Just ten minutes up from Highway 29 and you have the view - of Napa Valley. Then, if you book a tasting tour, instead of standing at a bar, or a cold cellar, you will be seated in a room streaming with sunshine. From there a generous sampling of their current releases will be poured, alongside a nice place of cheese, nuts and chocolate. Time to consider the tasting...and what you will buy to have at home. I know that one of my Cabernet favorites.
Rusack was established in 1995 by Geoff Rusack and Alison Wrigley Rusack with a commitment to creating world-class wines. In the years since then, this dedication to quality has meant some dramatic changes at the winery.
The most visible change is in the vineyard. Following the 2001 harvest, many of the original vines were pulled out and replanted. Utilizing cutting edge technology and taking advantage of Ballard Canyon’s unique terroir, varieties to be grown were carefully chosen and limited to those clones best suited to the microclimate. Syrah, Sangiovese, and Sauvignon Blanc have been planted, along with smaller lots of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot to be blended into the renowned "Anacapa."
Sample handcrafted wines made with grapes from the beautiful vineyards of San Diego County at Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery located in the heart of the Ramona Valley American Viticulture Area (AVA). Taste award winning reds, a dry rose and interesting whites in our quaint tasting room or on our lovely view tasting terrace, often along with artisan cheese samples. Family owners/wine-makers Micole Moore and Teri Kerns focus on vineyard specific, single varietal wines like their Double-Gold Estate Tannat, Paccielo Reserve Sangiovese and smooth drinking Cadillac Cab. White wines include a dry Muscat, Viognier and a newly released Dessert wine called “Indulgence,” made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
Visit Lake County’s go-to destination for all things wine, food, and family fun – the brand new Shannon Mercantile!
Now serving lunch in addition to our full wine bar! Enjoy sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, non-alcoholic beverages and more from local favorite, Rosey Cooks. Take a moment to relax or shop in the heart of Lake County, any day of the week.
Hours: Daily | 11 am - 6 pm
Fantastic wines, a great and knowledgable tasting team and one of my most favorite settings make Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards a wonderful and special place. We toured the vineyard in it's total seclusion, silence and peace; tasted in the caves (a must see); and lounged in their upper terrace while finishing off our tasting.
Great winery conveniently located next to a chocolate shop. Moondance offers wine and port tasting for $5 apiece. In addition to wine, they also have mustard, olive oil, and balsamic samples for you to try. They are in a mutually beneficial relationship with their chocolate selling neighbors. They offer chocolate samples as a pairing with their wines.
This tasting room is definitely worth stopping in. Nancy Walker produces fabulous Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. I've been here several times and I cant wait to come back and purchase more of these delicious small production wines! The hosts are friendly and the wines sell themselves.
This wine comes from the same area in Napa that the big cabs are located--i.e. BV, Beringer, etc... It fooled me the first time I had a glass in a wine bar. Nicely oaked with a big full taste. I have several bottles handy when I want the taste of a big red without the cost of one.
The folks at Heron Wines don't own any vineyards. This allows them to spend their money where it matters (on exceptional grapes and barrels, not mortgages). By establishing both short and long-term contracts with our growers, we have the benefits of consistency and flexibility. They are picky about the vineyard locations and adamant that they are managed by people as passionate about quality as the people at Heron Wines are. Whenever possible, they work with vineyards that are certified or managed organically, biodynamically, or at the very least, sustainably.
Most of their vineyards are dry-farmed and Heron Wines generally prefers old vines, higher elevation, and marine influence with moderate climates, allowing for slower maturation of intensely flavorful grapes.
A 12,000 Sq ft world class facility, is perched on a hillside and has spectacular veiws of the nerby vineyards of the Sierra Foothills. Using the natural terrain, the architectural design of the winery was constructed on 2 plateaus, thus creating, "gravity feed" as part of the winemaking process. This facility, which features 2 art galleries, is built to enable the winey to produce a maximum of 16,000 cases annually.
