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!
At just five years old, Harry Merlo Sr. began his journey in the wine industry, stomping grapes with his feet beneath the railroad tracks in the Italian section of Stirling City, California. His father, Giuseppe Merlo, an Italian immigrant known as the wine steward of the High Sierra lumber town, would place a washtub on the woodshed floor, dump in a 50-pound lug of zinfandel grapes, and young Harry would eagerly stomp away. Harry often jokes that his years in wine qualify him as a true connoisseur—thanks to his permanently purple feet.
The family tradition flourished when Harry acquired his own vineyard near Geyserville, California, in 1965. By the mid-1960s, he delivered his first truckload of grapes to the Italian Swiss Colony Winery, receiving a receipt priced at $50 per ton after weighing his truck.
This passion for winemaking extended to the next generation, with Harry’s son, Harry Jr., pursuing viticulture and enology at California State University, Fresno. After graduation, Harry Jr. took the reins as Manager of Lago di Merlo Vineyards & Winery at the family’s Merlo Ranch in Sonoma County.
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A family winemaking tradition in the Santa Clara Valley since 1925, Guglielmo Winery is a fourth-generation, family-owned establishment that produces a diverse range of award-winning varietals from approximately 50 acres of California estate vineyards, as well as from other premium wine-growing regions within the state.
Today, Guglielmo Winery (gool-yell-mo) produces over 40,000 cases annually across three labels: Guglielmo Private Reserve, Tre, and its oldest label, Emile’s. Despite its growth, the winery remains committed to its family philosophy of creating natural, high-quality wines to be enjoyed with family and friends, with family members overseeing every phase of the winemaking process.
“Wine is a traditional part of our culture and one of life’s simple pleasures to be shared with family and friends.”
The owner spent a lot of time on us explaining his wines and the winery's history. To be fair, there were not very many other customers. Still, he kept us entertained and conversed with us for well over an hour. We felt very welcome.Love how they work with their grapes. You know! if they promise me a bottle of the Sangiovese that I barrel-tasted today, I would probably give them another star. Image Aglianico Grape Clusters Courtesy of Randy Caparoso
Beach House Winery is an award-winning winery with all our wines produced at our winery. We are located on the ridgeline of the “Sleeping Indian” in Oceanside, California. BHW offers ocean and panoramic views of San Diego County, Beach House Winery is the first vineyard “Vigna al Mare” (Vineyard at the Sea) and winery established in this beautiful seaside community. Our passion is providing fine wines produced with time-honored processes to be enjoyed with family and friends. Open for tastng Saturday & Sunday or by Appointment during the week.
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
Fred and Ginger, winemaker and owners of Favero Vineyards and Winery, take pride in the production of their fine quality wines. From clearing the rugged and rocky hillside, to hand planting vines, to the precision thinning of fruit and the pulling of leaves for improved circulation, Fred Favero crafts the entire production of Favero Vineyards wines. The result of this exacting vineyard management and careful handling of fruit is wine of extraordinary complexity, power, and finesse.mmGinger brings her talent for design and marketing to the Favero family winery and vineyards.
The winery: Service was great. Wine tasting was nice, definitely do that. Lots to choose from and the chips are really good. The wines were nice as well. We took the tour which was pretty cool. The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable. He took us on a tour of the winery, told us a little about the surrounding area and the process how the wine is made.
Cante Ao Vinho is Portuguese for "Sing to the wine" since we love to play beautiful music as we make our wine. Cante Ao Vinho is located just outside the city of Wheatland California, near Camp Far West Lake and Beal Air Force Base
Négociant Urban Winery is located in the heart of North Park’s Boulevard District at the intersection of Texas Street and El Cajon Boulevard. Négociant joins the rapid influx of businesses and residential developments bursting into the “Boulevard” neighborhood. This revitalization is anchored by improvements to the nearby Lafayette Hotel as well as multiple new major condo developments including one directly south of the winery! The neighborhood is becoming a walking community to fit the life styles of those living in the area. Art festivals, boutique shops, coffee shops, street fairs, and area activities lend to strolling and dropping into Négociant for a pleasant afternoon of wine tasting.
