Crooked Vine Winery/ Stony Ridge
The original Stony Ridge winery was established in 1887 at the historic Ruby Hills site in Pleasanton, California. In 1975, a group of young enthusiastic winemakers leased the current Livermore property and continued Stony Ridge Winery. In 2000, the Vaughn family purchased the winery and expanded creating an additional label, Crooked Vine.
Great wines, friendly service and fun intimate atmosphere. A great alternative to the larger tasting rooms in the area. Marilyn and Joel are often in the tasting room and are super friendly. A definite stop if you're in the area, or planning a day trip!
A simple,straight forward wine tasting experience of some of the most classic Rhone varietals to be made in California. Marsanne was refined and elegant. Viogner was excellent and Grenache was classic. Prices are good. This is a serious wine tasters place.
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.
Alban Vineyards is a California wine estate producing various Rhône style blends and varietal wine. The winery is located in Edna Valley, near Arroyo Grande in the southern corner of San Luis Obispo County.
Chouinard Vineyards and Winery, a tiny gem of a winery located in the wooded hills near San Francisco Bay and the Livermore Valley wine region.
Granted, this tasting was free, and they were pouring wine not on the list of tastings. But they were seriously understaffed. It was a bit frustrating that we had to wait and wait and wait… We will try again next visit.
The wines here, though, are excellent. Nice variety of reds, and tasty, smooth flavors.
Capay Valley Vineyards was established in 1998 by Tom Frederick and Pam Welch, long time residents of Capay Valley, CA. This beautiful valley is located in the northwest corner of Yolo County bordering Napa and Lake counties. It is approximately 1½ hours from San Francisco and an hour from Sacramento.
Capay Valley Vineyards produces wines from their own grapes. Varietals were chosen to complement the climate and soils. All vineyard tasks - pruning, shoot thinning, and harvesting are done by hand and tailored to each variety. Harvesting is done at night to ensure that the fruit is cool to start the winemaking process.
BellaGrace, like many other Plymouth wineries, is lovely and sophisticated without pretension. I must say that I am always pleased with the friendly service and warm greetings we receive when we arrive. Their 2010 Barbera is a multi-award winner. I have to say that this is a must-have! I've rarely tasted anything like it. Super friendly staff here, and the owner was very nice as well. The wine cave was worth checking out, and its cool temperature was a haven from the summer heat.
And...tasting is free!
Wine Cave - 22715 Upton Road Plymouth, CA Open Saturday & Sunday 11-4 during winter
Sutter Creek Tasting Room 73 Main Street Sutter Creek CA Open Thursday - Monday 11-5
Who would have guessed that a kid from Amherst, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences (Pre-Veterinary) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian from the University of Massachusetts, would end up in Santa Barbara County as an up-and-coming winemaker? Benjamin Silver did just that after catching the wine bug in 1993 at a summer job at Chicama Vineyards on Martha’s Vineyard.
Single Leaf excels in the making of malbecs and the business of barberas. Scott Miller, winemaker/owner explains the complexities of the wine making process at winery events throughout the year. Pam Miller, owner, winemaker of Pammie's Cuvee, provides great food and recipes. The wines are priced to fit every budget.
