feb/march vine times

’s

JLOHR.COM

J. LOHRPASO ROBLES WINE CENTER

6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles(Off Hwy 46 East)805.239.8900

19th Annual Zinfandel FestivalPaso Robles March 18 – 20, 2011

Friday, March 18: Join us for a tapas inspired, family-style dinner by TrumpetVine Catering. Enjoy paella and more. Guitarist Robert Longley entertains.Seating at 6:30 p.m. $75 per person; $65 Wine Club.Reservations required.

Saturday, March 19: Wine Club Members and their guests will enjoy a special VIP tour and tasting at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. No reservations needed.

Sunday, March 20: Owner Steve Lohr will guide you through a vertical tasting of select J. Lohr wines. Cahoots Catering lunch to follow. Begins at 11 a.m. $45 per person; $35 Wine ClubReservations required.

J. Lohr Zin Fest Weekend EventsComplimentary library wine tasting for Zin Tasting ticketholders all weekend.

www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011 � 3

. . .What’s Doin’ in Wine Country

“Behind the Cellar Door” Saturday-Sunday,March 5-6 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The event will feature tastings ofZinfandel and other Amador specialtiespoured from barrel and bottle at 34Amador County wineries, along with adiverse array of Zinfandel-focused semi-nars, demonstrations, library and verticaltastings, and gourmet foods. For the firsttime, the popular Behind the Cellar Door“Cellar Feast,” featuring a four-course din-ner paired with Amador wines and hostedby 20 Amador winemakers, will be held atAndis Winery, a marvelous new estate inthe heart of Amador’s Shenandoah Valley.

Tickets for the 2011 edition of the“Behind the Cellar Door” can be pur-chased at www.amadorwine.com or bycalling (toll-free) 1-888-655-8614. Passesare $50 per person for the entire weekend($15 for designated drivers) or $35 forSunday only, and include a commemora-tive wine glass. Separate admission isavailable, for $85 per person, for the gala“Cellar Feast” on Saturday evening, March5 at 6 p.m. in the barrel cellar at AndisWinery. An Ultimate Weekend Pass, whichincludes admission to both days’ activitiesand the Cellar Feast, is $110 (a $25 sav-ings). Advance purchase is recommendedfor all events.

For more information, call 1(888) 655-8614 or email [email protected].

15th Annual Presidents’ WineWeekend February 19-20, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

All 25 Calaveras Winegrape Alliancewineries will open their doors to celebratePresidents day. The weekend’s festivitieswill include all-American fare, new releases,barrel tastings, Presidential visits by Abe andGeorge, food and wine pairings, and livemusic, as well as a number of special dis-counts on wines and gifts. All for $10 andCommemorative Glass. For more informa-tion visit calaveraswines.org or call (209)728-9467 or toll free (866) 806-WINE.

Cuisine On CarsonSaturday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

This Free event showcases 14Wineries along Carson Rd. betweenPlacerville and Camino. Each winery wel-comes you with wine and food pairings allday as well as wine specials. This event isfree if you bring your own wine glass.

Get a map and more information atwww.carsonroadwineries.com.

El Dorado WineryAssociation’s 20th AnnualPassport WeekendsMarch 26-27 and April 2-3

During two glorious spring weekendseach year, 26 El Dorado wineries host theregion’s annual Passport wine and foodevent. Passport Weekends feature plenty ofluscious wine and food pairings, barreltastings, enjoyable art and music, and fun-loving participants. Warm weather andgreen surroundings along the wine trail addto the excitement of this springtime event.

For complete information and ticketsvisit www.eldoradowines.org

Lake County Wine & Chocolate FestivalSaturday, February 19, 12-4 p.m.Mt.Konocti Growers 2550 Big Valley Road, Lakeport

Event-goers will stroll through thevenue tasting wines from more than 30 areawineries, nibble on delicious chocolates,and can purchase a “wine country” lunch.

An extensive offering of ultra-premi-um Lake County wines – everything frompear champagne to award-winning Syrahand Port – will be masterfully paired withluscious chocolates and other tasty foodbites by Sommelier Stephanie Green,owner of Focused on Wine in Kelseyville.Green will lead workshops on wine senso-ry and pairing food with wines and a vari-ety of other classes and demonstrations willbe held, such as olive oil sensory, chocolatedemonstrations, and biodynamic vineyards.This year’s event will also feature music, asilent auction, wine store, and vintage carsand trucks – weather permitting.

Proceeds from the Wine & ChocolateFestival benefit the programs and servicesof the Lake Family Resource Center.Admission is $35 per person in advance,$40 at the door. For information, call (707)279-0563 or visit www.lakecounty.com.

Livermore Valley WinegrowersHost Third Annual BarrelTasting WeekendSaturday-Sunday,March 19-20 12-4:30 p.m.

More than 30 Livermore Valleywineries will offer samples of wines still indevelopment – direct from their barrels –during the region’s third annual BarrelTasting Weekend. Guests with specialevent wristbands and official tasting glass-es will receive at least one barrel sample ateach participating winery. Many winemak-ers will be present to personally pour and

Amador County

Lake County

Calaveras County

El Dorado County

Livermore Valley

Continued on Page 5Continued on Page 8

4 � February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com

c o l u m n i s t s

PUBLISHER

Victoria Buonocore

MANAGING EDITOR

Toni Sieling

STAFF WRITER

Tiffany Melanis

EVENTS EDITOR

Sally Gersbach

SALES & MARKETING

DIRECTOR

Denise [email protected]

PRODUCTION

Anne DobbinsToni Sieling

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Amador County ..................................14Calaveras County ..................................8El Dorado County North/South ......16Gilroy ......................................................12Glenn County ......................................33Humboldt County................................28Lake County ..........................................28

Livermore Valley....................................10Lodi..........................................................37Madera County ....................................33Mariposa County ....................................8Mendocino County..............................28Merced County ....................................33Monterey................................................30

Napa County ..................................24, 25Nevada County ......................................7Paso Robles ..........................................20Placer County..........................................7San Francisco Bay Area ......................12San Francisco East Bay ........................22San Luis Obispo....................................32

Santa Barbara ........................................18Santa Clara Valley ................................12Santa Cruz ............................................12San Benito ..............................................36Solano County ......................................25Sonoma County ............................34, 35Temecula/San Diego County ............23

Tuolume County ....................................8Yolo County ..........................................33Yuba County ............................................7

c o n t e n t s3 DO:

What’s Doin’ in

Wine Country

9 DESTINATION:Paso Robles B Y L I S A J . P R E T T Y

13 DELIGHTS:Goodies & Gadgets

31 DISCOVER:Ventura County’s

Wine TrailB Y L I N D A K I S S A M

38 DEVOUR:Chow BellaCOMPILED BY VICTORIA BUONOCORE

Eat This With...BY LISA J. PRETTY

8 Hamlet on River Road B Y L A U R A N E S S

11 Jaime Dowell of Livermore’sCrooked VineB Y L A U R A N E S S

14 Nevada City Winery’sMark FosterB Y L I N D A J . B OT T J E R

15 Lineage at Steven KentB Y L A U R A N E S S

19 A North Coast BeerAdventureB Y P H I L L I P S T E G N E R

28 Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe B Y TO M P L A N T

29 Sonoma’s Mayo ReserveRoomB Y S A N D R E W M O N T G O M E RY

33 Lodi’s Heritage Oak WineryB Y K I M B E R LY H O R G - W E B B

Only wineries with tasting rooms are listed.Guides can be downloaded from our website at www.vinetimesonline.com.

7 Her VineNess on WineB Y L A U R A N E S SHer VineNess picks five wines sure to please.

17 Culinary Road TripB Y D E N I S E KO U Z O U J I A NA day trip to Saratoga’s The Mountain Wineryturns up some great wine and a recipe to try.

26 From Behind the Tasting BarB Y C Y N T H I A B O U R N E L L I SA guide to a blind tasting.

27 The Wine ChixsB Y L I N D A K I S S A M & G I N G E R G I O R D A N OKeyways Winery launches new “Traditions.”

30 The City CellarB Y M I C H E L L E S I E L I N GGreat views and wines at Treasure Island Wines.

COVER ARTMustard in Bloom

by Valdimir ChapkoOriginal Oil

www.gallery1870.com

w i n e r y g u i d e s

t h e f i v e D ’ s

f e a t u r e s

PHOTO CRED ITS : DEN ISE KOUZOUJ IAN , COURTESY OF BROOKSTONE , ALLAN KISSAM, LAURA NESS ,COURTESY OF NEVADA CITY WINERY, JANET STEGNER , K IMBERLY HORG-WEBB

More great California Vine Times articles coming to:

www.vinetimesoline.com

Follow Vine Times on Facebook and Twitter

Have your wine event included in our April/May 2011 issue.

Please submit your April and May eventsfor inclusion in our next issue by March 7.Email to [email protected] orsubmit online at www. vinetimesonline.com.

California

discuss their young wines and offer deli-cious pairings with gourmet appetizers,artisan cheeses, chocolate and nuts.

Guests will have the opportunity topre-purchase some of the barrel wines at adiscount, before they are bottled andreleased to the public (a practice known asbuying “futures”).

Tickets are $30 per person when pur-chased online by March 18, $35 per personat any participating winery during the event.Price includes at least one barrel tasting ateach participating winery, one official tast-ing glass and a map of participating winer-ies. For tickets and information visitlvwine.org or call (925) 447-WINE (9463).

14th Annual Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend Saturday-Sunday, February 12-1311 a.m-4 p.m.

Spend Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb.12 and 13, in Lodi Wine Country sippingaward-winning, handcrafted wines duringthe 14th Annual Wine & ChocolateWeekend. Taste delicious Lodi wines anddecadent chocolates at more than 40 winer-ies in the Lodi appellation. Be the lucky oneto unwrap the “Golden Ticket” at any par-ticipating winery and win a Wine CountryGetaway or one of over 100 other prizes!

Tickets are on sale now and can bepurchased online at lodiwineandchoco-late.com or by calling the Lodi Wine &Visitor Center at (209) 365-0621. Ticketprices are $45 in advance or $55 during theevent. Tickets include an event wine glass,a commemorative chocolate tin, wine tast-ing and admission to all participatingwineries. One ticket is valid for bothSaturday and Sunday and there is nocharge for designated drivers.

Paso Robles Wine CountryGrand TastingWednesday,March 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.Vibiana, 411 S.Main St., Suite M100Downtown Los Angeles

More than 40 winery and hospitalityrepresentatives from Paso Robles will fea-ture more than 150 wines at this historicalLos Angeles church. Wineries will show-case a sample of their portfolio that bestexemplifies the more than 40 varietals (andblends thereof) from Paso Robles WineCountry. Appetizers will be provided by

Room Forty, featuring wine country cui-sine to delight any palate. Admission is $60per person. Call (800) 549-WINE (9463)with any questions. (Event attendance islimited so advanced ticket purchase ishighly recommended.)

Winemaker DinnersJoin Paso Robles winemakers for a

unique winemaker dinner where up to fivePaso Robles wineries are paired at eachdinner with some of Southern California’smarquee restaurants. Meet the winemakerand experience how the creative culinarytalent of Los Angeles pairs with the premi-um wines of Paso Robles. Times and pric-ing will vary by restaurant.

Find a complete list of participatingrestaurants, wineries, dates and prices atwww.pasowine.com.

Madera Wine Trail’s Wine & Chocolate WeekendSaturday - Sunday, February 12-13 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The family wineries of the MaderaWine Trail will host “Wine & ChocolateWeekend” on Feb. 12 and 13. Sample currentand newly released vintages while indulgingin delectable chocolate creations, special foodpairings, local art and live music.

Wine lovers may purchase a PassportWine Glass at any of the participatingwineries both days of the event for $25, orin advance for $20. For tickets and com-plete information call (800) 613-0709 orgo to maderawinetrail.com.

International Alsace VarietalsFestival, Anderson ValleySaturday-Sunday, February 12-13 Mendocino County Fairgrounds in BoonvilleScharffenberger Cellars, PhiloWinery Open Houses at Various Wineries in the Anderson Valley

Grand Tasting1-4 p.m.,Mendocino CountyFairgrounds in Booneville

Visit the beautiful Anderson Valley fora weekend in celebration of your favoritearomatic white wines. This event high-lights Gewurztraminer, Riesling, PinotGris, Pinot Blanc and Muscat, made by theworld’s finest producers of Alsace-stylewines. It’s the only event like it in the entirecountry. Meet the winemakers and enjoymusic by local artists and perfectly pairedbites crafted by local chefs. Grand Tastingtickets are $65 per person.

The Technical Conference9-11:30 a.m., Mendocino Fairgroundsin Booneville

Listen to and interact with winemakers

and wine experts from around the globe asthey discuss winemaking and grape growingspecifically for Alsace varietals. Breakfast isincluded. Tickets are $45 per person.

The Winemakers Dinner6:30 p.m. ,Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo

Enjoy dinner, prepared by a renownedlocal chef, with the winemakers and learnabout their wines in the elegant private din-ing room. Tickets are $125 per person.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, spend the dayexploring the wineries of Anderson Valley.Many wineries will feature their AlsaceVarietal wines. Enjoy food pairings, music,art and more. There is no charge.

For tickets and information on eventsand participating wineries visitwww.avwines.com/index.php/alsace-festi-val/ or call (707) 895-WINE (9463).

A Taste of YountvilleSaturday,March 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.Town of Yountville

If you’re in the gourmet “know,”you’ve most likely heard of Yountville, thetiny wine country hamlet filled with andsurrounded by famous chefs and winemak-ers. With more gourmet restaurants andpremium wineries than any other town ofcomparable size, Yountville will flaunt its“gourmet roots” on Saturday, March 19.

A Taste of Yountville, an all-Yountville showcase, will feature tradition-al samplings of gourmet restaurant fare,olive oils, vinegars, mustards, fine wines,and micro-brews. Tasting tickets will besold on-site. Live entertainment will filterthroughout Yountville’s downtown area.

For more information call (707) 944-0904 or visit the Yountville Chamber ofCommerce website at yountville.com.

Mustard,Mud & Music A Calistoga Jazz Festival Saturday-Sunday,March 6-7,1-6 p.m.Downtown Calistoga

The quaint town of Calistoga will bopto the beat of live Jazz by cool cats andcrazy combos in a variety of venues as youstroll through galleries and shops and dineat local pubs and restaurants. Take time toslip into a mud bath at one of Calistoga’sworld famous spas.

The festival’s music lineup featuressome of the best jazz bands and artists inthe Bay Area, including Cavanaugh/Belair,Michelle Michaels Quartet, Rick Quisol,Herb Gibson, Bob “The Stick” Culbertson,Swing Seven, The Nancy Wright Trio,Mad & Eddie, Steve Dudgeon Quartet,Mark Holzinger, Rolando Morales, SusanSutton, Larry Vann, and Tracy Rose.

For more information call theCalistoga Chamber of Commerce at(707)942-6333 or visit www.calistogavisi-tors.com.

Yountville Celebrates Winterwith Annual “Moveable Feast”ProgramRestaurants,Hotels and WineriesTeam Up with Tasty Deals

With six Michelin stars and a chef line-up worthy of a world tour, Yountville turnsup the heat this winter with its second annu-al “Moveable Feast” program that runsthrough Feb. 28. From value-season hoteland dining packages to a roux of prix-fixemeals rolling off the lines, foodies on a fasttrack now have another reason to visit thistown boasting more Michelin stars per capi-ta than anywhere on the planet.

This tasty town-wide program com-bines value-season lodging at 11 areahotels, at up to 30 percent off with a prix-fixe meal at a local restaurant and privateVIP wine tour/tasting at a local winery forthe ultimate wine country getaway

For those who prefer to limit their spe-cials to fine dining alone, the town’s toptoques celebrate the season with a variety of“Moveable Feast” menus. Three-courserepasts are available through February atnine area restaurants, some restrictions apply.

For a complete list of the restaurantsand hotel’s offerings, and travel inquiries,contact the Yountville Chamber ofCommerce at (707) 944-0904 orwww.yountville.com.

19th Annual Paso RoblesZinfandel Festival WeekendMarch 18–20,Various Winery Activities

Zin Tasting & Wine Country AuctionSaturday,March 19, 6 - 9:30 p.m.At the Paso Robles Event Center,2198 Riverside Avenue in Paso Robles

During the 19th Annual ZinfandelFestival Weekend, Paso Robles WineCountry celebrates Zinfandel’s history,future and the maze of personalities thatbring each bottle to life. On Saturday,March 19, the Zin Tasting & Wine CountryAuction will intertwine Zinfandel, Zin-friendly foods and Wine Country Auctionlots. This year also features special guest,Rex Pickett, the author of Sideways. Tastethe wines, enjoy the cuisine, bid on WineCountry Auction lots and meet the author -a complete evening of Zin.

Throughout the weekend travel theroads of Paso Robles Wine Country for aplethora of special tastings, dinner parties,meet-the-winemaker experiences, compli-mentary barbecues and more. Also, morethan 75 wineries will be offering specials toticketholders of the Zin Tasting; be sure tokeep your ticket handy throughout theweekend to take advantage of these specialoffers. Find complete information and tick-et information at www.pasowine.com or


What’s Doin’ in Wine Country...

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Los Angeles

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Madera Napa Valley

Paso Robles

Mendocino

Lodi



by calling the Paso Robles Wine CountryAlliance at (805) 239-8463.

The 11th Annual World of Pinot NoirMarch 4-6,The Cliff’s Resort2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach

The world of Pinot Noir features threeGrand Tastings - Friday, Saturday, and aSunday Brunch Walk-Around Tasting.Also included will be seminars, featuredtastings and Friday and Saturday wine-maker dinners. All this will be held at thebeautiful Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. TheGrand Tastings feature more than 80domestic and international producers whowill pour their wines on the bluffs and inthe grand ballroom at The Cliffs Resort.Includes a pinot-friendly selection of lighthors d’oeuvres highlighting local chefs andgrowers. Get to know the people behindthe wines at this relaxed event featuringworld-class wines.

For complete information and ticketsvisit www.worldofpinotnoir.com or call(800) 826-7827.

17th Annual UltimateWinemakers Dinner Tuesday, February 22Shadowbrook Restaurant,1750 Wharf Road,Capitola

Join The Santa Cruz MountainWinegrowers Association for an elegantdinner and your own personal winemaker,all in the beautiful Shadowbrook Restaurantin Capitola. Taste the fabulous wines of upto 25 Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers,and then be escorted to an intimate dinner.Enjoy the outstanding ambiance, cuisine,and service of the Shadowbrook Restaurant,which is closed to the general public andopen exclusively for the guests of the SantaCruz Mountains Winegrowers.

Arrive one half hour before your seat-ing time to enjoy wine tasting and a silentauction in the restaurant’s Rock RoomLounge. In the dining room, you will bejoined by a local vintner who will sharetheir wines with dinner. The chef ofShadowbrook Restaurant will design aspecial five-course menu to accompany thewines selected for the evening.

This dinner always sells out inadvance. Tickets are $105 per person (forgourmet meal, wine, tax, and gratuity)Reservations are required. For questionsand reservations please call (831) 685-VINE (8463) or visit www.scmwa.com.

7th Annual Pinot ParadiseSaturday-Sunday,March 26-27Saturday at participating wineriesSunday at Villa Ragusa 35 South 2nd Street,Campbell

Saturday, March 26, Pathway to PinotParadise offers a self-guided tour of theregion’s Pinot-producing wineries. Barreltasting, library wines, and special offeringsby participating wineries will be available.Visitors can enjoy exploring the delightfulworld of the Santa Cruz Mountains.Tickets are $25.

Sunday, March 27 begins withTechnical Sessions from 9 a.m. to noon atVilla Ragusa in Old Town Campbell, withpresentations by wine experts on the chal-lenges of growing and producing PinotNoir in the region. Tickets are $55, reserva-tions required.

Then from 2 to 5 p.m. the Grand CruzTasting, also at Villa Ragusa, will show-case more than 60 Pinot Noirs paired withgourmet hors d’oeuvres from some of theregion’s best restaurants. Tickets are $55 inadvance, $65 at the door.

Special Pinot Paradise V.I.P. Packageswill offer a guided “tour” in a small groupformat at Villa Ragusa during a private pre-event tasting with winemakers and/or repre-sentatives from the wineries at 1 p.m. fol-lowed by the Grand Cruz Tasting. Cost is$75.00 and includes the Grand Cruz tasting.

Tickets and more information areavailable from the SCMWA at (831)685-8463, www.scmwa.com, [email protected].

San Francisco Chronicle WineCompetition Public TastingSaturday, February 19, 2-5 p.m.Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center,San Francisco

San Francisco Chronicle WineCompetition (SFCWC), the largest compe-tition of American Wines in the World, isthe ideal place to experience a refreshingnew educational look at wine and foodpairing. Scrutinized by a contingent of pro-fessional wine judges, the Public Tasting isyour chance to experience new and excit-ing award winning wines from more than300 wineries at the Annual Public Tasting.The tasting will feature thousands of thecountry’s finest wineries and their awardedwines, along with a truly exceptionalspread of gourmet fare. Unpretentious andfun, this popular event encourages every-one to come together, learn about manynew wines and enjoy a dream fulfillingnew wine experience.

Tickets are $65 when purchased inadvance from www.winejudging.com. ThePublic Tasting is always a sold out event,so don’t wait until the last minute to pur-chase your tickets; admittance, if still avail-able the day of the Tasting, is $80 at thedoor. For tickets and information, visitwww.winejudging.com.

The proceeds of the San FranciscoChronicle Wine Competition support the non-profit Cloverdale Citrus Fair and help support

wine and food education at educational insti-tutions and non-profit organizations.

VINOLIVOFriday, February 18, 7-10 p.m.The Lodge at Sonoma1325 Broadway, Sonoma

Sip Sonoma Valley’s best wines asyou get to know the personalities behindthe wine; Ignite your Taste Buds withCulinary Delights from Sonoma’s FinestRestaurants, Caterers, and Artisans;Sample Local Savory Olives and OliveOils at the Olive Bar; Enjoy the seductivePort Wines; Experience the Pommes Fritesand Sparkling Wine Bar; and entertainyour senses with one of the hottest DJ’s intown, Jason Woods. New this year...theopportunity to try it and buy it!

Tickets are $75 General Admission inadvance, $85 at the door. For tickets andinformation visit www.sonomavalley-wine.com or call (707) 935-0803.

33rd Annual Barrel TastingWeekends along the Wine Roadin Northern Sonoma CountyMarch 4-6 & March 11-13,11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Members of the Wine Road wouldlike to welcome you to more than 100wineries and lodgings for an excitingweekend of wine tasting. This is yourchance to sample wines from the barrel,talk to winemakers and explore the beauti-ful Alexander, Dry Creek and RussianRiver Valleys. The goal of Barrel Tasting isto introduce people to wines still in the bar-rel, help guests learn about wine and betterunderstand what they are tasting, and tooffer futures for sale.

Advance Tickets are only sold onlinethrough Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 inadvance, $30 at the door. Price is per per-son, per weekend. Designated drivers are$5. Tickets are good for one weekend onlyand are good for all three days of thatweekend (Fri-Sun) at any winery that indi-cates they are barrel tasting on Friday.

For complete information, ticket salesand a list of participating wineries visitWineroad.com.

21st Annual Savor Sonoma ValleySaturday-Sunday,March 19-2011 a.m.-4 p.m., Located at Variouswineries in Kenwood and Glen Ellen inSonoma Valley

Join more than 20 wineries as theyshowcase 2010 vintage wines straight fromthe barrels, sample new releases, and offeraward-winning wines paired perfectly withculinary creations prepared by local chefsand restaurants. Meet winemakers, minglewith wine lovers behind-the-scenes, peruseart from local artists and listen to livemusic. Presented by the Heart of Sonoma

Valley Association. A Weekend Pass is $55, Designated

Driver Weekend Pass is $20. Sunday-Onlytickets are available as well. For tickets andinformation visit www.heartofsonomaval-ley.com.

World of Wine 2011March 5-6, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.At Participating Temecula ValleyWineries

The wineries of the Temecula Valleyopen their cellar doors for guests to enjoy abevy of wines at their semi-annual two-daybarrel tasting event.

You’ll enjoy a self-guided wine coun-try tour that will take you to more than 30wineries, each of which will be offeringvarietal wines from barrel, tank or bottle.The wines will be paired with scrumptiousfood samplings that exemplify the perfectmarriage of food and wine. Ticket holderswill receive a map of the Temecula Valley,a passport that allows a visit to each partic-ipating winery, and a souvenir glass.

Tickets are $99 per person ($89 pre-sale through Feb. 6). Local, Sunday onlyand designated driver tickets are also avail-able at a discounted price. For tickets andinformation visit temeculawines.org or callthe Temecula Valley WinegrowersAssociation at (800) 801-WINE.

Thornton Winery’s Romantic RendezvousSaturday, February 12, 7 p.m.32575 Rancho California RoadTemecula

Join Thornton Winery for an intimateadults only Valentine’s Day celebrationfeaturing the sounds of strolling violins.Guests may choose from one of three ven-ues: the Champagne Lounge, ChampagneCaves or the Vineyard View room over-looking the Fountain Terrace.

Start the evening with tray passed horsd’oeuvres’ paired with NV Brut. The firstcourse starts with a Hearts of Palm & BibbLettuce Salad with Tangerine Dressingpaired with Thornton’s 2009 “Sans Oak”Chardonnay. The entrée starts with a PetiteFilet Mignon & Salmon with CremeFraiche Mashed Potatoes, with RoastedAsparagus and Wild Mushroom Bearnaiseall paired with Thornton’s 2007 Syrah. Andfor dessert, a luscious Milk Chocolate andStrawberry Trifle paired with their 2006Late Harvest Zinfandel.

The cost is $85 per person plus taxand tip. Reservations are required so call(951) 699-0099 or visit thorntonwine.com.

Food and Wine Lovers’FestivalSunday, Feb. 13, Festival, 2-6 p.m.: Four-

Pismo BeachSonoma Valley

Temecula

Ventura County

Santa Cruz Mountains

San Francisco


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Course, Five-Star Dinner,6:30-10 p.m.Four Season’s Hotel, Two Dole Dr.,Westlake Village

The Ventura County Wine Trailinvites you to a spectacular gathering of thefinest local wineries and restaurants at theFour Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village.Enjoy talents of celebrated local chefs andwine makers, luxurious chocolates andcheeses, hand-rolled cigars, unique gifts,shopping, music and much more.Individual festival tickets purchased inadvance are $65. Tickets purchased at thedoor are $75.

Just when the festival is ending, your

night’s just beginning. Indulge in a four-course, five-star dinner, downstairs atHampton’s Restaurant inside the FourSeasons Hotel. Rare and exclusive tastingsof award-winning local wines, rare barreltastings, meet the winemaker, treats, spe-cial gifts and prizes. Perfect for a special,one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day experience.All-Inclusive, Festival Tickets and Five-Star Wine Maker Dinner is $105. IncludesFestival Admission and Dinner from 6:30-10 p.m.

