Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Ursa Vineyards

grapes - Pixabay

Ursa Vineyards is a collaborative effort between the husband and wife team - Greg Stokes and Deborah Elissagaray. Greg has 25 years of experience with vineyards and winemaking, and Deborah has 18 years in winemaking. Both were part of the winemaking team at David Bruce for years. This small foothill winery produces no more than 2500 cases annually, allowing exceptional attention to be paid in both the vineyard and the cellar. All fruit is fermented in small fermenters and worked by hand. A minimal amount of handling ensures the preservation of the fruit character of the varietal being made. Ursa Vineyard's focus is petite sirah from various vineyards in California, but they also produce merlot, syrah and a unique varietal from the Pyrenees, Tannat. 

Kokomo Winery

wine cellar

"Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band Down in Kokomo... That's where you want to go to get away from it all, down in Kokomo" Actually, this winery doesn't have anything to do with The Beach Boys and their song, but this winery. definitely does have good wines. Actually, Kokomo pays homage to the winemaker's (Erik Miller) origins, Kokomo, Indiana. Kokomo Winery consistently win awards for their wines, most notably their rose.

Holdredge Wines

glass of wine - Pixabay

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.

Sabina Vineyards

glass of wine - Pixabay

ABOUT US In 2002, David and Susan Sabin established Sabina Vineyards which they named in honor of David’s mother, Sabina Sabin who was the Matriarch of the family. After spending most of their adult lives in Chicago where they raised three, now-grown, children, David and Susan moved to Napa Valley. Together they have created a winery estate based on the small, family-owned Burgundian properties they have visited over years of travel to famous winegrowing regions. Their primary focus is the production of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, and they have made a devoted commitment to organic farming.

Husch Vineyards

wine and cheese - Pixabay - a.i. generated

Husch Vineyards is a small, family owned and operated winery. It is the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley appellation, located in Mendocino County (Northern California) just 2 1/2 hours north of San Francisco. The tasting room is in a hobbit cottage straight out of the Shire. Worth stopping just to see it. People were friendly. The wines were very earthy and herby, almost gamey. Definitely distinctive. The tasting is free, which is rare even in Anderson Valley, so you have nothing to lose but a little bit of time and room in your stomach for something else.

Manzanita Creek Winery

wine and cheese - Pixabay

We stopped in here several years ago, quite confused, because I had read about another winery with a similar name in the area and I was looking for the fields of lavender. Obviously that's not what you'll get in this industrial warehouse near Healsburg square, but it's not about the scenery here - it's all about the wines, and how delicious they are. If you're a fan of big, bold Zins, I cannot recommend this place enough. They also make a very decent Chardonnay and some Syrah and Petit Syrahs, but my heart belongs to the zin, especially the amazing Stealth.

Brewer Clifton

Wine swirling in the glass - Pixabay

While winemakers at Brewer – Clinton are grounded in traditional ideals found in Europe, Steve and Greg do not feel the necessity to be fettered by them. Instead they both make great effort to be certain that the wines that they produce truly are representative of the Sta. Rita Hills. Brewer and Clinton do not strive to emulate any other producer or any other region as they follow their own pursuit. This winemaking duo has espoused themselves to the appellation and will continue to do everything to display and celebrate it in as honest and impactful manner possible – in their wines.

Image: Saman Teher, Pixabay

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.

Sea Smoke Cellars

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

When producing world-class Pinot Noir, location is everything. For years, vintners have coveted a stretch of land in the western end of Santa Barbara’s Santa Rita Hills AVA known to have the perfect microclimate, soils, and exposure to grow world-class Pinot Noir. In 1999, fulfilling a long-held dream of owner Bob Davids, this sought-after stretch of land became Sea Smoke Vineyard.Sea Smoke does not feature a tasting room because we have no wine available for sale at the winery. Sea Smoke wines are pre-allocated to our List Members and to our distributor partners before release each year, and are sold out upon release. This leaves no wine to offer for sale to potential visitors.

Opolo Vineyards

wine dancing in wine glass - Pixabay

Rick Quinn and David Nichols started as neighbors, became friends, and eventually joined forces to fulfill their shared dream of creating a winemaking legacy in Paso Robles.

In 1997, Rick and David began planting vineyards, and by 1999, they established their family winery in the coastal mountains of the Willow Creek District. They chose the name Opolo to honor Quinn's Serbian heritage, referencing a rosé-style wine native to the Dalmatian Coast.

Although the modern winemaking era in Paso Robles was just beginning, Rick and David recognized the region’s immense potential. They focused on Zinfandel, a heritage grape of Paso Robles, as well as Bordeaux and Rhône varieties that would come to define the area's reputation.

Since then, Opolo has become a cornerstone of the Paso Robles experience, known for its widely acclaimed estate wines, warm hospitality, and legendary wine club. Today, Opolo offers a diverse selection of wines, including the iconic Mountain Zinfandel, limited-release reserves, and vineyard designates. Visitors are invited to explore the world of Opolo at their tasting room.

Pages

Subscribe to Pinot Noir