Hatcher Winery was founded in 2002 by owner/winemaker Matthew Hatcher. His skills as a winemaker have put this winery on the map and the tasting room in Murphys is a very popular stop for wine lovers in the Sierra Foothills. Matthew Hatcher is the owner and winemaker, and his wine making talents have put Hatcher on the don't miss list of Foothill wineries.
Husch Vineyards is a small, family owned and operated winery. It is the oldest winery in the Anderson Valley appellation, located in Mendocino County (Northern California) just 2 1/2 hours north of San Francisco. The tasting room is in a hobbit cottage straight out of the Shire. Worth stopping just to see it. People were friendly. The wines were very earthy and herby, almost gamey. Definitely distinctive. The tasting is free, which is rare even in Anderson Valley, so you have nothing to lose but a little bit of time and room in your stomach for something else.
A lifelong passion for wine, combined with a keen interest in mountain geology, first brought Bill and Bonnie Kehret to the Fair Play region of the Sierra Foothills in the early 2000s. Amidst building a successful high-tech company in Silicon Valley and traveling globally for business, the couple became regular visitors to El Dorado County, indulging in low-key wine getaways.
In a fortunate twist of fate, the old Mt. Aukum winery came up for sale just as Bill was preparing to retire from the company he had dedicated nearly 30 years to building from the ground up. Intrigued by the potential of the microclimate atop Mt. Aukum, the well-drained granite soil, and the breathtaking views from the winery, Bill and Bonnie purchased the property in 2018. They envisioned transforming the site into a world-class winery that would showcase the unique characteristics of the region.
The following year was dedicated to a complete renovation of the facility and the installation of state-of-the-art winemaking equipment and technology. With a small, dedicated team, they transformed the site into a premier winemaking facility and began the process of renewing and expanding the estate vineyards.
In April 2019, the newly renovated tasting room at Kehret Vineyards reopened its doors. After much anticipation, the first wines from Kehret Vineyards were released in October 2019. The next crucial step in their journey to becoming a world-class winery was to find the right winemaker to lead their vision.
In 2020, Steve Leveque joined the Kehret Vineyards team as the Master Winemaker. He is reshaping winemaking in the Fair Play region, bringing with him a rich history of viticulture and world-class winemaking techniques. Steve’s impressive resume has established him as one of California’s most renowned winemakers.
Born and raised in Napa Valley, Steve has built a reputation for crafting wines that embody the purity and identity of their vineyards. His experience includes prestigious positions at notable wineries such as HALL, Chalk Hill, Opus One, and Mondavi.
In addition to being a master winemaker, Steve is also a skilled viticulturist, spending significant time overseeing vineyard operations to produce exceptional grapes of unparalleled quality. He honed his winemaking skills during a decade-long tenure at Robert Mondavi Winery and absorbed innovative ideas from leading viticulture research and visionary collaborators, including the renowned Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland. Later, as the executive vice president and winemaker at Chalk Hill Estate Winery in Sonoma, he crafted an award-winning portfolio of small-lot Bordeaux varietals and Chardonnay. Steve then became the head winemaker for HALL Wines in Napa, as well as their partners WALT and BACA. Under his guidance, over 200 of his wines received ratings of 90 points and above during his 11-year tenure.
Steve has earned three 100-point scores from Wine Advocate, two from Jeb Dunnuck, and was recognized with the #2 Wine in the World from Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2011. More than 80 of his wines have been rated between 95 and 99 points by elite wine publications. This success is the result of years of experience marked by risk-taking, experimentation, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Steve’s winemaking philosophy begins in the vineyard. To truly tell the vineyard's story and create balanced wines, he emphasizes the importance of bold flavors. Every aspect of vineyard farming is crucial; timing is everything. Each vintage presents its own unique challenges, and vineyard operations must align with the growing season's influences. Decisions about shoot removal, hedging, and crop thinning all carry significant consequences.
For Steve, achieving a harmonious balance between vine vigor and crop is essential. He believes that cultivating low-vigor vines with low yields allows each cluster to ripen perfectly. This approach ensures that each grape cluster can develop fully, allowing for optimal ripening of sugar, tannins, texture, and flavor. Canopy management is another critical component of this process.