This event benefits Ventura CountyFood Share. For tickets and informationvisit foodandwineloversfestival.com.

Her VineNess on WineBy Laura Ness

NAGGIAR WINERY 1318125 Rosemary Ln., GrassValley, 530-268-9059naggiarvineyards.comTasting by Appt./Tours by Appt.NEVADA CITY WINERY 14321 Spring St., Nevada City530-265-9463, ncwinery.comTasting Daily 12-6, Sun 12-5PILOT PEAK VINEYARD &WINERY 1612888 Spenceville Rd., Penn Valley,530-432-3321, pilotpeak.com,Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5SIERRA KNOLLS VINEYARD &WINERY 1819635 Kingwood Ct., GrassValley, 530-268-9225sierraknollswinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt.SIERRA STARR VINEYARD& WINERY 1911179 Gibson Drive, Grass Valley,530-477-8277, sierrastarrwine.comTasting by Appt.SMITH VINEYARDS & WINERY 2013719 Dog Bar Road, GrassValley, 530-273-7032, smith-vine-yard.com, Tasting by Appt.SOLUNE WINEGROWERS 2116303 Jewett Ln., Grass Valley530-271-0990, solunewinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or byAppt./Tours by Appt.TRUCKEE RIVER WINERY 2210061 So. River St.,Truckee 530-587-4626, truckeeriverwinery.comTasting by Appt.

NEVADA COUNTYAVANGUARDIA WINES 1Winery: 13028 Jones Bar Rd.,Nevada City, 530-274-9482,avanguardiawines.comTasting Sat 12-4 Apr-Dec or by Appt.Tasting Room: 209 W. Main St, GrassValley, Tasting Daily 12-5BURCH HALL/ COYOTEVILLEWINERIES 2108 Mill Street, Grass Valley530.272.7000, BurchWines.comTasting Mon,Wed, Fri-Sun; 12-5COUFOSCELLARS 510065 Rough & Ready Rd.Rough&Ready, 530.274.2923Tasting Sat 12-5 or by Appt.DOUBLE OAK VINEYARDS 6& WINERY14510 Blind Shady Road,Nevada City, 530-292-3235doubleoakwinery.comTasting Sat 11-5 or by Appt.INDIAN SPRINGS VINEYARD 8303 Broad St., Nevada City530-478-1068/ 800-375-9311indianspringswines.com TastingSun-Thu 11-5, Fri-Sat 11:30-6LUCCHESI VINEYARDS & 11WINERY167 Mill Street, Grass Valley530-274-2164,lucchesivineyards.comTasting Daily 11-6MONTOLIVA VINEYARD &WINERY 1215629 Mt. Olive Rd., ChicagoPark, 530-346-6577montoliva.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4

PLACER COUNTYBAUMBACH WINES 23291 Auburn Folsom Rd., Auburn530-305-0048, baumbachwines.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt.CIOTTI CELLARS 2410555 Harris Rd.,Auburn916-534-8780, ciotticellars.comSat-Sun 12-6CRISTALDI VINEYARDS 2410555 Harris Rd.,Auburn916-759-1291, cristaldivineyards.comSat-Sun 12-6DONO DAL CIELO ESTATE 256100 Wise Rd., Newcastle530-888-0101, donodalcielo.comFri-Sun 12-5FAWNRIDGE WINERY 265560 Fawnridge Rd.,Auburn530-887-9522, fawnridgewine.comFri-Sun 10-5 or Tues-Thurs by Appt.FORTEZZA WINERY 2410555 Harris Rd.,Auburn530-889-2824, fortezzawinery.comSat-Sun 12-6GREEN FAMILY WINERY 273420 Pine Ridge Ln.,Auburn530-888-8866,greenfamilywinery.comSat-Sun 12-4:30LONE BUFFALO VINEYARDS 282682 Burgard Ln.,Auburn916-663-4486, lonebuffalovine-yards.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5MT. VERNON WINERY 2910850 Mt.Vernon Rd.,Auburn,530-823-1111,mtvernonwinery.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5PESCATORE VINEYARD & WINERY 307055 Ridge Rd., Newcastle916-663-1422,pesctorewines.com,Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt.POPIE BY DUARTE FAMILYVINEYARDS 2410555 Harris Rd.,Auburn916-768-7643, popiewines.comSat-Sun 12-6RANCHO ROBLE VINEYARDS32340 Fleming Rd., Lincoln916-645-2075, ranchoroble.comTasting by Appt.SECRET RAVINE VINEYARD &WINERY 334390 God Trail Way, Loomis916-652-6015, secretravine.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt.VINA CASTELANO 344590 Bell Rd.,Auburn530-889-2855, vinacastellano.comThu-Sun 12-5WISE VILLA WINERY 354226 Wisel Rd., Lincoln916-752-6635, wisevillawinery.comTasting by Appt.

YUBA COUNTYRENAISSANCE 3612585 Rices Crossing Rd.,Oregon House, 530-575-1254renaissancewinery.comTasting Mon-Sat 11-3 by Appt.

Winery Guide

Map isnot toscale



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Continued on Page 6

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California

2007 Poetic Cellars “Mantra,” Mourvedre-Sangiovese-Syrah blend,$32This delicious blend of 45 percent Mourvedre, 45 percent Syrah and 10 percent

Sangiovese is a smooth, multi-layered experience of pure pleasure, balancing the racy,wild red fruits of the Mourvedre with the depth and richness of the Syrah. SpritelySangiovese adds charming cherries and buttery smooth tannins to create a mantra worthrepeating over and over. This may become your favorite Rhone-style wine ever! Thefruit is from winemaker Katy Lovell’s vineyard in Livermore. www.poeticcellars.com(Open weekends, noon to 5 p.m.)

2009 Crooked Vine Fume Blanc,Del Arroyo Vineyard,Livermore $22Winemaker Jaime Dowell tried barrel-fermenting some Sauvignon Blanc, leaving

it on wood about seven months. If you’ve ever had grilled pineapple, this wine willspeak to you with a grass skirt and all manner of tropical hula hoopla. There’s smokedmango salsa, grilled figs and oodles of green coconut, guava and grilled pineapple. Thiswine is smoky and exotic. www.crookedvine.com (Open daily 11-4 p.m., exceptSunday, noon-4 p.m.)

2006 Hammond Vineyards “DUA” Syrah/Grenache,Monterey,$18There’s a good story behind this wine. The name could mean “two,” as in the two

varieties that make it up, i.e., 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Grenache, but it goes backto the pre-winemaker days when Reggie and his friends would get together to makecooperative dinners and he was often assigned to bring the wine. The salutation of theevening was frequently, DUA, short for, “Drink Up, A--hole!” Which might not fly withthe TTB, but DUAcould mean anything, including, Distinctively Upwardly Ascending,or Definitely Universally Appealing, which most assuredly holds true in this case. Thelovely pas de deux that these two varieties manage in the glass is truly admirable, andquite affordable. Stock up and drink up, amici. The new Hammond Vineyards tastingroom is open Sat-Sun, 11-5 p.m. at 655 River Road, Salinas. At press time their websiteis under construction: hammondvineyards.com.

Steven Kent 2007 Petit Verdot,Ghielmetti Vineyard,Livermore Valley,$50Normally relegated to a supporting role in Bordeaux blends, Petit Verdot adds tan-

nin, color, aromatics and flavor, along with wonderful mid-palate viscosity and substan-tial finishing tannins. There is a heart of darkness element to Petit Verdot that I adore.This one blew me away. The powerful, captivating aromas of crushed dark berries, cof-fee, semi-sweet chocolate, lavender and violet set the stage for the perfect enjoymentexperience. After one sip, my tasting companion and I set our glasses down, looked ateach other, and immediately said, “black raspberry jam!” This is an ethereally deliciousstaple of growing up on the east coast. Not only does this 100 percent Petit Verdot oozethe dark intensity of black raspberry jam, it captures the silky, dense, incomparably won-derful texture of it. You can see why winemakers once smitten by this variety, seek everyopportunity to add a splash to everything they make. But to savor it on its own is likeeating jam from the jar, toast be damned. Buy this wine. www.stevenkent.com (Opendaily noon to 4:30)

2008 Sequana Pinot Noir,Dutton Ranch,Green Valley,Russian River,$40One sip inspired a story. This one lives in a secluded seacoast cottage on the Pacific

bluffs. It’s a complete novel, with smoothly flowing segues from brambly fruit to pump-kin-apricot bread pudding. Deeply satisfying, almost meaty. Superb. www.sequanavine-yards.com


FROG’S TOOTH WINERY 15380 Main St., Ste. 5,209-728-2700, frogstooth.comTasting Fri 1-5, Sat 11-6

LARAINE WINES 183675 Six Mile Rd.,Vallecito209-736-4766, larainewinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.

HATCHER WINERY 19425 Main St, 209-605-7111hatcherwinery.comTasting Mon-Thu 12-5, Fri-Sun 11-5

INDIAN ROCK VINEYARDS 201154 Pennsylvania Gulch Rd,209-728-8514,indianrockvineyards.comTasting Fri- Sun 12-5

IRISH VINEYARDS 212849 Hwy. 4,Vallecito209-736-1299, irishvineyard.comTasting Mon,Tue, Fri 2-5,Sat-Sun 11-5

IRONSTONE VINEYARDS 221894 Six Mile Rd, 209-728-1251,ironstonevineyards.comTasting Daily 10-5

LAVENDER RIDGE VINEYARDS 25431 B Main St, 209-728-2441lavendarridgevineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5

MILLIAIRE 26276 Main St., 209-728-1658milliairewinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5

MUIR’S LEGACY VINEYARDS 27260 Jones St., 209-728-0500,muir-hanna.com, Tasting Daily 11-5

NEWSOME-HARLOW WINES 28403 Main St., 209-728-9817newsome-harlow.comTasting Mon-Thu 12-5, Fri-Sun11:30-5:30

CALAVERAS COUNTY(IN MURPHYS UNLESS NOTED)

BEAUX CHEVAUX 2466 B Main St., 209-728-1000beauxchevaux.comTasting Fri-Sat 11-5,Sun 11-4

BLACK SHEEP WINERY 3221 Main St., 209-728-2157blacksheepwinery.comTasting Daily11-5

BODEGA DEL SUR WINERY 4457 S.Algiers St., 209-728-9030bodegadelsur.comTasting Sun,Mon,Thu 11-4;Fri-Sat 11-5

BROLL MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 6106 Main St.,209-728-9750brollmountainvineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 1-5BRICE STATION 73353 E.Highway 4, 209-728-9893bricestation.comTasting Fri-Sat-Sun 12-6

CHATOM VINEYARDS 101969 Hwy. 4, Douglas Flat209-736-6500 chatomvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5

CHIARELLA WINES 11431 Main St., 209-728-8318chiarellawines.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5

DOMAINE BECQUET 13415 Main St., 209-728-8487becquetwinery.comTasting Mon,Thu, Fri 12-5,Sat-Sun 11-5

FRENCH HILL WINERY 148032 S. Main, Mokelumne Hill209-286-1800Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5

RENNER WINERY 31310 Town Square Rd.,Copperopolis, 209-785-3649rennerwinery.comTasting Fri-Sat 12-6, Sun 12-5

SOLOMON WINE CO. 32397-A Main St., 209-728-8290solomonwine.comTasting Mon-Fri 1-5, Sat 12-6,Sun 12-5

STEVENOT WINERY 33458 Main St., 209-728-0148stevenotwinery.comTasting Daily11-5

TANNER VINEYARDS 34202 Main St., 209-728-8229tannervineyards.comTasting Mon-Tue,Thu-Fri 1-5,Sat 12-5:30, Sun 12-5

TWISTED OAK WINERY 374280 Red Hill Rd.,Vallecito209-736-9080, twistedoak.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30Historic Murphy’s Location: 38350 Main St, MurphysTasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun10:30-5:30.Winter hours Fri-Sun& Holidays 12-5

VAL DU VINO WINERY 40634 French Gulch Rd., 209-728-9911valduvino.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5

VINA MODA WINERY 41147 Main St., 209-728-1917vinamoda.com, Tasting Sat 12-6

ZUCCA MOUNTAINVINEYARDS 42431 E. Main St., 209-728-1623zuccawines.com, Tasting Daily12-5

Winery Guide

MARIPOSA COUNTYBUTTERFLY CREEK WINERY 24063 Triangle Road,Mariposa209-966-2097, Tasting Fri-Sat 10-4

GIANELLI VINEYARDS 318263 Main St., Jamestown209-984-1500 gianellivineyards.comTasting Thu-Sun 12-5

MARIPOSA WINE COMPANY 420146 Road 21, Madera559-673-6372mariposawine.comTasting Daily 11-4

MOUNT BULLION VINEYARD 56947 N. Highway 49, Mariposa209-377-8450mtbullionvineyard.comTasting Fri-Sat 12-4, or By Appt.

SILVER FOX WINERY 94683 Morning Star Lane,Mariposa, 209-966-4800silverfoxvineyards.comTasting by Appt./Tours by Appt.

TUOLOMNE COUNTY

GOLD MINE WINERY 1022265 Parret’s Ferry Road,Columbia, 209-532-3089Tasting Wed-Sun 12-6

LA BELLA ROSA VINEYARDS 12117990 Old Wards Ferry Rd.,Sonora, 209-533- 8668labellarosavineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5

MT. BROW WINERY 1310850 Mt. Brow Rd., Sonora209-532- 8491mtbrowwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5

(Map not to scale)

Map not to scale

MARIPOSATUOLOMNE

The latest wine country guides are atwww.vinetimesonline.com

Submit your winery orchanges to be included in ourApril/May issue’s guides. Pleasesubmit by March 7, 2011 [email protected]

He knows the vineyards wellenough to never own them. Samething with a winery, or even a tast-

ing room. Reggie Hammond is a smartcookie and he’s not going to let the encum-brances of stuff get in the way of makinggood wine at a reasonable price.

For 13 years, he made wines atVentana Vineyards in Monterey that earnedVentana medals for nearly every wine inevery competition they ever entered. Helearned from brilliant viticulture pioneer,Doug Meador, how the vineyard makes thewine, and Reggie certainly made a lastingand earnest peace with the vineyards hewas dealt. Reggie is not one to complain:he rolls with it and makes the absolute bestof everything, with no whining. You haveto love that about him.

So, when Ventana went up for sale afew years back, can you blame him forsnagging some good fruit and creating hisown label as a backup plan? Turns out hedidn’t need to use it immediately: he had acouple of years leeway, during which hepacked away a couple of vintages in thecellar before he had to think about sellingthem.

Now, Reggie has a most excellent sce-nario unfolding at 655 River Road inSalinas.

He’s teamed up with Marilyn RemarkWinery to make wine in their cellar and torent out part of the property. The two ven-ues are literally adjacent, but one cannot beseen from the other. Reggie and JoelBernstein, winemaker and owner ofMarilyn Remark, are cooperating to createa win-win for visitors: Guests will havetwo vastly different environments to enjoy,as they taste wines as different as the insideof a cellar and the outside of a sun-drenched front porch, open to the possibil-ities of all outdoors. Bocce court? Lawnbowling? Croquet?

Says Reggie, “We are going to focuson the Burgundian varietals going forward.

Marilyn Remark is a well-known Rhonehouse, and we don’t want to compete withthem.”

The current offerings include a solidlymade 2009 chardonnay ($18) fermentedmostly in used French barrels, filled withminerals, ripe pears, apple crisp, orangepeel and a hint of mango, and a really beau-tiful 2008 pinot noir ($20), sourced prima-rily from a Chualar vineyard, as well assome vineyards along River Road. It walksthat fine line of pleasing strawberry andpomegranate fruit and intriguing earthi-ness, with deft acidity and a wonderfulmouthfeel. This is the real deal: a lovely,luscious and lively Burgundian effort. Italmost feels like a crime to pay so little fora pinot this bloody good, trust me.

Ah, but wait, there’s more. Lots more.Reggie has a couple of vintages of prettyimpressive Rhones to ply you with as well.There’s an 05 and 06 Syrah, an 06Grenache Noir, and two vintages ofremarkably finely meshed Syrah (70 per-cent) and Grenache (30 percent), calledDUA. They’re all deftly made and pricedto stock your cellar, and not his, at $120 percase, while supplies last, and they for surewon’t.

Visit the Hammond Vineyards’ newtasting room at 655 River Road, weekends,from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hamlet on River Road

Reggie Hammond is producing excellentwines in his new Monterey location.

What’s Doin’ in Wine CountyContinued from Page 3


Clockwise from Top: Morro Rock is Morro Bay’s most prominent landmark. (Lisa J. Pretty), Paso labels are as diverse as the wines. (LisaJ. Pretty), Paso Robles translates to, pass of the oaks due to the large number of the trees in the area. (Lisa J. Pretty), FarmStand 46 onHWY46 West is a popular lunch stop. (Denise Kouzoujian), Soaking up the sunshine on a secluded beach. (John Sieling)

By Lisa J.Pretty

Paso Robles continues to be thefastest growing wine area inCalifornia. Today more than 180

wineries can be found in the Paso Roblesviticulture area – that is a five-fold increaseover the past decade. The hot summer daysand cool evenings along with the perfectsoil conditions allow winegrowers to pro-duce some of the best fruit in the state. Thearea has been a draw for winemakers suchas Stephan Asseo, owner of L’AventureWinery, whose family had premium vine-yards in Bordeaux and the Perrin family,co-founders of Tablas Creek Vineyard,who were known for producing premiumwines under a well respected label inChâteauneuf-du-Pape. Prior to selectingPaso Robles, most of the newly openedwineries search far and wide before decid-ing to make Paso Robles the home for theirlabel. Among the winery owners you willfind people who arrived in Paso fromacross the United States, France, Italy,Australia, Switzerland and Canada. Tastingroom and event information for each win-ery can be found online at pasowine.com.

It isn’t just the winery owners whobelieve in the quality of wine from PasoRobles, for the past few years wine writershave been touting the area as the next Napa,the wine experts have been giving thewines rave reviews with multiple PasoRobles brands consistently scoring in the90-point and higher range, and in mostcompetitions you will see Paso Robles pro-ducers taking gold and even “best of class”for several wine categories. 2010 was ayear that Paso vintners truly demonstrated

that the wines stand up against and evenbeyond wines from other regions. RobertHall was honored as the Golden StateWinery, an award given to the winerywhich has the greatest number of wineswinning the highest number of awards atthe California State Fair Wine Competition,the oldest and most prestigiously judgedwine competition in North America. Alsoin 2010, Robert Parker assigned a perfectscore of 100 points to the 2007 SaxumJames Berry Vineyard Proprietary Red –perfect scores are not granted easily andthis was a first for a Paso wine.

Needless to say with all the positivepress, wine lovers have been flocking toPaso Robles. The visitors have certainlychanged over the years. In the past the tast-ing rooms saw several locals out tasting forthe day and people located a one-to-fourhour drive escaping their weekly routinefor a day or two of wine tasting. More andmore people are making Paso Robles avacation destination with visitors fromacross the USAand even international trav-elers. The large number of tasting roomsand the diverse wine selection can entertainmost people for several day; however, Pasois not just about wine tasting, the list ofthings to do, see and eat will keep peoplecoming back.

Where to StayA challenge in the past was finding a

place to stay during peak wine tasting sea-son. Luckily along with the growth inwineries has come a growth in accommo-dations. Visitors can now pick their pricepoint and decide to stay in a lower pricedmotel, a mid-priced hotel chain, a luxury

hotel, a B&B, or one of the many vacationrental homes. There are far too many to listthem all in this article so here are some ofthe ones that I recommend when I haveguests coming to town. For those that wantluxurious accommodations with privacy Ialways send them to Hotel Cheval indowntown Paso Robles. Not only are therooms to die for, but the hotel also has thePony Club wine bar with local wines, appe-tizers, and often live music. For those whodo not like to drive, the location is a shortwalk to a dozen downtown tasting rooms,the Studios on the Park art gallery, severalrestaurants, the park in the center of town,cute shops and several wine bars. In themid-price range I send guests to theMarriott, La Quinta, and La Bellasera – allare fairly new and should hold no surprises.The larger challenge comes when some-one requests a bed and breakfast. There areso many fabulous ones that it is hard topick. Several wineries and vineyard ownershave added guest accommodations overthe years – it is a great way to add to thewine country experience. For people wholike to meet the locals and get the insidescoop a B&B is the way to go. The PasoRobles Chamber of Commerce is goodplace to get details on the many lodgingoptions available – (805) 238-0506,pasorobleschamber.com.

Where to DineWine people often tend to be interest-

ed in a good culinary experience and this isan area where Paso Robles will not disap-point. There are many spectacular choicesand visitors may be tempted to stay anoth-

Continued on Page 10

Paso Robles - More Than Wine Country


JOHN CHRISTOPHER CELLARS2925 S. Livermore Ave., #103,Livermore (@Blacksmith Sq.),925-456-9463, johnchristopher-cellars.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 12-6LA ROCHELLE WINERY &STEVEN KENT WINERY 305443 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-243-6440, larochellewin-ery.com, stevenkent.comTasting Daily 12-4:30LES CHENES ESTATEVINEYARDS 315562 Victoria Ln., Livermore925-373-1662,lechenesvine.com,Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt.LITTLE VALLEY WINERY 325700 Greenville Rd., Livermore925-862-9006, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5LONGEVITYWINES 3435 Rickenbacker Circle SouthLivermore, 925-454-9463,lvcwines.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5, or by Appt.MCGRAIL VINEYARDS 355600 Greeville Rd.,Livermore925-373-6214, mcgrailvineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or byAppt.MITCHELL KATZ WINERY ATRUBY HILL 361188 Vineyard Ave., Pleasanton,925-931-0744, mitchellkatzwin-ery.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 12-5MURRIETA'S WELL 373005 Mines Rd., Livermore925-456-2390, muriettaswell.comTasting Daily 11-4:30 NOTTINGHAM CELLARS 382245 S.Vasco Rd., Livermore,925-294-8647nottinghamcellars.comTasting Fri 2-6, Sat-Sun 12-4:30OCCASIO 392245 So.Vasco Rd., Livermore,925-371-1987, occasiowinery.comFri-Sun 12-5 or by Appt.PAGE MILL WINERY 401960 S. Livermore Ave.,Livermore, 925-456-7676pagemillwinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt.RED FEATHER WINERY &VINEYARD 415700 Greenville Rd., Livermore,510-861-2722, redfeatherwinery.comTasting Mon-Thu 1-5, Fri 12-6Sat 12-8, Sun 1-5 or by Appt.RED SKYE WINERY 4221 S. Livermore Rd. #101,Livermore, 510-795-7725redskyewine.com, Tasting Fri 3-6,Sat 1-6, Sun 1-5 or by Appt.RETZLAFF ESTATE WINERY 431356 S. Livermore Ave.,Livermore, 925-447-8941retzlaffwinery.com, Tasting Tue-Fri 12-2, Sat-Sun 12-4:30RHYAN ESTATEVINEYARDS 445385 East Ave., Livermore408-712-1984, rhyanestatevine-yards.com, Tasting Wed-Fri 12-5,Sat-Sun 11:30-5 or by Appt.RIOS-LOVELL ESTATEWINERY 466500 Tesla Road, Livermore925-443-0434, rios-lovellwinery.comTasting Wed-Fri 12-3, Sat-Sun 11-5 RODRIGUE-MOLYNEAUXWINERY473053 Marina Ave., Livermore925-447-4280, rodriguemolyneaux.comTasting Sat-Sun 12:30-5

BATTAION CELLARS 121 S. Livermore Ave., #109,Livermore (@Blacksmith Sq.),925-245-9242, battaioncellars.comTasting Fri 4-7,Sat-Sun 12-5BENT CREEK WINERY 25455 Greenville Rd., Livermore,925-455-6320, bentcreekwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 or byAppt.BIG WHITE HOUSE WINERY 36800 Greenville Rd., Livermore,925-449-1976, bigwhitehouse.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or byAppt.BOAVENTURA DE CAIRESWINERY 59309 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-606-9672, boaventuravineyard.comTasting 1st weekend each month & byAppt.BODEGAS AGUIRRE WINERY 68580 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-606-0554, bodegasaguirre.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or byAppt.CEDAR MOUNTAIN WINERY 87000 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-373-6636, cedarmountainwinery.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4CHARLES R VINEYARDS 98195 Crane Ridge Rd.,Livermore, 925-454-3040 charlesrvineyards.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 or byAppt.CHOUINARD VINEYARDS 1033853 Palomares Rd., Castro Valley510-582-9900, chouinard.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt.CONCANNON VINEYARD 114590 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-456-2508, concannonvine-yard.com, Tasting Daily 11-4:30CROOKED VINE WINERY 124948 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-449-0458, crookedvine.comTasting Mon-Thu 12-4, Fri-Sun 12-5CUDA RIDGE WINES 155385 East Avenue, Livermore510-304-0914CudaRidgeWines.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30DEER RIDGE VINEYARDS 161828 Wetmore, Livermore925-447-4328, deerridgevine-yards.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5EAGLE RIDGE VINEYARD 1810017 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-743-9427, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt.ECKERT ESTATE WINERY 192400 Arroyo Rd., Livermore925-371-8606, eckertestate.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or byAppt.EL SOL VINEYARD 208626 Lupin Way, Livermore925-606-1827, elsolwine.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5ELLISTON VINEYARDS 21463 Kilkare Road, Sunol925-663-8219, elliston.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5 FENESTRA WINERY 2483 Vallecitos Road, Livermore925-447-5246,fenestrawinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5 GARRÉVINEYARD & WINERY 257986 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-371-8200, garrewinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 11:30-5HIDDEN CREEK WINE 2721 S. Livermore Ave., #101Livermore (@Blacksmith Sq.),925-989-1163, thecrushwine-making.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 1-6

RUBY HILL WINERY 48400 Vineyard Ave., Pleasanton925-931-9463, rubyhillwinery.netTasting Wed-Sun 11-5:30STONY RIDGE WINERY 514948 Tesla Road, Livermore925-449-0458,stonyridgewinery.comTasting Mon-Wed 12-3,Thu-Sun 11-4:30TAMAS ESTATEWINERY 525489 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-456-2380, tamasestates.comTasting Daily 11-4:30TENUTA VINEYARDS 53633 Kalthoff Commons,Livermore, 925-960-1006tenutawinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5 or byAppt.THE SINGING WINEMAKER 555443 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-606-9463, teslavintners.com,Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 THOMAS COYNE WINERY 5651 E.Vallecitos Rd., Livermore925-373-6541, thomascoynewin-ery.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 WENTE VINEYARDS ESTATEWINERY 595565 Tesla Rd., Livermore925-456-2305, wentevineyards.comTasting Daily 11-4:30WENTE VINEYARDS VISITORSCENTER 605050 Arroyo Rd,.Livermore925-456-2405, wentevineyards.comTasting Daily 11-6:30WESTOVER VINEYARDS/PALOMARES WINERY 6134329 Palomares Canyon Rd.,Castro Valley, 510-537-3932westoverwinery.com, Tasting Mon-Fri1-5, Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt.WHITE CRANE WINERY 635405 Greenville Rd., Livermore925-455-8085, whitecranewinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 or byAppt.WOOD FAMILY VINEYARDS 647702 Cedar Mountain Dr.,Livermore, 925-606-7411woodfamilyvineyards.comTasting byAppt.& Scheduled Events

Winery Guide

Submit your winery orchanges to be included inour April / May issue’sguides. Please submit byMarch 7, 2011 to [email protected]

er night just for the opportunity to tryanother restaurant. My favorite is Il Cortile,located on 12th Street just a little west ofSpring Street, a restaurant that may be clas-sified as rustic Italian fine dining. Theyoffer a seasonal menu with daily specialsand source local, fresh ingredients. Theatmosphere is perfect for chatting with fel-low diners in either the main dining roomor at the patio tables. They make their pastafrom scratch and are now offering cookingclasses on Thursdays. What a great way tolearn the secrets of an excellent chef andenjoy a gourmet lunch that you help pre-pare. The details can be found at ilcortil-erestarante.com.

