Zinfandel

Zinfandel

ZD Wines

wine and cheese - Pixabay

Norman and Gino rented a small farm building in the Carneros region of Sonoma County. They purchased winegrapes, some 50-gallon oak barrels and a redwood vat. Three hundred cases of Pinot Noir and a small amount of White Riesling represented ZD's first commercial vintage in 1969. The grapes were purchased from the Winery Lake Vineyard, which had been planted a few years earlier by René di Rosa. ZD's 1969 Pinot Noir carries the historical significance of being the first wine to have a Carneros designation on the label. It states, "Made in Sonoma from grapes grown in the Carneros region of Napa." The Chardonnay winegrapes from Winery Lake Vineyard were not in production until 1971, which is the first vintage of ZD Chardonnay.

Brutocao Cellars & Vineyard

Swirling wine in the glass - Pixabay - Saman Teher

Family Vineyard Heritage is a tale of two families who combined their passion and expertise to establish one of Mendocino County’s most notable wineries. In 1910, the Brutocao family brought with them a love for wine when they emigrated from Treviso, Italy (a small town near Venice). Len Brutocao met Martha Bliss while attending the University of California, Berkeley. Martha’s father, Irv, had been farming in Mendocino since 1943. After Len and Martha married, the families joined forces and continued to sell their grapes to well-known Sonoma and Napa wineries for many years before starting to make their own wine in 1980. They selected the Lion of St. Mark as their symbol of family tradition and quality. The heart of that quality is in their land: over 400 acres of vineyards in Hopland and 12.5 acres of Pinot Noir in  Anderson Valley.

Tasting: 10am – 5pm
Open: Wednesday-Sunday
Reservations appreciated but not necessary.

MacFadden Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

MacFadden Vineyards sells and ship out of their tasting room affordable, delicious, easy to drink wines from grapes organically grown on their own nearby vineyard in Potter Valley. McFadden Vineyard Tasting Room also sells organic dried herbs and herb blends, and organic beef, from the Potter Valley farm. MaFadden's has a nice tasting room on Main Street in Hopland. Friendly server. We had a good time talking with him.

Vie Winery

wine tasting with assorted bites - Pixabay

Vie comes from the Old French word meaning "to invite" or "to give occasion for". Or, in French today, it is simply translated "Life". Vie Winery is fantastic, it has the look and feel of an urban winery, but the displacement of being on Treasure Island so you are able to feel like it is a bit of an escape. WIth beautiful views of San Francisco and the rest of the bay area, it is an awesome place to spend a beautiful day.

St. Amant Winery

wine cellar

St. Amant Winery is a family owned winery located in Lodi, California that prides itself in producing handcrafted wines of superb quality. Founded in 1979 by Tim and Barbara Spencer, St. Amant crafts distinctive wines from Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian varietals in addition to California’s own Zinfandel.

Gia Domella Estate Wines

glass of wine - Pixabay

GiaDomella is the fulfillment of Richard, Victoria, and Joseph Passalacqua’s desire to create and produce premium wines. Consistent with the family’s long standing history associated with winemaking, fruit for these wines are sourced directly from the E Passalacqua Family Estate Vineyard which has been in the family since the late 1890’s.

Flying Horse Wines

wine barrel - Pixabay

he Smeding family has a four generation history of working in agriculture in the Napa Valley. It all started in the 1920’s when Lettie’s Scandinavian grandparents Ivar and Saima Asplund came to the Napa Valley, purchased land, and began farming. The Smeding family has long had a love of horses. They all ride Quarter Horses and Arabians on trail and when working their cattle. Current vintages can be tasted and purchased at Napa Wine Company. The Tasting Room At Napa Wine Company Hours: 10:00am to 4:30pm, 7 days a week No appointment necessary; Ideally located in the center of Napa Valley, just across the street from the infamous Oakville Grocery, The Tasting Room at Napa Wine Company invites you to stop in for a unique wine tasting experience.

Spenker Winery

wine and cheese

The 60 acre property west of Lodi has been owned and farmed by the Spenker family for more than 100 years. At a home winemaking party Chuck and Bettyann met and fell in love. They started the winery in 1994 as an outgrowth of their interest in maintaining and demonstrating the high quality of their Zinfandel grapes. Jan-April: by appointment (209) 367-0467 May-Dec: Sat & Sun 12-4pm or by appointment

Meeker Vineyards

pouring a glass of wine = Pixabay

The tasting was a blast, the guy behind the counter was knowledgeable and funny. Why can't all tasting rooms have this kind of service? He listened to what we said and altered our tasting to fit our palate. Excellent service.

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