Unique Varietals

Unique Varietals

Fleur De Lys Winery

wine while camping in tent

Fleur De Lys Winery is a winery located in Somerset, California. The winery is owned by Robert and Mireille Lajoie. The wine at Fleur De Lys Winery is produced by Robert Lajoie. De Lys Winery produces the following wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Syrah, Port, Roussanne, Syrah/Shiraz, Viognier and Zinfandel. Fleur De Lys Winery has the following amenities you can enjoy: Barrel Room, Family Environment, Pet Friendly Grounds, Private Events, Private Tastings, Retail Sales, Scenic Views, Wine & Food Pairing.

Woof 'n Rose Winery

Logo for Woof'n Rose Winery

Woof ’n Rose Winery, owned by Stephen and Marilyn Kahle, is a small family operated Boutique winery on a north-facing hillside overlooking the beautiful Ramona Valley. We make only red wines made exclusively from Ramona Valley grapes, mostly using our eight estate grown varietals – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Grenache Noir, Montepulciano, and Alicante Bouschet (a very unique varietal). Relax on our outdoor dog and rose themed tasting veranda, view the vineyards and surrounding mountains and valley, and chat with the owners and operators; all while enjoying our current releases, many of which have been medalists at international wine competitions. For the enjoyment of the white wine only aficionado we normally offer a by the glass option from other sources.

Deaver Vineyards

pouring some red wine - pixabay

Ken Deaver, with his signature denims and cowboy hat, bends his broad shoulders to uncork a bottle of Zinfandel, a task that reveals his deep knowledge of both wine and grapes.

A tour across Deaver's 300 acres offers a glimpse of history, with 140-year-old Zinfandel vines and eight acres of Mission vines, originally brought from Mexico by Jesuits and Franciscans. These Mission vines were planted around 1854 by Ken Deaver's great-grandfather, John Davis, and a decade later, Ken’s grandfather planted the now-famous Zinfandel vines.

For years, Deaver's "old vine" grapes were sold primarily to home winemakers. The first vintage of Deaver Vineyards Zinfandel was bottled under the "Lakeshore" label in 1985.

Today, Deaver Vineyards is celebrated worldwide for its velvety Zinfandels. The Tuscan-like climate of Amador County also provides ideal conditions for producing exceptional Sangiovese, Barbera, and rich Ports.

With over four generations of Deavers cultivating grapes in Amador County, Deaver Vineyards boasts a deep heritage. Known for its velvety Zinfandel and some of the oldest vines in the region, their wines are widely regarded as true classics.

Gypsy Canyon

wine swirling in the glass - Pixabay

Over a 100 years ago, the first known woman wine grower in California, Dona Marcelina Felix Dominguez, grew Mission vines on her Santa Barbara property. The vines survived, and when Deborah Hall and her late husband, William, brought the property in 1994, they discovered these vines under a heavy cover of brush. They originally thought the vines were Zinfandel, and sold them as such to other vintners. DNA testing at University of California Davis later revealed that they were Mission vines. Mission vines were brought into California in 1767 by Spanish Padres from Mexico who established a chain of missions from San Diego to Sonoma from 1767 to 1833. Deborah’s ancient Mission vineyard of three acres is part of only ten acres still growing in California.

Sobon Estate

white wine grape cluster - Pixabay

Shenandoah Vineyards

Located in Plymouth, CA, Shenandoah Vineyards was founded in 1977 by Shirley and Leon Sobon. The couple relocated from Los Altos, California, where Leon had a successful career as a Senior Scientist at the Lockheed Research Lab. Leon’s passion for home winemaking inspired him to leave Lockheed and embark on a new journey as a winemaker.

The selection of the winery site in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County was a well-researched decision. The Sobon family, including their six children, moved to the historic Steiner Ranch outside Plymouth, where they planted a vineyard and transformed the old stone garage into the winery. In 1989, they expanded their operations by acquiring the D'Agostini winery, leading to the formation of Sobon Estate.