Thomas Hill Organics is another funplace to dine. As the name implies, theyuse organic products for a menu that isdelicious and healthy. The courtyard is per-fect, complete with a fireplace for the chill-ier evenings. Other favorites of mine indowntown Paso Robles are Bistro Laurentfor French, Artisan for trendy American,Basil for Thai, and Goshi for Japanese.Outside of Paso and not too far to drive Ialso enjoy McPhee’s Grill in Templeton,Windows on the Water in Morro Bay andRobin’s in Cambria.

Lunch options include many of theabove as well as a few places that you canfind while out touring around. Very popu-lar with people on their way to the coast orexploring the west side of Paso WineCountry is FarmStand46. They offer sand-wiches made to order, salads, soup andawesome pizzas made in the wood oven. Afew wineries are now offering lunches atthe tasting facilities including Cass Winery,Eagle Castle and on weekends Calcareous.

The Bar SceneWine bars seem to be popping up

everywhere. In downtown Paso you canchoose between The Pony Club, theMeritage Lounge, Vinoteca and Paso WineCentre. In Templeton a very cool place is15degreesC. The wine bar and shop isowned by Ali Rush Carscaden, a certifiedsommelier who is extremely helpful whenit comes to selecting wine. On Wednesdaysthey have $3 glasses of wine from 4 to 7,On Thursdays they offer traditionalSpanish tapas and on Fridays you canenjoy champagne along with oysters andcaviar provided by Pier 46. Tuesdays theyare closed to the public for WineUniversity. In Atascadero, a new discoveryof mine, is Haven Wine Bistro. They havelive music several nights each week andmost Thursdays feature a local winemakerand offer a plate of food paired with thewines. On Wednesdays you can get yourfeet soaked while you sip on your wine.

For cocktails, especially margaritas Iwould say the hands down place to go isVilla Creek Bar & Grill. Located park side

in downtown Paso it is a bit of a local hang-out as well as a favorite for visitors. Theyhave a good selection of appetizers and theplace always seems to be hopping. Downthe road a bit is the stop for a round of pool,a beer and perhaps even Karaoke at thePine Street Saloon. A bit more of a drive,but just 8 miles north of Paso is the Ranchin San Miguel. The Ranch has comedy onWednesday evenings and tends to booksome big name bands on weekends. Evenwhen they don’t have live music, the largedance floor is usually hopping.

Hit the CoastOne of the many perks of being in the

Paso area is that you can be on the coast injust 30 minutes. Beach walks, whalewatching, dining, fishing, glass bottomboat tours...so many fun things to do. Onmy “to do” list is to rent a kayak and tourMorro Bay. Morro Bay is a must for firsttime visitors. The most prominent land-mark is Morro Rock, the last in a chain ofvolcanic plugs known as the Nine Sisters.You can watch the sea otters play and alsovisit the Morro Bay Estuary/BirdSanctuary.

Just a few miles north is HearstCastle, one of the largest historic housemuseums in the USA. Once the home ofWilliam Randolph Hearst, California StatePark Service strives to keep the estate look-ing like a private residence with severaltours offered on a daily basis. The propertyincludes 250,000 acres, has 127 acres ofgardens, terraces, pools and walkways.Visitors are always impressed with the twolarge pools and the 90,000 square feet ofliving space divided into165 rooms.

Get PhysicalWith all the eating and drinking that

goes on during a wine getaway it is fun toinclude a little outdoor phsyical activity. Inaddition to strolling around the parks, tak-ing a beach walk or kayaking, the Pasoarea has a number of great day hikes. Oneof my friends and I have set out to cover allthe day hikes in San Luis Obispo County.It will take a long time since there are 168hikes ranging from short one-mile walks tochallenging 18-mile hikes. They are a greatway to discover the beauty of the areaincluding the dramatic bluff trails along thePacific coastline, the creekside canyonwalks in the Santa Lucia Mountains, theurban pathways scattered throughout thecounty and several wilderness retreats. Ifyou are a hiker you are in for a treat.

Cycling, mountain biking and tennisare also great options in the area. Thenwhen you are finished be sure to rewardyourself with a little spa time at one of thelocal spas. Spa Central Coast in Atascaderoand Paso Robles Hot Springs are twoplaces to find some pampering at the endof the day.

Destination: Paso RoblesContinued from Page 9


Handcrafted, Small LotBordeaux Style Wines

COME JOIN US FOR BARREL TASTING WEEKEND

Cuda Ridge Wines5385 East Ave.• Livermore

510-304-0914www.CudaRidgeWines.com

Tasting Room Hours:Fri-Sun, 12-4:30or by Appointment

Barrel TastingDiscounted Futures Available

Cheese Pairings and Live Music:Catfish Boys - Saturday, 3/19

Roger Kardinal - Sunday, 3/20Tickets Available at www.lvwine.org

Join us for Barrel Tasting Weekend! We will be barrel tastingour 2009 Estate Syrah; paired with Chef Jim’s specialties.

Open Saturdays and Sundays12 to 4:30

www.leschenesvine.com

Celebrate Valentines Weekend Feb. 12 &13 at Les Chenes“It Takes TWO to be in LOVE”

(Just like Wine & Chocolate)Email: [email protected] for details

Come in and enjoy• 5562 Victoria Lane •

Livermore, California 94550

��

Sunset Loves Us! ( January 2011 Issue)

Music to sip wine by . . .on the 1st Sunday and 2nd Saturday ofeach month. Picnickers Welcome!

33853 Palomares Road (5.9 milemark)Castro Valley, CA 94552

510.582.9900 • www.chouinard.com

Mitchell Katz Winery1188 Vineyard Ave.

Pleasanton, CA 94566925.931.0744

mitchellkatzwinery.com

Mitchell Katz Winerycrafts single vineyarddesignate wines in a widerange of varietals.

Come join us onSaturday, March 19thfor our Release Partyas well as BarrelTasting!

Releasing 2009 Alicia'sElixir, Zinfandel & 2008Walker Ranch, CabernetSauvignon.

Fenestra WineryFENESTRA WINERY RECEIVED 15 MEDALS AT THE 2010 SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE WINE COMPETITION!

Library Tastings Every Weekend83 Vallecitos Road (Formerly CA Hwy 84)

Livermore, CA 94550(925) 447-5246

Tasting Room Open Fri-Sun 12-5 p.m.

A family owned and operatedwinery and vineyard in theheart of the beautifulLivermore Wine country. Guests enjoy our intimate setting for weddings or private parties.

Come experience our award winning wines and gracioushospitality.

We are Open Dailywww.crookedvine.com (925) 449-0458

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Join Us For Barrel Tasting Weekend • March 19-20Barrel Tasting Weekend

By Laura Ness

Winemaker Jaime Dowell ofCrooked Vine and Stony Ridgein the Livermore Valley is about

to embark on the adventure of a lifetimethis month. She’ll hit Fiji first, and thenwe’ll see what happens thereafter. Shehopes to work the harvest in the southernhemisphere, probably Australia, comingup in the March and April timeframe. It’sbeen a rock n’ roil time at CrookedVine/Stony Ridge with the Corbetts, and

they’ve achieved much to be proud of, andmuch to build on as they continue to buildthe brands.

Before Jaime packed her bags,though, we caught up with her for a briefsummation of 2010 harvest, which she saidwas longer than normal, but overall, wentvery smoothly.

Of the “first” highlights, Jaime wasexcited about the Pinot Noir RoseSparkling she was making for CrookedVine (to be released for Valentine’sDay), and a Rose wine called “Razzle

Dazzle,” for Stony Ridge (to be releasedin May).

Probably a perfect example of thisyoung lady’s handiwork, is “RazzleDazzle,” which happens to be a saignée ofCabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc andPetit Verdot. There is nothing shy aboutthis wine, and the color is a gorgeous red-dish pink, like the midpoint of a Fall sun-set. There’s guava, strawberry, mango andJolly Roger candy, with a rich, lasting fin-ish of strawberry bubble gum. Yum. Thisone will be ideal for summer: it’s filled

with strawberry shortcake deliciousness.Turns out that this was Jaime’s first

attempt at rosé, and she was, somewhatneedlessly, fretting over the color.Someone with red hair shouldn’t get sostressed out about pigment in wine.

Crooked Vine is also making a LateHarvest Viognier for the 2010 vintage,after a three-year hiatus. She says, “Weharvested at 34 Brix and actually used ourfeet to crush this one! How fun!”

They paid a little bit more attention to

Jaime Dowell of Livermore’s Crooked Vine Looks Back at 2010


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DOMENICO WINES 141697 Industrial Rd.,San Carlos, 650-593-2335domenicowines.comTasting Daily 12-5 or by appt.DOWNHILL WINERY 1516393 Bonnie Ln, Los Gatos,408-358-8028, downhillwine.comTasting by appt.EQUINOX WINE CELLARS & VINOSBARTOLO WINERY 16427 Swift St., Santa Cruz 831-423-3000, equinoxwine.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5FELLOM RANCH VINEYARDS1817075 Montebello Road,Cupertino, 408-741-0206fellom.com, Tasting by appt.FLEMING JENKINS TASTINGROOM 1945 W. Main Street, Los Gatos408-358-4949, flemingjenkins.comTasting Tue-Sun 12-6GENEROSA WINERY 2022630 Summit Rd., Los Gatos408-353-3763generosawinery.comTasting by Appt.GLENWOOD OAKS WINERY212364 Bean Creek Road,Scotts Valley, 831-438-4097glenwoodoakswinery.comTasting Sat 12-4:30 HEARTS FIRE WINERY 22165 Cristich Lane, Unit KCampbell, 408-858-6029Tasting 1st Sun. every month 1-4or by appt.HALLCRESTVINEYARDS/ORGANICWINEWORKS 23379 Felton Empire Road, Felton831-335-4441 hallcrestvineyards.comorganicwineworks.comTasting Daily 12-5HILLCREST TERRACE 24429-B Ingalls St., Santa Cruz831-419-0803Sat-Sun 12-5, most Fri afternoonsHUNTER HILL 257099 Glen Haven Road, Soquel831-465-9294hunterhillwine.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-4 or by Appt.

J. LOHR WINERY 261000 Lenzen Ave., San Jose408-918-2160, jlohr.comTasting Daily 10-5LA HONDA WINERY 272645 Fair Oaks, Redwood City650-366-4104lahondawinery.comTasting 3rd Sat Each Month 11-4 LA NEBBIA WINERY 2812341 San Mateo Road, HalfMoon Bay, 650-726-9463lanebbiawinery.comTasting Daily 10-5 LOMA PRIETA WINERY 2926985 Loma Prieta Wy, LosGatos, 408-353-2950lomaprietawinery.comTasting Sat-Sun, 12-5 MICHAEL MARTELLAWINES 3217287 Box 103 Skyline Blvd.,Woodside, 650-851-6777michaelmartella.comTasting by Appt.MJA VINEYARDS 30328 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz831-421-9380, mjavineyards.comTasting Daily 12-5THE MOUNTAIN WINERY 3314831 PIERCE RD.,SARATOGA, 408-741-2822mountainwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5NAUMANN VINEYARDS1605 Monte Bello Rd., 31Cupertino, 408-867-7871naumannvineyards.comTasting by Appt.NICHOLSON VINEYARDS 342800 Pleasant Valley Rd.,Aptos, 831-724-7071nicholsonvineyards.comTasting Sat 12-4 ODONATA 35334-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz831-566-5147, odonatawines.comTasting 1st Sat of each monthOSOCALIS 365579 Old San Jose Road, Soquel831-477-1718, Tasting by Appt.P&M STAIGER 371300 Hopkins Gulch Road,Boulder Creek, 831-338-4346pmstaiger.com, Tasting by Appt.

THOMAS FOGARTY WINERY5419501 Skyline Blvd.,Woodside650-851-6777, 800-247-4163fogartywinery.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5 VINE HILL WINERY 572300 Jarvis Rd., Santa Cruz831-427-0436, vinehillwinery.comTasting every 3rd weekend eachmonth 12-5 & special eventsWINDY OAKS ESTATEVINEYARDS & WINERY 46380 Sweetwood Way,Corralitos, 831-786-9463windyoaksestate.comTasting by Appt.WOODSIDEVINEYARDS 59340 Kings Mountain Rd,Woodside, 650-851-3144woodsidevineyards.comTasting by Appt.ZAYANTE VINEYARDS 60420 Old Mountain Road,Felton, 831-335-7992zayantevineyards.comTasting by Appt.SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN WINEGROWERSASSOCIATION 997605–A Old Dominion Ct.Aptos, 831-685-VINE (8463)scmwa.com

SANTA CLARA VALLEYSouth Santa Clara County & Gilroy

CLOS LA CHANCE 31 Hummingbird Lane,San Martin, 408-686-1050800-487-9463, clos.com,Tasting Daily 11-5CREEKVIEW VINEYARDS 412467 Creekview Ct.,San Martin, 408-686-0534creekviewvineyards.comCASTILLO’S HILLSIDESHIRE WINERY 52215 Liberata Dr.,Morgan Hill, 408-776-8200Open Sat. 1-7, Sun. 12-5FERNWOOD CELLARS 67137 Redwood Retreat Rd.Gilroy, 408-848-0611fernwoodcellars.comTasting by Appt.FORTINO WINERY 74525 Hecker Pass Hwy,Gilroy, 408-842-3305fortinowinery.comTasting Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5GUGLIELMO WINERY 81480 E. Main Ave., Morgan Hill408-779-2145,guglielmowinery.comTasting Daily 10-5HECKER PASS WINERY 94605 Hecker Pass Rd., Gilroy408-842-8755heckerpasswinery.comTasting Daily 9-5JASON-STEPHENS WINERY 1011775 Watsnville Rd, Gilroy,408-846-VINE, Tasting Daily 12-6

KIRIGIN CELLARS 1211550 Watsonville Rd., Gilroy408-847-8827, kirigincellars.comTasting Daily 10-5MARTIN RANCH WINERY6675 Redwood Retreat Rd., 13Gilroy, 408-842-9197martinranchwinery.comTasting every 3rd weekend eachmonth 12-5 MONTE VERDE VINEYARDS 1413775 Sycamore Dr.,Morgan Hill, 408-776-8938,monteverdevineyards.comTasting the 3rd Sat and by Appt.MORGAN HILL CELLARS1645 San Pedro Ave., 15Morgan Hill, 408-779-7389pedrizzetti.comTasting Tue-Sun 10-5NATAL VINEYARDS 161310 Green Valley RdWatsonville, 831-750-0271Tasting by Appt.RAPAZZINI WINERY 194350 Monterey Hwy.,Gilroy, 408-842-5649800-842-6262, rapazzini.comTasting Daily 9-6/ToursRIVER RUN VINTNERS 2065 Rogge Lane,Watsonville831-726-3112, Tasting by Appt.SARAH'S VINEYARD 214005 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy408-847-1947, sarahsvineyard.comTasting Daily 11-5SATORI CELLARS 222100 Buena Vista Ave., Gilroy408-848-5823, satoricellars.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt.SOLIS WINERY 233920 Hecker Pass Hwy., Gilroy408-847-6306, 888-411-6457soliswinery.comTasting Daily 12-5/Tours by Appt.SYCAMORE CREEK VINEYARDS2412775 Uvas Road, Morgan Hill408-779-4738sycamorecreekvineyards.comTasting Thu- Fri, Mon 12-5,Sat-Sun 11-5THOMAS KRUSE 253200 Dryden Ave, Gilroy408-842-7016,thomaskrusewinery.comTasting Tue-Sun 12- 5CASA DE FRUTA 2710021 Pacheco Pass Hwy,Hollister, 408-842-7282casadefruta.comTasting Mon-Thu 8-7:30,Fri-Sat 8-8:30

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS& S.F. PENINSULAAHLGREN VINEYARD 120320 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek831-338-6071, ahlgrenvineyard.comTasting Sat 12-4 ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARD 2420 Hames Rd., Corralitos831-728-5172, alfarowine.com Tasting Sat 12-5BARGETTO WINERY 33535 N. Main St., Soquel831-475-2258, bargetto.com Tasting Daily 12-5BEAUREGARD VINEYARDS 410 Pine Flat Rd., Bonny Doon831-425-7777beauregardvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5BLACK RIDGE VINEYARDS 518550 Black Rd., Los Gatos408-399-6396, blackridgevineyards.comTasting Third Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.BONNY DOON VINEYARD 6328 Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz831-425-4518, bonnydoonvineyard.comTasting Daily 11:30-5:30BURRELL SCHOOL VINEYARDS724060 Summit Rd, Los Gatos408-353-6290, burrellschool.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5 BYINGTON WINERY & VINEYARD821850 Bear Creek Rd., Los Gatos,408-354-1111 byington.com,Tasting Daily 11-5CINNABAR WINERY TASTINGROOM 914612 Big Basin Way., Saratoga408-741-5858, cinnabarwine.comTasting Daily 11-5COOPER-GARROD VINEYARDS1122645 Garrod Road, Saratoga408-867-7116, cgv.comTasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 COPIOUS WINERY 12427 Swift St., #A, Santa Cruz813-425-WINE, copiouswinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5 or by Appt.DAVID BRUCE WINERY 1321439 Bear Creek Rd, Los Gatos408-354-4214, 800-397-9972davidbrucewinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5

Map created by Artifact, Ink

PELICAN RANCH WINERY 38402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz831-426-6911, pelicanranch.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5PICCHETTI WINERY 3913100 Montebello Road,Cupertino, 408-741-1310picchetti.comTasting Daily 11-5PINDER WINERY 40165 Cristich Lane, Campbell877-684-2601. pinderwine.comTasting Sat 10-3 PLEASANT VALLEY VINEYARD 44600 Pleasant Valley Rd.,Aptos831-728-2826, pvvines.comTasting Sat 12-4POETIC CELLARS 415000 North Rodeo Gulch Rd.,Soquel, 831-462-3478poeticcellars.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5REGALE WINERY &VINEYARDS4224040 Summit Rd., Los Gatos408-867-3233, ridgewine.comTasting Fri 4-8, Sat-Sun 11-5:30RIDGE VINEYARDS 4317100 Monte Bello Rd,Cupertino, 408-867-3233,ridgewine.com. Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5ROUDON-SMITH VINEYARDS452364 Bean Creek Road,Scotts Valley, 831-438-1244roudonsmith.comTasting Sat 12-4:30 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINVINEYARD 47334-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz831-426-6209santacruzmountainvineyard.comTasting Wed-Sun 12-5:30SAVANNAH-CHANELLEVINEYARDS 4823600 Big Basin Way, Saratoga408-741-2934savannahchanelle.comTasting Daily 11-5SILVER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS402 Ingalls St., Ste 29, 49Santa Cruz, 831-466-0559silvermtn.com Tasting Thu-Sun 12-5SONES CELLARS 50334-B Ingalls St., Santa Cruz831-420-1552, SONESCELLARS.COMTasting Fri-Sun 12-5SOQUEL VINEYARDS 518063 GLEN HAVEN ROAD,SOQUEL, 831-462-9045soquelvineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-4 STORRS WINERY 52303 Potrero St., #35, SantaCruz, 831-458-5030storrswine.com Tasting Daily 12-5TEAM ZIN830 Jury Ct., San Jose408-445-2508, Call for appt.TESTAROSSA WINERY 53300-A College Ave., Los Gatos408-354-6150, testarossa.comTasting Daily 11-5

Pleasant Valley Rd

Hames RdHazel Dell Rd

Map Not to Scale


Submit your winery orchanges to be included in ourApril / May issue’s guides.Please submit by March 7,2011 to [email protected]


. . .Goodies and Gadgets

BUY ONE WINE TASTING AND GET ONE FREE!Coupon Code: VT-2011

Present this ad to redeem at either of our locations:

Orfila Vineyards & Winery13455 San Pasqual Road, Escondido, CA 92025

Toll free: 1.800.868.9463 Local: 760.738.6500 x 22 Open daily 10am-6pm.

Also visit our Julian Tasting Room:4470 Hwy. 78, Julian, CA 92036 760.765.0102

Open Friday through Tuesday (closed Wed. & Thurs.) 10am-5pm.

www.ORFILA.com

Valentine Chocolate Dipped J Lohr Cabernet In this issue, Vine Times must have been struck by Cupid’s

arrow because we can’t stop talking about this vino and choco-late collaboration. Around Valentine’s Day you seem to find allyour favorite things dipped in chocolate: nuts, coffee beans,strawberries…but wine? This bottle of J Lohr Cabernet has adeep red-purple hue with hints of dark cherry and black curranton the nose followed by spicy clove and toasty notes on the fin-ish. The wine itself is something you’ll instantly fall in love with.The wine bottle is hand dipped in gourmet Guittard dark choco-late and decorated with candy hearts. To enjoy the chocolate,simply pull the ribbon zipper to release the chocolate. You canenjoy a glass of wine while satisfying your sweet tooth. Whetherit’s a gift for the love in your life or just a friend, this wine andchocolate is the perfect pairing for anyone.

Order your bottle at sweettraders.com for $36.95

Wine Bottle Gift Set from BrookstoneKeeping up with your corkscrew, wine pourer, bottle

stopper and other wine tools can be a hassle in a busykitchen. There’s nothing worse than having a bottle ofwine and not being able to find a bottle opener. That’s whyBrookstone has created a wine bottle for all of your winebottle needs. This solid wooden case in a cherry finishstores all the tools you need to open, pour and enjoy yourfavorite wine. It comes complete with a top-quality wait-er’s stainless-steel corkscrew with foil-cutting knife, bottlestopper, drip stop collar, combination wine pourer/stopperand four colored wine charms. By storing your wine toolsin this beautiful case you will always know where to findthem and you’ll be saving bar space! Since the case is thesame size as a traditional wine bottle you can store it onyour wine rack. This elegant item is perfect for any wineconnoisseur.

Buy your wine bottle case at Brookstone.com or inBrookstone stores for $ 29.95

Mead from Rabbit’s Foot MeaderyNot often will you find our Goodies & Gadget’s

column recommending an alternative to traditionalwine, but we see this drink as a close cousin to ourbeloved vino. You may have thought mead was leftbehind in the Middle Ages, but it has come a long wayat Rabbit’s Foot Meadery. Made from the fermentationof honey and water and the addition of fruits andspices, gives this alcoholic beverage countless flavorsfrom the sweetest to the driest. Rabbit’s Foot choosesonly the most select and pure of honeys to create itsmead and control its flavor. You can choose from theMeadery’s many flavors including its top selling sweetmead made with Oregon wildflower honey or its RedBranch Hard Lemonade.

If you’re in the Sunnyvale area you’ll want to stop by their tasting room to learn allabout the art of creating this drink meant for royalty. Their tasting room is open Tuesdaythrough Thursday 2 to 7 p.m., Friday 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays by request.

Order your mead at www.rabbitsfootmeadery.com starting at $4.99 up to $69.95, visittheir tasting room at 1246 Birchwood Drive in Sunnyvale or call 408-747-0770.


Winery Guide

AMADOR CELLARS 111093 Shenandoah Rd,Plymouth, 209-245-6150amadorcellars.comTasting Wed-Sun, 12-5AMADOR FOOTHILL 2WINERY12500 Steiner Rd., Plymouth209-245-6307, amadorfoothill.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5

AVIO VINEYARDS & 3WINERY14520 Ridge Rd., Sutter Creek209-267-1515, aviowine.com.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.BANTAM CELLARS 410851 Shenandoah Rd.,Plymouth, 209-245-6677bantamcellars.comTasting Daily 11-4

BELLA PIAZZA 3119900 Shenandoah School Rd.,Plymouth, 209-245-4600Tasting Daily 10-5BRAY VINEYARDS 510590 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-6023, brayvineyards.comTasting Fri-Mon 10-5C. G. DI ARIE 6VINEYARD & WINERY11919 Shenandoah School Rd,Plymouth, 209-245-4700Tasting Thu-Mon 10-4:30

CHARLES SPINETTA 7WINERY12557 Steiner Road, Plymouth209-245-3384,charlesspinettawinery.comTasting Thu-Mon 9-4 CLOS DU LAC CELLARS/ 32GREENSTONE WINERY3151 Hwy. 88, Ione, 209-274-2238Tasting Wed-Sun 10-4 CONVERGENCE 8VINEYARDS14650 HIGHWAY 124, PLYMOUTH209-245-3600Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5COOPER VINEYARDS 921365 Shenandoah School,Plymouth, 209-245-6181cooperwines.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5DEAVER VINEYARDS 1012455 Steiner Road, Plymouth209-245-4099, deavervineyard.comTasting Daily 10:30-5 DILLIAN WINES 1112138 Steiner Road, Plymouth209-245-3444, dillianwines.comTasting Fri-Sun 11- 4:30

DOBRA ZEMLJA 1212505 Steiner Road, ShenandoahValley, 209-245-3183, dobraz.comTasting Daily 10-5DOMAINE DE LA TERRE13ROUGE/EASTON WINES10801 Dickson Rd, Plymouth209-245-3117, terrerougewines.comeastonwines.comTasting Fri-Mon 11-4 DRYTOWN CELLARS 1416030 Hwy. 49, Drytown209-245-3500, drytowncellars.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 FRENZ VINEYARD & 33WINERY21390 Ostrom Road, Fiddletown209-245-4800Tasting Sat-Sun 10:30-4:30 IL GIOIELLO/MORSEWINES 1522355 Lawrence Road, Fiddletown 209-245-3395, ilgioiellowinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5JEFF RUNQUIST WINES 1610776 Shenandoah Rd., Plymouth209-245-3143, jeffrunquistwines.comTasting Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5KARLY 1711076 Bell Road, Plymouth209-245-3922, karlywines.comTasting Daily 12-4KARMERE VINEYARDS 1811970 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-5000, karmere.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.NINE GABLES 2010778 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-3949, 9gables.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5NUA DAIR VINEYARDS 2113825 Willow Creek, Ione209-245-5567,nuadair.comTasting Sat -Sun 10:30-5:30 or byAppt.

