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.
Lava Cap is a family-owned winery in Placerville, California. The Jones family planted their first vines in 1981 and opened the winery in 1986 on a special site in the heart of the Sierra Foothills. The family of geologists specifically selected this location for its prime volcanic soil that is particularly well suited to growing fine wine grapes. They named their new business after this unique "lava cap," where their grapes flourish in the volcanic soil, warmed by the foothill sunshine and cooled by gentle Sierra night breezes.
West Wind Wines began with a vision: to craft top-quality local wines while benefiting both the land and the community. The vineyard was planted in 1999 at a 700-foot elevation on Black Mountain. When John and Cynthia Klock acquired the property, following the closure of a cattle ranch, they were committed to preserving its agricultural purpose. After thoughtful consideration, they chose to plant grapes and olives. West Wind Wines also aims to support job training programs and local nonprofits that uplift the community. This combined mission—caring for the land and its people—remains central to West Wind Wines.
More than just a winery, West Wind Wines exemplifies the power of bringing people together to restore families, renew the land, and produce outstanding wine.
The Wine
West Wind Wines is dedicated to growing and sourcing the best grapes possible. The vineyard is influenced by a marine layer that rolls in most summer evenings, extending the grapes' hang time for maximum flavor and complexity. Their winemaking practices include hand harvesting, hand sorting, small-lot fermentations, and gentle pressing. Every wine is made, pressed, and bottled on-site, with aging conducted in a wine cave to reduce oak barrel evaporation and maintain consistent temperature and humidity. Through meticulous fruit selection, a commitment to showcasing the unique characteristics of each grape, and an attention to detail in the winemaking process, each wine offers a distinct profile that pairs exceptionally well with the suggested cuisines on their tasting notes.
Wines are made in the vineyard, and harvest should take place at the perfect moment – not when dictated by a schedule” is Greg’s approach to his winemaking. In the vineyard, he harvests the grapes at the peak of fruit flavor development. In the winery, he uses boutique winemaking techniques and early bottling to preserve the flavors. His techniques allow him to control the quality, bringing out the grapes’ superior characteristics. The results are excellent Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet, Viognier, Sauvignon blanc, and Riesling.
One of the unique aspects of Heritage Oak Winery is that our customers are always invited to enjoy this beautiful piece of land we live on. To make this possible we have developed a hiking trail down to a secluded beach along the Mokelumne River where you can enjoy a quiet picnic.
It's almost not fair for me to give this place a review-- as there has recently been a change in ownership. The new owner is renovating and updating a majority of the property. The drive up to Michel-Schlumberger is absolutely gorgeous; at least it is in April because it is not directly off the freeway; instead it is through several windy roads, and then through more curvy windy roads. It feels like you've reached some kind of sanctuary or private retreat in the countryside by the time you've arrived.
Pronounced "Duck Soup". This winery offers very limited quantities of unique varietals with a total production of only 1500 cases per year. Duxoup was founded in 1981 by two free-spirited, inquisitive winemakers: Deborah and Andrew Cutter. They built the winery with small production, gentle, gravity flow winemaking in mind. Duxoup wines are silky, fruity, and come from venerable vineyards. The wines express not only terroir, but the highly skilled work of the two owners, both experienced and respected for their independence and consistent quality. The wines are rare, but well worth the effort to find. Duxoup produces a Dolcetto, Gamay Noir, Sangiovese, and Syrah.
Palmeri Wines is all about mountain fruit. Most of the vineyards designated for Palmeri are located above 1,000 feet, which provides a more balanced growing season. In hotter years, the grapes benefit from a more temperate climate at high elevations, while in colder years, the higher temperatures atop the mountains offer protection from the frost found on the valley floor. The well-draining, nutrient-poor soils of these mountain vineyards produce grapes that are generally more flavorful, show greater complexity, and yield more age-worthy wines.
Coates Vineyards, certified organic biodynamic winery, is in the Six Rivers National Forest near the small town of Orleans in Northern California. It was founded by Norman Coates, an organic farmer, winemaker, and vineyard manager in 1991 with the planting of the first of five vineyards.The first vineyard was Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese from cuttings that were from organic vineyards in Sonoma County, California. The cuttings were rooted in nursery beds and then planted out in vineyard rows the following spring. The vineyards on the Klamath have the luxury of being established on their own roots instead of being grafted onto disease resistant rootstocks for the simple reason that Orleans is far away from the large grape growing areas where diseases are prevalent.
Karmere is a good gateway winery. It has light, fruity champagnes almond, raspberry, and regular. They offer a wide range of Zinfandels and other reds here too. The wines are named after the female members of the family. Could the the place for a wedding or special occasion, beautifully designed for events. Spent quite a while there, tasting at the counter and barrel-tasting as well.
