A Napa Valley rarity, they have free tastings here. I went all the way to Anderson Valley and most of those places still charge $5. And it's not like Heitz is pouring low-priced wine. I tasted an $80 cab that was four years out of vintage which was a joy to drink. They also sell a decades worth of library vintages from both Trailside and Martha's Vineyards. If $75 to $150 cabs are too much, then pick-up a balanced bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for $20.
Stephen and Jamie had a dream of owning their own vineyard someday. Their idea was to buy 5 to 10 acres in the Napa Valley and establish a vineyard. They created a five year plan to save the money they would need. Meanwhile Napa land prices skyrocketed from $35,000/ acre to well over a million dollars an acre. In the spring of 2000 their search lead them to the historic Amador County.While continuing to work full time jobs, they traveled to their ranch in Amador each weekend. Five wells were dug to find the water they would need to supply the vineyards. In 2004, they had their first crush as a bonded winery. 2006 saw the first crop from their estate vineyards. They expect to grow the winery production to around 2,000 cases annually, which they only sell in the tasting room and through their web site.They are now open with nine wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Barbera, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Syrah, ZinRah, Petite Sirah and a Gnarly Vine Zinfandel Port.
Helen and Dave Dart started their dream as home winemakers with a passion for great wines. After winning several awards in that category, they decided to make small lot commercial wines to share with like-minded enthusiasts.
What does a Spanish dancer have to do with a winery that has a French name? Absolutely nothing and everything. It was one of the first artworks created by Dave around the same time he and Helen began making wine at home. This piece has served as the winery's logo since their days as garagistes. Their journey began when they took Best of Show at the Sacramento Home Winemakers wine competition with their very first wine, a 2000 Syrah, igniting their passion for winemaking. Although Helen has French heritage, the name Dart is purely English.
Now residing on their Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, where the winery is located, the tasting room is a feast for the eyes. Dave and Helen have adorned the space with Dave's photo art, reflecting their travels around the world. Most days, Helen is present in the tasting room, eager to share her special wine-pairing recipes and insights into winemaking.
Through the tasting room lies the barrel room, where Dave and his daughter, Jessie, handle the winemaking process. They divide their responsibilities, with Jessie managing fermentation and barrel aging while Dave focuses on master blending and bottling.
The d’Art team is their most valuable asset. Visitors are warmly welcomed in the tasting room, where the couple loves getting to know their customers.
Sip, Savor, and Celebrate at San Pasqual Winery!
Located in La Mesa, California—just 15 miles east of San Diego—San Pasqual Winery is a delightful family-owned treasure that has transformed the local wine scene. Originally established in the 1970s in the beautiful San Pasqual Valley, this charming winery reinvented itself as San Diego's very first urban winery, earning a spot on Sunset Magazine’s “Hot 100 West Coast Trends” list!
Wine Adventures Await
With an annual production of just 3,000 to 4,000 cases, San Pasqual Winery focuses on creating intimate connections with wine lovers. Most of their wines are sold directly from the winery and nearby tasting rooms, ensuring every sip comes with a personal touch. Visitors can explore tasting rooms in the Village of La Mesa and downtown San Diego at Seaport Village, each offering a unique experience.
A Flavorful Journey Through Wine
San Pasqual wines are handcrafted in small lots, sourced from local vineyards and renowned viticultural regions across California. The winery takes advantage of diverse microclimates and strong relationships with vineyards to produce an exciting array of varietals. While classic favorites like Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon shine, adventurous wine lovers can also discover hidden gems like Tannat and Teroldego.
The fun doesn’t stop there! The winery features a thrilling line of passionfruit-based wines, including the spicy “Hot Passion,” inspired by habanero peppers—perfect for the sunny San Diego lifestyle. With numerous awards from local to international competitions, their Tannat and Cabernet Franc have even won double golds at prestigious events like the Toast of the Coast and San Francisco Chronicle competitions. A few years ago, their Malbec represented California’s style in Cahors, France—the birthplace of Malbec!
