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August West Wine

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery Gallery | Agata Art Gallery

August West Wine and Sandler Wines are both produced at the winery located in the industrial area of Bay Shore. Anyone familiar with the area would think what an out of the ordinary place to have a winery, but following the new tradition of the urban winery concept, the location is perfect for their production volume. Ed Kurtzman partner for August West and owner/winemaker for Sandler Wines is a great person and interesting winemaker. He sources his fruit from Gary Francioni, Howard Graham, and Gary Pisoni. His wines are approachable, 3 dimensional with a bright red fruit - raspberry, cherry & strawberry, on the fore-palate with just enough acidity, accompanied by a dense forest-floor, earthy yet a bit of a symphony going on ones palate.

Wood Family Vineyards

logo wood family vineyards

Welcome to Wood Family Vineyards Livermore Valley Wine Wood Family Vineyards is a family run winery located in the eastern foothills of Livermore Valley. Specializing in limited production handcrafted wines, Michael, Rhonda, Harrison and Parker all have a hand in the winemaking process - along with many friends and family.

Cheval Winery

winery logo of silhouette of a horse

6 acre property with a 2 acre vineyard with a modern tasting room, show horses and alpacas on property. Open Wednesday -Sunday, dog friendly, food truck Fridays, and live music on weekends.

TY Caton Cellars

wine tasting with assorted bites - Pixabay

Nice big reds here. Everything we tasted had merit. Another plus is the tasting room is shared with Muscardini so you can taste two wineries at once. George was very accommodating and knowledgeable. If you are a red fan, you'll want to stop in.

Ecluse Wines

painting of people enjoying wine outside - wine artist Agata Zamobowski

Écluse Wines and Lock Vineyard, created by Steve and Pam Lock, is a small, family-owned boutique winery producing estate wines from their Lock Vineyard. In 1997, they purchased 30 acres of gently rolling hillside terrain on the highly sought-after Westside of Paso Robles. The Locks are dedicated to producing limited-production, handcrafted, award-winning wines.

From the start, their philosophy has been that great fruit makes great wine. Owning their own winery onsite allows them the added benefit of picking and crushing small lots throughout the vineyard when the fruit has reached its peak flavors. This control from vineyard to bottle ensures that Écluse wines remain truly remarkable.

A frequently asked question is the origin of the name Écluse. Écluse is the French word for the locks on the canals that gently carve their way through the French countryside. Having enjoyed several beautiful barge trips in France, and with their last name being Lock, the name Écluse for their wines was a natural choice. Their label depicts an “écluse” from a photo taken while traveling down the canals through an actual lock in France.

Farella Vineyard

wine and some cheese - Pixabay

Frank Farella founded Farella-Park Vineyards in 1985, starting with a small 400-square-foot winery adjacent to his home in Napa. His journey from a modest, depression-era background to growing premium wine grapes unfolded gradually. Beginning with homemade wines from his Italian grandparents and test vintages from young Farella Vineyard grapes, the commercial venture started with a barrel of Chardonnay, a stainless-steel fermented Sauvignon Blanc, and a Merlot/Cabernet field blend in 1985.

While Frank Farella produced the first five vintages with Tom’s assistance, Tom took over winemaking duties in 1991 and continued until the end of 2018. In 2019, Ryan Pass, also a UC Davis Viticulture and Enology graduate, was promoted to Winemaker. His passion and expertise have perfectly aligned with the winery’s winemaking goals, and he and Tom continue to collaborate on the production of Farella wines.

In 2009, amidst the Great Recession, Tom Farella spearheaded the effort to petition the federal government for the designation of the "Coombsville" American Viticultural Area (AVA). This designation was granted in November 2011, making it the 16th sub-AVA of Napa Valley.

Tolo Celars

Pouring wine - Pixabay

Way out along the Adelaida Road stands a little red farmhouse, home to Tolo Cellars. Josh Gibson, proprietor and winemaker, offers a sumptuous array of wines including Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Barbera, and exotic Rhone Blends all sourced from vineyards tucked away in the rustic hills, where once frolicked the pioneers of the Adelaide Township.

This historically adventures area, marked by rugged terrain, offers ideal hillside conditions for vines bearing hardy and distinctive wine grapes.

Josh's goals in winemaking is to allow these vineyards, each with its own "flora and fauna" to express themselves in a glorious harmony. Thus, all his wines are fermented on native yeast, allowing the robust and wild flavors of the vines to exude in the wines. The results are libations of uncommon depth and mysterious character - much like the surrounding hillsides.

Josh opened his tasting room in 2005, though he was well-versed in the Far Out lifestyle long before that. As assistant winemaker at Le Cuvier for several years, Josh learned the tricks of crafting high quality wines in small lots, limiting production to just around 1,200 cases.

Caddis Wines

Grape Cluster - Pixabay

Although Caddis is new it is quickly becoming one of my favorite wineries in Livermore. The winemaker Chris has had years if experience in the Livermore Valley and it shows in his wines. It's no surprise the Caddis took home a number of Chronicle wine awards, their wines is phenomenal! Caddis is located next to Wood Family and are only open a select amount of days throughout the year. Just a quick update. Caddis Wines now has two locations, in Livermore and Sonoma. 

Caddis Sonoma Plaza
Guests are invited to enjoy a tasting of small lot wines from Sonoma County and the Livermore Valley. Caddis Sonoma Plaza is open daily from 11 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours on occasion. While walk-ins are welcome, reservations are recommended. Parties are limited to a maximum of 8 guests.

Caddis Livermore
Currently, Caddis Livermore is open for public tastings on 7 weekends each year. For more details on tastings and openings throughout the year, visitors should check the Special Events tab. Any questions can be directed to (707) 931-6939.

Read our guide to Livermore Wines and Wineries

 

Grape Cluster - Pixabay

Blackstone Winery

Rows of wine barrels - Pixabay

“Sonoma County is one of the most fabulous places in the world to live and make wine,” says Gary Sitton, Blackstone's winemaker. “There’s no place like it. The immense diversity—from the coastline to the mountains, valleys and rivers—still leaves me in awe. For me, tapping into this range of growing conditions is fundamental to making beautifully expressive wines.”

Truchard Vineyards

glasses and bottle of wine with chateau in the background - Pixabay

Our guide, Aida, was very welcoming, non-pretentious, and warm. She poured generously for our tasting and provided us with detailed history of the vineyard, and the couple that started it all. Still owned by the original family, this winery is beautiful, rustic, and definitely a place to stop by for good wine and some wonderful scenery. Make an appointment even if it's the same day.

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