Belle Marie Winery and Chateau Dragoo are located on the Escondido Wine and Culinary Campus in North Escondido along Interstate 15. Belle Marie Winery's facility encompasses a 20,000 gallon winery, three tasting rooms, multiple corporate and reception venues, educational facilities, a gourmet garden and a demonstration vineyard with varietals from around the world.
This place can get very busy on weekend but sometimes they do special things like a BBQ or music. They also have a nice selection of cheeses and meats to enjoy on the picnic tables outside. The employees are really nice and are very willing to talk to you more about the wines. There is also a deli inside the main building which serves some very good cold and hot sandwiches! They also have some side dishes that you can try such as Ravioli or mozzarella balls as cherry tomatoes. Next to the deli inside there is a cheese bar where you can buy froma. Huge selection of cheeses!
Schug was not on our original list to visit while in Sonoma, but we happened across it and were glad we did! Its down a dirt road and still feels privately owned which is my preference. We were tasting in the patio area / courtyard which was much more open and nicer than the indoor tasting room. Tasting was 10 dollars for 6 wines and the team was knowledgeable and friendly. Schug is known for their Pinots, but I thought their Carneros Cab Sauv was also really great.
Claiborne & Churchill is a small, premium family-owned winery located in the Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo. Founded in 1983 by Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill Thompson, former University of Michigan teachers, the couple transitioned from academia to the vineyards of California in 1981 to pursue a new life in the wine industry.
With its first crush, Claiborne & Churchill announced its special focus by producing 565 cases of Dry Riesling and Dry Gewürztraminer, inspired by the fruity but dry dinner wines of the French province of Alsace. Today, Claiborne & Churchill produces about 8,000 cases of wine each year, sourcing grapes from vineyards in the cool maritime valleys of California’s Central Coast and its own small estate vineyards.
The winery's portfolio includes the Maboroshi Estate Pinot Noir, Spring Mountain York Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and a Los Carneros Chardonnay. Some Pinot Noir grapes are sold to DeLoach for a vineyard-designate bottling. The Maboroshi wines are sold on the website.
In 2006, Dick made a still Pinot Noir from the Wrotham. His still wine has a distinctive spice flavor. Dick certainly didn’t know what to expect and it has taken time to pin it down. He first thought his Pinot Noir had a holiday spice taste, maybe clove, but a chef in Monterey has set him straight: the taste is cardamom. 500 case production
Lying on the banks of Clayton Creek in Lake County, CA, Fults Family Vineyards is founded on 150 years of mid-west work ethics, family values, and the love of fun. With the help of family and friends, what started as a hobby has grown into a passion for producing great wine. We invite you to create your own experience while you enjoy a glass of our hand crafted wine.
Hours: Mon-Wed By Appointment
Unlike most wineries where you pick and choose the wines you want to taste, this winery goes down its wine tasting menu for your 6 tastes. The girl at the wine bar was friendly and seemed very knowledgeable about wines in general. She was very generous with the pours.
Perched atop Crane Ridge overlooking the beautiful Livermore Valley wine country is where you will discover White Crane Winery. As a guest you can enjoy a wide variety of small lot - limited production ultra premium wines.
IL CUORE (eel-quarry) means "The Heart" in Italian. The name is a tribute to the Italian immigrants who first planted the North Coast of California to vine in the late nineteenth century.
