Some of the original settlers of Chicago Park were first-generation Italian-Americans from Chicago, Illinois. The orchards and vineyards of Chicago Park bear witness to their quest to start a community in the untamed West that mirrored their homeland. Their spirit lives on at Montoliva Vineyard & Winery. Founded in 2000, Montoliva Vineyard & Winery creates Tuscan-inspired wines of uncommon depth and character.
What a great small winery experience.
The proprietor autographed our wine purchases.
Customer service was excellent.
The pours were large enough to get a very good feel for each wine.
With attention to detail in all aspects of the winemaking process Locatelli Vineyards work at extracting the distinct bold flavors of each grape varietal by creating complex, well-balanced, memorable wine.
Eagle Point's website seemed to be under construction at the time of this entry. We will update as soon as possible.
This small family owned winery is run by a husband and wife: Molly and Jason. It's so personal, in fact, when we arrived at their tasting room it was Molly herself that hosted us. She was very nice, but I wish she had voluntarily shared more information about the wine. It's always interesting to hear how people differentiate their wine; perhaps, she was shy. She was very attentive, however, and answered any questions we had including those involving the bizarre titles on their wine list. For example, their Pinot Noir was a " fog eater" while their Syrah came from a "Broken Leg Vineyard".
Back in the late '70s and early '80s, Eaglepoint included blocks of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but the vineyard is now home exclusively to red-grape varieties. Continued grafting and more recent plantings have concentrated on the Rhone varieties, including Syrah and Grenache, as well as their Rhone cousin Petite Sirah. Other varieties planted on the ranch include Zinfandel, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Hart's Desire had absolutely exceptional wines, and very many at that. They had a lot of varietals that you rarely find elsewhere in Sonoma County except for in blends, such as Malbec, Claret, and Cabernet Franc. Their tasting room has beautiful artwork and has an old school jukebox playing great tunes!
Bill coined the name Random Ridge on a poetic whim. “Once you’ve been here, you know; it just fits.” The land is steep and rugged, on a 2200 foot ridge at the edge of Mount Veeder, an ancient uplifted ocean seabed with rock-strewn decomposed volcanic soils. The north and eastern views toward Napa are of pine-covered mountains, with no homes in sight. The southern view spectacularly encompasses the San Francisco Bay, Mount Tamalpais in Marin, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Sometimes the sunset illuminates a glimpse of the ocean, 30 miles to the west, through a break in the coastal foothills.
We went to this winery without reservations to do a quick tasting if possible. They were totally accomodating and both people we talked to their were really sweet. IThe winery has great feel to it, with the old houses in front of the newer barrel room the tasting area is located in the middle of their vineyard.
Their wines were definately not inexpensive, but you do get what you pay for with their wines. They are solid, even robust in character with a long finish.
The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon would be a great wine for someone special at $60 a bottle. This one can easily cellar for ten years. Only 1000 cases are made of this one. It's smooth and mellow, and good for Merlot and Pinot Noir afficiandos as well as lovers of the Cabernet Savignon wines.
Volcan Mountain Winery is nestled at the base of the picturesque Volcan Mountain. Our tasting room, winery, vineyard and orchard area only a mere 2 mile scenic drive from the historic town center of Julian, which began it’s roots in the 1870’s gold rush. Get away from the hectic rush of city life…discover the charms of Julian.