RENWOOD WINERY 2212225 Steiner Road, Plymouth209-245-6979/ 800-348-8466renwood.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30SERENIDAD 3421339 Dickson Road, Plymouth209-245-5304Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5SHENANDOAH 23VINEYARDS12300 Steiner Rd, Plymouth209-245-4455, sobonwine.comTasting Daily 10-5SOBON ESTATE 2414430 Shenandoah Rd,Plymouth, 209-245-6554sobonwine.comTasting Daily 9:30-5STONEHOUSE WINERY 2510861 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-6888stonehousewines.comTasting Fri-Sun 10-5STORY WINERY 2610525 Bell Road, Plymouth209-245-6208, zin.comTasting Daily 11-5 SUTTER CREEK 35WINETASTING(Crystal Basin Cellars, Gold Hill & Le Mulet Rouge)85 Main St., Sutter Creek209-267-5838suttercreekwinetasting.comTasting Daily 11-6SIERRA RIDGE 27VINEYARD & WINERY14110 Ridge Rd., Sutter Creek,209-267-1316sutterridgewine.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-4

TANIS VINEYARDS 3613120 Willow Creek Road, Ione,209-274-4807tanisvineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 10-5:30TERRA D’ORO 1920680 Shenandoah School Rd,Plymouth, 209-245-6942montevina.comTasting Daily 10-4:30TKC VINEYARDS 2811001 Valley Drive, Plymouth209-245-6428tkcvineyards.comTasting Sat 11-5; Sun 1-5 or by Appt.VILLA TOSCANO WINERY3710600 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-3800villatoscano.comTasting Daily 10-5VINO NOCETO 2911011 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-6556, noceto.comTasting Fri, 12-4; Sat-Sun, 11-4 or by Appt.YOUNG’S VINEYARD 3810120 Shenandoah, Plymouth209-245-3005youngsvineyard.comTasting Mon-Fri 10-4,Sat-Sun 10:30-5WILDEROTTER VINEYARD3019890 Shenandoah School,Plymouth, 209-245-6016wilderottervineyard.comTasting Fri-Mon 10:30-5

By Linda J.Bottjer

As Dickens once wrote it was thebest of times and the worst ofthem too.

A crisp day resplendent with brightautumnal colors drew me up to NevadaCity where the acclaimed winery of thesame name and its winemaker, MarkFoster awaited.

Friends, strangers and even a formerboss of Foster had all hailed his alchemisticskills in transforming grape juice intopotions capable of making Bacchus weepwith joy.

However, the gods had deemed I beblessed with a head cold. The type of ail-ment that made everything I ate taste likeboiled cardboard and every beverage be asbland as the water it was boiled in.

Mark was gracious as I sneezed, snif-

fled and hacked my way through our con-versation. Since tasting the wine was a no goI decided instead to find out what made hima winemaker.

Where many have come to the grapethrough family connections or geographiclocation Foster was a zoologist used to deserttreks instead of vineyard rambles. The mys-tique of combining art and science togetherwith a microbiologist friend’s move to NapaCounty lead him to explore the wonders ofviticulture. His career began as a cellarrat/assistant winemaker at the SmothersRemick Ridge Winery in Sonoma.

Not everyone understood his shift incareers including officials at the Universityof California/Davis where he enrolled forclasses.

“At first they were a bit reluctant toadmit me since I already had two MastersDegrees,” he remembers with a laugh. Soonhe added a third this time in Enology.

Studying and working with like-mind-ed devotees fired up his enthusiasm.However, living in Napa was presenting fewtrue wine challenges. He and his late wifeFran preferred to live in peripheral areaswhere their efforts delivered more impact.

By the late 80s he was honing his craftat Madrona Vineyards near Placerville.

Several years later they moved toanother part of the Sierra Foothills AVA asMark took over the winemaker’s position at

the Nevada City Winery. Here a differenttype of challenge existed. The winery grewno grapes. Instead they relied on area grapegrowers who were indiscriminate with theirproduct.

“There was no experimentation withclones,” remember Foster.

Within five years of listening to con-sumers and working with growers, Syrahand Zin along with Barbera grapes and oth-ers were delivered to and processed at theformer 1860s foundry building.

Two decades later and Nevada CityWinery continually racks ups awards at 85percent of the prestigious events their winesare entered into such as the California StateFair. In 2010 and 2009 their 2007 vintagesof Cab Franc and Barbera respectively cap-tured the best in the state.

Foster admits being like a shark in hiscontinuous quest to find interesting grapes.His latest obsession is the black Dolchettogrape typical of the Piedmont region of Italy.

He feels his true talent can be found inpulling the color, body and flavor from avariety of wines. Like paints on a palette hedips, swirls and blends from various vin-tages like a French impressionist. The Gallicinfluence continues with blending tanksnamed Babette and Mimi and the dominantuse of French oak barrels. Foster considersthe oak’s toastiness to act as a frame arounda picture in its ability to add subtleness to the

wine’s back notes.The 2007 Cépage, a Bordeaux blend is

such an example. Merlot is half the blendwith almost equal amounts of CabernetSauvignon and Cab Franc added as 7 per-cent Petit Verdot and the merest touch ofMourvedre completes the mélange.

Like the artist he is, Foster sent mehome with a bottle of the 2008 Barbera to beenjoyed when all my senses had returned.

It danced delightfully to a snappyrhythm that paired toast and the slight charof oak. Deepened summer fruits warmed bydelicate tannins kept the taste bold but neveroverbearing.

The best of times had returned.Nevada City Winery, 321 Spring

Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, (530) 265-9463 / (800) 203-9463, Tasting room openSunday-Thursday 12-5, Friday and Satur-day 12-6.

Nevada City Winery’s Mark Foster

Nevada City Winery in a former foundrygarage. (Nevada City Winery)

Mark Foster of Nevada City Winery sur-rounded by his wines. (Nevada City Winery)

Submit your winery orchanges to be included in ourApril / May issue’s guides.Please submit by March 7,2011 to [email protected]

By Laura Ness

Although the Mirassou Family line-age is already long and storied,each year presents a new opportu-

nity to add a new chapter or two to the bookof history. With such a rich heritage to buildon, the story, like a grand castle, keeps open-ing up new doors to secret passageways thatlead both forward and back, refining pastpractices with modern advances in viticul-ture, while retaining the unmistakable char-acter of traditional winemaking.

To commemorate what StevenMirassou describes as a sixth generationpartnership between America’s oldestwinemaking family and the world-classgrowing region of Livermore, the winery ispleased to release their first vintage of“Lineage,” a classic Bordeaux blend fromthe estate vineyard. Lineage represents amission and a promise to spare no effort tohandcraft one of the world’s great wines.The time has now come to taste the prom-ise and be a part of this latest page in thewinemaking history of Livermore.

Containing five of the finest barrels ofthe 2007 vintage from the GhielmettiVineyard, Lineage is truly classic in that itrepresents the traditional five Bordeauxvarieties used in creating the great wines ofFrance that effectively launched a thousand

ships in pursuit of perfection in a bottle.This blend is 75 percent CabernetSauvignon, 15 percent Cabernet Franc, 5percent Petit Verdot, 3 percent Malbec and2 percent Merlot, with predominantly newFrench oak. The label echoes its Frenchheritage with a lovely fleur de lis crest.

Says Steven of the Lineage effort,“I’m led in the wine business with oneaspiration: to create a single wine from theLivermore Valley that eventually couldrank among the world’s best. After years ofeffort, I am very excited to introduce you toa new brand and a new wine: Lineage.Lineage is imbued with the elegance andcomplexity that the best of these blendedwines contain.”

Only 780 bottles of Lineage will bereleased in the first offering, so the onlyway to guarantee an allocation is tobecome a Lineage Collector. Such privi-lege entitles you to the following: • 6-bottle allocation of each vintage of

Lineage • Exclusive consideration for large format

bottles of Lineage • Invitations to the Annual Lineage

Tasting • Exclusive invitations to Lineage

Collector eventsIncontrovertably, this is the wine of

which Steven is most proud. “We are

throwing down the gauntlet withthis wine,” says Steven, refer-ring to his desire to take onblends like Insignia andIsoceles with somethingequally compelling fromLivermore. This beautyexudes aromas as warm andinviting as a roaring fire inthe velvet tapestry-coveredparlor of a well-maintainedEnglish castle: there issomething big-boned andnoble about it, yet in themouth it is well-behaved,charming and seamlesslyintegrated like a perfectly-c h o r e o g r a p h e dNutcracker ballet. Thefleshiness is delight-making and the tannins,like pure satin.

Flavors of intense beefbourgignon, hints of flint, warm earth, darkraspberry chocolate and a smattering ofmint and fennel, make this a most wonder-ful wine to drink and enjoy, without gettingtoo intellectual about all the thought thatwent into it.

Sometimes the wines that are mostengaging and easy to love, are the ones thatcaused the winemaker the most angst. Still,

making a blend like this is a jobto envy. And the rewards are oh, so sweet.

For more information on Lineage andto become a collector, visit the website atlineagewine.com.


Valentine’s Passport

www.riverroadwinetrail.com

CHALONEwww.chalonevineyard.com

BOEKENOOGEN WINERYwww.boekenoogenwines.com

PUMA ROAD \ RAY FRANSCIONI(832) 455-1096

MARILYN REMARK WINESwww.remarkwines.com

PESSAGNO WINERYwww.pessagnowines.com

BLACKSTONE WINERYwww.blackstonewinery.com

WRATH WINESwww.wrathwines.com

HAHN ESTATES / SMITH & HOOKwww.hahnestates.com

PARAISO VINEYARDSwww.paraisovineyards.com

SCHEID VINEYARDSwww.scheidvineyards.com

MANZONI ESTATE VINEYARDwww.manzoniwines.com

VENTANA VINEYARDSwww.ventanawines.com

THE TWELVE ARTISAN VINTNERS

along Monterey’s River Road Wine Trail

want to share the love! This is a special day

of rare vintages, fun, food, and celebration

all things amour. As a Passport-carrying

V.I.P., you’ll receive a souvenir glass, entry

into a grand drawing, and special dis-

counts. Each winery will be hosting their

own wine and food pairing, specifically to

suit the love surrounding Valentine’s Day.

Welcome to the sweetheart ofall wine tastings!Saturday, February 12, 201111AM - 4PM

www.riverroadwinetrail.com

Lineage Debuts at Steven Kent Winery in Livermore


Winery Guide

EL DORADO NORTH

AURIGA WINE CELLARS 13500 Carson Rd., #D2, Camino,530-647-8078aurigawines.comTasting Fri-Sun, 11-5

BOA VISTA ORCHARDS/VINEYARDS 22952 Carson Rd., Placerville530-622-5522, boavista.comTasting Daily 11-5BOEGER WINERY 31709 Carson Rd., Placerville530-622-8094boegerwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5CHATEAU RODIN WINERY 44771 Green Hills Rd. ,Placerville530-622-6839chateaurodin.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5 CHEVALIER WINERY 55720 French Creek Rd.,Shingle Springs, 530-677-1676chevalierwinery.comTasting Sat 12-5

CRYSTAL BASIN CELLARS 73550 Carson Rd., Camino530-647-1767crystalbasin.comTasting Daily 11-5COULSON ELDORADO WINERY 83600 Carson Rd., Camino530-644-2854www.coulsonwinery.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5

DAVID GIRARD VINEYARDS 9741 Cold Springs Rd.,Placerville530-295-1833davidgirardvineyards.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5FENTON HERRIOTTVINEYARDS 11120 Jacquier Ct.,Placervillefentonherriott.com 530-642-2021 Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5/Tours byAppt.FINDLETON ESTATE &VINEYARD 123500 Carson Rd., Camino530-644-4018finzinwines.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 GOLD HILL WINERY 135660 Vineyard Ln., Placerville530-626-6522goldhillvineyard.comTasting Thu-Sun 10-5 HOLLY’S HILL VINEYARDS& WINERY 143680 Leisure Ln., Placerville530-344-0227hollyshill.comTasting Daily 10-5 ILLUMINARE ESTATE 163500 Carson Rd., Camino530-647-1884illuminarewinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

JODAR VINEYARDS & WINERY 173405 Carson Court, Camino530-644-3474, jodarwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5

LAVA CAP WINERY 182221 Fruitridge Rd, Placerville530-621-0175/ 800-475-0175lavacap.comTasting Daily 11-5MADROÑA VINEYARDS 192560 High Hill Rd., Camino 530-644-5948madronavineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5MIRAFLORES WINERY 212120 Four Springs Trail,Placerville, 530-647-8505mirafloreswinery.comTasting Daily 10-5NARROW GATE VINEYARDS 224282 Pleasant Valley Rd.,Placerville, 530-644-6201narrowgatevineyards.comTasting Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5PARAVI VINEYARDS 232875 Larsen Dr., Camino530-647-9463primusvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5SIERRA VISTA WINERY& VINEYARD 254560 Cabernet Wy., Placerville530-622-7221/ 800-WINE-916sierravistawinery.comTasting Daily 10-5SOGNO WINERY 263046 Ponderosa Rd.,Shingle Springs, 530-672-6968sognowinery.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5

STONE’S THROW WINERY 273541 N. Canyon Rd., Camino530-622-5100, stonesthrowwines.comTasting Fri-Sun May-Dec, by Appt.STOVER OAKS 285241 Nashville Tr., Placerville530-626-WINETasting Fri-Sun 11-5 THOMPSON MINING CAMPWINERY 294801 Rock Barn, Shingle Springs530-677-6510Tasting Thu-Sun 10-5 VENEZIO VINEYARDS& WINERY 315821 Hwy. 49, Pilot Hill530-885-WINE, venezio.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5 WOFFORD ACRES VINEYARDS321900 Hidden Valley Ln.,Camino530-626-6858, wavwines.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.

EL DORADO SOUTHBUSBY CELLARS 16375 Grizzly Flat Rd, Somerset,530-344-9119busbycellars.comTasting Fri-Sun11-5:30

CANTIGA WINEWORKS 25980 Meyers Ln, Somerset530-621-1696cantigawine.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 and by Appt.

CEDARVILLE VINEYARD 36320 Marestail Rd, Fair Play530-620-9463cedarvillevineyard.comTasting by Appt.

CHALET FLEUR DE LYS 47696 Perry Creek Rd,Somerset, 530.620.2246fleurdelyswinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.

CHATEAU ROUTON 52800 Omo Ranch Rd, Fair Play,530-620-5818chateaurouton.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5

COLIBRI RIDGE WINERY 6& VINEYARDS6100 Grey Rock Rd,Fair Play, 530-620-7255colibriridge.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

CHARLES B. MITCHELL WINERY 78221 Stoney Creek Rd, Fair Play,530-620-3467charlesbmitchell.com,Tasting Mon-Fri 11-5,Sat-Sun 10:30-5

DK CELLARS 97380 Vineyard View Dr.,Fair Play, 530-620-1132dkcellars.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

FITZPATRICK WINERY 107740 Fairplay Rd., Fair Play530-620-3248/ 800-245-9166fitzpatrickwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5 ex.Tue

GRANITE SPRINGS WINERY 125050 Granite Springs Winery Rd.,Fair Play, 530-620-6395/ 800-638-6041, latcham.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

IVERSON WINERY 148061 Perry Creek Rd., Fair Play530-620-7474iversonwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.

LATCHAM VINEYARDS 152860 Omo Ranch, Mt.Aukum530-620-6642/ 800-750-5591latcham.comTasting Thur-Mon 11-5

MOUNT AUKUM WINERY 176781 Tower Rd., Mount Aukum800-591-9463, mountaukum.comTasting Daily 11-5

OAKSTONE WINERY 186440 Slug Gulch Rd., Fair Play530-620-5303oakstone-winery.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5 PERRY CREEK VINEYARDS 197400 Perry Creek Rd. Fair Play530-620-5175perrycreek.comTasting Daily 11-5

SIERRA OAKS ESTATES 218171 Mt.Aukum Rd.,Mt.Aukum530-620-7079sierraoaksestates.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5 SINGLE LEAF VINEYARD 22& WINERY7480 Fairplay Rd., Fairplay530-620-3545/ 888-ONE-LEAFsingleleaf.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5TOOGOOD ESTATE WINE 23CAVES7280 Fair Play Rd, FairPlay530-620-1910toogoodwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5:30 or by Appt.

URSA VINEYARDS 245951 Mt.Aukum Rd, Somerset530-647-2646ursavineyards.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 VAN DER VIJVER ESTATE 257451 Fairplay Rd., Fair Play530.620.3210Tasting 11-5 Wed-Sun & by Appt.WINDWALKER VINEYARDS 267360 Perry Creek Rd., Fair Play530-620-4054windwalkervineyard.comTasting Daily 11-5 or by Appt.WINERY BY THE CREEK 278085 Perry Creek Rd., Fair Play530-620-2402winerybythecreek.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5

Valdimir Chapko paints out of doors,“en plein-air,” whenever possible. “Italways amazes me how people can walk byand not “see” what I’m painting... until theylook at my canvas. They’re tuned into theiri-pods and walk around with their eyeswide shut. Don’t they see this beautifulconglomeration of color and light?”

Chapko states that beauty is hard todefine. “I suppose because it’s so subjectiveand most people are too busy ‘making a liv-ing’ to notice the beautiful things that sur-round them every day. Most people don’tnotice beauty until you show it to themthrough a window, and I think the job of theartist is to create ‘windows of beauty’.”

From an explosion of yellow flowersin the spring to a flood of red vines, rust col-ored trees, and carpets of warm green grassin winter, few places in California delightthe eyes, titillate the senses, and rejuvenate

the soul more that the Napa Valley winecountry. For an artist it’s a paradise of light,color, and form; every painting excursionfinds the valley cloaked in it’s own season-al overcoat of color and atmosphere.

“When I’m painting in Napa valleyit’s very much like attending a wine tasting.After a few sips, you want some more.Have some more and pretty soon yourhead is swimming. My head swims fromthe heady stimulus of color and light and Ibecome drunk under the influence of colorand light, pigment and brush.”

Chapko does a good bit of his work bycommission. “I believe that commissionwork is a collaborative effort between anartist and his client. The client actuallyallows me to get inside his or her head. Weshare a common vision and I get a greatdeal of satisfaction knowing that by usingpigment and brush I have put muscle and

flesh on the bones of a concept or visualidea that my client has been carryingaround inside of them. I am an image-maker. It’s my job to open the window andlet in the butterflies.”

You can find Valdimir Chapko’s workor Commission his work at Gallery 1870 inthe V Market Place, 6525 Washington Streetin Yountville. For more information call(800) 322-1870 or visit gallery1870.com.

Vine Times Cover Artist Valdimir Chapko

Another year has gently passed and,2011 is sure to bring forth excitingnew travels, friends and social

events that will pair perfectly with fabulousfoods, music, and wine. This year I set outto find an outstanding local wine to servewith a delicious new recipe–a recipe,which I did not currently possess.

As I carefully drove through the thickfog, making my way up Highway 85 andinto the Santa Cruz Mountain wine region,my mind drifted to new beginnings and allthe discoveries that lie ahead.

I turned off the highway at SaratogaAvenue and soon found myself drivingalong Big Basin Way. As I slowly movedthrough this picturesque downtown, Imade a mental note to stop for a bite andtake in the sights later in the day.

I spotted The Mountain Winery signat Pierce Road and turned up the drive. AsI wound up the summit and out of the fogcover, there stood the most beautiful win-ery, adjacent to their spectacular and high-ly acclaimed amphitheatre. While I stoodat the foot of the winery with the bright sunwarming my face, I could see the majesticvalley below – still covered in a thick blan-

ket of fog. The natural beauty took mybreath away!

Past the theatre and down the steps, Ientered the gorgeous tasting room and wasgreeted by the smiling faces of JesseMontenegro, aka “The Mayor,” and RondaBoos, Mountain Winery’s Sommelier.

Rhonda and I sat down for a quietwine tasting on the veranda. I had thepleasure of joining her while she playedaround with a pairing idea – gourmet fla-vored popcorn and wine. It was brilliant,and what a fun way to try a variety of fla-vors alongside The Mountain Winery’sdelectable wines!

Later, the newly appointed Director ofSales and Marketing, Cathy Englund,joined us. I was thrilled to hear about all theexciting wine tasting and dining events thatthis creative team has assembled. They willhost an array of very cool wine, food, andmusic events this coming year. Check theirwebsite for a complete list (mountainwin-ery.com).

With so many delightful wines tochoose from, my task was to narrow downmy search and ultimately decided ontheEstate Series. The 2008 Estate Reserve

Chardonnay, $39, was gorgeous,

with a delicate, pale yellow hue and aro-mas of apple, pear and cinnamon stick; theflavor of creamy citrus finishes with lightminerals reflective of the soil on the moun-tain. My second choice was the 2008Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, $45, with crim-son red color, cranberry, dark chocolate,oregano and licorice on the nose, and cher-ry and pomegranate on the palate. ThisPinot Noir is a special blend of severalclones – a synthesis of flavors!

So, now I had the wine – but still norecipes in mind. No worries, Rhonda visit-ed the bustling kitchen at the winery andfound the perfect choices – SteamedMussels and Shrimp with a white winebutter sauce, and a Braised Beef Short Ribthat will delight your palate as the lateSpring and Summer vegetables arrive.

Oh what a magnificent morning atThe Mountain Winery. I walked away withluscious wines to pair with my newrecipes, filled my calendar with an array ofupcoming events, and met a lovely groupof new friends.

One of my new “New Year’sResolutions” is to make my way out toSaratoga and enjoy the Mountain Wineryall year long – and so should you!


Culinary Road Trip

Steamed Mussels & Shrimp with aWhite Wine Butter SauceRecipe by Exectutive Chef David Sidoti“The Estate Chardonnay is a natural with seafood. OurEstate Chardonnay is done in a French style. Light oak,citrusy with light minerality on the finish. I think the fen-nel in this dish adds and interesting element.” Rhonda Boos, Sommelier48 mussels18-24 shrimp, peeled and deveined1 pint Toy Box tomatoes1 fennel, sliced in rings4-6 cloved garlic, sliced*3 tablespoons olive oil*1/4 cup pesto3-4 tablespoons of herbed butter.2-3 cups The Mountain Winery Estate Chardonnay1 french baguetteSaute garlic, fennel & tomatoes in olive oil, over a medi-um-high heat for two minutes. Add shrimp and continueto sauté for one minute. Deglaze the pan with Mountain

Winery Estate Chardonnay by pouring the wine into thehot pan and scraping all the tasty bits. Add mussles andcover.Steam until mustles are open and shrimp is cooked through-out. Finish with herb butter, pesto and season to taste.Garnish with Fennel Greens & serve hot with slicedbaguette. *Note: I actually put the pesto in with the sauce andskipped the pesto crustini. I’ll have to read the entirerecipe next time! See handwritten copy to the right.

Estate Pinot Noir and Braised Beef Short Rib“Pinot Noir is the swiss army knife of red wines. I likethe hints of oregano and licorice in the Pinot Noir andthese flavors are infused into the meat by adding the wineto the dish.” Rhonda Boos, Sommelier3 pounds short ribs1/2 cup all-purpose flour1 cup olive oil2 cloves garlic1 bottle 2008 Mountain Winery Estate Reserve Pinto Noir2 gallons beef stock2 bay leaves1 onion, rough cut2 carrotts, rough cut1 head celery, rough cut1/2 cup tomato pastesea salt & pepper to tasteA batch of your favorite whipped potatoesSeason ribs liberally. Then lightly dust with flour. In a

dutch oven, add oil and bring to smoking temperature. Add ribs and brown on each side. Add carrotts, celery,onions & bay leaves. Caramalize vegetables and deglazewith Pinot Noir. Add tomato paste and beef stock tocover ribs.Simmer for two hours, until tender.Remove ribs and Mirepiox (vegetables) and reserve.Purée braising liquid, strain and season to taste.Serve over whipped potatoes.

By Denise Kouzoujian Saratoga’s Mountain Winery

Executive Chef David Sidoti’s hand written recipe.

My version of ‘Estate Chardonnay SteamedMussels & Shrimp with a white wine sauce.”

Rhonda Boos & Cathy Englund taking aquick break in the winery’s elegant diningroom. (Denise Kouzoujian)

My new friend Jesse Montengro, “TheMayor” in the tasting room.