Over the years, Leon has earned numerous national and international awards for the wines produced at Sobon Estate and Shenandoah Vineyards. Both family labels are distributed nationally and internationally, including in Canada, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. Leon is recognized as a leader in the wine industry, having served on various industry boards and committees, and he is frequently invited as a judge for prestigious wine-tasting competitions.

Today, winemaking and business operations remain a family affair. Shirley manages finance and the gallery, while Leon continues to impart his extensive winemaking knowledge into every vintage. Their sons, Paul and Robert, along with son-in-law Tom Quinn, uphold the family tradition that began decades ago, ensuring that Shenandoah Vineyards continues to thrive.

Labyrinth Winery

winer logo

Labyrinth WInery is a premium producer of Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir and Big French / Spanish Reds from Paso Robles. The team at Labyrinth believes that world-class wines need to be accompanied by world-class service. In addition to a comfortable and welcoming environment to taste the wines poured, you will fine a sincere endeavor to make your visit special so that you feel like a long lost friend. At Labyrinth Winery Eddie and Stephanie Schwatz "craft wines that make your palate sing." *

Hours:
Mon      Closed
Tues     Closed
Wed       3:00pm to 8:00pm
Thur      3:00pm to 8:00pm
Fri         3:00pm to 8:00pm
Sat       12:00am to 8:00pm
Sun      12:00am to 6:00pm

Poppaea Vineyard & Winery

wine cellar

Poppaea Vineyard LLC was established in May 2009 and the first planting took place in 2010 with additional planting each year since then. Currently there are about 2500 vines, all Italian red varietals. The site became bonded in January 2013 and it is expected that the tasting room will open for visitors in September 2015 after all of the wines will have had at least 2 years of aging in line with Italian guidelines. The strategy is to recapitulate the best red wines from Piedmonte, Tuscany and Umbria but in a Californian setting. Critical to the approach adopted by Poppaea is that all the grapes should be derived from the estate and processed on site – no importing of ‘foreign’ grapes – in this way it is hoped visitors will experience the true ‘terroir’ of the Ramona Valley AVA. Poppaea is derived from the name of the Roman princess, Poppaea Sabina, who used her beauty, charm and intrigue to seduce Nero and subsequently marry him. The company is jointly owned by three family members: John, his wife Marion and son Benjamin who originate from England and who settled in San Diego about twenty years ago.

Amphora Wines

wine swirling in the glass - pixabay

The Dry Creek wineries produce a wider variety of wines and styles of wines than the traditional PN and Zin crowd along the Russian River. The Amphor tasting room location is in the same parking lot as 10 other wineries tasting rooms - right off Dry Creek Road. Stop at this location and you will be able to taste wines from Amphora, Collier Falls, Dashe, Forth, Philip Staley, Peterson, Lago di Merlo, Kokomo, Mietz and Papapietro.

Antelope Valley Winery

Logo for winery, Anteope among grape vines

Join Antelope Valley Winery/Donato Family Vineyard for tasting, tours, shopping, and vineyard picnics Wed. through Sun., 11AM to 6PM. The winery also sell Grass Fed Buffalo and a large variety of game and exotic meats, like Venison, Pheasant, Wild Boar & Alligator to name just a few! Antelope Valley Winery produces a wide variety of wines to please every palate. *

Hours:

Weds-    11:00 to 6:00pm
Thurs-   11:00 to 6:00pm
Fri-        11:00 to 6:00pm
Sat-        11:00 to 6:00pm
Sun-       11:00 to 6:00pm

Oso Libre

looking at the moon through a glass of wine

Good wines, friendly owners, fun animals. A field full of alpacas greets you as you enter Oso Libre. The husband and wife owners were absolute gems, but let's face it, unfriendly people simply don't own alpacas. They shared a lot of interesting info about the winery and animals which made for an entertaining conversation. The wines were tasty and the term “wine farm” setting of Oso Libre is a great experience.

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