Zinfandel

Zinfandel

J. Wilkes

cluster of white wine grapes - Pixabay

In 2001, Jeff decided to venture out with the goal of making world class wines. Initially, he limited his production to Pinot Noir from Bien Nacido in 2003, he expanded his horizons a bit and added Pinot Noir from Solomon Hills Vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley. Jeff also wanted to produce a white wine so he added a Pinot Blanc from Bien Nacido in 2004 and a Bien Nacido Chardonnay in 2008. Jeff tragically passed away in 2010 just as he was coming into his prime as a winemaker. Remembered as a friend, co-worker, and extraordinary winemaker, the Miller Family, owners of Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Vineyards, purchased the J. Wilkes wine label with the intent of paying tribute to all of Jeff's accomplishments and continuing his legacy of making outstanding wines from the Santa Maria Valley.

Holdredge Wines

glass of wine - Pixabay

If you're interested in the workings of a true family run winery, please do yourself a favor and visit.John and Carri produce some great wines at great prices and always provide some fun at the tasting room. With an emphasis on Pinot they still produce two zins, two syrahs, and couple of deserts.

Valley Oak Winery

friends and wine

Valley Oak Winery derives its name from a majestic oak tree that has stood since 1967 in the front yard of the Ubick farmstead in Clovis. This volunteer tree continues to flourish on Ashlan Avenue, directly across from Clovis East High School. The Valley Oak logo represents the Ubick family’s legacy, local heritage, and enduring farming traditions.

The Ubick family has been cultivating grapes in Fresno County for over a century. Their first farm, established in 1916, is now part of the Fresno State farm school. Over the years, the family has expanded their agricultural pursuits, growing wine grapes, raisins, peaches, garlic, watermelons, pumpkins, onions, olives, oat hay, and raising cattle in Clovis, Conejo, Oleander, Caruthers, Fresno, Selma, Lone Star, and Sanger.

Building on their tradition of home winemaking, the Ubick family founded Ubick Vineyards in Clovis and released their first commercial vintage in 2008. They quickly gained recognition for producing small lots of exceptional and distinctive red wines. In 2017, the family established Valley Oak Winery LLC to produce and market wines under the Ubick Vineyards and other house labels.

Valley Oak Winery and its tasting room opened in 2017 at the new site of the Ubick Vineyards near Sanger, CA. The vineyard, established in 2014, features eight red wine varietals. By growing their own grapes, the Ubick family can oversee every aspect of winegrowing and production, striving to create wines that are fruit-forward and rich in unique aromas and flavors reflective of the vineyard and the vintage year.

Mt. Vernon Winery

clusters of grapes

Mt. Vernon Vineyard and Winery is a small, family-owned and operated winery nestled in the grassy foothills of Auburn, California. The Taylor family transforms Sierra Foothills grapes into outstanding, lush aromatic wines, featuring riveting fruit flavors that are fit for a president.

The winery provides a majestic view and a relaxing atmosphere. Regarded as the largest winery in Placer County since Prohibition, Mt. Vernon offers an exceptional selection of wines and unique blends that are sure to captivate the taste buds.

Established in 1996, Mt. Vernon is pioneering the production of various foothill grapes, including Old Vine Zinfandel, Syrah Port, Barbera, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gold Country Nectar, and a Sur-lie aged barrel-fermented Chardonnay that is joining the Mt. Vernon collection.

Photo courtesy of photographer Randy Caparoso 

F. Teldeschi Winery

wine and cheese - Pixabay

*Tiny* building with beautiful scenery, Teldeschi let us venture into the back room to see all the Oak barrels with the sweet alcoholic juices we were imbibing. There's something to be said about a winery just being a place for wine.

Sequum Wines

wine and cheese - Pixabay

With the 2001 harvest Paul launched his Sequum brand and released his first vintage of Napa Valley Zinfandel from his 2 acre Kidd Ranch vineyard in St. Helena. In 2002, he added a Cabernet Sauvignon from four specially selected Napa vineyard soils and named it Four Soil Melange. In 2003, the first release of the most recent addition to the Sequum portfolio, a Sonoma Dry Creek Zinfandel called Riverwash, was announced. He plans to add a vineyard designated Kidd Ranch Syrah and Kidd Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2006 vintage. Paul continues to consult for vineyards up and down the west coast and enjoys fine tuning the production of his Sequum wines.

Fetzer Vineyards

painting of woman with glass of wine - Artist Agata Zamborowski

Fetzer Vineyards

Fetzer Vineyards was founded in 1968 in beautiful Mendocino County by Barney and Kathleen Fetzer. One of the first California wineries to branch out into serious Chardonnay production, Fetzer remains committed to sustainability and environmentally conscious wine production. Dennis Martin oversees all wine-making at Fetzer and is assisted by Charlie Gilmore and Michael Chupp, who are in charge of white wine making and red wine making respectively.

Bella Piazza Winery

harvest grapes being gathered to bins

The wines produced from the vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley, home to some of the oldest vines in California and are renowned for their intense fruit and deep color. Winemakers, George Bursick and Susan Farrington have added their extensive experience and discerning palates to create wines of intensity with elegance. Starting with rich, mature fruit, he creates Bella Piazza Winery wines in a style that displays both richness and balance. Image - courtesy Randy Caparoso

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