“Corner of Big Basin Way & Pierce Roadin Saratoga.” (Denise Kouzoujian)

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uide

mckeonphillipswinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-6 or byAppt.RANCHO SISQUOC 796600 Foxen Canyon Rd.,Los Olivos,805-934-4332ranshosisquoc.com,Tasting Daily 10-5RIVERBENCH VINEYARD& WINERY 786020 Foxen Canyon Rd.,Santa Maria,805-937-8340riverbench.com,Tasting Daily 10-4STEPHEN ROSS WINECELLARS 802717 Aviation Way,Ste.F1,SantaMaria, 805-594-1318 stephenrosswine.comTasting byAppt.TRES HERMANAS VINE-YARD 829660 Foxen Camp Rd.,Santa Maria805-937-8451treshermanaswinery.comTasting Daily 10-5ZACA MESA 986905 Foxen Canyon Rd,LosOlivos850-688-9339,zacamesa.comTasting Daily 10-4

SANTA BARBARACOUNTY SOUTHALEXANDER & WAYNE 22922 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos800-824-8584 alexanderandwayne.comTasting Daily 11-6ALMA ROSA 37250 Santa Rosa Road,Buellton805-688-9090,almarosawinery.comTasting Daily 11-4ANDREW MURRAY 52901-A Grand Avenue,Los Olivos805-693-9644,andrewmurrayvine-yards.com,Tasting Daily 11-6ARTHUR EARL 62922 Grand Avenue,Los Olivos800-646-EARL, arthurearl.comTasting Daily 11-6ARTISTE 73569 Sagunto Street,Santa Ynez,CA,805-686-2626Artiste.com,Tasting Daily 11-5BABCOCK 9on Highway 246,west of Buellton805-736-1455,babcockwinery.comTasting Daily 10:30-4BECKMEN 112670 Ontiveros Rd,Los Olivos805-688-8664,Tasting Daily 11-5BERNAT 142879 Grand Ave,Los Olivos 805-688-7265,santabarbarawine.comTasting Daily 11-9BLACKJACK RANCH 152205 Alamo Pintado Rd,Solvang805-686-9922,blackjackranch.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5BRANDER 162401 Refugio Rd,Los Olivos

805-688-2455,brander.comTasting Daily 10-5,11-4 (winter)BRIDLEWOOD 173555 Roblar Ave,Santa Ynez805-688-9000, 800-467-4100bridlewoodwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5BUTTONWOOD FARM191500 Alamo Pintado R,Solvang805-688-3032,buttonwoodwin-ery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5CARINA CELLARS 212900 Grand Ave,Ste A,Los Olivos805-688-2459, carinacellars.comTasting Daily 11-5CARHARTT VINEYARD222990-A Grand Ave.,Los Olivos805-688-0685,carhattvineyard.comTasting Wed-Mon 11-5CARR VINEYARDS 24414 N.Salsipuedes St,Santa Barbara,805-965-7985carrwinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5CASA CASSARA 25291 Valley Station Rd,Buellton805-688-8691,casaassarainery.comTasting Wed-Mon 10-6CONSILIENCE 282933 Grand Ave,Los Olivos805-691-1020,consiliencewines.comTasting Daily,11-5D’ALFONSO-CURRAN 291557 Mission,Solvang,805-688-3494,dalfonso-curranwines.comTasting Fri-Mon 11-5 (winter hours)DANIEL GEHRS WINES 312939 Grand Ave,Los Olivos800-275-8138,dgwines.comTasting Daily 11-6

DIERBERG, STAR LANE &THREE SAINTS 322445 Alamo Pintado Ave,Los Olivos,805-693-0744,DierbergVineyard.comTasting Daily 11-5DRAGONETTE CELLARS 331633 West Central Ave.,Lompoc805-737-0200,dragonettecellars.comTasting Sat 11-4,other days byApptEAST VALLEY VINEYARD344960 Baseline Ave.,Santa Ynez805-455-1412,eastvalleywines.comVineyard Visits by appt.EPIPHANY CELLARS 352963 Grand Ave,Los Olivos866-354-9463,epiphanycellars.comTasting Thu-Mon 11:30-5:30FIDDLEHEAD CELLARS 62597 E Chestnut Ave,Lompoc800-251-1225/ 805-742-0204fiddleheadcellars.comThu-Sat 11-4 and byAppt.FLYING GOATCELLARS 761520 E.Chestnut,Unit A,Lompoc805-736-9032, flyinggoatcellars.comTasting Thu-Sat 11-4FOLEY ESTATES 406121 E Highway 246,Lompoc805-737-6222, foleywines.comTasting Daily 10-5GAINEY 423950 East Highway 246Santa Ynez,805-688-0558gaineyvineyard.com,Tasting Daily 10-5HITCHING POST 46406 East Highway 246,Buellton805-688-0676,hitchingpostwines.comTasting Daily 4-8

HUBER CELLARS 47539 Mission Dr., #A, Solvang805-686-9323,hubercellars.comTasting Daily 10– 5JAFFURS WINE CELLAR 51819 East Montectio St,Santa Barbara805-962-7003, jaffurswine.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-4 or byAppt.JOHN KERR 53At Los Olivos Tasting Room2905 Grand Ave.,Los Olivos 805-688-5337, jkerrwines.comTasting Daily 11-6KALYRA 55343 North Refugio RdSanta Ynez,805-693-8864kalyrawinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5KEN BROWN WINES 56Terravant Wine Ctr.70 Industrial Way,Buellton805-448-3791,By Appt.onlyLAFOND 606855 Santa Rosa Rd,Buellton805-688-7921,lafondwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5LA VIE 37308-D North 9th St.,Lompoc805-291-2111, lavievineyards.comTasting Fri-Sun,11-5LINCOURT VINEYARDS 631711 Alamo Pintado Rd,Solvang805-688-8554, lincourtwines.comTasting Daily 10-5LONGORIA 642935 Grand Ave,Los Olivos 866-RLWINES, longoriawine.comTasting Daily 11-4:30LUCAS & LEWELLEN 651645 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang805-686-9336, llwine.comTasting Daily 11-5:30MANDOLINA 661665 Copenhagen Dr,Solvang805-686-5506,Tasting Daily 11-5:30MELVILLE 695185 East Hwy.246,Lompoc 805-735-7030,melvillevineyards.comTasting Daily 11-4MOSBY 729496 Santa Rosa Rd.,Buellton800-70-MOSBY/ 805-688-2415mosbywines.comTasting Sat-Sun 10-5,Mon-Fri 10-4 OREANA / CELLAR 205 73205 Anacapa St,Santa Barbara805-962-5857,cellar205.comTasting Daily 11-5PALMINA 761520 East Chestnut Ct,Lompoc805-735-2030, palminawines.comTasting Thu-Sat11- 4 or byAppt.PRESIDIO 771603 Copenhagen Dr.#1,Solvang,805-966-9463,presidowinery.comTasting Daily 11-6RIDEAU 801562 Alamo Pintado Rd,Solvang805-688-0717,rideauvineyard.comTasting Mon-Fri 10:30-5,Sat-Sun10:30-5:30

ROBLAR WINERY 813010 Roblar Avenue,Santa Ynez805-686-8540,roblarwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5ROYAL OAKS 821651 Copenhagen Dr, Solvang805-693-1740,royaloakswinery.comTasting Daily 10-5:30RUSACK 831819 Ballard Canyon Rd, Solvang805-688-1278,rusackvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5SANFORD 845010 Santa Rosa Rd,Lompoc805-688-3300 or 800-426-9463sanfordwinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5SANTA BARBARAWINERY 85202 Anacapa St,805-963-3633/ 800-225-3633sbwinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-5SCOTT CELLARS 862933 San Marcos Ave,Los Olivos805-570-0048,scottcellars.comTasting Wed-Mon11-5SHOESTRING WINERY 87800 East Hwy.246,Solvang800-693-8612,shoestringwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-4 or byAppt.STOLPMAN 882434 Alamo Pintado,Los Olivos805-688-0400stolpmanvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5,ex.Fri 11-6SUMMERLAND WINERY 892330 Lillie Ave,Summerland805-565-9463,summerlandwine.comTasting Tue-Thu 11-5, Fri- Sun11-7SUNSTONE 90125 Refugio Rd,Santa Ynez800-313-9463,sunstonewinery.comTasting Daily 10-4TASTES OF THEVALLEYS 91Au Bon Climat,Arcadian,Margerum & more...1672 Mission,Solvang,805-688-7111tastesofthevalleys.com,Tasting Daily 12-8, Sat 12-9TENSLEY/LEA WINES 922900 Grand Ave.,Ste.B,Los Olivos805-688-6761, tensleywines.comTasting Fri-Sat 11-5TRE ANELLI WINE 932923 Grand Ave.,Los Olivos805-686-3000, treanelliwine.comTasting Daily 11-5WINE COUNTRY 94TASTING(Core,Great Oaks,Huber,J.Wilkes,Qupe,Silver, Taz,Verdad)2445 Alamo Pintado Ave.,LosOlivos,805-686-9699Tasting Daily 11-5WHITCRAFT WINERY 9536-A S.Calle Cesar Chavez,SantaBarbara,805-965-0956whitcraftwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-4

SANTA BARBARACOUNTY NORTHADDAMO VINEYARDS 1400 East Clark Ave,Santa Maria805-937-6400, AddamoVineyards.comTasting Tue-Sun 11-7BEDFORD THOMPSONWINERY & VINEYARD 12448 Bell St,Los Alamosbedfordthompsonwinery.com805-244-2107, Tasting Daily 11-5 BYRON 205250 Tepusquet Rd,Santa Maria805-344-2107,byronwines.comTasting byAppt.CAMBRIA WINERY &VINEYARD 215475 Chardonnay Ln,Santa Maria,cambriawine.com805-937-8091,Tasting Daily 10-5COLD HEAVEN 27448-B Bell St,Los Alamos805-937-9801,coldheavencellars.comTasting byAppt.CORE WINERY 28145 S.Geary St.#103,Old Orcutt805-937-1600,corewine.comTasting Wed-SunCOSTA DE OROWINERY 301331 S.Nicholson Ave.,Santa Maria 805-922-1468.cdowinery.comTasting Sun-Thu 10-6,Fri-Sat 10-8COTTONWOOD 31CANYON3940 Dominion Rd.,Santa Maria805-937-9063 cottonwoodcanyon.comTasting Daily 10-5:30 CURTIS WINERY 325249 Foxen Canyon Rd.,Los Olivos,805-686-8999curtiswinery.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30FESS PARKER WINERY &VINEYARD 366200 Foxen Canyon Rd,Santa Maria,805-937-4251fessparker.com,Tasting Daily 10-5FIRESTONE VINEYARD 385000 Zaca Station Rd,Los Olivos,805-688-3940, firestonewine.comTasting Daily 10-5/ToursFOXEN VINEYARD 417200 Foxen Canyon Rd,Santa Maria,805-937-4251foxenvineyard.com,Tasting Daily 11-4KENNETH VOLK 585230 Tepusquet Road,Santa Maria805-938-7896,volkwines.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30KOEHLER 595360 Foxen Canyon Rd,Los Olivos805-693-8384,koehlerwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5MCKEON-PHILLIPS 682115 S.Blosser Road,Unit 114Santa Maria,805-928-3025



J. LohrValentine’s Day Dinner

Created by Restaurant O

6:00pm, Sunday, February 13th~ or ~

6:00pm, Monday, February 14th

Dungeness Crab Bisque

§Smoked Duck en Croute

§Frisee and Sorrel Salad

§Duet of Pancetta-wrapped Half Main Lobsterpaired with Painted Hills Tenderloin of Beef

§Plantain Split with Macadamia Nut Gelato,

Milk Chocolate Drizzle, Irish Crème Whip and Caramelized Strawberries

JLOHR.COM

By Phillip Stegner

The drive along CA-128 to FortBragg is intimidating. Bends andcurves sneak up on you with little

notice. The towering redwoods that line theroad shield the sky from view. And, unlikethe familiar thoroughfares of the Bay Area,turning around is not really an option.Aside from searching for radio stations,there’s not much to do but take your timeand enjoy the ride.

My wife and I braved this drive lastfall to visit Fort Bragg’s North CoastBrewing Company, a microbrewery thatserved as our first stop on a whirlwindbeer-tasting tour written up by JenniferPollock in an issue last fall of 7x7SF. Mywife – a wine enthusiast who had the poormisfortune for marrying an aspiring beerenthusiast – read the piece and thoughtbeer tasting would make for an interestingpost-Thanksgiving activity.

She was right.The folks at North Coast have a lot to

offer: a cozy, wood-lined bar in a town thatcould serve as the poster child for thePacific Northwest. North Coast’s Red SealAle, probably its best-known offering, is anadmittedly tasty pale ale. Fruity Belgianslike Le Merle and PranQster are complexenough to be interesting but approachableenough to entice the Average Joe. But on acold fall day, there is nothing quite as goodas the warm fuzzies provided by NorthCoast’s Old No. 38 Stout.

After a wonderful dinner off MendoBistro’s “Choice Menu,” an impromptustop at Fort Bragg’s Glass Beach and a fullnight’s rest, we hopped back on the 128 forAnderson Valley Brewing Company(AVBC) in Boonville.

AVBC, like other things Boonville, istruly unique. Of course, it has the usual sus-pects. For hop heads, it’s Hop Ottin’ IPAoffers a hard-hitting hop excursion with anexcellent floral nose. I can think of few stoutsthat compare with the complexity andwarmth of AVBC’s Barney Flats OatmealStout. And the Boont Amber Ale is a smooth,easy-drinking ale, perfect to pair with justabout any meal – including the Corn Nuts wepurchased from behind the bar.

But AVBC wouldn’t be a Boonvillestaple without a few unique twists. Mywife and I tried for hours to classify all thetastes in the deliciously complicated BoontExtra Special Beer, but its pilsner openingand hoppy ending left us somewhat dumb-founded (and craving more). And BrotherDavid’s Double and Triple Abbey StyleAles – two special Belgian-style ales –offer rich, fruity aromas and tastes younever see coming.

To end the day, we braved the 128 onelast time, bringing us eastward to the 101,Healdsburg and a California microbrewingstaple – Bear Republic.

Bear Republic’s brew pub – a sort of1950s diner peppered with racing para-phernalia – was a warm welcome after along, rainy day. Its familiar and famoushop-heavy brews, from the Racer 5 IPA tothe XP Pale Ale to the Hop Rod Rye, aresecond to none in the industry. And for thetruly brave, the Mach 10 takes that hopintensity to the next level. But it was theunfamiliar that took us by pleasant sur-prise. The Belgian-infused IPA, CrazyIvan, brings a Trappist intensity to the hop-infused formula the brewery has seeming-ly perfected.

After an evening walk around the

A North Coast BeerTasting Adventure


Line-up of beers tasted at North Coast Brewing Company. (Janet Stegner)

805-434-1687, casadecaballos.comTasting Daily 11-5CASS VINEYARDS 157350 Linne Road, PR805-239-1730, casswines.comTasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-6

CASTORO CELLARS 161315 N. Bethel Rd.,Templeton805-238-0725,castorocellars.comTasting Daily 10-5:30CHANGALA WINERY 173770 Willow Creek Rd., PR805-226-9060changalawinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 CHATEAU MARGENE 184385 LaPanza Road, Creston805-238-2321chateaumargene.comTasting 12-5 Sat-Sun & by Appt.CHUMEIA 198331 E. Hwy.46, PR805-226-0102, chumeiavine-yards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5CLAUTIERE VINEYARD 1340 Penman Springs Rd., PR805-237-3789, clautiere.comTasting Daily 12-5 20D’ANBINO VINEYARDS &CELLARS 22710 Pine St., PR805-227-6800, danbino.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-7DARK STAR CELLARS 232985 Anderson Rd., PR805-237-2389,darkstarcellars.comTasting Fri-Sun 10:30-5DENNER VINEYARDS 245414 Vineyard Drive, PR805-239-4287, dennervine-yards.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5DERBY WINE ESTATES 5620 E. Hwy. 46, PR 51805-238-6300derbywineestates.comTasting Daily 10-5 DOCE ROBLES 252023 Twelve Oaks Drive, PR805-227-4766, docerobles.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30DONATI FAMILYVINEYARD 262720 Oak View Rd.,Templeton805-238-0676donatifamilyvineyard.comTasting Daily 10-5

DOVER CANYONWINERY 274520 Vineyard Drive, PR805-237-0101, dovercanyon.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5 DUNNING VINEYARDSESTATE WINERY ANDGUEST VILLA 281953 Niderer Road,PR805-238-4763dunningvineyards.comLodging AccommodationsTasting Thu-Mon 11-5EAGLE CASTLE WINERY3090 Anderson Rd.,PR 29805-227-1428,eaglecastlewinery.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30EBERLE WINERY 303810 E. Hwy. 46, PR805-238-9607, eberlewinery.comTasting Daily 10-6, 10-5 (winter)EDWARD SELLERSVINEYARDS 311220 Park Street, PR805-239-8915, edwardsellers.comTasting Thu-Mon 12-7EOS ESTATE WINERY5625 E. Hwy.46, PR 32800-249-9463, eosvintage.comTasting Daily 10-5FALCON NEST 34VINEYARD & WINERY5185 Union Rd., PR805-226-0227, falconnest-wine.com, Tasting Daily 10-6FIRESTONE VINEYARD2300 Airport Road, PR 35805-591-8050, firestonewine.comTasting Daily 10-5FOUR VINES 363750 W. Hwy 46, Templeton805-237-0055, fourvines.comTasting Daily 11-6, 11-5 (winter)FRATELLI PERATA 371595 Arbor Road, PR805-238-2809fratelliperata.com, Tasting by Appt.GARRETSON WINECOMPANY 382323 Tuley Ct., Suite 110, PR805-239-2074. garretson-wines.com, Tasting by Appt.GREY WOLF CELLARS2174 W. Hwy 46, PR 39805-237-0771, greywolfcel-lars.com, Tasting Daily 11-5:30

HALTER RANCH 40VINEYARD 8910 Adelaida Road, PR805-226-9455, halterranch.comTasting Daily 11-5HANSEN VINEYARD 415575 El Pomer Dr.,Templeton805-239-8412, hansenwines.comTasting Fri- Sun 11-5HARMONY CELLARS 423255 Harmony Valley Rd.,Harmony805-927-1625/ 800-432-9239harmonycellars.comTasting Daily 10-5HUG CELLARS 432323 Tuley Ct., Suite 120D, PR805-226-8022, hugcellars.comTasting Thu-Mon 11- 5 & by Appt.HUNT CELLARS 442875 Oakdale Road,PR805-237-1600huntwinecellars.comTasting Daily 10-6, 10:30-5:30(winter)J. LOHR WINERY 466169 Airport Road,PR805-239-8900, jlohr.comTasting Daily 10-5JADA VINEYARD 475620 Vineyard Drive, PR805-226-4200, jadavineyard.comTasting Fri-Sun 10-5 or by Appt.JANKRIS WINERY 481266 Bethel Road,Templeton805-434-0319, jankriswinery.comTasting Daily 11-5JUDD FAMILY WINES 49 2850 Ranchita Canyon Rd.San Miguel, 805-467-2891juddfamilywines.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5JUSTIN VINEYARDS &WINERY 5011680 Chimney Rock Rd., PR805-238-6932, justinwine.comTasting Daily 10-5/ Tours by Appt.L’AVENTURE 512815 Live Oak Road,PR805-227-1588,aventurewine.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-4LA VIGNE WINERY 905115 Buena Vista Dr., PR805-227-4000 lavignewinery.comTasting Daily 11-6, 11-5 (winter)LINNE CALODO 52CELLARS3030 Vineyard Drive, PR805-227-0797, linnecalodo.comTasting Daily 11-5LOCATELLI VINEYARDS 8585 Cross Canyons RoadSan Miguel, 805-467-0067locatelliwinery.com 53Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4 or by Appt.LONE MADRONE 542485 W. Hwy. 46, PR805-238-0845,lonemadrone.comTasting Daily 10:30-5MALOY O’NEILL 55VINEYARDS5725 Union Road,PR805-238-7320, maloyoneill.comTasting Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 or by Appt.MARTIN & WEYRICH 56WINERY2610 Buena Vista Drive, PR 805-238-2520, martinweyrich.comTasting Daily 10-6MERIDIAN VINEYARDS7000 E. Hwy.46, PR 57805-226-7133, meridianvine-yards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5MIDNIGHT CELLARS 592925 Anderson Rd., PR805-237-9601, 805-239-8904midnightcellars.comTasting Daily 10-5:30MINASSIAN YOUNGVINEYARDS 604045 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR805-238-7571minassianyoung.com, Tasting Fri-Mon 11-5MITCHELLA VINEYARD& WINERY 612525 Mitchel Ranch Way, PR805-239-8555, mitchella.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5

MONDO CELLARS 623260 Nacimiento Lake Dr., PR805-226-2925, mondocellars.comTasting Daily 10-6MOONSTONE CELLARS801 Main St., Suite C, Cambria805.927.9466/ 877-517-WINEmoonstonecellars.com 63Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5NADEAU FAMILY 65VINTNERS3860 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR805-239-3574nadeaufamilyvintners.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 NORMAN VINEYARDS 667450 Vineyard Dr., PR805-237-0138, normanvine-yards.com, Tasting Daily 11-5OPOLO VINEYARD 677110 Vineyard Dr., PR805-238-9593, opolo.comTasting Daily 10-5PASO PORT 686996 Peachy Canyon, PR 805-239-2229pasoportwine.com, Tasting Fri,Sat, Sun, Mon 11-5 or by Appt.PEACHY CANYON WINERY 691480 N.Bethel Rd.,Templeton805-239-1918, peachycanyon.comTasting Daily 11-52020 Nacimiento Lake Dr., PR 805-237-7848Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5PENMAN SPRINGVINEYARD 701985 Penman Springs Rd., PR805-237-7959, penmansrings.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 PIPESTONE VINEYARDS2040 Niderer Rd., PR 71805-227-6385pipestonevineyards.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5 POALILLO VINEYARDS721888 Willow Creek Rd., PR805-238-0600, Tasting by Appt.PRETTY-SMITH 73VINEYARDS & WINERY13350 N.River Rd., San Miguel805-467-3104, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 RABBIT RIDGE WINERY& VINEYARDS 751172 San Marcos Road, PR805-467-3331, rabbitridgewin-ery.com, Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 RIO SECO VINEYARD &WINERY 774295 Union Road, PR805-237-8884, riosecowine.comTasting Daily 11-5RIVERSTAR VINEYARD 787450 Estrella Road, San Miguel805-467-0086, riverstarvine-yards.com, Tasting Daily 11-5ROBERT HALL WINERY3443 Mill Road, PR 79805-239-1616, roberthallwinery.comTasting Daily 10-6, 10-5 (winter)ROCKY CREEK CELLARS 8687 Apple Rd.W. Hwy. 46,Templeton, 805-238-1919rockycreekcellars.com 80Tasting Daily 12-5ROTTA WINERY 813750 W. Hwy. 46,Templeton805-237-0510, rottawinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 11-5, Sat-Sun 11-6SAN MARCOS CREEK 837750 N. Highway 101, PR805-467-9260sanmarcoscreek.comTasting Daily 11-5SCULPTERRA WINERY 5015 Linne Road, PR 84805-226-8881, sculpterra.comTasting Fri-Sun 10-5SILVER HORSEVINEYARDS 852995 Pleasant Road, San Miguel805-467-9309, silverhorse.comTasting Fri-Mon 11-5STACKED STONECELLARS 861525 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR805-238-7872,stackedstone.comTasting Mon-Thu by Appt.,Fri-Sun 11-5

STILL WATERSVINEYARD 872750 Old Grove Lane, PR805-237-9231, stillwatersvine-yard.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5STEPHEN’S CELLAR 887575 York Mountain Road,Templeton, 805-238-2412stephenscellar.comTasting by Appt.SUMMERWOOD WINERY2175 Arbor Road, PR 89805-227-1365, summerwood.comTasting Daily 10-6, 10-5 (winter)TABLAS CREEKVINEYARD 929339 Adelaida Rd, PR805-237-1231, tablascreek.comTasting Daily 10-5TERRY HOAGEVINEYARDS 93870 Arbor Road, PR805-238-2083terryhoagevineyards.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-4 by Appt.THUNDERBOLT WINERY2740 Hidden Mtn. Rd., PR 94805-226-9907thunderboltwinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5TOBIN JAMES CELLARS8950 Union Rd., PR 95805-239-2204, tobinjames.comTasting Daily 10-6TURLEY WINE CELLARS2900 Vineyard Dr.,Templeton805-434-1030, turleywinecel-lars.com, Tasting Daily 9-5 96VENTEUX VINEYARDS971795 Las Tablas Rd.,Templeton805-369-0127, venteuxvineyards.comTasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 10-5VIA VEGA WINERY 9822378 Adobe Rd., PR805-423-2190, viavega.comTasting Fri-Sat 11-5, Sun by appt.VICTOR HUGO WINERY2850 El Pomar Dr.,Templeton805-434-1128, victorhugowin-ery.om, Tasting by Appt. 99VIHUELA WINERY 1001307 Park Street Alley, PR805-835-4304, vihuelawinery.comTasting Sun-Mon 11-4,Thu-Sat 11-8VILLICANA WINERY 1012725 Adelaida Road,PR805-239-9456, villicanawinery.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5VINA ROBLES 1023700 Mill Road, PR805-227-4812,vinarobles.comTasting Daily10-6,10-5 (winter)VISTA DEL REYVINEYARDS 1037340 Drake Road,PR805-467-2138Tasting Sun 11-5 & by Appt.WESTBERG CELLARS1053180 Willow Creek Rd., PR805-238-932, Tasting by Appt.WILD COYOTE ESTATEWINERY 1063775 Adelaida Road,PR805-610-1311, wildcoyote.bizTasting Daily 11-5 WILD HORSE WINERY1437 Wild Horse Winery Ct.,Templeton, 805-434-2541wildhorsewinery.com 107Tasting Daily 11-5WINDWARD VINEYARD1380 Live Oak Rd., PR 108805-239-2565, windwardvine-yard.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5YORK MOUNTAINWINERY 1097505 York Mountain Rd.,Templeton, 805-238-3925yorkmountainwinery.comTasting Daily 11-4ZENAIDA CELLARS1550 W. Hwy. 46, PR 110805-227-0382, zenaidacellars.comTasting Daily 11-5ZIN ALLEY WINERY 1113730 W. Hwy. 46, PRzinalley.com, 805-238-0959Tasting by Appt.

ADELAIDA WINERY 15805 Adelaida Road,PR805-239-8980,adelaida.comTasting Daily 10-5ANGLIM WINERY 3740 Pine Street,PR, 805-227-6813anglimwinery.com, Tasting Thu-Sat 11-5:30, Sun 12-5:30 or by Appt.ARROYO ROBLES 4739 12th Street,PR,877-759-WINEarroyorobles.com, Tasting Daily11-7AUGUST RIDGEVINEYARDS 58790 E.Hwy.41,Creston805-239-2455, augustridge.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.B & E VINEYARDS 610000 Creston Rd.,PR805-238-4815, bevineyard.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5BELLA LUNA 71850 Templeton Rd.,Templeton805-434-5477, bellalunawine.comTasting Fri-Sun 10-5BERARDO VINEYARDSAND WINERY 83280 Township Road,PR805-239-9432, ajbvineyards.comBerardoVineyardsandWinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5BIANCHI VINEYARDS3380 Branch Road, PR 9805-226-9922, bianchiwine.comTasting Daily 10-5BRIAN BENSONCELLARS 102985 Anderson Rd., PR805-296-9463, brianbensoncel-lars.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 10:30-5CALCAREOUSVINEYARD 113430 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR805-239-0289, calcareous.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5 or by Appt.CAPARONE WINERY 122280 San Marcos Road, PR 805-467-3827, caparone.comTasting Daily 11-5CARMODY MCKNIGHTESTATE WINES 1311240 Chimney Rock Road,PR, 805-238-9392carmodymcknight.comTasting Daily 10-5CASA DE CABALLOS 142225 Raymond Ave.,Templeton

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Come taste for yourself why critics rave about ourhighly acclaimed“Cult” wines.

Visit Hunt Cellars and Taste90-96 point Multi-Gold Medalwines and Best of Class. Open7 days a week 10:30 to 5:30.

Mention “Unforgettable” for one complimentary tasting.

2875 Oakdale Rd. Paso Robles CA, 93446 - Corner of Hwy 46-W. 3 miles from Hwy 101

805-237-1600 or visit us at www.huntcellars.com

46 E

Adobe Rd

Tower RdV

Buena Vista

Estrella

Adobe

Church

Paso Robles

Municipal

Airport

VIA VEGA

VINEYARD

101

101 to Hwy 46 East

take Airport Road

to Adobe Road

follow to End of

Pavement

2378 Adobe Road

Paso Robles, CA

Paso Robles

Aglianico

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon

Grenache

Malbec

Merlot

Syrah

Souzao

Tinta Cao

Touriga Nacional

ZinfandelFriday & Saturday 11-5

Sunday & Evening

by appt.

