Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc

Boyd Family Vineyards

grale cluster - Pixabay

The history of Boyd Family Vineyards began in 1998 with the purchase of a property on Big Ranch Road in Napa, driven by a vision to create exceptional wines and memorable experiences. Since then, over 20,000 vines of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Cabernet Sauvignon have been planted, tended, nurtured, harvested, crushed, and transformed into fine wine.

Situated in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley, the vineyard benefits from the area's slightly cooler climate and heavy clay soils, which are ideal for producing ultra-premium Merlot and Syrah. These conditions contribute to the creation of some of Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines.

Today, while Boyd Family Vineyards continues to sell over 50% of its grapes to other premium wineries, it also produces limited quantities of ultra-premium wine. These wines are crafted with meticulous attention to the best materials and practices, aiming to reflect a full-bodied style that showcases the finest attributes of the land.

Chesebro Wines and Art

vineyard at sunset - Pixabay

I love this tasting room. There is lots of space in the place and art to amuse you in between the tasting. The wines are fantastic and even though they are not widely advertised, they are a good buy. The service is great and they enjoy spending time talking to you about the wine. Definitely check this place out if you are in Carmel Valley. I really enjoyed the red blend from Arroyo Seco.

Winemaker Mark Chesebro

Mark took a crush job at Bernardus Winery under Don Blackburn in the fall of 1994, and ended up staying until the spring of 2005. First working in the cellar, then as Enologist, he eventually became Winemaker in January of 1999. He basically held every production job available at this 50,000 case winery. Mark notes that this was truly his real winemaking education. It taught him not only about winemaking, but also about the extreme importance and impact of farming. He candidly observes that wine is very easy to botch up in the winery, but it can never be better than the raw materials. Respect for this concept became the guiding force in his approach to the production of fine wine.

Since Spring of 2021 Mark has had the pleasure of working with his son Will as co-winemaker . Will grew up with winemaking at Bernardus and at Chesebro Wines. He has worked harvest jobs at Hobo Wines and Thomas Fogarty. He also ran the laboratory at  J Lohr Winery's white wine facility.

Together they are currently launching their Cedar Lane Vineyard label featuring wines from the estate vineyard of that name in the Arroyo Seco AVA. These wines were previously bottled under the Chesebro label but they wanted to highlight the source vineyard and have the Chesebro label focus on wines from the Carmel Valley AVA.

Beckmen Vineyards

pouring a glass of wine - Pixabay

In a world where wines are marketed with flashy labels and endless award stickers, Beckmen Vineyards stands proudly apart, grounded in traditional family values and a commitment to authenticity. Here, wine lovers can forget the "paradox of choice" and enjoy the comfort of wines that genuinely reflect their origins.

Nestled in the heart of Santa Ynez Valley, Beckmen Vineyards became Santa Barbara County’s first biodynamically farmed vineyard. Rather than chasing trends, they focus on what truly matters—cultivating exceptional grapes. The result? A lineup of critically acclaimed Rhône-style wines enjoyed in prestigious restaurants and homes nationwide, even making its way to the White House.

For California wine lovers, Beckmen’s portfolio offers a reliable, genuine experience every time, celebrating the valley's unique terroir with every sip.

Chatom Vineyards

Harvesting Viognier Grapes - Randy Caparoso

The vineyard of Chatom Vineyards is nestled in the breathtaking Esmeralda Valley of the Sierra Foothills in Calaveras County. The valley was originally planted with low-field crops, fruits, and nut trees. When Gay Callan, owner and native San Franciscan, purchased the property in 1980, her vision was to plant a vineyard. Her first varietals were planted in 1981, totaling 21 acres of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. Today, the vineyard boasts 13 varietals planted on 65 acres, including Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese and 5 Portuguese varietals. Image - Harvesting Viognier Grapes - Randy Caparoso

Del Dotto Vineyards

wine corks and glass - Pixabay

The beautiful, incredibly ornate and Victorian/ Baroque style tasting room coupled with the very friendly service makes this a great place to take out-of-towners. Barrel tasting after barrel tasting, we truly learned a lot. The final tasting was complimented by an immaculate tray of cheese, cured meats, and bread/crackers (which, let's say, we definitely needed. . .and loved).

Windsor Vineyards

wine barrels - Pixabay

The young man who hosted our tasting was knowledgeable yet casual and easy to talk to - right up our alley. Really appreciated the time he took to do "compare & contrast" tastings! Definitely stop in here for a tasting - whether you linger or quickly move on to the wineries, you'll get a nice intro to wines in the region.

Brander Vineyard

winery's bottle of wine

The winery building referred by the staff as "The Barn" was the original structure at Bander. At "The Barn" Fred Bander personally hosted wine tastings inside on a rustic picnic table. This winery today is located on the estate just yards from the nearest vines. This means grapes can almost be immediately processed ater they are harvest, which has a tremendously beneficial impact on the wines produced. Frederic "Fred" Brander, owner and winemaker, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He moved with his family and settled in Santa Barbara, California. Fred started his career in the wine business by working for a local wine merchant, and later went to work in the wholesale business. While attending college, he started his own wine import company, focusing on wines from France and Argentina. Wishing to make his own wines, and with a fondness for Santa Barbara, Fred and his family established The Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1975. The initial planting was mainly Bordeaux grape varietals and in 1977, the first Sauvignon Blanc grapes were taken to a neighboring winery where Fred Brander produced a wine so distinctive it captured Santa Barbara County's first gold medal for a wine at a major wine competition (1978 Los Angeles County Fair).

Cuvaison Estate Wines

grape cluster - Pixabay

They have a simple tasting room with seats and tables outside facing the vineyards. If the weather is lovely definitely opt for sitting outside! I came here for a girl's wine tasting day. Our wine guide was nice and friendly, he was nice enough to give us two extra tastings. We sat outside and admired the pretty vineyards wine sipping our wine. We got three tastings and just split among the five of us. My favorite was the chardonnay, nice and light and as our wine guide said "can go with anything." Great winery with nice staff. If you're around this area, definitely stop by.

Calstar Cellars

grape cluster - Pixabay

A life-long interest in fine food and artisan craft led, Proprietor and Winemaker, Rick Davis to the wine industry. With graduate work in soil sciences and his first experience as a cellar-hand for Rivendell Winery, a small winery in New Paltz, NY, he quickly learned the trade and excelled to Winemaker. In order to pursue this newfound passion, his move to Sonoma County, CA left him in the perfect place to master winemaking and focus on Pinot Noir.

Matanzas Creek Winery

wine corks and wine glass - Pixabay

Everything we tasted was so good.The staff at the winery are more than willing to talk with you about the history of the wine and the grounds. It is THE place to go for lavender lovers - especially in the Summer when they have their lavender festival.

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