Red Meritage

Red Meritage

Georis Winery

Lovely wine tasting experience. We knew nothing about Georis but had it on our list of possible stops on a recent visit to the Carmel Valley. Sometimes the best experiences are surprises.
We shared a flight of five red wines which were served with a small plate of cheese and freshly baked bread from the Corkscrew Cafe. $20 seemed very reasonable for what was served.

We lingered over our wine for probably 40 minutes or so as we sat in the garden which is in front of the adobe (circa 1930) which serves as the tasting room. The charming garden had a European feel with an eclectic mix of seating areas. Colorful tablecloths and brightly painted metal chairs added to the ambiance.

The place mat and a small printed menu gave brief descriptions of the wine. We could drink at our own pace and didn't miss having a server rushing us on to the next pour.

Georis is a "keeper" on our list of Carmel Valley tasting rooms. We'll be back.

Continuum

Continuum Wine was founded in 2005 and is located on Pritchard Hill in the Vaca Mountains, the mountain range that forms the Eastern boundary above Napa Valley. This location was purchased in mid summer 2008 and there are plans to build a new winery on site. The winery is about 3 miles in from Sage Canyon Road, on a windy narrow steep road about 25-30 minutes from the town of St. Helena. While not an officially recognized sub appellation of Napa this area has long produced excellent wine. In fact, vines have been planted in the vicinity of Pritchard Hill since the late 1880's by Italian American Vintners. Two of Napa's typically 7 recognized cult wineries are here: Bryant Family and Colgin. Other nearby premium wineries include Chappellet, Ovid and David Arthur.

Szalay Winery

Szalay Winery is one of the most recent boutique wineries in the Santa Lucia Mountain
range of Carmel Valley. In the summer of 2003 Jozsef and Bette Kovacs
purchased 13 acres of land. Jozsef and Bette with their sons Jacob and Jesse began planting
and building the winery. Located sixteen miles into the valley from the Big
Sur coastline, we experience hot summer days with ocean influenced
breezes. Bud break on average is two weeks earlier than most California
growing regions, giving us a longer growing season. At 1100 foot elevation,
the south facing slope , with its sandy loam soil and sandstone base, is prime
for growing exceptional reds.

Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge

Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge is located in the Fair Play AVA (American Viticultural Area) at the heart of the California's Gold Country, in the beautiful and idyllic Sierra Foothills of El Dorado county, nearby historic Placerville.
We feature fine hand crafted wines made from organically grown premium wine grapes and a unique Irish Bed & Breakfast. 37 years in Fair Play. Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge became Fair Play's first winery in 1980.

Robert Biale Winery

un location, with outdoor seating areas for nicer temperatures than the inclement weather we happened upon. The tasting area was warm and cozy. We were entertained by the VERY fun, energetic, and friendly staff. Loved the enthusiastic and unrushed guide; the short-but-fun-and-interesting tour; the generously-poured tastings and bonus tastes); and all of the wonderful wines! 'Want some more of that Black Chicken! Very enjoyable experience.

Obrien Estate

Bart and Barb Obrian's property is a 33 acres of vineyards, a bonded winery, and their home. When you visit, you will be treated to an intimate experience in their backyard sitting at picnic tables under oak trees.

Tour and Tasting – a 60 minute tour and tasting experience. Your tour starts outside at a picnic table overlooking hundreds of acres of vineyards. Then you will visit the main fermentation and barrel storage room of the winery and learn about how wine is fermented in our 500 to 3,000 gallon stainless steel tanks and then aged in French oak barrels. Your tour will conclude in our bottling line room, where you can see thecrusher/de-stemmer, must pump, and bottling line.

$20 per person; fee waved with the purchase of 1 bottle of wine per person or wine club signup per couple.

Lancaster Estate Winery

One of the best wine tastings/tours I've ever been on! You must make an appointment in advance, but its well worth the effort. For $20, you taste four of their amazing wines while getting a guided tour of the gorgeous estate and wine cave. Lancaster Estate is a producer of small-batch, stellar reds.

Opolo Vineyards

Granted, this tasting was free, and they were pouring wine not on the list of tastings. But they were seriously understaffed. It was a bit frustrating that we had to wait and wait and wait… We will try again next visit.

The wines here, though, are excellent. Nice variety of reds, and tasty, smooth flavors.

The Mercantile

women enjoying wine together

Visit Lake County’s go-to destination for all things wine, food, and family fun – the brand new Shannon Mercantile! 
Now serving lunch in addition to our full wine bar! Enjoy sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, non-alcoholic beverages and more from local favorite, Rosey Cooks. Take a moment to relax or shop in the heart of Lake County, any day of the week.
Hours: Daily | 11 am - 6 pm

Blackjack Ranch Vineyards & Winery

Recently the World’s most respected wine critic, Robert Parker, Jr. awarded Blackjack Ranch a Five-Star rating for the production of Bordeaux varietals, specifically Billy Goat Hill Merlot and for Harmonie. Blackjack Ranch Vineyards & Winery is one of only two wineries outside Napa/Sonoma to achieve his highest ranking. In issue #148 of The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker included the following pronouncement: “Blackjack Ranch is one of the best-run wineries in Santa Barbara.

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