805.423.2190www.viavega.com

Family Owned and Operated Vineyard Producing Fantastic Red Wines

We produce 2500 cases a year, all fruit is Estate grown.

Visit our fun little saloon perched on a hill overlooking the ranch, vines and pond.

Try our Award Winning 2007 Red RhythmOpen Fri-Sun 11a.m. to 5p.m.

Call for private pourings Mon-Thu by appt.

10,000 Creston Rd. • Paso Robles805-238-4815

www.bevineyard.com

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Located on five beautiful acres, the cottage is surroundedby oaks and has a great view of the morning sunrise. Greatlocation, close to shopping, wine tasting and much more.

Come and share our little bit of authentic California.For more information, visit Oak Shadow Cottage online at

http://www.vrbo.com/281363

ShadowCottage

Oak

Oak Shadow Cottage is a fully furnished studio cottage located

in Atascadero, California.

The Peachy Canyon “OldSchool House” tasting room(circa 1886) is located in theheart of Paso Robles’ winecountry on Highway 46 West.Come taste the world famousEstate Zinfandels or any ofthe other 15-plus handcraftedsmall batch Rhone &Bordeaux varietals.

Open 7 Days a Week11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major holidays 1480 N. Bethel Road, Templeton, CA

www.peachycanyon.com805/239.1918 or 866/335.1918

�

“NEVER ENOUGH ZIN” • ZINFEST 2011Pierre Bensusan Indoor Concert

Saturday, February 12, 7:30

ZIN FEST WEEKEND!“NATIVE FLAVORS ZINSATIONS” • FRI. March 18, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

TASTING ROOM OPEN HOUSESaturday - Sunday, March 19 - 20, 10 - 5:30

City Folk with Alisa Fineman Indoor ConcertSaturday, March 26, 7:30

Open Daily 10 - 5:301315 North bethel Rd., Templeton

888-DAM-FINEWWW.CASTOROCELLARS.COM

Tasting Room Open Daily

11 to 5:30

2174 Hwy 46 WestPaso Robles

greywolfcellars.com805-237-0771

�

Tasting RoomTuscan Bed & Breakfast

Vineyard VacationRentals

805.239.94323280 Township Rd,

Paso RoblesBerardoVineyardsandWinery.com

Tasting Room Open 12-5Weekends & Holidays

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19TH ANNUAL ZINFANDEL FESTIVALMARCH 18-20

at the

Wineries now have a new platform,iVinoX, to help them reach mobile wineenthusiasts as they plan their wine-tastingsand tours. Featuring robust and intuitivesearch tools, iVinoX will bring togetherwineries and wine enthusiasts in a uniquemobile environment that allows communi-cation between consumers and wineries,and the opportunity to create long-termrelationships between the two.

By becoming a subscriber, the wineryopens a channel to directly interact with theuser. It does not replace the use of othermedia but rather augments and enhancesthem. The service allows the winery tomake offers directed to the user based ontime, location, club memberships andother drivers. By gaining access to the user,the winery is able to expand their relation-ship beyond the traditional and gain trac-tion in the new marketplace dominated byGen X/Y and other groups that rely moreon digital media as their source of news,events, and product awareness.

Wineries subscribe to the service on amonthly or yearly basis. By subscribing,wineries are essentially creating their ownpersonalized wine app on the iVinoX plat-form and are able to offer a more personalexperience to users. Once subscribed, theyare able to augment their basic listing withas much detail as they wish, includingdescriptions of their wines, tasting notes,

and pricing, as well as facility features suchas pet-friendly, picnicking, gardens, etc.This provides the winery with a uniqueopportunity to communicate directly withiVinoX users, including real-time, loca-tion-based interactions.

At its core, iVinoX is a new, interac-tive iPhone application that will create acommunity of wine enthusiasts who aretechnologically savvy, enjoy fine wine andwant to enhance their wine experience.The app is a fun, knowledgeable and intu-itive companion to anyone's wine experi-ence. With almost 6,000 wineries current-ly listed in the database, it will enhance andexpand the user's understanding of yetundiscovered wineries.

Agreat tool to plan and manage visits,the user benefits by gaining access to awide variety of wineries, wines, specialoffers, reviews, and suggestions. It can beused any time the user is having a wineexperience: at home, in a restaurant, gro-cery store, and more. The experience isenhanced by sharing with both their imme-diate friends and associates, as well asbeing able to tap into a greater number oflike-minded individuals to share and inter-act based on their preferences.

About iVinoXiVinoX was founded in 2010 to pro-

vide a service platform that can be utilized

by wineries and other businesses to interactwith users allowing wine enthusiasts toengage and experience wine in a complete-ly mobile environment. Initially available

on the iPhone platform, multiple applica-tion platforms are being developed.Expansion to additional industries isplanned for future offerings.


JC CELLARS 555 4th St., Oakland(510) 465-5900, jccellars.comTasting Thurs-Sun 12-6

PERISCOPE CELLARS 61410 62nd St. Ste B., Emeryville(510) 655-7827,periscopecellars.comTasting Fri-Sun 1-6.Also pouring URBANO CELLARSwines Sat & Sun 1-6

AUDUBON CELLARS 2600 Addison St., Berkeley(510) 540-5384www.auduboncellars.bizland.comTasting by Appt.

DASHE CELLARS 255 4th Street, Oakland (510) 452-1800dashecellars.comTasting Thurs-Sun 12-6

IRISH MONKEY 41017 22nd Ave., Oakland(510) 915-5463, irishmonkey.netTasting Sat-Sun 12-5

ROCK WALL WINE COMPANY 92301 Monarch St., Suite 300,Alameda, (510) 522-5700rockwallwines.comperiscopecellars.comTasting Thurs-Sun 12-6 or by Appt.Also pouring: R&B CellarsJRE Wines, Blacksmith CellarsEhrenberg Cellars

ROSENBLUM CELLARS 102900 Main St.,Alameda(510) 865-7007, rosenblum.comTasting daily 11-6

STAGE LEFT CELLARS 112102 Dennison St, Oakland(510) 434-9930stageleftcellars.comTasting first Saturday of the month11-5

URBAN LEGEND CELLARS 13621 4th St., Oakland(510) 545-4356, ulcellars.comTasting Fri-Sun 1-6

Winery Guide

Submit your winery or changesto be included in our April / Mayissue’s guides. Please submit byMarch 7, 2011 to [email protected]

Wineries Gain New Interactive Channel with iVinoXNew Service Platform Engages, Enhances Experience for Wine Enthusiasts Planning Winery Visits

Visit our website for all the latest wine country news.www.vinetimesonline.com

downtown Healdsburg square (lined withart galleries and specialty shops galore) anda much-needed night’s sleep, we decidedto end the trip right – with a stop at RussianRiver Brewing Company in Santa Rosa.For serious brewers – and believe us, theyare serious – the folks at Russian River

have set up a very welcoming wateringhole. Vintage signs and hardwood line thebar, giving the feeling of both authenticityand warmth.

It’s a great place to spend a Sundayafternoon, given that happy hour runs allday long.

It’s also a great place to expand yourbeer pallet. Sure, Russian River excels withfamous familiars – notably, the hoppy duoPliny The Elder and Blind Pig. But it’s bar-rel-aging (specifically, wine barrel aging)where Russian River is truly breaking themold. They offer an army of brews in thisvein. One of our favorites, Consecration, isa delicious dark Belgian with a sour taste,derived from the Cabernet Sauvignon bar-rels in which it’s aged.

For a wine enthusiast, a brewery line-up like Pollock’s can seem a bit intimidat-ing – much like the drive down CA-128. Agood beer tasting jerks your taste buds left

and right on a wild winding journey. But inthe end, it’s the unknown that entices all of

us – something these northern Californiabreweries know quite well.

Beer Tasting AdventureContinued from Page 19

Chalkboard of beers at Russian River Brewing Company. (Janet Stegner)

View of the ocean from Glass Beach inFort Bragg. (Janet Stegner)


Winery Guide

TEMECULAALEX’S RED BARNWINERY 139820 Calle Contento951-693-3201,redbarnwine.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-6BAILY VINEYARD &WINERY 233440 La Serena951-676- WINE,bailywinery.comTasting Daily 11-5,ex.Sat 10-5BELLA VISTAVINEYARD & WINERY 341220 Calle Contento951-676-5250,bellavistawinery.comTasting Daily 10-6BRIAR ROSE WINERY 441720 Calle Cabrillo951-308-1098,briarrosewinery.comTasting Daily 10-5CALLAWAY VINEYARD& WINERY 532720 Rancho California Rd.951-676-4001 or 800-472-2377callawaywinery.comTasting Daily 10-5/Tours by Appt.CHURON WINERY 633233 Rancho California Rd.951-694-9071, churonwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5

COUGAR VINEYARD &WINERY 739870 De Portola Rd.951-491-0825,cougarvineyards.com,Tasting Daily 11-6DANZA DEL SOLWINERY 1039050 De Portola Rd.951-302-6363,danzadelsolwinery.comTasting Fri-Mon 11-6DOFFO WINERY 836083 Summitville St.714-715-6610,doffowines.comTasting Fri-Sun 10-5 FOOT PATH WINERY 3236650 Glen Oaks,951-265-9951footpathwinery.comTasting M-F 12-5, S-S 10-5 FALKNER WINERY 940620 Calle Contento951-676-8231, falknerwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5 HART WINERY 1141300 Avenida Biona951-676-6300thehartfamilywinery.comTasting Daily 9-4:30 KEYWAYS VINEYARD &WINERY 1237338 DePortola Rd.951-302-7888,keywayswine.comTasting Daily 10-6

LEONESSE CELLARS 1438311 DePortola Rd.951-302-7601, leonessecellars.comTasting Daily 10-5 or by Appt.LONGSHADOW RANCHWINERY 1539847 Calle Contento951-587-6221longshadowranchwinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 12-5,Sat-Sun 10-5LORIMAR WINERY 19Old Town Temecula Tasting Room42031 Main St.,951-240-5177lorimarwinery.com,Tasting Sun-Thu12-6, Fri-Sat 11-9 MAURICE CAR’RIEVINEYARD & WINERY 1634225 Rancho California Rd.951-676-1711mauricecarriewinery.comTasting Daily 10-5 MIRAMONTE WINERY 1733410 Rancho California Rd.951-506-5500/ 866-MIRAMONTEmiramontewinery.comTasting Daily 10-5 MOUNT PALOMARWINERY 1833820 Rancho California Rd.951-676-5047,mountpalomar.comTasting Sun 11-6, Mon-Thu 10-5,Fri-Sat 10-6

OAK MOUNTAINWINERY 2036522 Via Verde,951-699-9102oakmountainwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5PALUMBO FAMILY 21VINEYARDS & WINERY40150 Barksdale Cir.,951-676-7900,palumbofamilyvineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 10-5, Fri 12-5or by Appt.PONTE FAMILY ESTATE 2235053 Rancho California Rd.951-694-8855,pontewinery.comTasting Daily 10-5 ROBERT RENZONI 23VINEYARDS37350 De Portola Rd.,951-302-VINOrobertrenzonivineyards.comTasting Daily 11-6SOUTH COAST WINERY 2434843 Rancho California Rd.951-587-9463/ 866-9-WINERYwineresort.com,Tasting Daily 10-6 STUART CELLARS 2533515 Rancho California Rd.888-260-0870,stuartcellars.comTasting Daily 10-5TESORO WINERY

Old Town Tasting Room 2628475 Old Town Front Street951-308-0000, tesorowines.comTasting Mon-Thu 1-6, Fri 11-8,Sat 10-8, Sun 1-6TEMECULA HILLSWINERY 2747200 De Portola Rd.951-767-3450, temeculahillswinery.comTasting Daily 11-5,Tours by Appt.THORNTON WINERY 2832575 Rancho California Rd.951-699-0099, thorntonwine.comTasting Daily 10-5,Tours Sat-Sun 11-4VAN ROEKEL WINERYAND VINEYARDS 2934567 Rancho California Rd.951-699-6961/ 800-716-1711Tasting Daily 10-5VINDEMIA ESTATE WINERY33133 Vista Del Monte 33951-699-0601,californiadreamin.comTasting Fri-Sun 10-5 WIENS FAMILY CELLARS35055 Via Del Ponte 30951-694-9892,wienscellars.comTasting Daily 10-5 WILSON CREEKWINERY & VINEYARD3135960 Rancho California Rd.951-699-9463,wilsoncreekwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5

SAN DIEGOCOUNTY(not shown on map)

BELLE MARIE WINERY26312 Mesa Rock Rd.,Escondido, 760-796-7557bellemarie.comTasting Daily 11-5,Tours Sat at 1:00 by Appt.BERNARDO WINERY13330 Paseo del Verano Norte,Rancho Bernardo, 858-487-1866bernardowinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat-Sun 10-6BONDED WINERY5151 Santa Fe St. San Diego858-270-7550Tasting Sat 12-4 or by Appt.COUNTRY CELLARS4456 Hwy. 78, Julian 760-765-0089, countrycellars.comTasting of wine and beer:Wed-Sun 11-5, open holidayMondays 11-4FALLBROOK WINERY2554 Via Rancheros, Fallbrook760-728-0156fallbrookwinery.comTasting by Appt.FERRARA WINERY1120 West 15th Ave, Escondido760-745-7632 ferrarawinery.comTasting Daily 10-5 J. JENKINS WINERY1255 Julian Orchards DriveJulian, 760-765-3267jenkinswinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.LENORA WINERY632 Main St., Ramona760.788.1388lenorawinery.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-6 MENGHINI WINERY1150 Julian Orchards Drive,Julian, 760-765-2072menghiniwinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 10-4,Sat-Sun 10-5 ORFILA VINEYARDS13455 San Pasqual Rd.,Escondido, 760-738-6500orfila.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 SAN CLEMENTE WINE CO.212-1/2 Avenida Del Mar, SanClemente, 949-429-7067scwinecompany.comTasting Mon-Fri 2-7:30,Sat-Sun 2-8:30

SAN PASQUAL WINERY& GALLERY8364 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa619-462-1797sanpasqualwinery.comTasting Mon-Thu 11-8,Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11-5

Submit your winery orchanges to be included inour April / May issue’s guides.Please submit by March 7,2011 to [email protected]

Petite Sirah this vintage as well. Says Jaime,“We added back stems to the fermentationafter destemming on a couple of bins...to

see if we can’t coax out a little more meati-ness...so far there is a distinct difference.”

Barrel tasting will tell in the spring.Syrah is always a fun animal to play

with. This fall, they added a little Viognier(2 percent) to a couple of bins of Syrah.Says Jaime, “We decided to create a co-fer-mentation, hoping to make the mid palatea little more complex. And we added a lit-tle Petite Syrah to one of the Zin fermenta-tions to beef up the spiciness a little. We’llsee if it makes a difference.”

Vineyard-wise, Del Arroyo continuedon a high-quality path, despite what couldhave been a disastrous growing season.

She notes with relief, “We were aheadof rot and sunburn all season, so there werereally no losses like so many other vine-yards saw. Because of the long, cool grow-

ing season, I think the wines will be evenricher this vintage. With great color onmost everything and good intense flavorsthrough out the wines, it may beLivermore’s year!!”

Checking in on the early results fromthe 2010 harvest, barrel sampling revealedsome shining whites. The 2010 barrel-fer-mented Viognier is filled with pineappleand banana, with a wonderful texture ofapple butter.

The 2010 Charvay is a co-ferment ofChard and Viognier, with lovely apricot,banana, pineapple and apple flavors.There’s a definitive minerally edge, anddecent acid, a watchword of this vintage.

The 2010 Fumé Blanc shows consid-erably less tutti-fruitiness than the deca-dent, tropical heat wave immersion of the

2009. Lovely kieffer lime, tangerine andsubtle floral notes, with a predominance ofcandied grapefruit and citron, promise thatthis wine will be amazing.

All in all, Jaime is excited about theprospects for the 2010 vintage for CrookedVine and Stony Ridge: it’s hard to leavethis place behind, but she is bound anddetermined to go out and see the world.They’ve been interviewing some greatcandidates, with people from all over theworld, including Yugoslavia, Italy, andAustralia. They’ll probably choose some-one with roots a little closer.

Hope she finds some fun Grenacheand Mourvedre to work with Down Under.Maybe she’ll come back inspired to createLivermore’s finest Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre.

Jaime Dowell of Livermore’s Crooked Vine


Jamie Dowell winemaker of Crooked Vineand Stony Ridge. (Laura Ness)

MAP 1ANGWIN

CHATEAU WOLTNER 100150 S.White Cottage Rd.707-965-2445, ATLAMBORN FAMILY VINEYARDS 101925-254-0511, lamborn.com, ASUMMIT LAKE VINEYARDS 1022000 Summit Lake Dr.,707-965-2488summitlakevineyards.com, A

CALISTOGAAUGUST BRIGGS WINE 105333 Silverado Tr.,707-942-4912augustbriggswine.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30BENNETT LANE WINERY 1063340 Hwy. 128, 707-942-6684Tasting Daily 10-5:30, TCALISTOGA CELLARS 1071371 Lincoln Ave., 707-942-7422,calistogacellars.com, ACASTELLO DIAMOROSA 1084045 N. St. Helena Hwy, 707-967-6272castellodiamorosa.com, Tasting Daily9:30-6/Dec-Feb 15 ‘til 5, Tours by appt.CHATEAU MONTELENAWINERY 1091429 Tubbs Lane, 707-942-5105montelena.com, Tasting Daily 9:30-4CLOS PEGASE WINERY 1101060 Dunaweal Ln., 707-942-4981,clospegase.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5TCONSTANT-DIAMOND MOUNTAINVINEYARD 1112121 Diamond Mountain Rd.,constantwine.com, 707-942-0707CUVAISON WINERY 1124550 Silverado Tr., 707-942-2468,cuvaison.com, Tasting Daily 10-5,1221 Duhig,Napa 707-942-2455,ADUTCH HENRY WINERY 1154310 Silverado Tr., 707-942-5771/800-224-5879, dutchhenry.com, ATGRAESER WINERY 116255 Petrified Forest Rd., graeserwin-ery.com,707-942-4437,Tasting Daily 10-5HELENA VIEW JOHNSTON 117VINEYARDS3500 Hwy. 128, 707-942-4956helenaview.com, ATLARKMEAD VINEYARDS 1181100 Larkmead Ln.,707-942-0167larkmead.com, ATPAOLETTI VINEYARDS 1204501 Silverado Tr., 707-942-0689,giannipaoletti.com, AREVERIE ON DIAMOND 121MOUNTAIN1520 Diamond Mountain Rd.707-942-6800, reverie.com, ATROBERT PECOTA WINERY 1223299 Bennett Ln.,707-942-6625robertpecotawinery.com, ASCHRAMSBERG VINEYARDS & 124CELLARS1400 Schramsberg Rd., 707-942-4558, schramsberg.com, ATSILVER ROSE RESORTWINERY 125351 Rosedale Rd.,707-942-9581, silverrose.com, ASTERLING VINEYARDS 1261111 Dunaweal Ln.,707-942-3300 /800-726-6163,sterlingvineyards.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30, TSTORYBOOK MOUNTAIN WINERY 1273835 Hwy. 128, 707-942-5310storybookwines.com, AT

SUMMERS WINES 1281171 Tubbs Ln.,707-942-5508summerswinery.com,Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30TWOMEY CELLARS 1301183 Dunaweal Ln., 707-942-2700/800-505-4850, twomeycellars.comTasting Mon-Sat 9-4, TVINCENT ARROYO WINERY 1312361 Greenwood Ave., 707-942-6995, vincentarroyo.com, AVON STRASSER WINERY 1321510 Diamond Mountain Rd., 707-942-0930, vonstrasser.com, ATWERMUTH WINERY/ 133RANCHO DE LAS FLORES3942 Silverado Tr., 707-942-5924, AZAHTILA VINEYARDS 1342250 Lake County Hwy., 707-942-9251, zahtilavineyards.com, AT

DEER PARKDEER PARK WINERY 1361000 Deer Park Rd.,707-963-5411Tasting Fri-Sat 10-5VIADER VINEYARDS 1371120 Deer Park Rd.707-963-3816, viader.com, AT

POPE VALLEYAETNA SPRINGS CELLARS 1387227 Pope Valley Rd.,707-965-2675,aetnaspringscellars.com, ACLEAVAGE CREEK WINERY 1396307 Pope Valley Rd., cleavage-creek.com, 707-965-1246, APOPE VALLEY WINERY 1406613 Pope Valley Rd., popeval-leywinery.com, 888-295-1280, A

MAP 2ST. HELENA

ANDERSON'S CONN VALLEY 200VINEYARDS680 Rossi Road,707-963-8600connvalleyvineyards.com, AARGER-MARTUCCI VINEYARDS 2011455 Inglewood Ave.,707-963-4334,arger-martucci.com, ABALLENTINE VINEYARDS 2032820 St.Helena Hwy.707-963-7919,bal-lentinevineyards.com, ABARNETT VINEYARDS 2044070 Spring Mountain Rd,707-963-7075, barnettvineyards.com, ATBENESSERE VINEYARDS 2051010 Big Tree Rd.,707-963-5853,benesserevineyards.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, TBERINGER VINEYARDS 2062000 Main St., 707-967-4412beringer.com,Tasting Daily 10-6,TBUEHLER VINEYARDS 207820 Greenfield Rd.,707-963-2155,buehlervineyards.com,ATBURGESS CELLARS 2081108 Deer Park Rd.,707-963-4766/800-752-9463,burgesscellars.com,ACAFARO CELLARS 2101591 Dean York Lane707-963-7181, ATCAIN VINEYARD & WINERY 2113800 Langtry Rd.707-963-1616, cainfive.com, ATCALAFIA CELLARS 212629 Fulton Lane, 707-963-0114calafiacellars.com. A

CASA NUESTRA WINERY 2133451 Silverado Trail North, 707-963-5783,casanuestra.com,ATCATACULA LAKE WINERY 2144105 Chiles Pope Valley Road707-965-1104CHAPPELLET VINEYARD 2151581 Sage Canyon Road,800-494-6379,chappellet.com. ATCHARLES KRUG WINERY 2162800 Main St.,707-967-2229charleskrug.com,Tasting Daily 10:30-5CHATEAU BOSWELL 2173468 Silverado Tr., 707-963-5472chateauboswellwinery.com, ACONN CREEK WINERY/ 219VILLA MT. EDEN8711 Silverado Tr.,707-963-9100, conncreek.com,Tasting Sun-Fri 11-4, Sat 10-4, TCORISON WINERY 220987 S. St.Helena Hwy.707-963-0826, corison.com, ADOMAINE CHARBAYWINERY 2224001 Spring Mountain Rd.,707-963-9327/ 800-634-7845,charbay.com,AA DOZEN VINTNERS 223(Splenetic,Reverie,Von Strasser,Destino,Eagleand Rose,Adams Ridge,Howell Mountain,Fife,Lamborn Family,Koves-Newlan)3000 Hwy.29 N.,707-967-0666adozenvintners.com,Tasting Daily 10-5DUCKHORN VINEYARDS 2241000 Lodi Lane, 707-963-7108duckhorn.com, ATEAGLE & ROSE ESTATE 2233000 St. Helena Highway. 707-967-0666, eagleandrose.comTasting Daily 10-5, TEHLERS ESTATE WINERY 2273222 Ehlers Lane, 707-963-5972ehlersestate.com, Tasting Daily 10-5,T

PROVENANCE VINEYARDS 3191695 S. St. Helena Hwy., 707-968-3633, provenancevineyards.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30, TRAYMONDVINEYARD & CELLAR 255849 Zinfandel Ln., 707-963-3141/800-525-2659, raymondvineya-rds.com, Tasting Daily 10-4, TRITCHIE CREEK VINEYARD 2564024 Spring Mountain Rd.,ritchiecreek.com, 707-963-4661, AROBERT KEENAN WINERY 2573660 Spring Mountain Rd.,keenanwinery.com, A707-963-9177ROMBAUER VINEYARDS 2583522 Silverado Tr., 707-963-5170,rombauervineyards.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, TRUSTRIDGE WINERY 2602910 Lower Chiles Valley Rd.707-965-9353, rustridge.com, ARUTHERFORD WINE CO. 2611680 Silverado Tr., 707-968-3200roundhillwines.comTasting Daily 10-4:30SCHWEIGER VINEYARDS 2634015 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-963-4882, schweigervineyards.com, ATSEAVEY VINEYARD 2641310 Conn Valley, 707-963-8339seaveyvineyard.com, ATSHERWIN FAMILY VINEYARDS 2654060 Spring Mtn. Rd. 707-963-1154, sherwinfamilyvineyards.com,ATSPRING MOUNTAIN 2662805 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-967-4188, springmountainvineyard.com, ATSMITH-MADRONEVINEYARDS 2674022 Spring Mountain Road, 707-963-2283, smithmadrone.com, ASPOTTSWOODE WINERY 2681902 Madrona Ave.,707-963-0134spottswoode.com, TST. CLEMENT VINEYARDS 2692867 N.St.Helena Hwy.,707-967-3033,stclement.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TSTONY HILL VINEYARD 2703331 N.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-2636, stonyhillvineyard.com, ATSUTTER HOME WINERY 272277 S. St. Helena Hwy.707-963-3104/ 800-967-4663sutterhome.com, Tasting Daily 10-5TASTING ON MAIN 2731142 Main St., 707-967-1042Tasting Daily 10:30-6

TERRA VALENTINE 2743787 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-967-8340, terravalentine.com, ATTRINCHERO NAPA VALLEY 2753070 N.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-1160, trincherowinery.comTasting Starting Summer ‘09 TUDAL WINERY 2761015 Big Tree Rd., 707-963-3947tudalwinery.com, AT

V. SATTUI WINERY 2781111 White Lane, 707-963-7774,vsattui.com,Tasting Daily 9-6,9-5 (winter),TVOLKER EISELE FAMILY ESTATE 2793080 Lower Chiles Valley Rd.707-965-9485, volkereiselefami-lyestate.com, ATWHITEHALL LANE WINERY 2801563 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-9454800-963-9454,whitehalllane.comTasting Daily 11-5:45WILLIAM HARRISONVINEYARDS 2811443 Silverado Tr., 707-963-8310,whwines.com. Tasting Thurs-Mon 11-5

