Wineries

Wineries

Austin Hope Winery

bottle of wineries 2013 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

The Hope family arrived in Paso Robles in 1978 in search of land and new opportunity. As they’ve planted vineyards, grown grapes and made wine over the past 30 years, Paso Robles has become a viticulture region of significance, capable of producing world-class wines. As one of the pioneering families of this distinctive wine community, the Hope family is dedicated to sustainable farming and making wines that are delicious, accessible and memorable. Still family-owned and operated, Hope Family Wines now makes five individual brands: Liberty School, Treana, Candor, Troublemaker and Austin Hope.

Autheur Wines

pouring red wine into a glass - Pixabay

The Auteur wines have been highly touted in the wine press and are sold by allocations through a mailing list. The owner/winemaker is Kenneth Juhasz who is also the winemaker for The Donum Estate and the Robert Stemmler label, and a consultant for other wineries

Avanguardia Wines

Avanguardia logo

Welcome to Avanguardia Wines, a small, ultra-boutique winery located in Nevada City, known for producing non-traditional blended wines. 100% of their wines are proprietary blends, crafted from 2-6 different grape varieties, many of which are Italian and uncommon in California. Their tasting room is located in Grass Valley.

Avanguardia Wines stands apart by avoiding the more common varietals like Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay. Their flagship white wine, Cristallo, features a rare grape from the Republic of Georgia. Their distinctive red, Ampio, combines the UC-patented Carmine with the French Mondeuse for a truly unique flavor. Their newest blend, Tre "T," made from Teroldego, Tempranillo, and Tannat, has already earned Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle competition.

Focusing on balance, Avanguardia crafts wines with carefully calibrated levels of alcohol, acidity, tannin, and oak, leaning more towards a European style than the bold trends often seen in California.

Avensole Vineyard & Winery

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – two people with their cats and glasses of wine

Avensole Winery is especially rich in the history of Southern California wine making. The property was first planted with wine grapes in 1969 by wine making pioneer Vince Cilurzo, who introduced Petite Syrah and Chenin Blanc. Development of the Avensole vineyard was completed in 1986 by Bud Van Roekel, who planted Muscat Canelli, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. It was Bud’s goal to spare no expense to produce the finest grapes in California. We think he succeeded, and that the grapes produced by our vineyard are the finest in Temecula, and some of the very best in all of California. Great fruit – as grapes are called in the wine industry – is what allows Avensole Vineyard & Winery to produce great wines. Enjoy their wines your next visit to Temecula Wine Country.

Avensole Vineyard & Winery

enjoying wine

Inspired by Sylvia and William “Bill” Lytton, Avensole Winery was born into a family deeply rooted in tradition. The Lyttons had a profound love for music, wine, and family. Over the years, Sylvia and Bill, along with their children Sheldon and Maribeth, often traveled to Sylvia’s hometown of Vienna, Austria, to visit extended family. Austria, with its enchanting vineyards and centuries-old winemaking traditions, captivated them. Vienna, a European hub of music, wine, and food, played a special role in their lives. The fragrant aromas, picturesque landscapes, and time-honored winemaking customs left an indelible mark on the family, influencing their future.

Sylvia and Bill's shared passion for music is what brought them together. Sylvia, a talented pianist, performed throughout Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, often with a partner as part of a duo called "The Melody Twins." Bill, a skilled musician, played both the saxophone and clarinet. During his college years, he formed a band called "The Purple Syncopaters," which performed across the U.S. and Asia. When Sylvia moved to America, she and Bill were introduced, and their mutual love of music created an immediate bond. Their love endured throughout 54 years of marriage and continues through their children and grandchildren.

Inspired by their parents, Sheldon and Maribeth worked diligently to honor Sylvia and Bill’s legacy. Like his father, Sheldon became a lawyer, while Maribeth followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming an accomplished concert pianist. Despite their careers, the siblings never forgot their family vacations and sought to capture the essence of their memories spent among Austria's elegant vineyards. In the Temecula Valley of California, they found a landscape and climate that reminded them of Austria, and they chose to establish their winery there, paying homage to their childhood memories.

Sylvia’s favorite wine was Gewurztraminer, a varietal she loved for its fragrant aromas and fruity notes. When Sheldon and Maribeth discovered that Gewurztraminer was already planted in the vineyard destined to become Avensole, they were surprised and saw it as a “sign” that they were “home.” Avensole became a part of the Lytton family heritage.

Today, Avensole Winery stands as a tribute to Sylvia, Bill, and Sheldon, who passed away in 2019. With every bottle produced, the winery honors the Lytton family’s vision. Their wines embody a harmonious blend of tradition, artistry, and the rich heritage of the vines.

Visitors are invited to experience the fruits of the Lytton family’s labor and be transported to a time of elegance, adventure, and the timeless magic of music and wine.

B Cellars

people sharing wine

When B Cellars’ founder Jim Borsack first encountered his partner Duffy Keys at a fourth of July barbeque in 2002, both executives were exploring new life paths in the wine business. Over a drop of the good stuff, of course, their journeys became intertwined when they discovered that they not only shared the same tastes in wine but were also on parallel missions to acquire vineyard property. Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery  Gallery | Agata Art Gallery

B Wise Vineyards

grape cluster

B Wise is very small production, just 20 acres of vines on their winery estate in Sonoma. They do private tastings by appointment at their wine caves, absolutely the most spectacular cave I've ever seen! The tasting room in Kenwood is open to the public. The wines are truly amazing and beautifully crafted. Amazing wines, small production.

B&E Vineyard

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Woman enjoying wine with her cats

This is way off the beaten path, but it is worth a stop if you're exploring the East valley or coming in from the 41. We stopped here on a whim after blowing through our wine budget at another winery down the road. I live to regret that. It's easy to miss and the road up to the tasting room makes you initially feel like you're in the wrong place, but the views are great at the top from the dinky building. It's remote, so you'll most likely be alone with your party, anyway. That's good because max capacity feels like it would be around six. The lady working the tasting counter is super cool. This is a no frills place, but that's what I love about the wine culture of Paso. They don't have a big selection of pours here, but what they offer is great. Half of the wines were cuvees, which I enjoy because there is something intimate about them, like enjoying the food of a chef you are a fan of. You submit to their palate. That being said, the Twisted wines are very good, especially the older of the two that were out for sampling. Hands down the best, though, is the cab. Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery  Gallery | Agata Art Gallery

B. R. Cohn Winery

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – couple enjoying wine together

When we visited they had a vintage car display as well as lots of vendors selling their goods and offering food samples. The tasting room is quite large, and while there were lots of groups there, we did not have to wait too long for the tasting. They also have a separate olive oil and balsamic tasting room. B.R. Cohn is a large winery with retail distribution and they make wines using grapes not only from their local estate, but mostly from all over wine country.

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – Agata Art Gallery  - Gallery | Agata Art Gallery

B. Wise Vineyards

Artwork by Wine Artist Agata Zaborowski – family at table - wine

B Wise is just off the 12 in Kenwood. The tasting room is elegantly decorated. Allison was friendly and opened new bottles to make sure we tasted the wine at its best. Easily one of the better wineries in the area. While they only really make small batches and prices are escalated because of that, the wine really speaks for itself.

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