Modus Operandi Cellars puts out some truly fantastic wines and Jason is the perfect host for the tasting experience. We found him years ago almost at random, joined the club, and haven't looked back since. Both Jason's whites and reds are something special and still rank among my favorites of all time.
Try their 09 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Three Palms Vineyard. From the same vineyard, a really good choice would be 07 Provenance Vineyards Merlot Napa Valley Three Palms Vineyard at $39 (a killer price).
Clearly, the wines made from the Three Palms Vineyard are superior to the other wines in their Provenance line-up.
Strongly recommend tasting here as a counterbalance to the Napa wineries who showcase over $100 Cabs.
Oops, I almost forgot - their Sauv Blanc is REALLY, REALLY good - for the white wine fans out there.
The Riboli Family WInes Estates/San Antonio Winery in LA offers complimentary tasting and winery tours. The Winery features Riboli Family of Wines and a unique and varied selection from around the wine world. Actually have 3 locations in LA, Ontario east of LA and in Paso Robles.
This was also a fabulous winery to taste at. They let us picnic in their beautiful courtyard, complete with bocce court, and supplied us with complementary glasses of wine to enjoy while we ate. The employees were chatty, knowledgeable, and not at all pushy.
We made an unplanned stop here and were greeted by Aaron. We had a tasting of the estate wines and they were all excellent. We learned a lot about the grounds, the wine itself and the process. We also got to tag along for an impromptu tour of the grounds and the cave when someone stopped by to see the space for an event. We got to taste maybe 3 or 4 other wines that weren't even on the tasting menu. All in all, a very nice experience.
Craftmanship and Quality are the philosophy behind the winemaking at Beckman Vineyards. A small estate winery founded on the belief that the making of superior wines requires hands on craftmanship.
No, you cannot actually pull into a dusty parking lot and head into a tasting room, where on the spot, you can purchase your wine along with silly fleece vests, and magnets and bottle openers with Destino printed across them. Actually, you can't visit a winery at all.
No matter, their wines are tasty.Their chardonnay is especially good and I always prefer reds.
They purchase their grapes from a select group of vineyards. I'd really like to know who, but that's beside the point.
Hanna Winery was founded in 1985 by Dr. Elias Hanna, a world-renowned cardiac surgeon, who was eager to find a place in the country to continue the farming heritage of his upbringing in Syria. In the 1970s he realized his dream with the purchase of 12 acres in the Russian River Valley. Dr. Hanna's oldest daughter Christine now runs the winery. Great location, excellent views and a really nice and modern tasting room. Hanna makes a wide variety of wines and I was taken by their Elias Pinot Noir.
The wines are very nice. Pinots, Syrah, Chard, Cab. All amazing! And the staff is friendly and very knowledgeable.
Peter Franus Wine Company produces the following wine varietals: Bordeaux Blend, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Rhone Varietals, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel. By Appointment Only