MAP 3RUTHERFORD

ALPHA OMEGA WINERY 3011155 Mee Lane @ Hwy. 29,707-963-9999, aowinery.com Tasting Daily 10-6BEAULIEU VINEYARD 3021960 S. St. Helena Hwy.707-967-5200, bvwine.comTasting Daily 10-5, TCAKEBREAD CELLARS 3048300 St. Helena Hwy.707-963-5221/ 800-588-0298, cake-bread.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30, TCAYMUS VINEYARDS 3058700 Conn Creek Rd.,707-963-4204, caymus.com, AFLEURY FAMILY WINERY 307950 Galleron Rd., 707-967-8333, ATFRANCISCAN OAKVILLE ESTATES 3091178 Galleron Rd., 707-967-3993, fran-ciscan.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TFROG'S LEAP WINERY 3108815 Conn Creek Rd., 707-963-4704/ 800-959-4704, frogsleap.com,TGRGICH HILLS CELLARS 3121829 S.St.Helena Hwy., 800-532-3057,grgich.com,Tasting Daily 9:30-4:30,THONIGVINEYARD & WINERY 314850 Rutherford Rd.,707-963-5618, honigwine.com, ATMUMM CUVÉE NAPA 3168445 Silverado Tr.,707-967-7700mummnapa.com,Tasting Daily 10-5.TPEJU PROVINCE WINERY 3188466 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-3600,peju.com,Tasting Daily 10-6,TQUINTESSA 2511601 Silverado Tr., 707-967-1601quintessa.com, ATRUBICON ESTATE 3211991 St.Helena Hwy.,800-782-4266,rubiconestate.com Tasting Daily 10-5,TRUTHERFORD GROVEWINERY 3221673 St.Helena Hwy., 707-963-0544,rutherfordgrovewinery- .com,Tasting Daily 10-4:30RUTHERFORD HILL WINERY 262200 Rutherford Hill Rd.,707-963-1871/ 800-637-5684

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FLORA SPRINGS WINE CO. 228677 S. St.Helena Hwy.707-967-8032,florasprings.comTasting Daily 10-5, TFORMANWINERY & VINEYARDS 2291501 Big Rock Rd., 707-963-0234, AFRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS 1191091 Larkmead, 800-574-9463frankfamilyvineyards.comTasting Daily 10-5, TFREEMARK ABBEY WINERY 2313022 N. St. Helena Hwy., 707-963-9694, freemarkabbey.com, TastingDaily 10-5, TGUILLIAMS VINEYARDS 2333851 Spring Mountain Rd.,707-963-9059, AHALL WINERY 234401 S. St.Helena Hwy.866-667-4255, hallwines.com, THEITZ WINE CELLARS 235436 S.St.Helena Hwy. ,707-963-3542,heitzcellar.com,Tasting Daily 11-4:30, TJOSEPH PHELPSVINEYARDS 236200 Taplin Road, 707-963-2745jpvwines.com, AKELHAM VINEYARDS 238360 Zinfandel Ln., 707-963-2000,kelhamvineyards.com, ATKULETO ESTATE WINERY 2392470 Sage Canyon Rd.,707-963-9750, kuletoestate.com, ATLORENZA-LAKE WINERY 2401764 Scott Street,707-963-8593, ALOUIS M.MARTINIWINERY 242254 S. St.Helena Hwy.707-968-3361/ 800-321-WINElouismartini.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, TMARKHAM VINEYARDS 2432812 N. St. Helena Hwy.,markhamvineyards.com707-963-5292, Tasting Daily 11-5MERRYVALE VINEYARDS 2441000 Main St., 707-963-2225/800-326-6069, merryvale.comTasting Daily 10-6:30, TMILAT VINEYARDS 2451091 S. St. Helena Hwy.milat.com, 707-963-0758/ 800-54-MILAT, Tasting Daily 10-5:30MOUNT VEEDER WINERY 3911178 Galleron Rd., 707-967-3830(Franciscan Oakville Estate)mtveeder.com, Tastng Daily 10-5, TNEWTON VINEYARDS 2482555 Madrona Ave., 707-963-9000,newtonvineyard.com, ATNICHELINI WINERY 2492950 Sage Canyon Rd, 707-963-0717, nicheliniwinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 10-5, or ATPRAGERWINERY & PORTWORKS 2521281 Lewelling Lane, 707-963-7678/800-969-7678, pragerport.comTasting Mon-Sat 10:30-4:30PRIDE MOUNTAINVINEYARDS 2534026 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-963-4949, pridewines.com, AT


rutherfordhill.com,Tasting Daily 10-5,TSAWYER CELLARS 3248350 St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-1980800-818-.2252,sawyercellars.comTasting Daily 10-5,TSEQUOIA GROVE VINEYARDS 3258338 S. St. Helena Hwy.,707-944-2945, sequoiagrove.comTasting Daily 10:30-5, TSTAGLIN FAMILYVINEYARDS 3271570 Bella Oaks Ln., 707-963-4507,staglinfamily.com, ATST.SUPÉRYVINEYARDS & WINERY 3288440 S. St. Helena Hwy.707-963-4507/ 800-942-0809stsupery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TSULLIVAN VINEYARDS 2711090 Galleron Rd.,877-BIG-REDS,sullivanwine.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, TSWANSON WINERY 3301271 Manley Lane, 707-967-3500swansonvineyards.com, AZD WINES 3328383 Silverado Tr., 707-963-5188800-487-7757, zdwines.comTasting Daily 10-4:30,T

OAKVILLEBONDED WINERY #9 3347830-40 St. Helena Hwy., 707-945-1213, bondedwinery9.com, ACARDINALE ESTATE 3357600 St. Helena Hwy., 707-948-2643/800-588-0279, cardinale.com, AFAR NIENTE 3371350 Acacia Drive707-944-2861, farniente.com, ATFOLIE À DEUX WINERY 2257481 St. Helena Hwy., 707-944-2565,folieadeux.com, Tasting Daily 10-6GARGIULO VINEYARDS 340575 Oakville Cross Road,707-944-2770,gargiulovineyards.com,ATGROTHVINEYARDS & WINERY 342750 Oakville Cross Road, 707-754-4254, grothwines.com, ATMINER FAMILY VINEYARDS 3447850 Silverado Tr.,707-944-9500/800-366-WINE,minerwines.comTasting Daily 11-5, TNAPA CELLARS 3457481 St. Helena Hwy., 707.944.2565,napacellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6NAPA WINE COMPANY 347(24 boutique wineries)7830-40 St. Helena Hwy.,707-944-1710, napawineco.comTasting Daily 10-4NICKEL & NICKEL 3498164 St. Helena Hwy., 707-967-9600, nickelandnickel.com, ATOAKFORD VINEYARDS 3501575 Oakville Grade, 707-945-0445, oakfordvineyards.com, AOPUS ONE WINERY 3517900 St. Helena Hwy. 707-944-9442, opusonewinery.com., ATPLUMPJACK WINERY 353620 Oakville Cross Road, 707-945-1220, plumpjackwinery.comTasting Daily 10-4ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY 3557801 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-226-1335888-RMONDAVI,robertmondaviwin-ery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4, TRUDD WINERY 356500 Oakville Cross Road707-944-8577, ruddwines.com, ATSADDLEBACK CELLARS 3577802 Money Road,707-944-1305saddlebackcellars.com, A SILVER OAK CELLARS 359915 Oakville Cross Road707-944-8808/ 800-273-8809silveroak.com, Tasting Mon-Sat 9-4, TTURNBULL WINE CELLARS 3618210 S. St. Helena Hwy.707-963-5839/ 800-887-6285turnbullwines.comTasting Daily 10-4:30, T

YOUNTVILLEBELL WINE CELLARS 3646200 Washington St., 707-944-1673bellwine.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-4CHATEAU CHEVRE 3652030 Hoffman Lane,707-942-5105, ACLIFF LEDE VINEYARDS 3671473 Yountville Crossroad,707-944-8642, cliffledevineyards.com

Tasting Daily 10-5, TCOSENTINO WINERY 3787415 St. Helena Hwy., 707-944-1220, cosentinowinery. com,Tasting Daily 10-5:30DOMAINE CHANDON 3801 California Dr., 707-944-8844chandon.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, TFRANUS WINE COMPANY 3812055 Hoffman Ln., 707-945-0542peterfranus.com, AGIRARD WINERY 2376795 Washington St., 707-968-9297girardwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, TGOOSECROSS CELLARS 3831119 State Ln., 707-944-1986/ 800-276-9210, goosecross.comTasting Daily 10-4:30HAVENS WINE CELLARS 3852055 Hoffman Ln., 707-261-2000,havenswine.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30HILL FAMILY ESTATE 3866512 Washington St., 707-944-9580,hillfamilyestate.com,Tasting Daily 10-6,THOPE & GRACE WINERY 3876540 Washington St., 707-944-2500hopeandgracewines.com, TastingMon-Sat 10-5:30 or AHOPPER CREEK WINERY 3886204 Washington St. , 707-944-0675hoppercreek.com, AJESSUP CELLARS 3906740 Washington St., 707-944-8523jessupcellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6

MAP 4

NAPAACACIA VINEYARD 4012750 Las Amigas Rd., 707-226-9991877-226-1700, acaciawinery.comTasting Daily 10-4, Sun- AALTAMURA WINERY 4021700 Wooden Valley Rd.,707-253-2000, altamura.com, AANDRETTI WINERY 4034162 Big Ranch Rd., 707-261-1717,andrettiwinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-5,TBALDACCI FAMILY VINEYARDS 3636236 Silverado Tr., 707-944-9261,baldaccivineyards.com, ATBLACK STALLION WINERY 4054089 Silverado Tr., 707-253-1400blackstallionwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5BOUCHAINE VINEYARDS 4061075 Buchli Station Rd., 707-252-9065/ 800-654-WINE, bouchaine.comTasting Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat 10:30-5, TCEJA VINEYARDS 4081248 First St., 707-226-6445cejavineyards.comTasting Daily 11-6CHIMNEY ROCK WINERY 3665350 Silverado Tr., 800-257-2641,chimneyrock.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, TCLOS DU VAL WINE CO. LTD.3685330 Silverado Tr., 707-261-5225,closduval.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TDARIOUSH WINERY 4124240 Silverado Tr., 707-257-2345,darioush.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5, TDEL DOTTO CAVES 4131055 Atlas Peak Rd., 707-256-3372,deldottovineyards.com, ATDOMAINE CARNEROS BY 414TAITTINGER1240 Duhig Rd., 800-716-2788domaine.com, Tasting Daily 10-6ELKE VINEYARDS 4162222 Third Ave., 707-258-1822elkevineyards.com, AELKHORN PEAK CELLARS 417200 Polson Rd.,707-255-0504888-829-5082elkhornpeakcellars.com, AELYSE WINERIES 4182100 Hoffman Lane, 707-944-2900, elysewinery.com, AFARELLA-PARK VINEYARDS 4202222 Third Ave., 707-254-9489farella.com, ATFRAZIER 42140 Lupine Hill Rd., 707-255-3444/707-255-1399, frazierwinery.com, ATHAGAFEN CELLARS 4234160 Silverado Tr.888-HAGAFEN, hagafen.com, AHARTWELL VINEYARDS 424

5795 Silverado Tr., 707-255-4269,hartwellvineyards.com. ATTHE HESS COLLECTION 4254411 Redwood Rd., 707-255-8584,hesscollection.com, Tasting Daily 10-4JAEGER WINE CO. 4274324 Big Ranch Rd.,707-255-4456, AJARVIS VINEYARDS 4282970 Monticello Rd., 707-255-5280/800-255-5280, jarviswines.com, AJV WINE & SPIRITS 429301 First St., 707-253-2624/ 877-469-9463, jvwineandspirits.com,Tasting Daily 1-6JUDD’S HILL WINERY 4302332 Silverado Trail707-255-2332, juddshill.com, ATKIRKLAND RANCH WINERY 4321 Kirkland Ranch Rd., 707-254-9100,kirklandwinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-4:30LAIRD FAMILY ESTATE 4335055 Solano Ave., 877-297-4902.lairdfamilyestate.comTasting Daily 10-5 or by Appt., TLUNA VINEYARDS 4352921 Silverado Tr., 707-255-2474,lunavineyards.com,Tasting Daily 10-5,TMADONNA ESTATE 4365400 Old Sonoma Rd., 707-255-8864/866-724-2993, madonnaestate.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, TMAYACAMAS VINEYARDS 4381155 Lokoya Rd., 707-224-4030,mayacamas.com, AMCKENZIE-MUELLER 439VINEYARDS & WINERY2530 Las Amigas Rd., 707-252-0186,mckenziemueller.com, AMONTICELLO VINEYARDS 4404242 Big Ranch Rd., 707-253-2802/800-743-6668, Tasting Daily 10-4:30MOSS CREEK WINERY 4416015 Steele Canyon Rd., 707-252-1295, mosscreekwinery.com, ANAPA WINE MERCHANTS 442(Tasting for Astrale e Terra,Ceviche,CrichtonHall,Gustavo Thrace, Liparita,Rocca Family,St.Barthelemy,Waterstore,Young Ridge,Z-52)1146 First St., 707-257-6796napawinemerchant.comTasting Mon-Sat 10-5PARADUXX 4447257 Silverado Tr.,707-945-0890paraduxx.com, APINE RIDGE WINERY 4455901 Silverado Tr. , 707-252-9777/800-575-9777, pineridgewinery.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30, TREGUSCI WINERY 4465584 Silverado Tr., 707-254-0403regusciwinery.com, AREYNOLDS FAMILY WINERY 4473266 Silverado Tr., 707-258-2558,reynoldsfamilywinery.com, ATROBERT CRAIG WINE CELLARS 448880 Vallejo St., 707.252.2250, ext 1,robertcraigwine.com, ATROBERT SINSKEY VINEYARDS 4496320 Silverado Tr., 707-944-9090/800-869-2030, robertsinskey.comTasting Daily 10-4:30SAINTSBURY 4511500 Los Carneros Ave.707-252-0592, saintsbury.com, TSHAFER VINEYARDS 4526154 Silverado Tr., 707-944-2877,shafervineyards.com, ASIGNORELLO VINEYARDS 4534500 Silverado Tr., 707-255-5990,signorellovineyards.com, ATSILENUS VINTNERS 4545225 Solano Ave., 707-299-3930,silenusvintners.com, ASILVERADO HILL CELLARS 4563103 Silverado Tr., 707-253-9306, ASILVERADO VINEYARDS 3946121 Silverado Tr., 707-257-1770/800-997-1770, silveradovineyards.comTasting Daily 10-4:30, TSKY VINEYARDS 4581500 Lokoya Road, 707-935-1391,skyvineyards.com, ASTAG’S LEAP WINE CELLAR 3955766 Silverado Tr., 707-261-6441,stagsleap.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30, TSTAR HILL WINERY 4611075 Shadybrook Ln.707-255-1957, ASTELTZNER VINEYARDS 462

5998 Silverado Tr., 707-252-7272,steltzner.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30STONEHEDGE WINERY 4631004 Clinton St., 707-256-4444stonehedgewinery.com, TastingMon-Sat 10-6:30 or ATREFETHEN VINEYARDS 4651160 Oak Knoll Ave.707-255-7700/ 866-895-7696trefethenfamilyvineyards.comTasting Daily 10-4:30, TTRUCHARD VINEYARDS 4663234 Old Sonoma Rd., 707-253-7153, truchardvineyards.com, ATTULOCAY WINERY 4671426 Coombsville Rd.707-255-4064, tulocay.com, AVAN DER HEYDEN VINEYARDS469& WINERY4057 Silverado Tr.,707-257-0130/ 800-948 9463vanderheydenvineyards.com, ATVINE CLIFF WINERY 4707400 Silverado Tr., 707-944-1364,vinecliff.com, Tasting Daily 10-5VINTNER’S COLLECTIVE 471TASTING ROOM(Ancien,Ahnfeldt,Buoncristiani,D Cubed,Destino,Gregory Graham,Longfellow,Melka,Mi Sueno,Richard Perry,Parallel,Phelan,Showket,Spelletich Cellars,& Vinoce)1245 Main St., 707-255-7150

vintnerscollective.com,Tasting Daily 11-6WHITFORD CELLARS 4734047 E. 3rd Ave.,707-942-0840whitfordcellars.com, AWILLIAM HILL ESTATE 4741761 Atlas Peak Rd., 707-265-3024,williamhillwinery.com, AT

CARNEROSARTESA WINERY 4761345 Henry Rd., 707-224-1668artesawinery.com, Tasting Daily10-5FOLIO WINEMAKERS’ STUDIO 4781285 Dealy Ln., 707-256-2757foliowine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5

AMERICAN CANYONGREENFIELD WINERY 479205B Jim Oswald Rd.707-552-0362, Tasting Daily 10-4

SOLANO COUNTY FAIRFIELD / SUISAN VALLEYGV CELLARS 4811635 Mason Rd.,707-864-2089,Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5LEDGEWOOD CREEK WINERY 4824589 Abernathy Road,Suisun Valley, 707-426-4424ledgewoodcreek.comTasting Daily 10-5WOODEN VALLEY WINERY4834756 Suisun Valley Road,707-864-0730, woodenvalley.com,

A = Tasting by AppointmentT = Tours

For ease of use, note thatthe color of the numbernext to each winery listingcorresponds to the mapwith a border of the samecolor.

Angwin, Calistoga,Deer Park,Pope Valley

St. Helena

Yountville,Rutherford,OakvilleNapa, Carneros,American Canyon,Solano County:Fairfield, SuisanValley

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From Behind the Tasting BarBy Cynthia Bournellis

COOPER • GARRODEstate Vineyards

“A Destination Worth Knowing”

Savor hand-crafted, award-winning wines in the 1922“Fruit House,”our historic tasting room.

Select your wines in person or online at www.cgv.com

View San Francisco Bay from horseback at our 108-yearold ranch.

Wine Rides Reservations required. $75 per person. For moreinformation, call 408-867-9527.

Tasting Room Open Mon - Fri 12 - 5 • Sat - Sun 11 - 5

408.867.7116

Award Winning Wine • Historic Tasting Room • Guided Horseback RidingHorseback Riding Lessons • Summer Horse Camps • Pony Parties • Special Events

22645 Garrod Road, Saratoga, CA 95070www.cgv.com

Directions: Hwy 85 to De Anza Blvd. South towards Saratoga for 1.2 mi.Right on Pierce Rd. for 1.8 mi. Right on Mt Eden Rd. for 1 mi. Right on Garrod Rd.

Sandrew, “The Original Personal Sommelier”

The UltimateCalifornia Wine Experience!

Impress your guests for your next Wine Country Excursion, DinnerParty, Special Occasion, Corporate Team Building or HolidayCelebration. California Wine Historian and Sommelier SandrewMontgomery will dazzle you with a customized Food and Wine PairingSeminar based on your international or California specific preferences.Delivered graciously in an entertaining manor in the privacy of yourhome, vacation residence or one of our various venues.

Call us today for your free consultation: 800.338.0270 (ext 203)

www.SandrewsWineServices.com

I’m not a fan of blind dates; I can count the number I’ve had on one hand. I pre-fer the type of blind date that involves wine – blind tastings, that is. I attended ablind tasting at a wine bar in Santa Cruz. The star grape was Sangiovese, and the

wines were a combination of 100 percent Sangiovese or a Sangiovese-based blend.When doing a blind tasting, you must curb your enthusiasm to sip right away. A

certain protocol is involved, one that requires patience, analysis and conventions. Thebasic conventions include scoring the wines from one to five in the following order:appearance, aroma, body, taste and finish.

We consume with our eyes, so appearance is everything. Examine the wine: Is itcloudy or clear? Is there sediment or tartrates floating in the bottom of the glass? Arethere any off colors? For example, red wines will turn a brick color and whites willbrown over time due to ageing. The color of wine also varies per varietal. Forinstance, Pinot Noir tends to be lighter in color than Sangiovese; Chardonnay has amore golden hue than Sauvignon Blanc. Wines aged in oak versus stainless steel willalso have darker hues.

Next, swirl the wine in your glass to check the legs (the liquid that runs down theinside of the bowl). Are they thin or thick? Leggy (thick legs) wines are more viscousand higher in sugar and alcohol.

Swirling also helps release aromas, which vary. Some basic ones worth notingare vegetative, herbaceous, smoky, spicy, floral, fruity, earthy, woody, nutty, caramel,chemical and oxidized. From there, you can drill down to specifics such as type offruit, spice or vegetable, or defects such as vinegar, rotten egg or band-aid. Whilethese latter qualities are flaws, they are important to experience.

Body – the way the wine feels in your mouth – is just as critical as bouquet andis influenced typically by levels of sugar, alcohol and tannin. Oily or silky textures aremost desirable.

Tannin comes from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes and can be harsh or softdepending on both the carbonic maceration and fermentation processes. Tannin wicksmoisture from the mouth, leaving a cotton-mouth sensation on the palate. Too muchtannin can mask a wine’s fruit if the overall structure of the wine is not balanced. Awell-balanced wine with big tannin, on the other hand, can be cellared longer becausetannin acts as a preservative.

Taste has many components: sweetness, acidity, bitterness/astringency and fla-vor. Hold the wine in your mouth and allow it to coat your tongue. Draw in a bit ofair past the liquid, then swallow or spit. If you detect sweetness, this means that thewine has residual sugar. Dry wines do not have excess sugar but may appear sweetbecause of the natural sugar in the grape.

Wines with balanced acidity will make your mouth water, usually along the sidesof your tongue. Unbalanced acids will reflect in tart or flabby (lacking acidity) wine.

Bitterness and astringency occur in both white and red wine. In red wine, thesequalities are caused by some tannin, but mainly by different classes of phenols, sub-stances located in the grape’s skins and seeds and then extracted during fermentation.Bitterness in white wine can be caused by under-ripe grapes, too much oak or highalcohol.

Complex and mature wines will impart multiple, luscious flavors – from earth,spice and leather; to citrus, berry and tropical fruit; to green vegetables and more.These flavors are natural characteristics of grapes and their terrior.

Last but not least is the finish. Flavors should linger in your mouth rather thanend abruptly.

Since my blind tasting centered on an Italian varietal, the final task was to guessif the wines were from the Old World or New World. The former are wines primari-ly made in the European style, which historically is influenced by the terrior. So, a 100percent Sangiovese or Sangiovese-based wine from the Chianti region of Tuscany, forinstance, would taste different from that made anywhere else in the world.

New World wines – those made in countries including Argentina, Australia,Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States – histori-cally are produced from grapes grown in hotter climates, resulting in full-bodied,fruitier wines with more alcohol and oak. More recently, winemakers have placed lessemphasis on oaky, alcoholic wines – once typical of 1980s California Chardonnays,for example – due to vineyards being planted in cooler regions and more sophisticat-ed winemaking styles.

In terms of style, my blind date with Sangiovese-based wines turned out to be a

Blind Date


The Wine ChixsBy Linda Kissam & Ginger Giordano


Miraflores Winery is located in a unique Californiaviticulture area in the Sierra Foothills.

Producing excellent high mountain fruit, at eleva-tions up to 2900 feet. The wines produced fromthese high mountain vineyards are rich in tasteand beautifully balanced.

Come and experience the difference in our winesat Miraflores Winery.

Open Daily from 10 am - 5pm2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville, California 95667 530 647 8505www.mirafloreswinery.com

Keyways Winery LaunchesNew Tradition

The Wine Chixs love good news. So it was a great pleasure to be invited to thelaunch party of Keyways Winery’s (Temecula, CA) newest wine, “Traditions.”It’s always great to be invited to do some wine tasting, which The Wine Chixs

often are, but it’s really, really, really great to go to a wine launch that includes some oldfavorites, a new star, and some remarkable food pairings. It becomes an exceptionalopportunity when the launch is held at the owner’s home, the winemaker attends, andChef Volker Lutz’s food is waiting for you. This was definitely a triple-yum event.

By way of introduction, Keyways Winery is Temecula Valley Wine Region’s onlywinery wholly owned and operated by a female. Owner Terri Delhamer’s tasting roomand property reflect her distinct imprint of style and grace. Every nook and cranny is eyecatching, mind soothing, and friendship oriented. Her staff also reflects those values andvision, so The Wine Chixs definitely encourage you to visit this winery for its uniquevisitor elements.

Chef Volker Lutz designed the menu for the launch party with wine pairings bywinemaker David Raffaele. Chef John Paul and event manager Annette Nielsen were onhand to make sure that each course was served to perfection. The launch party beganwith the tasting of the newly released 2010 Riesling ($19). Of note, this is the firstKeyways wine to be completely managed by new winemaker David Raffaele. Chef Lutzprepared a Petit Chicken Alfredo in a pasta shell to go along with the Riesling. It was aWOW. We loved the pairing of the faintly sweet wine balanced with the lush flavors ofthe Alfredo sauce.

Our next course was a Mini Lobster Roll with Citrus Aioli paired with the 2009Rousanne ($27 – Nice mouth feel with notes of citrus and fig). Linda’s last lobster rollexperience occurred in Nova Scotia. Lobster rolls there are everywhere and are as com-mon as tacos are in SoCal. She found the Nova Scotia ones a bit heavy on the bread andmayo but Chef Volker’s was right on the money with a light bread element and the lob-ster mix featured a yummy lemon zest in the aioli along with just a hint of scallion. The2009 fuller-bodied Rousanne was an excellent choice to work with the rich lobster roll.

Moving along in our tasting next up was the Herb Crusted Pork Loin with WildRice complemented by the star of the evening – the 2009 Traditions ($31). Made fromMerlot grapes grown in the Woodworth Vineyards in De Luz hills, this wine is rich withfull flavors of cherry, cocoa, and plum. We liked the mouth feel with its slightly sweetnotes, but noted that it was not excessively jammy or desert like. We think this wine isperfect to impress not only the experienced wine drinker, but also the less sophisticatedpalate that might not appreciate dry or tannic wines. This is a great wine to bring out forany holiday where rich foods will be on the menu. We’re thinking it would be a big hitfor Valentine’s Day. Kudos to the Keyways team for coming up with a brilliant versionof the much maligned Merlot wine.

The next pairing was also stellar. Think Omaha Prime Rib Satay paired withKeyways 2008 Territage. At $40, the name combines the owner’s first name “Terri” withthe famous blend name “Meritage.” Cute marketing, but solid winemaking makes this2008 Bordeaux-style something to dream about. Territage is a lovely Bordeaux stylewine with a subtle nose of black fruit, and cassis. We lingered over the delicious tastesof blackberry, current and mocha on the mid-plate. Enjoy this beauty with Prime Rib aswe did. Chef’s incredible satays were right on the money to show us how good that com-bination can be.

What would a party be without dessert? We were not disappointed as our finalcourse was presented – a rich Dulce de Leche Cheesecake paired with the smooth,creamy NV Creme Sherry ($45). Think warm swirling caramel Cheesecake flavorsenriched by the raisin, molasses, caramel, and fig-newton notes of the Sherry. OMGgood for sure. If you haven’t thought about adding Sherry to your wine collection, nowwould be an excellent time to rethink that decision. The Temecula wine region in gener-al and Keyways Winery in particular are experts at crafting this unique white wine.

So what did the Wine Chixs take away from this experience? Well…for sure thatKeyways Winery has definitely come of age. Their wines are brilliant and you need toget down there to taste them yourself. We also felt we got a deeper understanding of whatboth Terri and David are trying to do at this boutique winery by attending this posh tast-ing. Yup, think we’ll try to do this more often.