Unique Experiences at Every Location
San Pasqual Winery offers four distinctive locations, each designed for a memorable wine experience:
La Mesa Wine Works: Conveniently located off Interstate 8, the production winery welcomes visitors from Wednesday to Sunday. Guests can enjoy live music on the patio and delicious bites from local food vendors on weekends.
La Mesa Village Tasting Room: This cozy wine bar invites guests to become fast friends over sidewalk seating and lively conversations with the owners every Friday afternoon.
Seaport Village Tasting Room: Ideal for vacationers and locals alike, this spot offers stunning views of San Diego Bay from the deck patio, creating the perfect backdrop for sipping exceptional wines.
Toast Bubble Bar: Recently opened in Seaport Village, this sparkling wine haven provides an elevated experience every weekend, along with a fantastic venue for private parties or corporate events.
Everything we do at Dutcher Crossing begins with the concept of family. Whether you are the oldest or newest member of the winery, everyone’s contribution is needed and integral to our success. From the vineyards to the tasting room, even though we all have walked different paths on our journey to Dutcher Crossing, we’ve settled into family life together.
Our belief is simple—to be a well-balanced, three-legged stool. Leg one is make the best wine we can staying true to the vineyard, vintage, and varietal. The second leg is the beautiful sense of place within our vineyards and winery. Finally, our third leg is hospitality. Whether you are a long-time visitor or new to the property, we want to welcome and treat everyone as we would our own mothers. With the balance of all three legs, we create an experience like none other in Sonoma County.
An artisan, family owned winery showcasing the fabulous fruit and friendly spirit of Dry Creek Valley. Located near the charming village of Healdsburg. Pulled in on a whim while visiting wine country for the day. Not only was it a beautiful winery/vineyard, but we practically had the place to ourselves. Patrick was very friendly and knowledgable about all the wines.
The wines at Wiens Family Cellars were very good. Not too crowded inside. Good vibe inside. We had a lot of first timers in my group so they were a little unsure of what to do but the staff there were very friendly and eager to answer any questions. The hostess I dealt with was very friendly and had good recommendations. I have to say their "Perspective" blend was a very good red that I enjoyed. I also really like their Cab selection. From what I understand their big reds are in the premier tasting room....that will be my next stop when I return to Temecula Wine and wine country.
Louis M. Martini is one of the old wineries known for their Cabernets. They have a nice patio area where you can bring a picnic while doing your wine tasting. When we walked in the tasting room, we walked up to the counter and selected the $15 tasting of three cabernets. We were give the first pour at the counter and were told we could go into large patio area and sit at one of the tables where our tasting could continue. Meanwhile, we setup our picnic and enjoyed our tastings with our picnic. The sever was very informative and came back with the next pour on our tasting menu when we were ready. The pours were generous and we were also given pours of the Meritage and Monte Rosso in the $20 tasting menu as well. It great place to bring a picnic to have your wine tasting in their nice patio area. Would definitely recommend.
Agua Dulce Winery is a 90 acre, fully operational winery and vineyard, featuring daily wine tasting and tours and wines. You will find Agua Dulce Vineyards just 45 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles and this winery has earned the honor of being Los Angeles County’s leading fine wine grower and producer. *
Hours:
Daily 10am - 5:30pm
Painting by Agata Zaborowski - People enjoying wine
Fenton Herriott Vineyards is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills at the gateway to Apple Hill, and is situated on what was once the old Pony Express Route and resides just 1/2 mile from the Smith Flat house. This region has a vibrant prospecting history, and is just a short distance from the gold mining towns of Coloma and Sutter's Mill. The Sierra Nevada foothills has been used for farming for well over 100 years. The Mediterranean climate of this area combining warm summer nights and hot summer days with free-draining volcanic soils is especially ideal for grape growing and allows us to produce the quality fruit needed for our complex, delicately-balanced and full-bodied wines. As a small, family owned winery, Fenton Herriott is intimately involved in every part of the vintner process - vineyard and vine maintenance, grape crush, fermentation, barrel ageing, bottling, and packaging.
