Good wines, friendly owners, fun animals. A field full of alpacas greets you as you enter Oso Libre. The husband and wife owners were absolute gems, but let's face it, unfriendly people simply don't own alpacas. They shared a lot of interesting info about the winery and animals which made for an entertaining conversation. The wines were tasty and the term “wine farm” setting of Oso Libre is a great experience.
Findleton Estate and Vineyard is genuinely a small family owned and operated winery and vineyard. Voted "Best Kept Secret in El Dorado County"!
The tasting room is cozy and charming (there is no better word to describe anything about Carmel), with a Western theme. A major photo opportunity rests in an AMAZING boot shaped chair, do not miss that chance. Bellying up to the tasting bar, tastes are $10 for around 8 options (and when I asked to revisit a couple wines before making my purchase, I was happily obliged), and they had no problem allowing two of us to share a tasting. Major focus on reds, full bodied and strong! My test of a great red wine when I sip it - does it make me want to eat a steak or a plate of pasta? Yes? Sold!
The tasting room wasn't crowded so we were able to linger and explore the room between tastes, and a dish of free dark chocolate was delightful. Our taster even brought out some cheese and crackers to enhance the experience! Low pressure elegance is very appreciated.
Dutch Henry produces some great red wines. Dutch Henry was first recommended to me by an employee at another (very popular) winery. Dutch Henry produces some special edition terrier bottles of wine. Not only is the wine incredible, the artwork on the label is worthy of being saved on the wine rack. There are the cutest terriers at the winery who will great you upon your arrival.
Dutch Henry also sells wine under the name Chafen. Tastings here are $20, but I think it's well worth it if you are interested in trying great wine.
Bob Levy is the winemaker for Harlan Estate, and his wife is the winemaker for the Sloan Estate. Both of them have made wines that have scored perfect 100 point ratings. They bought a 6 acre lot in the Diamond Mountain area, and the case production for their 1st and 2nd vintages is 400 cases or less. Robert Parker gave their 1st vintage, the 2004 vintage a rating of 96-98 points, and their 2005 vintage a rating of 95-97 points. What a great way to start off.
Their wines look to have excellent cellaring life. Their maximum estimated case production, given their current vineyard of 6 acres is around 500-600 cases at best. This is less then half the production of Harlan and about the same as Screaming Eagle. On average, Levy & McClellans case production will be less then that of Screaming Eagle.
As of right now, there is no waiting list to get into Levy & McClellan. But, I will say this right now, given the great history of these 2 great winemakers, it will not take long for their list to fill up and a very long waiting list to form.
The Wine
Levy & McClellan produces the following wine varietals: Bordeaux Blend and Cabernet Franc.
Martin Ray Winery's Founder Courtney Benham acquired the historic Martini & Prati winery in July, 2003. The tasting room structure, which dates back to the 1900's, used to serve as a stable and bunkhouse where Italian immigrants stayed during harvest.
Négociant Urban Winery is located in the heart of North Park’s Boulevard District at the intersection of Texas Street and El Cajon Boulevard. Négociant joins the rapid influx of businesses and residential developments bursting into the “Boulevard” neighborhood. This revitalization is anchored by improvements to the nearby Lafayette Hotel as well as multiple new major condo developments including one directly south of the winery! The neighborhood is becoming a walking community to fit the life styles of those living in the area. Art festivals, boutique shops, coffee shops, street fairs, and area activities lend to strolling and dropping into Négociant for a pleasant afternoon of wine tasting.
In 1970, San Francisco firefighter Cecil De Loach and his wife Christine
staked their claim in the wine grape business by purchasing 24 acres of old-vine Zinfandel in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. In the early seventies, the De Loaches decided to acquire additional vineyard land.
For several years they watched others make notable wine from their grapes before making the decision to produce wine under the De Loach label in 1975.
Belle Marie Winery and Chateau Dragoo are located on the Escondido Wine and Culinary Campus in North Escondido along Interstate 15. Belle Marie Winery's facility encompasses a 20,000 gallon winery, three tasting rooms, multiple corporate and reception venues, educational facilities, a gourmet garden and a demonstration vineyard with varietals from around the world.
Great views, greater wines. Ridge is a must. The wines offered by Ridge are top notch, well balanced, unique wines. While you can find their wines in some stores make the trip up the mountain where you can taste some of the more limited offerings.
Also and estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains
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Monte Bello
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Santa Cruz Mountains
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17100 Monte Bello Road
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Cupertino, CA 95014
