The wines we have made at Monte Volpe (which means Fox Mountain) since Monte Volpe first releases in 1991 are rich in color, fragrance, flavor and offer a great deal of finesse. Their structures are reminiscent of their Italian ancestry, but they display a vibrancy that is the hallmark of wines that are produced from fully ripened grapes.
Amador Cellars is a unique winery located in the heart of Amador County's lush Shenandoah Valley wine country. Built in 2003 of rice straw and concrete the winery and tasting room conveys Old World architecture and style that emphasizes simplicity, utility and function. Its two foot thick and sixteen foot tall walls impart mass and depth while the roof is covered in corrugated steel that was allowed to rust naturally giving the structure a timeless quality. Amador Cellars focus their attention on varieties that do well in Amador’s warm climate -- Zinfandel, Italian and Rhone Valley varieties.
We stumbled in here after hitting up a winery or five, and I'm so glad we did. While we waited for our table, we went next door to the tasting room where the staff was casual and personable. Fun fact - if you are dining at Farmstead, they give you discounted wine tastings!
Inside the restaurant, it has a classic yet modern farmhouse feel, decorated with aged wood planks on the walls and mason jars filled with fresh flowers. Our waiter was helpful and knowledgeable
Tony and Kimberly Kirk established Birdstone Winery with the goal of producing world-class wines from Madera-appellation grapes. A friends and family effort from the start, Birdstone’s winemaking team includes Tony, Kimberly and their sons Travis & Conner. It’s not uncommon to find Tony & Kim’s siblings, parents or friends behind the bar in the Tasting Room or helping to crush grapes during harvest.
Deer Park annually produces and releases award-winning estate wines available for wine tasting weekends as one of the top things to do in San Diego County (and minutes from Riverside and Los Angeles). The Auto Museum features hundreds of vehicles and Americana collections, and is the recipient of the Antique Automobile Club of America trophy for excellence. Renown collections include a world-famous collection of American convertible cars, vintage radios, TV, antique bicycles, appliances, cameras, tube television sets, neon dealership signs, classic gas pumps and gas stations, vintage vehicle garages, old oil collectibles, license plates, vintage toys and games, Coca Cola room of collectibles, and more.
They specialize in Italian varietals! But they have a number of non-Italian varietals too. And was really surprised at how much I enjoyed their White Cabernet. Yup... you heard right... WHITE CAB. It's light and refreshing.... fruity but not sweet.... on the dry side. It's a lovely rose to sit by the pool and relax with. Get a little bit of Italy while you are enjoying you Temecula Wine Tasting adventures.
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
When in wine country, some enjoy a Disneyland experience -- fake castles & dungeons, tram rides, huge gift shops, docents, buses, limos, and a million things to distract you from the wine. And then, there's Coturri. The production is tiny. The facility is a garage. Check out the Syrah, Zin, or anything that they might happen to have on hand to share...and you'll get a great bottle of hand-made wine with little intervention of any sort.
Presidio strongly believes in matching varietals to their preferred climactic regions. The Presidio Vineyard’s cool climate is particularly well-suited for Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay. Extensive research was required to discover the highest quality clones to produce the highest quality ultra-premium wines. This required Presidio to engage a French firm to assist them in acquiring the optimum clones.
This hidden gem of a winery boasts a no-frills approach to great wine. Their taste is a bit different -- fruity & light merlots, light cabs, amazing port.
The true gem here is Petra. She's a great conversationist and has remembered me and my friends every time we come. This one is WAY out of the way, but a completely unique experience in Napa. The basic tasting was free, and the reserve tasting was $15. The wine was pretty good and the bocce court outside was a nice distraction. The place is like a deserted farm with dogs wandering around and unfinished road through the vineyard. It is NOT fancy, but it is often deserted and gives you the feel that you are in your own country vineyard.
