in the area. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Our tour consisted of a drive around the property by our guide, Ben, a tour of the wine caves and finally trying the wine itself! Views are gorgeous all the way from Oakland, Sonoma, SF.
Wesmar Winery specialize in palate pleasing Pinot Noirs from the Russian River and Sonoma Coast appellations
Since 1984, Byron Winery has cultivaed an obsession for crafting site-specific Pinot Noir from distictive vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley and Santa Rita Hills appellations. At the time of this winery's listing their wines are available by allocation only. You can contact Byron WInery by going to their website and signing up.
Cynthia is the owner and winemaker at Passaggio Wines. Cynthia's focus is small lot boutique wines that include unoaked chardonnay, pinot grigio, rose altogether about 10 varieties of wine. Cynthia went from cop to artisan wine crafter, not a typical journey by any stretch. In 2004, Cynthia left a 15-year Law Enforcement career to pursue that passion and family tradition of winemaking. It has been enjoyable to watch Passaggio Wines grow and see Cynthia follow her dreams. Passaggio's tasting room is gorgeous for either tasting, having wine by the glass, or for a special event. The tasting room staff and winemaker are very friendly and accommodating and make you feel right at home.
It's almost not fair for me to give this place a review-- as there has recently been a change in ownership. The new owner is renovating and updating a majority of the property. The drive up to Michel-Schlumberger is absolutely gorgeous; at least it is in April because it is not directly off the freeway; instead it is through several windy roads, and then through more curvy windy roads. It feels like you've reached some kind of sanctuary or private retreat in the countryside by the time you've arrived.
Longtime friends Todd Williams and Rodney Strong created Toad Hollow Vineyards when they released their first vintage of unoaked chardonnay in 1994. As one of the leaders in unoaked Chardonnay, their consistent style featuring bright, crisp fruit flavors, continues to be a favorite.
