Sangiovese

Sangiovese

Toogood Estate Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

About Toogood Estate Winery

In December 2019, Toogood Estate Winery was purchased by the Ron and Darin Mittelstaedt family from El Dorado Hills. Their sons, Bradley and Timothy, along with Tim’s fiancé Kayla, are involved in the daily operations, each contributing their unique skill sets to the winery. The family is supported by a dedicated staff that has previously provided excellent wine knowledge and expertise. Their daughter, Haley, plans to join the team after completing her studies in Texas. Ron and Darin can be found on-site most weekends, assisting with various operations.

With years of experience in diverse business sectors, Ron and Darin are excited to help Toogood Estate Wines grow and flourish. Plans for new developments are underway, building on the foundation established by Paul Toogood, who started the winery in 2001.

The talented and beloved winemaker, Marco Cappelli, will remain with the winery, continuing to craft the wines that many have come to cherish. The family looks forward to being an active part of the Fairplay wine community.

Toogood Estate Winery was established on a picturesque 40-acre parcel of rolling foothills purchased in May 2001. This quarter-mile square property features microclimates ideal for the carefully selected grape varieties. Excavation for the wine cave began on September 11, 2001, and was completed nine months later, resulting in 5,000 square feet of underground winery production and aging space, all maintained in a delicately controlled atmosphere.

The winery's first crush was the 2002 vintage, with the initial bottling occurring in January 2003. Since then, sales and acceptance of the wines have been remarkable.

Currently, the vineyards boast 12 acres planted with a variety of grapes, including Zinfandel, Primitivo, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah. Visitors are always welcome to come by and say hello.

Photo courstesy of photographer Randy Caparoso

Amphora Wines

wine swirling in the glass - pixabay

The Dry Creek wineries produce a wider variety of wines and styles of wines than the traditional PN and Zin crowd along the Russian River. The Amphor tasting room location is in the same parking lot as 10 other wineries tasting rooms - right off Dry Creek Road. Stop at this location and you will be able to taste wines from Amphora, Collier Falls, Dashe, Forth, Philip Staley, Peterson, Lago di Merlo, Kokomo, Mietz and Papapietro.

Cooper Vineyards

Ancient Zinfandel - Courtesy Randy Caparoso

Everyone working there was extremely friendly and generous with the servings. The tasting room has an open layout with a decent-sized counter and several tables. The tasting room is warm and inviting with a rustic feel. Barrels line the walls and serve as the base of the tables.  Ancient Zinfandel - Courtesy Randy Caparoso

Churon Winery

painting of person drinking wine at a patio table

This winery is pleasant and makes you feel like you are at home. Decor was very casual and warm. Staff was generous with their pouring. We had some reds and sweet wines. The sweet wine with plum and chocolate notes was one of the best. Their sherry was also very good. We even had some homemade lemon marmalade with crackers.

Falkner Winery

Painting by Agata Zaborowski Family enjoying wine

The views from this winery are beautiful, so we got some great pictures. No wonder people have weddings here!Busy on a Sunday afternoon but Super friendly. Shelly waved us on over and introduced us to the Falkner wines. Enjoyed the reds...especially the Cabernet and the two Meritage blends. Chose the 7 wine tasting for $15. Never had to pay up front like this up in the Central Coast wineries where we frequent. Your tastings are also usually free up there if you buy a few bottles. Falkner does give a $5 coupon toward your purchase of a bottle and you do get to keep the glasses.

 

Painting by Agata Zaborowski Family enjoying wine

Rodrigue-Molyneaux Winery

Cluster of grapes - Pixabay

At Rodrigue Molyneaux, they believe that the great wine must come from great grapes. Nancy & Garry Rodrigue see to it that their grapes recieve intensive monitoring of the watering and pruning techniques. These farming practices keeps the yield down to three tons or less per acre. Although the yield will be smaller, the grapes will be larger with more fruit flavor. This is the reason Rodrigue Molyneaux red wines are so robust with a fruit-driven complex flavor.

Kuleto Estate Family Vineyards

grape clusters in the vineyard - Pixabay

Located on the eastern edge of the Napa Valley in the hills above Lake Hennessey and the town of Rutherford, this extraordinary mountaintop estate features 82 individual vineyard blocks, three distinctive soil types, and a range of elevations and exposures. From this rich and diverse palette of fruit, Kuleto Estate produces a small portfolio of exceptional estate grown wines.

Kuleto Estate wines are 100% estate-grown, produced and bottled. With 82.9 acres of vines planted between 800 and 1,450 feet, each of the 100+ micro-blocks must receive individualized treatment to maximize their potential. Winemaker Giovanni Verdejo has been working at Kuleto since 2002 and has mastered the art of cultivating the unique personalities of each block into some of the finest mountain estate wines in the Napa Valley.

Story Winery

Cabernet Franc Grapes

Story Winery

Since its founding in 1973, Story Winery has been dedicated to producing small-lot, vineyard-designate wines that authentically express the land from which they originate. Primarily utilizing estate-grown grapes, the winery strives to create wines that not only represent their terroir but also cellar well while being enjoyable in their youth.

The winery’s tasting room and picnic grounds are open daily, offering visitors a chance to experience great wine, find the perfect picnic spot, or simply enjoy a peaceful moment in nature. Guests are invited to discover the renowned estate vineyards, which include 130-year-old Zinfandel and Mission vines, as well as award-winning Italian and Georgian varietals. The friendly and knowledgeable staff are on hand to guide visitors through various tasting options while sharing stories about the wines, vineyards, and the events that have shaped the winery’s 120-year history.

The Team

Winemaking

Rob Campbell & Thomas Allan

Winemaker Rob Campbell, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, grew up in San Francisco and nearby Daly City. He ventured just 30 miles away to attend San Jose State University, where he studied Jazz. Rob earned a BA in Jazz Studies and a master’s degree in saxophone performance. Realizing that a musician’s income would struggle to sustain him in San Francisco, he leveraged his computer skills while completing his studies. Rob worked at Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and later at Digidesign (now part of Avid Technologies) during the early 1990s. Over a decade, he climbed the ranks to become Hardware Product Manager of digital audio workstations. He then transitioned into a consulting role for Avid’s worldwide training organization as an author, lecturer, and Master Trainer. After extensive global travel, Rob chose to settle back in San Francisco to manage One Union Recording, a premier post-production audio facility. It was during this period that he took over management and operations at Story Winery.

WinemakerThomas Allan, originally from Santa Barbara, has built a diverse career in the restaurant industry, serving as an owner, server, and sommelier. He also worked in high-end retail bottle shops in Santa Barbara before relocating to Amador County in 2000. Thomas was the original Sommelier at Taste Restaurant before moving to Bray Vineyards. In 2016, he established his own label, Fate Wines, which he continues to manage alongside his work at Story Winery, where he joined the winemaking team in 2018.

Image courtesy photographer Randy Caparosos

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.

Pride Mountain

wine barrels all stacked neatly - Pixabay

We booked the 10am tour and tasting and I was very impressed. The tour was about an hour and a half. We started in the front tasting room, went outside to the vineyards, to the caves where they store the barrels and finally to the room with the tanks. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. She was willing to answer any questions we had. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants the full winery experience!

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