Trinity Oaks
The Trinity Oaks winemaking team pays close attention to developing California's top vineyards with a focus on coastal climates proven to produce superior, expressive fruit.
The Trinity Oaks winemaking team pays close attention to developing California's top vineyards with a focus on coastal climates proven to produce superior, expressive fruit.
Located in northern Santa Barbara County on the Sisquoc
River 14 miles east of Santa Maria, Rancho Sisquoc is part
of an 1852 Spanish land grant. The Chumash Indians
called this area "Sisquoc", which meant "gathering place".
Today Rancho Sisquoc is again a gathering place, this time
for wine lovers.
Fetzer Vineyards was founded in 1968 in beautiful Mendocino County by Barney and Kathleen Fetzer. One of the first California wineries to branch out into serious Chardonnay production, Fetzer remains committed to sustainability and environmentally conscious wine production. Dennis Martin oversees all wine-making at Fetzer and is assisted by Charlie Gilmore and Michael Chupp, who are in charge of white wine making and red wine making respectively.
We called a week in advance and made an appointment. This winery is 100% local, organic and very picturesque. Dave had the wines all ready for us to taste on a little patio table overlooking magnificent redwood forests and the Willow Creek Valley. He was so nice and welcoming and chatted with us for an hour and a half. It was so intimate and we learned a ton about the area and their wine.
Clos Du Bois seemed to make a very little effort to hide the corporate image with big buildings and parking lots marked 'Corporate visitors only'. Still they make a very decent selection of table wines, especially at their pricing. Have you been to Costco lately? While I have yet to purchase a bottle of Clos Du Bois it has been served to me a number of times visiting friends. My goal is to make a trip to try their higher end wines and their flagship "Marlestone" and their old vine carignane.
Stephen Storrs and Pamela Bianchini-Storrs begn Storrs winery with their first harvest n 1988. Both are trained winemakers at UC Davis, they have wrked at a number of wineries which include Domaine Chandon, Felton-Empire and Almaden before starting their own venture. Stephen and Pamela appreciate the cool Burgundian climate of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This winery grew to a comfortable 10,000 cases per year and in 2001 realized a dream with the purchase of land in Pleasant Valley district of Corralitos.
Tour the Cucamonga Valley’s last (at one time there were over 60) remaining Prohibition Era winery still operating at its original location by its founding family. Wine grapes were planted in the Cucamonga valley by European immigrants, and by the 1930′s vineyards stretched from the Santa Ana River to the San Gabriel Mountains, growing lush in the alluvail fan of deep sandy soil deposited by rivers that flowed down mountain canyons and onto the Cucamonga Valley floor. The average age of the vineyards in the Valley is 90 years, producing much sought after “old vine” wine grapes. At Galleano Winery you can enjoy premium Zinfandels,, Rhone Varietals, a glass of Rose, a nice white and a few dessert wines.*
Hours:
Mon - Sun 9:00am - 5:00pm
This small, out-of-the-way winery, owned and run by a husband-and-wife team, specializes in (of all things!) white wines in Napa Valley, and they do a great job of it. There is a distinct nostalgic charm to Stony Hill. From the wonderful tour and tasting offered by Willinda, to the lovely, intimate setting and the purity of the wines, this winery offers an experience that cannot be found in most Napa Valley wineries. It is a reminder of the old days when tradition, culture, family and commitment meant more than chasing wine rating scores or optimizing profits.
Our family grows and produces a handful of very small parcels of wines from western Marin County, Oakville (Napa Valley) and other vineyards across California's most scenic and celebrated winegrowing regions.
This winery is fun! They're only open the third weekend of the month. Tucked away down Redwood Retreat Road about 3.5 miles from Watsonville Road, the drive to get here is truly spectacular.
They are only open the third weekend of each month and passport weekends. They ask that you sign in and they then give you name tags with your first name on it. The staff was friendly and the owners Therese and Dan were walking around greeting people.
Dan and Therese Martin clearly have a passion for making great wine. They have scores of awards for their wine but that's not what they lead with. Their tasting room is welcoming and intimate. The vibe is comfortable and engaging.
Martin Ranch produces a variety of wines from Chardonnay to Cab Franc, Sauvignon Blanc to Sangiovese.