Alpen Cellars, established on a family ranch in the spring of 1984, is situated in a picturesque mountain valley at the foot of towering craggy peaks in the rugged Trinity Lake region of Trinity County, California. It seems an unlikely location to attempt to grow wine grapes. But the notion, a product of a young enology student's vision, turned out to be notably rewarding.
Demetria Estate produces two separate portfolios of wines including, Burgundian varietals and Rhone-style blends that capture the singularity of the vineyards and the region from which they originated.
The Burgundian offerings comprise of varietal honest manifestations of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, farmed sustainably in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County.
The Rhone blends feature a rich, aromatic array of wines that are well-balanced, and intensely flavorful. The Rhone blends are styled after the famous Chateauneuf du Pape reds and are made from varieties of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache. The white Rhone wines are blends of Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc.
As of October 2009, Harrington has released all of the 2007 single vineyard designated Pinot Noirs. The 2007 Brosseau Vineyard Pinot, from the Chalone appellation of Monterey, is the third vintage made entirely from a little-known clone, the Colmar 538. The limestone soils of Chalone are providing a welcoming home to this new clone, as is evident in this wine's focus and intensity.
Muir Hanna Vineyards . Every so often we stumble upon a very special winery and this is certainly one of those. They are one of the very few wineries in the Napa Valley who grow and make their wine locally but have an open to the public tasting room located elsewhere. Their tasting room is located in the historical downtown of Murphys, California about 4 hours east of the Napa Valley in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Once you find out more history about this winery, this location makes a lot of sense as Murphys is somewhat on the way to Yosemite National Park and family members used to live in Tuolumne county. This is a completely family owned and operated winery from the vineyard management, to the winemaking to the marketing and distribution of their wines.
This vineyard is such a little gem! They are located on top of a hill so the view is gorgeous, and they have an adorable patio area. The servers are extremely knowledgeable, pleasant and attentive, even when the counter is packed full. I appreciated the hospitality. Great view from the patio, a nice place to bring some snacks and enjoy a tasting. A couple nice well behaved dogs hang out with you while you are enjoying your tasting. The Old Vine Chardonnay, Red Wolff, Syrah and Petite Syrah were all good. Many of the wines are particularly good with a cheddar based cracker so bring some!
Tasting fee is $8 waived per bottle purchased ($10 for groups of 8 or more). All wines under $30 per bottle (regular price). Sammie the dog is gorgeous and well behaved! Brixie is the old English Lab - they used to have a "Brixie's red" that was a really nice table wine - I believe this is now the Red Wolff.
The property is beautiful, complete with a pond, a fountain, beautiful views and plenty of benches and seating to sit back and enjoy your purchase. In the near future, they'll have a heli pad and side VIP entrance for the celebs and famous peeps who wanna sip in peace. I'll keep that in mind if I ever want to fire up the jet and visit them again. The cabs are dark, juicy and have beautiful balance. Make sure to walk away with a few bottles of the Persistence. In my opinion, it is the perfect holiday wine. Tons of black fruit, some tobacco, and intriguing minerality.
At California Corks we love to meet the winemakers and become acquainted with the wines of those special little boutique wineries. We have been trying to find a way for those that join the California Corks Winery Experience can enjoy this same experience, to meet the winemaker or have access to some of these harder to find wines. We are glad to say that we have found a way to do so that allows for plenty of opportunity to do both. We are glad to introduce Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective is the first of its kind in downtown Saratoga. A multi-winery tasting room that is home to some of the best and most talented winemakers in California. The wines are offered in pre-arranged flights to allow guests to compare different wines and discover new favorites. The Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective provides a warm, casual elegance in the beautiful courtyard or grab a table in the tasting room. This is a place where wine lovers will find new wines to love, and where smaller wineries can showcase their wines and introduce them to consumers. We a pleased to have Ruthe Roberts Wine Collective as a participant of the California Corks Winery Experience.
Hours:
Mon-Thur Closed
Fri 12:00am to 6:00pm
Sat 12:00am to 6:00pm
Sun 1:00am to 5:00pm
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.
For those who yearn for the intensity and depth Rhone varietals have to offer – Consilience produces a vast array of just that and a bit more.
If you're interested in the workings of a true family run winery, please do yourself a favor and visit.John and Carri produce some great wines at great prices and always provide some fun at the tasting room. With an emphasis on Pinot they still produce two zins, two syrahs, and couple of deserts.
