What an absolutely delightful place. Small, charming, off the beaten path. This offered a robust tasting (6 wines for $15) and a wonderful venue. When we arrived Cathy went into the vineyards and picked some Sangiovese grapes to go with a cheese plate she prepared for us. It was such a gorgeous setting. And through out our lunch she just kept coming back to pour us more wine! She was extremely generous with her pours.
The wines here are great. If you like big reds you will enjoy their cabs and the famous Maximus. Bennett Lane is quiet and small compare to other more touristy wineries around. The tasting room is decent size but could be crowded if there are larger groups. Staff was helpful and friendly. There are a couple outdoor patio tables overlooking their beautiful vineyard
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.
Arnaud and Guillaume Fabre moved to California for love. For Guillaume, it was his passion for winemaking and farming without limits that brought him to Paso Robles. This love led him to one of the most prestigious wineries in Paso Robles, L’Aventure, and eventually to start his winery, Clos Solène. Arnaud’s story is much more like that of a movie scene. His move to California was to follow the love of his life, Chloe. This is how the two brothers -Les Deux Frères Fabre- ended up in Paso Robles.
The story gets far more interesting, but you will have to come find out for yourself!
As a tribute to the six-generation family legacy in the Languedoc-Roussillon and Bordeaux regions, BENOM harmoniously combines the freedom of winemaking in Paso Robles with the innate talent of the Fabre bloodline.
Boutique winery. Appointment only but that ensures that they can make time for you to taste in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Very informative and the wines were outstanding. Not inexpensive but not overly pricey either.
Bill Stokes, Sr. planted his first 45 acres of Zinfandel near Lodi in 1954, and established additional vineyards during the next decade. His son Tom increased the family acreage in vines from the 1960's to the 1980's, both by purchasing vineyard properties and developing new vineyards. Tom's two sons, Bill and Mike, took over active management of the family business in 1985. Under their supervision, Stokes Family Vineyard continues to grow, and now encompasses more than 2,000 acres.
When Pat and Tom Heineman purchased the property in 1980, opening a winery was not in their plans. They wanted to own some land “out in the country”. They chose the location for its beauty and feeling of serenity. As educators in the Livermore they met the couple who would later become their partners in the winery, Carol and Rich Howell. Pat and Carol were fellow elementary school principals in Livermore. The two couples shared many common interests including the enjoyment of good wines.
This is a first class operation! Every employee you see is smiling, friendly, and happy. The tour was fantastic and seeing the inside of the caves they built years ago was memorable. The tasting room was big enough and there was no pressure to purchase any wines or join the clubs. Every wine we tasted was explained in detail and needless to say, superb. We enjoyed seeing the sheep grazing on the hillside and then running back to the barn. This is a don't miss winery and tour in Sonoma County.
Victorian winery owners, Joe and Kay Berghold, are collectors at heart. For nearly two decades, the couple purchased and stored antiques from the American Victorian period (1860 – 1900) with a goal in mind – to build an architecturally unique winery and tasting room representative of the era of the pieces in their collection – and the same era of beginning of Lodi wine history.
Beringer Vineyards is a large winery in St. Helena, California. Founded in 1875, Beringer Vineyards is "the oldest continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley", and is a California Historical Landmark. There reserve Cab is one of my favorites. The tour is informative and interesting so if its your first time I recommend it. But for regular visitors to Napa then the tastings and select wines are what you'd come here for.