Numerous factors contribute to vineyard expression and balance. Once harvested, a winemaker's role is to honor that expression, employing gentle and precise techniques. Ultimately, to maintain vineyard expression and balance, winemaking must consistently respect and celebrate what the vineyard offers.
It was back in 1987 that Ray and Nancy Coursen crushed 4.5 tons of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford to craft 286 cases of their first wine. While the portfolio has grown over the last 25 years, the focus remains on creating vineyard driven wines that pair well with food. Total production is currently 10,000 cases and the wines are nationally and internationally distributed.
Stewart and Stephanie Perry are the owners of Fawnridge Winery and Vineyards, where they craft their award-winning wines on-site. Guests are welcome to meet them during their visits!
Stewart and Stephanie, accompanied by their dogs, are passionate wine lovers with thirty years of experience. After spending fifteen years in North Lake Tahoe, they relocated to Auburn in 1989. Together, they raised sheep and tended to their property, which overlooks the Sacramento Valley. Upon discovering that local grape growers were revitalizing the grape and wine industry reminiscent of the historic Placer County Gold Rush era, they decided to establish vineyards on their land. With assistance from friends, they planted Barbera and Syrah grapes in the summer of 2002. Stewart and Stephanie are deeply involved in every aspect of vineyard management and winemaking, committed to making Fawnridge Winery a world-class success.
The Barbera Vineyard
The Barbera vineyard is situated on one of the fertile hillsides of Fawnridge. The north-south orientation of the vines allows for ample sunlight, essential for this Italian grape. Meticulous, hands-on care ensures the vines produce full fruit and spicy characteristics, resulting in a truly premium wine.
The Syrah Vineyard
Syrah, a grape native to France, is cultivated on another hillside of the Fawnridge property. The careful management of this estate vineyard yields a luscious, flavor-filled Syrah in the French tradition, boasting dark color and a smooth finish that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning wine enthusiast.
Gustavo Thrace is a must visit for any level of wine enthusiast. Long story short, Gustavo was raised in the vineyards and has wine in his blood. Thrace is the partner with a deep love of viticulture and has business talent. Together, we all have the benefit of Gustavo Thrace wines that can be found near the Oxbow market in Napa. Really, there's a lot that could be said. Bottom line, it's a great stop during your visit to Napa Valley or on your Bottleshock tour.
Mac got into food and wine during his early twenties via his friends and coworkers at Trader Joe's in Southern California. He soon began taking trips up to the Central Coast to just to taste, but quickly found himself volunteering his time on his days off to help out at a number of wineries. After learning the process for a few years and spending more and more time on the Central Coast, Mac was ready to start making wine for himself.
This is an appointment only winery, and it has a quiet, more laid back feel than other places in Napa. The tasting room is really cute, with artwork and photography lining the walls. The wine maker's son, Julius even sells some of his beautiful photos at the winery. Our server was the wine maker's daughter, Sam, and she was great. We tried several different wines, including a Chardonnay, Malbec, and my personal favorite, the Cab-Franc. Everything was super well done. The Chardonnay was sweet, and not overly buttery, the cab-franc was smooth and the Malbec full of flavor. Sam was even kind enough to let us try one of their Napa Jazz wines. Very good, with a fancifully designed label. The best part? The wines are moderately priced. Most bottles cost around $30-40. The scenic rolling hills of grapevines, and large, earthy smelling wine cellars are great for photo opportunities. When we visited, the vineyard was in bloom with wild flowers. Super pretty. If you're in the Valley looking for great wines and an affordable price and gorgeous vistas without all the crowd, definitely give this place a try.
Minimum security tasting is available at Cloak and Dagger's Tasting Lounge in downtown Paso Robles. The Tasting Lounge is located in a small historic building in the town square, overlooking the City Park. Outward appearances would suggest the Lounge is little more than a delightful wine-tasting venue in the heart of Paso Robles’ vibrant downtown scene. The Tasting Lounge is located at 840 11th Street, Paso Robles.
