Red Wines

Red Wines

Blackbird Vineyards

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

“Every wine in the Blackbird collection is a true expression of the Napa Valley, with each possessing extraordinary structure and finesse. These limited production wines display the complexity extracted from the highest quality fruit and devoted winemaking techniques.”
–Aaron Pott, Winemaker

Copia Vineyards and Winery

Painting by Agata Zaborowski

The story of Copia Vineyards begins with the passion of Anita and Varinder Sahi, their shared love of wine, and the beauty of its source. The Sahis each had different paths to this world. He has an engineering and business background, and she is a restaurant and marketing veteran. He globetrotted for work and his love for wine grew. She worked with some of the finest restaurateurs and Michelin-starred chefs, cultivating her zeal for fine food and wine. 

In 2017, the Sahis’ search for a special site to produce world-class Rhône and Bordeaux varietals was successful. They became the proud stewards of 50 acres of paradise-on-earth in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. It is now a veritable winemaker’s dream with nearly 40,000 vines planted in 24 distinct blocks. In 2022, their estate grew to include 26 acres of dramatic landscape in the Adelaida District. Both vineyard sites have breathtakingly beautiful slopes, calcareous soils, and strong marine influence. Simply put, the Sahis believe that these vineyards are legendary. The vines on the Copia Estate are now producing some of the most abundant, concentrated fruit with densely rich varietal characteristics.


The word Copia is a Latin root word that means abundance or plenty. It’s an apt name for a winery that is created by two people who have always chased the glass half full.

Vouchaine Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

Located off the beaten path and decidedly unpretentious, an afternoon visit to Bouchaine is a favorite. Their wine is quite good, especially considering the mostly modest bottle prices. Their riesling is crisp and wonderful, perfect for a warm sunny afternoon. Their pinots are excellent. There is a self-guided tour through the vineyards that offers great views of the southern Napa Valley.

Tablas Creek Vineyards

grape cluster - ai generated - Pixabay

Tablas Creek’s 270-acre estate vineyard, rich in limestone, is nestled in the heart of the Adelaida District, within the hills north and west of Paso Robles, approximately 11 miles from the Pacific Ocean. Their approach to viticulture centers on quality, using dry-farming techniques and maintaining moderate crop levels. Since 2003, the vineyard has held organic certification, underscoring a commitment to sustainable practices.

Beginning in 2010, Tablas Creek integrated various Biodynamic methods throughout the estate, which include the use of a mobile herd of sheep and alpacas. This holistic approach aims to capture the unique character of the vineyard’s terroir, yielding grapes of intensity and depth. The estate achieved its Biodynamic certification in 2017.

Tablas Creek views regenerative agriculture as a vital approach to addressing global climate and resource challenges. In pursuit of this mission, they became the first vineyard globally to receive the Regenerative Organic Certified® designation in 2020 and the first Regenerative Organic Certified® Gold vineyard in 2022.

Cantara Cellars

Entrance and sign for Cantara Cellars

Cantara Cellars is a tasting room producing a broad selection of award winning red and white wines located in the in the heart of Ventura County. Chris and Mike Brown’s winery specializes in producing wines from grapes they have selected from the Lodi Appellation in Northern California know for in Zinfandel and a host of other varietals. Each wine expresses both the passion for making fine wines, and enjoyment of the distinctive flavors found in Lodi grapes that this couple has a passion for. Cantara Cellars began in 2002 as a private winery at Mike and Chris Brown's Moorpark home. Beginning with just 250 pounds of Chardonnay hand harvested from Mike's parent's vineyards in Lodi California, they fermented their first 18 gallons of wine! Over the next few years they opened a public tasting room in October 2007. 

Hours:
Mon      Closed
Tues     Closed
Wed       3:00pm to  9:00pm
Thur      3:00pm to  9:00pm
Fri         3:00pm to 10:00pm
Sat      12:00pm to 10:00pm
Sun     12:00pm to  7:00pm

 

Ramona Winery

grape cluster - ai generated - Pixabay

Winemaker Micole Moore embarked on an epic quest to unveil the wonders of Ramona Ranch Winery, where eco-friendly farming harmonizes with picturesque vineyards, surrounded by breathtaking scenery and the embrace of Mother Nature. Visitors can immerse themselves in the handcrafted wines, lovingly made to satisfy both wine connoisseurs and nature enthusiasts alike at San Diego’s only Certified Sustainable Vineyard & Winery.

The wines are produced from estate and local Ramona vineyards, each personally selected for their high-quality grapes, reflecting the meticulous hands-on attention of the growers. Each glass of their award-winning wines—frequent Gold Medal winners including Estate Tannat, Estate Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and others—captures the care and commitment to the land. These wines have been recognized in prestigious competitions such as the Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition, Toast of the Coast, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Sonoma Grand Harvest Wine Competition.

The winery invites visitors to follow their journey in this emerging wine region, believing that guests will come to know and love the little valley of Ramona, which they proudly call home, along with the friends they consider family.

Ramona Ranch Winery is open Thursdays and Mondays from 1 to 5 PM, and from 11 AM to 6 PM Friday through Sunday for outdoor wine tasting, available by the bottle and by the glass. For those in a hurry, a quick stop for a bottle to go or an online order is also an option.

The Hess Collection Winery

wine pouring into a glass - Pixabay

The Hess Collection was founded by Swiss entrepreneur Donald Hess, who first purchased vineyards on Mount Veeder in 1978. The winery is best known for its flagship Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay wines, and single vineyard designates from our estate vineyards in Napa Valley. A leader in sustainable and organic practices, The Hess Collection adheres to founder Donald Hess’ philosophy: “Nurture the land; return what you take.”

Waterstone Winery

wine glasses - pixabay

In this time of multimillion-dollar vineyard estates and celebrity winemaking consultants, when it seems that financial backing has replaced skill as the key to success in enology, it is rare that a simple idea can give birth to wines that stand out for flavor and balance, rather than pedigree alone. Waterstone Winery was formed in 2000 with the simple concept of creating luxury wines at affordable prices. Bringing together previously established relationships with Napa Valley growers and vintners, the winery set out to develop balanced wines of varietal character through intelligent sourcing. Preferring to focus on the wine itself rather than the accumulation of land and facilities, Waterstone owns no vineyards, nor does it own the facility where its wines are made. Dedicated winemaking, strong relationships with top growers and long-term grape contracts are the keys to Waterstone’s quality and success.

Bella Grace Vineyards

winery sign

Bella Grace, like many other Plymouth wineries, is lovely and sophisticated without pretension. I must say that I am always pleased with the friendly service and warm greetings we receive when we arrive. Their 2010 Barbera is a multi-award winner. I have to say that this is a must-have! I've rarely tasted anything like it. Super friendly staff here, and the owner was very nice as well. The wine cave was worth checking out; its cool temperature was a haven from the summer heat. And...tasting is free! Wine Cave - 22715 Upton Road Plymouth, CA Open Saturday & Sunday 11-4 during winter Sutter Creek Tasting Room 73 Main Street Sutter Creek CA Open Thursday - Monday 11-5

Tres Hermanas Winery

glass of wine

This is a great little winery along the Foxen Canyon trail. If you want a winery where the owners pour and you can actually talk about winemaking and the whole experience you get it here. Tres Hermanas does not make super jammy Central Coast wines but rather produces numerous wines in a more European style...lower in alcohol, higher in acid and basically more food friendly. I will have to say I enjoy 90% of what they produce. Their Tres Hermanas Cuvee is incredible as is there Nebbiolo, Refosco, Syrah/Sangiovese blend and Muscat Cannelli.

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