Red Meritage

Red Meritage

Orin Swift Vineyards

I'm writing this review based on their "unofficial" tasting room that's upstairs in their main office. I know a "real" tasting room will soon open down on the main street, and I'm not sure how much the atmosphere is going to change but if you get a chance to make an appointment at their super secret tasting, do it now!

In the low-key tasting experience, you'll get to sit around a small table with a few other die-hard Orin Swift groupies and taste their entire library of wines! You'll have a friendly, knowledgable guide tell you stories about each wine, the label, the history and more. The tasting is complimentary and there's no pressure to buy any wine, though the direct prices are good and you'll find wines that are hard to get anywhere else.
The tasting is friendly, fun, leisurely, well-paced, and you get the feeling of being a true winery VIP since it's by appointment only. It's also one of the only places in town where, after the tasting, you'll be asked if there's any wine you'd like to revisit. This is SUCH a nice touch and is very appreciated. I love this tasting experience and I love their wine. It's a must-stop in Napa.

Fore Family Vineyards

Painting of man sitting with dog and bottle of wine

Small, family owned winery with vineyards in Napa and Cobb Mountain, Lake County. Being primarily farmers, we are able to make our wines entirely from our own vineyards. The small percentage of grapes that we keep for our own label, totals to around 1000 cases annually. We are proud of our quality wines, and Lake County fruit! 

Hours: Sat & Sun | 12 pm - 4 pm

Tercero Wines

Tercero Wines Santa Barbara County

tercero wines is the brainchild of Larry Schaffer, owner and winemaker. He began the brand shortly after graduating with his Masters Degree in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis – but this was well after he had completely switched directions in life and charted a new and exciting path.

Larry started his college career at UC Davis as an undergraduate, but had no interest in wine. The idea of getting into wine was something he had considered in the past – but more on the sales and marketing side because of his background. After graduating with his degree, he joined the winemaking team at Fess Parker Winery, where he stayed for nearly a decade before it was time to branch off and concentrate 100% on his own brand – and he could not be happier today.

Larry is adept not only at winemaking but at explaining the process in a very user-friendly manner. Visit his tasting room or follow him on social media to see for yourself.

Thomas Fogarty Winery

Thomas Fogarty Winery was founded in 1978 by inventor Dr. Thomas Fogarty and winemaker Michael Martella. Dr Fogarty’s penchant for innovative thought and Martella’s viticulture instincts allowed them to lead the development of the cool Skyline Ridge area; true pioneers in one of California’s premiere Pinot Noir and Chardonnay regions.

William Harrison Wines

Willliam Harrison Winery is full of history, with a family heritage of wine making that goes back hundreds of years starting in Italy with a move to California in the early 1900s. The tasting room is quaint with some historical bottles and articles on display for you to enjoy. The wines here are solid, well balanced with nice structure. A favorite was the Estate Cabernet Franc, great finish with some some soft tannins; it was delicious.
Stop by for a piece of wine history and to enjoy some real good wine.

Arietta Wine

Rare wine specialist and wine auctioneer Fritz Hatton founded Arietta in 1996 in partnership with winemaker John Kongsgaard and his wife Maggy. The partnership was born of a shared passion for fine wine and classical music. The vinous inspiration for Arietta was an extraordinary 2.3 acre block of Cabernet Franc on the Hudson Ranch in Napa/Carneros. The fruit from this block of Cabernet Franc serves as the core of the Arietta Red Wine.

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery

Shannon Ridge at Vigilance

Located in the heart of Vigilance Vineyard is a rustic old farm house that was once home to one of Lake County’s pioneering families.   Today it serves as the hub of our wine business and a place to welcome visitors.  Open year-round, our tasting room offers spectacular panoramic views of our vineyards in Lake County, CA. Visit neighboring Anderson Marsh State Park.  Enjoy ShannonRIdge's shaded picnic grounds, Bocce Ball, and vineyard hikes, while tasting our award-winning wines.
Hours: Fri - Sun | 11 am - 5 pm

Livingston Moffett Wines

Livingston Moffett Wines is located in the heart of the Howell Mountain Appellation. This family-run winery uses a hands on approach to farming, winemaking, and sales to produce finely crafted wines. Trent Moffett is a second-generation vintner and carefully selects grapes from vineyards around the Napa Valley as well as from his family’s vineyard to make top-notch wine.

David Arthur Vineyards

David Arthur is located on the mountain with absolutely breath taking views of the valley floor. On our day it was quite pretty but extremely windy. I enjoyed having a private tour as its more intimate and you really get to know the whole story. We tried 5 different wines finishing with their Elevation. Along the way we were able to do some barrel tastings which was very exciting and interesting to learn about the process David uses. I will surely make a return trip up the hill very soon.

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