BK Cellars is a unique urban winery in Escondido. Here you can enjoy aiir conditioned, crystal chandelier tasing lounge. Enjoy the wide selection and flights of 5 or 6 of their wines. Feel free to bring along a few snacks to enjoyr with your tasting.
The pourer is very knowledgable and passionate about their wines. I give the wine maker a lot of credit for his focus on single vineyard, single varietal wines. I thought all the wines were well made. The place is located in like an office facility / storage unit looking type building, so if you're looking for like rolling hills with neat rows of grape bushes, you have come to the wrong place. (Shouldn't be a dealbreaker necessarily in my opinion-- but I feel it's worth noting.) They also do a little tour of their facility where they show you some of the machines that are used to make the wine.
Pursuing a profound love of world-class wines throughout their personal and professional lives, father and daughter Lloyd Messer and Dana Brown developed a real thirst for cultivating something of their own. Truly distinctive terroir-driven wines can be elusive, but this remote plateau in Paso Robles—this place—certainly had a voice like no other. Planting their family vineyard here, atop 442 acres of solid calcareous rock, it has been a labor of love to cultivate fruit on this challenging land, but the reward is immediately apparent when savoring the award-winning results.
Lloyd passed on in 2006, but Dana continues to advance their vision as Calcareous consistently produces a collection of world-class Rhône and Bordeaux wines that speak with an undeniable sense of place.
Steve and Lori Felten, fifth-generation grape growers in the Lodi region, uphold the tradition of cultivating "Old Vine" Zinfandel vineyards originally planted by their ancestors in the early 1900s.
Their family's journey began in Germany, Russia, and later the Dakotas before settling in Lodi. Initially producing watermelons, they soon recognized the region's ideal soil and climate for grape cultivation. They began planting various grape varieties, including Zinfandel, Tokay, Carignane, and Alicante. For over a century, the family has diligently nurtured the land with the goal of producing top-quality fruit. Zinfandel was among the first grape varieties introduced in the Lodi appellation, though it had already been established in other parts of California.
Originally, grapes were packed in boxes and shipped to the East Coast and Canada for home winemaking. In the early years, nearly all of the Zinfandel grapes were sent off, except for those used for home winemaking.
By the mid-1930s, grapes were primarily sold to cooperatives and larger private wineries, with only a small portion of production shipped east.
Historically, the vineyards were irrigated using flood or ditch methods, which led to larger yields of marginal quality due to the difficulty in regulating water application. In the late 1980s, the introduction of drip irrigation allowed for precise control over water distribution to each vine. This innovation enabled better control of vine vigor, resulting in healthier fruit and ultimately, lower yields. With the adoption of advanced vineyard practices such as shoot thinning, leaf pulling, color thinning, and the removal of second crops, the family was able to achieve the production of exceptionally high-quality grapes.
Part of the extended Felten Family includes their winemaker, Barry Gnekow, who is responsible for crafting the wines from the inaugural vintage. Barry, a Davis graduate with over 25 years of experience of winemaking, has a unique ability to bring the best of the vineyard into the cellar, year after year, producing wines of distinction for Klinker Brick.
Another extended family member is Lynne Whyte Barnard, the President of Klinker Brick Winery. Lynne has brought a wealth of entrepreneurial experience to the winery, having owned her own wholesale company and directing sales and marketing for prestigious wine producers in California. She was instrumental in the development of the Old Ghost wine, label design and has been responsible for selling all of the vintages produced to date, developing national and international distribution.
Introducing Scott Harvey's latest tasting room in the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA. Clarksburg is home of some wonderful fruit and delicous wines. Why not check out the tasting lineup at this newest tasting room of Scott Harvey, maybe wonder around a few of the tasting rooms while you are there.
Located in the heart of California’s Lodi Wine Appellation, the Grady Family Vineyards produces high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel & Pinot Grigio winegrapes.
Everything we do at Dutcher Crossing begins with the concept of family. Whether you are the oldest or newest member of the winery, everyone’s contribution is needed and integral to our success. From the vineyards to the tasting room, even though we all have walked different paths on our journey to Dutcher Crossing, we’ve settled into family life together.
Our belief is simple—to be a well-balanced, three-legged stool. Leg one is make the best wine we can staying true to the vineyard, vintage, and varietal. The second leg is the beautiful sense of place within our vineyards and winery. Finally, our third leg is hospitality. Whether you are a long-time visitor or new to the property, we want to welcome and treat everyone as we would our own mothers. With the balance of all three legs, we create an experience like none other in Sonoma County.
Jeff Cohn Cellars is a boutique winery located in California’s Sonoma County, renowned for its artisanal approach to winemaking. Founded by winemaker Jeff Cohn, the winery focuses on small-lot production, showcasing a diverse range of varietals, including Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah. With an emphasis on sustainable practices and minimal intervention, Jeff Cohn Cellars produces wines that reflect the unique terroir of the region. Visitors can enjoy intimate tastings, where they can experience the passion and craftsmanship behind each bottle.
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.
Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Lovely patio. Terrific events. They have a fantastic patio for sipping wines and catching up with family or friends. It's a very nice photo op, and their two cutie dogs wander around looking for new friends.
