Stopped by in the Fall to do a little tasting on our way up to the hot springs. I first went to this winery about 13 years ago and was a member for years. They have excellent red wines and fun harvest parties - complete with grape stomping! It's a quaint winery away from the crowds in Napa and couple of my favorites were the 2003 Cabernet Bosche and Zinfandel.
Seven Angels Cellars, a charming family-owned boutique winery nestled in the heart of Paso Robles, California! This delightful winery kicked off its winemaking journey in 2009 with a small batch of Petite Sirah and has since expanded to produce around 3,000 cases a year. At the helm is Greg Martin, the passionate owner and winemaker, while Pamela Martin expertly manages social media, food pairings, wine clubs, events, and their website. The name “Seven Angels” is a heartfelt tribute to their blended family, which includes seven wonderful children.
Greg’s love for wine began in rural California, where he spent his childhood learning the ins and outs of winemaking from his neighbor, who grew grapes. His passion continued during his time in the US Coast Guard, stationed in the Bay Area, where he had easy access to the fabulous wineries of Sonoma and Napa. Pamela, on the other hand, hails from a family of foodies and wine lovers. With a background in winemaking courses and experience as a home economist on a cooking show, she’s developed an obsession for pairing food and wine to create delightful culinary experiences.
Married in 2008, the couple dove into winemaking the following year. Specializing in Rhône blends and single varietals, Greg is hands-on in every step of the process, from vineyard to bottle, while Pamela brings her expert palate to the blending process.
Seven Angels Cellars has made quite a name for itself, with many of their wines earning impressive ratings in the 90s from Wine Enthusiast, along with numerous gold medals at California and international wine competitions. Recently, their 2024 Orange County Wine Society and Central Coast Wine competition recognized their new whites, awarding gold medals to the 2023 Chardonnay, 2021 Estate Chardonnay, and 2022 Viognier. The accolades continue with a Double Gold for the 2019 Merlot and gold medals for the 2019 Chosen One, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, and Syrah.
The winemaking philosophy at Seven Angels is simple: “less is best.” They focus on minimal manipulation and embrace natural methods, with Greg experimenting with different types of oak in their barrel program. Their wines are designed to be food-friendly and approachable, both in flavor and price.
When Mike and Kara Dunn established Retro Cellars in 2003, their goal was to honor the rich history of both the vineyards and their family's legacy in the Napa Valley wine industry. Mike's family had founded Dunn Vineyards on Howell Mountain in 1978, the same year Kara's family began Pecota Winery in Calistoga. Upon meeting, Mike and Kara discovered that they shared similar experiences growing up in the Napa Valley of the 1970s, a time when the community was comprised of modest farmers.
They chose the name "Retro" to pay tribute to the generational groundwork that had been laid for their venture. This sense of continuity is further reflected in the label artwork, which was created by their then 11-year-old son, Alex. Now 28, Alex is a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, a part-time cellars hand at both Dunn Vineyards and Retro Cellars, and a builder of hiking and biking trails in Napa and Sonoma counties.
This was homiest and friendliest of the 3 wineries we visited. The view off the hill cannot be beat. It is gorgeous. It was neat to see the vines with fruit hanging off of them. Some of it had been picked and was waiting for pick-up, which happened quite often as the owner whizzed by on his ATV. We could see people in the back taking the grapes he had just delivered and running them through a press.
Come for the Wine. Stay for the View.
Guests are invited to savor award-winning, small-batch wines while enjoying breathtaking canyon views. With a production of only 1,500 cases each year, these wines are exclusively sold through the Sales Room. Reservations are recommended, and required on weekends in October. Walk-in guests will be seated as space allows. For reservation information, guests are encouraged to reach out.
Dogs are welcome on a supervised leash, and children may visit with parental supervision. Limos are not permitted without prior approval, especially during events and on weekends in September and October. Photographers are welcome during business hours.
Photo courtesy of Photographer Randy Caparoso
Fitzpatrick Winery and Lodge is located in the Fair Play AVA (American Viticultural Area) at the heart of the California's Gold Country, in the beautiful and idyllic Sierra Foothills of El Dorado county, nearby historic Placerville. We feature fine hand crafted wines made from organically grown premium wine grapes and a unique Irish Bed & Breakfast. 37 years in Fair Play. Fitzpatrick Winery & Lodge became Fair Play's first winery in 1980.
A family owned seven acres estate winery commited to making the best possible Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. Personal care and attention in every bottle.
Nestled on the Northeast border of the Temecula Valley sits Doffo Winery. Founded in 1997 by Marcelo Doffo, it is one of a few micro-boutique wineries in the region and the only one built around the former site of a Temecula historic landmark schoolhouse. Situated on 15 acres of rolling vineyards, the winery possesses a unique combination of old-world and warm family charm. It is also home to MotoDoffo, the family's private collection of over 100 racing and vintage motorcycles.
Vines were plentiful in 1867 in Placer County. As gold was depleted the miners switched to planting vineyards and orchards to make a living. Secret Ravine's property at one time produced Zinfandel and Tokay grapes. In later years the vines were removed and cows grazed the area. In the late 1900’s the property was used for the raising and training of horses, consequently the need for the large barn (now the winery). In 1998 one acre of the property was once again returned to the production of wine grapes. Currently Secret Ravine has 3.5 acres producing, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sangiovese, Barbera and Sauvignon Blanc. Hours are Sat. and Sun. from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.
Eberle Winery is a family-owned producer and marketer of premium wines, including offerings from the Eberle Estate, single varieties, and designated vineyards. Since 1979, Eberle wines have highlighted the history and diverse flavors of the Paso Robles Appellation.
Gary Eberle, who grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, attended Penn State University on a football scholarship. After earning a Bachelor of Science in biology, he continued his studies at Louisiana State University (LSU), focusing on cellular genetics. During his time at LSU, Gary developed an appreciation for wine, which led him to shift his academic focus towards winemaking.
Gary began his winemaking career and became known as a “Pioneer” of the Paso Robles Wine Region by helping establish his family's Estrella River Winery & Vineyards. In the late 1970s, he decided to embark on his own venture and acquired nearly 64 acres of land near Estrella River Winery. Soon after, Gary released his first Eberle wine, a 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon, which featured the iconic boar logo. This logo symbolizes the German origin of the name Eberle, meaning “small boar.”
The staff were super friendly and I think the owner was hanging out outside drinking wine with his show dogs running around. Modern vineyard that has literally everything! From Bocce Ball, Cave Tours, Private Tasting, and to holiday themed events, they have it all. The cave tour and flight of wine was complimentary and exquisite. Their Cotes du Robles Blanc white honeysuckle and candied ginger, tingled delightfully as an opening for the palate. Their Red Barbera gold medal with tones of raspberry. Their Reserve estate Cabernet Sauvignon Cassis (black currant), was clean and smooth.
Summerland Winery is a boutique winery dedicated to the production of fine wines from the Central Coast of California. Nebil “Bilo” Zarif founded Summerland Winery in 2002 with the goal of producing premium wines from expressive vineyard sources spanning from Santa Barbara to Monterey. Since then, the winery has built a name synonymous with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The 14+ different varietals from 9 renowned vineyards allow the Central Coast and Single Vineyard Collections to showcase their excellent fruit character combined with strong regional character. The winery’s tasting room is located in Summerland’s charming seaside setting, just 10 minutes south of Santa Barbara.
