Red Table Wines

Red Table Wines

Acorn Winery

Paint of woman with glass of wine

Acorn Winery is a small family winery in Healdsburg, appointment only . We were there for about 1.5 hours talking and tasting with the owners, who were super-friendly. Their wine is very good.~ Art work by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery

Miro Cellars

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Miro Tcholakov was born and raised in Northern Bulgaria, a region with many millennia of winemaking history. He was exposed to wine and wine making at a very early age from his grandfather who taught him how to make wine in the old tradition that had been tested through generations.

Larkmead Vineyards

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Larkmead puts out some of the finest Cabs and Sauv Blancs in the valley. The vineyard itself is beautiful, located right on the valley floor. Sonny treated us great, explaining the winemaking process and the unique history behind Larkmead. Not to be missed if you are in Napa. The Larkmead Vineyards tasting room is open from 10am to 3pm, by appointment.

Mi Sueno Winery

grape clusters and vineyard - Pixabay

Mi Sueno isn't your typical winery. It's located in an Industrial complex in the South of Napa and your tasting is in the chilled storage area of the warehouse. Despite the unconventional setting, the private tasting that I enjoyed here was extremely well done and informative. Jaime gave us a quick tour of the facility and we settled down at a grand wooden table and the pours began. Jaime is quite the story-teller, weaving together the story of the owner and the winery with the explanation for each of the wines. We tried 11 of their wines that day, with very very generous pours of each. My favorites were their 2009 Cab and the 2011 Valeria, a petit verdot, from their reserve line, Herrera, but I was also fond of the 2009 Chardonnay (not too oaky) and 2009 Pinot Noir. Give them a call or shoot them an email and make sure you stop and visit this place. A "Hidden Gem of Napa Valley"!

Krissie Vineyards

grape clusters

This is a small vineyard making only 3500-4000 cases a year. A varitey for wines to choose from. Alicante Bouschet, Barbera, Barbera Rosato, Black Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Port, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Shiraz / Syrah, Tempranillo, Verdelho, Vinho Tinto, Viognier, Zinfandel

Photo courtesy of photographer Randy Caparoso

Skylark Wine Company

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Skylark Wine Company is a collaboration between Boulevard Restaurant Wine Directors John Lancaster and Robert Perkins. Both have years of experience in the Wine Industry. I wanted to taste this wine strictly because it was an interesting blend of 47% Carignane - 47% Syrah and 6% Grenache. Carignane has a long history in the state of California and add a texture layer to this wine. The wine has heavy heavy earth and spice notes. I couldn't quite put my finger on them all. The confusing part is a good thing because it made me keep coming back for a new sip to figure out the components. This wine would definitely benefit with food

Toad Hollow Vineyards

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

Longtime friends Todd Williams and Rodney Strong created Toad Hollow Vineyards when they released their first vintage of unoaked chardonnay in 1994. As one of the leaders in unoaked Chardonnay, their consistent style featuring bright, crisp fruit flavors, continues to be a favorite.

Boeger Winery

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

The Boeger Winery estate, originally homesteaded during the 1849 Gold Rush by the Fossati-Lombardo family, has a rich history rooted in California's early days. Like many during that era, the Fossati-Lombardo family sought their fortune in the gold fields but soon realized that greater prosperity lay in providing goods and services to miners rather than mining itself. Their land evolved into a thriving fruit and nut farm, which later expanded into a winery and distillery. Using Mission grapes and an early clone of Zinfandel, they produced wines, and a small block of that original Zinfandel still produces wine today.

In 2018, Boeger Winery received the prestigious Wine Lifetime Achievement Award from the California State Fair, a testament to its longstanding impact on the industry.

Decades after Prohibition forced the closure of the last winery in the county, Greg and Sue Boeger discovered the property in 1972 and made it their home. This marked the beginning of Boeger Winery as the first modern post-Prohibition winery in the El Dorado American Viticultural Area. Greg Boeger was no stranger to winemaking, as his grandfather, Anton Nichelini, founded the Nichelini Winery in Napa Valley in 1890. Greg spent much of his youth at his grandfather’s vineyard, gaining hands-on experience that would later fuel his passion for the craft.

Following in the footsteps of the Fossati-Lombardo family and his grandfather, Greg became a pioneer in his own right by experimenting with lesser-known grape varietals, including Barbera, Carignane, Refosco, Charbono, and Aglianico. Among these, Barbera became a standout, earning hundreds of awards for the winery.

As a trailblazer in the El Dorado wine industry and a staunch advocate for agricultural rights, Greg Boeger was recognized with the 2018 Wine Lifetime Achievement Award. This honor placed him among California's most renowned winemakers, including Robert Mondavi, Jerry Lohr, Bob Gallo, and the University of California, Davis.

For those looking to experience the magic of Boeger Winery, visitors are invited to explore the estate, taste its award-winning wines, and take in the history that continues to shape its future.

Madrona Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

Out back winery in the Apple Hill Area has a large following. The wines are unpretentious and you will likely enjoy their Zinfandels and Syrahs.You will find that the taste of the wine does very considerably year to year, however, they have all been good and at the price point.

Smith Vineyard

grape cluster - Pixabay

Try the 2008 Primativo - spicy, black pepper, complexity, a real treat. On Saturdays, they have live music to go along with great wine tasting. Gary and Christina Smith continue the fine art of winemaking and vineyard tending, which Gary’s father began with his three sons. Now with three sons of their own, the Smiths handcraft small lots of classic varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Primitivo, Syrah and Chardonnay from their 10-acre certified organic vineyard near Grass Valley, CA.

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