Keyways Winery is located in Southern California in the Temecula valley Wine Regionon the De Portola Wine Trail. You can reach them online at www.keywayswine.com.

For Chef Lutz’s Petit Chicken Alfredo recipe, visit www.vinetimesonline.com


Winery Guide

MENDOCINO COUNTYANDERSONVALLEYWINE 1EXPERIENCE(Claudia Springs,Philo Ridge,Raye’s Hill)Hwy. 128, Downtown Boonville707-895-3993, Tasting Daily 11-5BARRA OF MENDOCINO 27051 North State St., RedwoodValley, 707-485-0322, barraof-mendocino.com, Tasting Daily 10-5BREGGO CELLARS 311001 Hwy. 128, Boonville707-895-9589, breggo.comTasting Daily 11-5BRUTOCAO CELLARS 413500 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland707-744-1664,brutocaocellars.com,Tasting Daily 10-57000 Hwy. 128, Philo 5800-661-2103, Tasting Daily 10-5CHIARITOVINEYARD 72651 Mill Creek Rd., Ukiahchiaritovineyard.com707-462-7146, Tasting by Appt.CLAUDIA SPRINGSWINERY 81810 Hwy. 128, Navarro707-895-3993, claudiasprings.comTasting Fri-Mon 11-5COLE BAILEYVINEYARDS 912482 Inez Way, RedwoodValley, 707-485-9507, colebai-ley.com, Tasting by Appt.DEMUTHWINERY 1116125 Deer Meadows Rd.,Boonville, 707-895-3729demuthwinery.com,Tasting byAppt.DOMAINE SAINT GREGORY 1313251 S. Hwy. 101, Ste. 3,Hopland, 707-744-8466Tasting Daily 10-5DUNCAN PEAKVINEYARDS 1414500 Mountain House Rd.,Hopland, 707-283-3632, dun-canpeak.com, Tasting by Appt.

DUNNEWOODVINEYARDS 152399 North State St., Ukiah 707-467-4843, Tasting Mon-Thu 8-4ELIZABETHVINEYARDS 178591 Colony Dr., Redwood Valley,707-485-9009, Tasting by Appt.ESTERLINA 191200 Holmes Ranch Road, Philo 707-895-2920,esterlinavineyards.comTasting by Appt.FIFEVINEYARDS 213620 Road B, Redwood Valley707-485-0323, fifevineyards.comTasting Daily 10-5FREYVINEYARDS 2214000 Tomki Rd., Redwood Valley,707-485-5177/800-760-3739,freywine.com, Tasting by Appt.GIRASOLEVINEYARDS 247051 N. State Rd., RedwoodValley, 707-485-0322,girasolevine-yards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5GOLDENEYE 259200 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-3202, Tasting Daily 11-4GRAZIANO FAMILY OFWINES 2613251 S. Hwy. 101, Ste. 3,Hopland, 707-744-8466grazianofamilyofwines.comTasting Daily 10-5GREENWOOD RIDGEVINEYARDS 275501 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-2002, greenwoodridge.comTasting Daily 10-5HANDLEY CELLARS 303151 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-3876/ 800-733-3151handleycellars.com,Tasting Daily 10-6HUSCHVINEYARDS 324400 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-3216/ 800-55-HUSCHhuschvineyards.com,Tasting Daily 10-6

JEPSONVINEYARDS 3410400 S. Hwy. 101, Ukiah, 707-468-8936/ 800-516-7342, jepsonwine.com,Tasting 10-5/Tours by Appt.JERIKO ESTATEWINERY 3512141 Hewlitt & Sturdtevant Rd.,Hopland, 707-744-1140jerikoestate.com,Tasting Daily 10-5LAZY CREEKVINEYARDS 374601 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-3623, Tasting by Appt.LEVINWINERY 3833151 Hwy. 128,Yorkville707-894-2304, levinwinery.comTasting by Appt.LOLONISWINERY 391905 Road D, Redwood Valley 707-485-8207, lolonis.comTasting by Appt.LONDERVINEYARDS 404780 Monte Bloyd Rd., Philo707-895-3900, Tasting by Appt.MAPLE CREEKWINERY 4120799 Hwy. 128,Yorkville707-895-300, maplecreekwine.com,Tasting Daily 10:30-5MCDOWELLVALLEYVINEYARDSTASTING ROOM 4313380 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland707-744-8911,mcdowellsyrah.com,Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5, Mon-Fri 11-5MCNAB RIDGETASTING ROOM,LAWSON STATION 4413441 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland707-744-1986, Tasting Daily 10-5MENDOCINOWINE CO. 4645070 Main St., Mendocino707-937-6193, mendocino-wineco.com, Tasting Daily 10-5MEYER FAMILY CELLARS 4819750 Hwy. 128,Yorkville707-895-2341, mfcellars.comTasting 10-5 ex. SunMILANO FAMILYWINERY 4914594 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland707-744-1396/ 800-564-2582 milanowinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-5NAVARROVINEYARDS 505601 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-3686/ 800-537-9463navarrowine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5NELSON FAMILYVINEYARDS 51550 Nelson Ranch Rd., Ukiah707-462-3755,nelsonfamily-vineyards.com,Tasting Daily 11:30-5OSTERWINE CELLARS 5313501 Tomki Rd., Redwood Valley,707-485-5257, osterwine.com,Tasting by Appt.PACIFIC ECHO CELLARS 548501 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-2065/ 800-824-7754Tasting 11-5/Tours by Appt.PACIFIC STARWINERY 5633000 N. Hwy. 1, Fort Bragg 707-964-1155, pacificstarwinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5PARDUCCIWINE CELLARS 57501 Parducci Rd., Ukiah707-463-5350, parducci.comTasting Daily 10-5PHILO RIDGEVINEYARDS 5927700 Nash Mill Rd., Philo707-489-2303, philoridge.comTasting by Appt.ROEDERER ESTATE 604501 Hwy. 128, Philoroedererestate.com, 707-895-2288, Tasting Daily 11-5

SCHARFFENBERGER CELLARS 628501 Hwy. 128, Philoscharffenbergercellars.com707-895-2288, Tasting Daily 11-5SILVERSMITHVINEYARDS 633700-A Rd. J, Redwood Valley, 707-485-1196, atasteofredwoodvalley.com,Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.STANDISHWINE COMPANY 655101 Hwy. 101, Philo, 707-895-9213, Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30THREE FAMILIESWINERY 6613500 Hwy.101, Ste. H, Hopland,707-473-0301, threefamilieswinery.comTasting Daily 11-5TOULOUSEVINEYARDS 688001 Hwy. 128, Philo707-895-2828, toulousevine-yards.com, Tasting by Appt.VIN DETEVIS 7051161 Covelo Rd., Dos Rios707-983-9433, vindetevis.comTasting by Appt.WEIBELVINEYARDS 7113300 Buckman Dr., Hopland707-744-2200, weibel.comTasting by Appt.WHALERVINEYARDS 726200 Eastside Rd., Ukiah707-462-6355, Tasting by Appt.YORKVILLE CELLARS 7325701 Hwy. 128,Yorkville707-894-9177, yorkvillecellars.comTasting Daily 11-6ZINA HYDE CUNNINGHAM 75WINERY14077 Hwy. 128, Boonville707-895-9462, zinawinery.comTasting Daily 10-5

LAKE COUNTYBRASSFIELD ESTATEWINERY 210915 High Valley Rd., ClearlakeOaks, 707-998-1895brassfieldestate.com, Tasting by Appt.

CEAGO DEL LAGO 35115 E. Hwy. 20, Nice, 707-274-1462, ceago.com, Tasting Daily 10-5COUGAR’S LEAPWINERY 49300 N. Seigler Springs Rd.,Kelseyville, 707-279-0651cougarsleap.com, Tasting May-OctFri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.DUSINBERRE CELLARS 65627 Gaddy Ln., Kelseyville707-279-2995, Tasting by Appt.EDEN CRESTVINEYARDS & 8WINERY2550 Big Valley Rd., Kelseyville707-279-2987, edencrestwine.com,Tasting by Appt.GREGORY GRAHAMWINES 913633 Point Lakeview Rd.,Lower Lake, 707-995-3500ggwines.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5THE LAKE COUNTYWINE 12STUDIO9505 Main St., Upper Lake707-275-8030, Tasting Thu-Sun 1-7LANGTRY ESTATEVINEYARDS 13& WINERY21000 Butts Canyon Rd.,Middletown, 707-987-9127langtryestate.com, Tasting Daily 10-5MOORE FAMILYWINERY 1511990 Bottle Rock Rd., Kelseyville,707-279-9279, moorefamilywinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5 MT.KONOCTI GROWERS 16WINERY2550 Big Valley Rd., Kelseyville707-279-4213, pearbubbles.comTasting by Appt.NOGGLEVINEYARDS & 18WINERY700 Old Long Valley Rd.,Clearlake Oaks, 707-998-0319nogglevineyardsandwinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 10-5 or by Appt.

PLOYEZWINERY 1911171 Hwy. 29, Lower Lake707-994-2106, ployezwines.comTasting Daily 11-5RED LAVAWINETASTING 218040 Hwy. 29, Kelseyville707-278-0224, redlavavineyards.com,Tasting Daily 11-6ROSA D'OROVINEYARDS 223915 Main St., Kelseyville707-279-0483 rosadorowine.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5SHANNON RIDGEWINERY 2412599 E. Hwy 20, ClearlakeOaks, 707-998-9656, shannon-ridge.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5SIX SIGMAWINERY & 25VINEYARDS13372 Spruce Grove Rd.,Lower Lake, 707-994-2086sixsigmaranch.com, Tasting by Appt.STEELEWINES 274350 Thomas Dr., Kelseyville707-279-9475, steelewines.comTasting Mon-Sat 11-5TERRILL CELLARS AND 29TUSCANVILLAGE16175 Main St., Lower Lake707-252-8444, terrillcellars.comTasting Daily 10-4TULIP HILLWINERY & 30VINEYARDS4900 Bartlett Springs Rd, Nice,707-274-9373, tuliphillwinery.comTasting Daily 10-6WILDHURSTVINEYARDS 313855 Main St., Kelseyville800-595-WINE, wildhurst.comTasting Daily 10-5

HUMBOLDT COUNTY(not shown on map)

BRICELANDVINEYARDSWINERY5959 Briceland Rd., Redway707-923-2429, Tasting by Appt.CURTIS AND DAVID1800 Q St.,Arcata, 707-499-0920,curtisanddavid.com, Tasting by Appt.FIELDBROOKWINERY4241 Fieldbrook Rd.,McKinleyville707-839-4140, fieldbrookwinery.com,Tasting by Appt.HEIDRUN MEADERYWINERY55 Ericson Crt., Ste. 4, Arcata707-825-8748,heidrunmeadery.com,Tasting by Appt.ROBERT GOODMANWINERY937 10th St., Arcata, 707-825-7406,robertgoodmanwines.com, Tasting by Appt.TRINITYVALLEYVINEYARDS11000 West End Rd.,Arcata707-822-7094,trinityvalleyvineyards.comTasting by Appt.WOODENHEADVINTNERS5700 River Rd., Santa Rosa707-887-2703, woodenheadwine.comTasting Thu-Sun 10:30-4:30


By Tom Plant

Ifirst visited Mexico with my parentsabout 45 years ago, and since that firsttrip to Puerto Vallarta, I have returned

dozens of times. I lived about an hour southof San Diego between Rosarito Beach andEnsenada between 2000 and 2002. Duringthat period I paid my first visit to the Vallede Guadalupe.

My wife and I decided to spendChristmas week last year just south ofRosarito Beach. Just before Christmas,Southern California was deluged withrecord-shattering rainstorms. As wecrossed the border, the rains intensified abit, but we made it safe and sound to our

home away from home. On Wednesday,the clouds began to dissipate and Thursdaywe drove south towards Ensenada and thenturned inland to the Valle de Guadalupe.

Folks have been producing wine inthe region since the 17th century and overthe last few decades the Valle deGuadalupe has enjoyed a renaissance,boasting nearly 20 wineries now. Theannual Fiestas de la Vendemia celebratedits 20th anniversary last August and thispopular event sells out quickly each year.The wineries host special events featuringeverything from classical sunset concertsto lamb barbecues.

The road to the Valle de Guadalupe,

Tasting Wine South of the Border in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe

Continued on Page 36Viña de Liceaga’s tasting room, dressed for the holidays. (Tom Plant)


By Sandrew Montgomery

As a Sommelier, I am always seek-ing fascinating food and winepairings – it’s the “Holy Grail” for

me. It’s a great gastronomique quest, anadventure with no end because the possi-bilities are endless! To me, this is the penul-timate wine experience.

One of my most recent legs of thissojourn landed me in Kenwood, Californiaat the Mayo Reserve Tasting Room.Executive Chef and General Manager MaxPorter-Elliott crafts his culinary magic withthe highest quality, extremely limited winesproduced by former Arrowood WinemakerMichel Berthoud. Founded by Real Estatemogul Henry Mayo and his wife Diane, theoriginal concept was to become grapefarmers with the purchase of the Laurel HillEstate. Planting vines began in 1990. In1993, the Mayos just could not resist – theyhad to bottle some Chardonnay for them-selves. And so began the “Mayo FamilyWinery.” These limited production winesare only available at the Winery and TastingRoom in Glen Ellen, on the corner ofHighway 12 and Arnold Drive. Just downthe road is where you will find the MayoReserve Room (9200 Sonoma Highway), acute little cottage surrounded by vineyards,boasting spectacular views of the Sonomaside of the Mayacamas.

The menu changes seasonally andreflects the Mayo philosophy. “We select

particular vineyards in Sonoma and Napa.All our wines are single vineyard toemphasize terroir,” effuses the brilliant,dry-witted and somewhat laid-back ChefMax Porter Elliott. Not only are the winesterroir-driven, but so is the matching cui-sine! Max grew up on one of the earliestbio-dynamic farms in the USA, so under-standing these synergies and affinities areliterally in his roots. The format is based onseven selected wines paired with aninspired delicacy. Initially, Chef Max willpour and serve the first three wines to enjoysans food, so that one may focus on thespirit of the varietal and vineyard. Then ameticulously arranged plate of three largebites arrives. As the wow factor is stillbeing absorbed, the participants peruseover the incredible array of eye-appealingtextures, colors and combinations, Porter-Elliot describes the trios and encouragesimbibing. Here is where harmony comesinto play as the Soul of these combinationsis revealed.

After some discussion, round two,

equally unique, is served up in similar fash-ion. The piece d’resistance completes theexperience with the imagination of Partnerand Pastry Chef Khambay, leaving cus-tomers with a hugely satisfying grin.

The menu we enjoyed was as followswith my tasting notes*:

Yuzu, Ginger, Lemongrass Cevicheof Kampachi paired with 2009 SauvignonBlanc “Emma’s Vineyard,” Napa Valley.

*Subdued nose of lemongrass, Eurekalemon preserve, flint, limestone, and flavorsof spun sugar, fig, guava and white grape-fruit fill the mouth with zinging acidity.

Brillat-Savrin Chevre with Parmesancrisp and ripe seasonal fruit compotepaired with 2007 Viognier”Saralee’sVineyard,” Russian River Valley.

*Candied pear, vanilla and Lychee nutnose accompanied by a creamy texture ofBosch pear, Quince, Mandarin orange andhint of guava.

Petite Filet of beef with TrumpetRoyale mushrooms on buttered Focacciapaired with 2007 Pinot Noir “La CruzVineyard” Sonoma Coast.

*Bing cherry, brown sugar, smoke,allspice, paprika and orange peel nose andflavors of black cherry, toast, sandalwood,nutmeg, pomegranate and white pepper.

Rabbit three ways with baby carrotsand pea shoots paired with 2007 Zinfandel

“Ricci Vineyard,” Russian River Valley.*Sweet Blackberries dominate the nose

supported by notes of Anise and Violetsalong with flavors of Black plums, crackedpepper, pomegranate and maple finish.

Gruyere cheese custard withHeirloom tomato salad and olive oil foampaired with 2006 Cabernet Franc,“Ridgeline Ranch,” Alexander Valley.

*The nose is redolent of smokeyblack currants, star anise, pomegranates,cumin and cedar while the mouth is coatedwith cherry liqueur, extracted blackberries,mint and possesses velvety tannins.

Duck confit atop a corn cake with aMeritage and Bing cherry reduction pairedwith 2005 Meritage “Rancho SalinaVineyard,” Sonoma Valley.

*Dubbed “the White Horse,” as it ismodeled after Bordeaux’s Cheval Blanc.The legend of this wine is that Jeffrey’smom would grab a bottle of Cheval Blancout of his cellar when having dinner withhim, so he sourced vineyards that could onsome level “replicate” that magnificentright bank wine. Berthoud did a very com-mendable job as the wine has a fragrantbouquet, redolent of black currants, berryblossoms, licorice, fresh leather, red plumskin and roasted marshmallow with apalate of fresh black plums, blackberries,blueberries and chalky tannins.

Dolce: Blueberry crème fraiche andbasil with blue pepper crack paired with2007 Zinfandel Port “Ricci Vineyard,”Russian River Valley.

*Ethereal! Rich raspberry liqueurwith roasted hazelnuts, spice and a per-fumed note form the brandy that it is forti-fied with. A Fantastic finish!

Is this the “Holy Grail?” I’ll let you bethe judge of that. The Wall Street Journal callsit “The single best deal in Wine Country!” At$35 a head ($25 for Wine Club Members)you bet it is! Reservations are strongly recom-mended (707) 833-5504), and you can makethem via www.OpenTable.com or contact meto set you up in style, making a whole day ofit: www.SandrewsWineServices or (707)738-2337.

Mayo Reserve Room:The Holy Grail Found?

Chef Max Porter-Elliot pouring the first course. (Kat Ryan Montgomery)

The last course, which is: Apple BraisedPork with Poached Apples, Miso, Chiliand Garlic; Ricotta Mushroom Tortelliniwith Maple Curry Yam, Osso Bucco withOlives, Mostarda, Chocloate, and Soy.

(Kat Ryan Montgomery)

Come taste our wines • meet our winemaker and have a special day wine tasting.

Open weekends 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. for tasting and tours.Call to schedule a private event or tasting by appointment.

Located in the heart of Ventura County

126 N. Wood Road, #104, Camarillo, CA • (805) 484-9600www.cantaracellars.com

Our Lounge is open Fridays, 5 - 7:30 p.m.for Wine Flights, Wine by the Glass, andSmall Plates.

Visit California VineTimes Online for up to the minuteWine News,Winery Profiles, Events, Shopping, WineryMaps and Guides and more...

California

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The City CellarBy Michelle Sieling

CHATEAU SINNET 1413746 Center St., Carmel Valley831-659-2244,chateausinnet.comTasting Sun-Thu12-5, Fri-Sat 12-6CIMA COLLINA 16San Carlos, b/t Ocean & 7th,Carmel-By-The-Sea831-620-0645, cimacollina.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-6GALANTE VINEYARDS 4Off Dolores b/t Ocean & 7th,Carmel-By-The-Sea831-624-3800,galantevineyards.comTasting Daily 12-6GEORIS WINERY 154 Pilot Road, Carmel Valley831-659-1050, georiswine.comTasting Daily 11-5HAHN ESTATES/SMITH &HOOK WINERY 2337700 Foothill Road, Soledad831-678-4555, hahnestates.comTasting Mon-Fri 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-5Tours by Appt.HAMMOND VINEYARDS 18655 River Rd., Salinashammondvineyards.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5HELLER ESTATE 10ORGANIC VINEYARDS69 W. Carmel Valley Rd.,Carmel Valley, 831-659-6220800-625-8466, hellerestate.comTasting Mon-Thu 11-5:30, Fri-Sun 11-6

BARGETTO WINERY 1700 G Cannery Row, Monterey831-373-4053, bargetto.comTasting Daily 10:30-6BAYWOOD CELLARS 3381 Cannery Row,Ste.C,Monterey831-645-9035baywood-cellars.comTasting Daily 12-6, Sun 1-5BERNARDUS WINERY 125 W. Carmel Valley Road,Carmel Valley, 831-659-1900,bernardus.com, Tasting Daily 11-5BLACKSTONE WINERY 20800 South Alta St.,Gonzales, 831-675-5341blackstonewinery.comTasting Daily 11-4BOETÉ WINERY 87156A Carmel Valley Rd,Carmel Valley, 831-659-7563boetewinery.com, Tasting Thu-Fri2-5:45, Sat-Sun 12-5:45CHALONE VINEYARDS 25Stonewall Canyon Rd. & Hwy146, Soledad, 831-678-1717chalonevineyard.comTasting Sat-Sun 11:30-5 or by Appt.CHATEAU JULIEN WINEESTATE 98940 Carmel Valley Road,Carmel, 831-624-2600chateaujulienwine.comTasting Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat-Sun 11-5/Tours by Appt.

JOULLIAN VINEYARDS LTD.2 Village Drive, Suite A, 13Carmel Valley, 831-659-8100joullian.com, Tasting Daily 11-5MANZONI ESTATEVINEYARD 2130981 River Road, Soledad831-675-3398 manzoniwines.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5MARILYN REMARKWINERY 17645 River Road, Salinas831-455-9310, remarkwines.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5MEADOR ESTATE WINERY/VENTANA VINEYARDS 52999 Hwy. 10, Monterey831-372-7415, meadorestate.comTasting Daily 11-6MORGAN WINERY 7204 The Crossroads, Carmel831-626-3700, morganwinery.comTasting Thu-Mon 10-6PARAISO VINEYARDS 2438060 Paraiso Springs Rd.,Soledad, 831-678-0300paraisovineyards.comTasting Mon-Fri 12-4, Sat-Sun 11-5PESSAGNO WINERY 191645 River Road, Salinas831-675-9463, pessagnowines.comTasting Fri 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-5ROBERT TALBOTT VINEYARDSTASTING ROOM53 W. Carmel Valley Road,Carmel Valley, 831-659-3500talbottvneyards.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5SAN SABA VINEYARD 2635801 Foothill Rd., Soledad 831-678-2292, sansaba.comTasting Tue-Sun 11- 5SCHEID VINEYARDS INC. 101972 Hobson Ave., Greenfield831-386-0316, scheidvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5/Tours by Appt.TALBOTT VINEYARDS 1153 W. Carmel Valley Rd,Carmel Valley, 831-659-3500talbottvineyards.com,Tasting Daily 11-5TASTE OF MONTEREY1. 700 Cannery Row, 27

Monterey, 831-646-5446,tastemonterey.comTasting Daily 11-6

2. 127 Main St., Salinas 28831-751-1980Tasting Mon-Thu 11-5,Fri-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-4

Winery Guide

rendezvous with the Old World. Here’s the tasting list:1. 2004 Tormaresca Negroamano Masseria Maime Salento 2. 2005 Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva3. 2005 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Reserva 4. 2006 Villa Antinori Toscana5. 2004 Tormaresca Bocca di Lupo Castel del Monte

Cynthia Bournellis, a self-proclaimed wine wench, works in the Santa Cruz Mountainswine industry. She can be reached at [email protected]

From Behind the Tasting BarContinued from Page 26


Before this past winter, I’d only been on Treasure Island twice in my life. Oncebecause I needed to do a U-turn on the bridge and once to attend the TreasureIsland Music Festival. I never realized until that last visit what great views of

the city I was missing.Even though Treasure Island and its sister island, Yerba Buena, are part of the city

and county of San Francisco, most people just pass by the islands on their way acrossthe Bay Bridge. Treasure Island was originally made of land fill in preparation for the1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. If the United States Navy hadn’t swappedthe old Mills Field (now San Francisco International Airport) to the city of SanFrancisco in the early 1940s, we might still be landing float planes in the middle of theSan Francisco Bay. Though Treasure Island is still owned by the United States Navy,it was officially decommissioned in 1997. Currently there are a few new businessescropping up on the island, including a pisco importer and a vodka maker.

But how many people would have guessed its central location, and average yearround temperature of 55-64 degrees would make it a perfect spot for making and stor-ing wines. Top that with average humidity of 60-70 percent and the cool bay night air,and there’s no need for artificial climate control.

Started in 2007 by Jim and Paul Mirowski, Treasure Island Wines is a boutiqueurban winery collective that produces affordable luxury artisan wines right in the middleof the San Francisco Bay. Unlike a place like Crushpad that puts out custom bottles forits members, Treasure Island Wines is a collective of four wineries in one. All membersof the collective are fully compliant licensed alternating proprietorships. Treasure IslandWines is essentially like an internet start up incubator, providing the space and tools need-ed to create the wine, but on a limited basis and only for a select few.

The technology metaphor isn’t that far off. As it turns out, owner Jim started outmaking wine at home while he was still working in the internet security space. Lookingfor a change of pace, Jim started looking for a space in California to make wine wherehe had at least 10,000 square feet. While working on a job for the city out on TreasureIsland, Jim found the perfect spot in what was once a food processing plant for theNaval base.

Now Treasure Island Wines produces approximately 5,000 to 10,000 cases ofwine a year, selling and promoting their own wine as well as wine produced by theiralternating proprietorship clients. Wine making services at the facility run the gamut,including custom crush, fermentation, juicing, barrel storage, and more. Winemakersuse grapes from throughout the state, sourced from anywhere as far as northMendocino county down through the central coast of California.

Most wines run from $20 to $30, making something that is very special relative-ly affordable. Best of all for someone like me, no sulfites are added. Currently there aremore than 20 wines available, including Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels fromDry Creek and Cabernet Sauvignons from Mendocino Pine Mountain. There are alsoChardonnays from Napa Carneros and Syrahs from the Santa Lucia Highlands.

You won’t find this wine in your local Safeway or even some of the local specialtywine shops. These wines are sold in small batches and most are aimed at focused audi-ences. For example, outside of selling a small amount to the public in the tasting room,Derek Rohlffs, proprietor and winemaker of the Bravium label sells much of his inven-tory to Indian casinos. Though, if you are fortunate enough to live on Treasure Island orYerba Buena ask about the kama’aina (resident) discount when you visit the winery.

The owners of Treasure Island Wines would like to ensure that visitors get a fulland intimate tasting experience, which means that one of the winemakers is alwaysthere to give the tasting and answer any questions that a visitor may have. Therefore,they are only open Saturdays or by appointment. Starting in summer 2011 they may beopen Sundays.

Treasure Island Wines does host small corporate groups, as well as special eventsand fundraisers. Past events have included their Winter Solstice Reveal and a HarvestHowl benefit for the SPCA. The next scheduled event on Feb. 12 is also an SPCAben-efit called Wines and Valentine.

Speaking of, Treasure Island Wines is dog friendly. If you don’t have your owndog to bring along, you can say “hi” to the winery dog Buck, a 10-year-old chocolatelab.

Also, during good weather, feel free to bring a picnic lunch to accompany yourwine as you kick back outside on one of the tables provided by the winery.

Treasure Island Wines is located at 995 9th Street Treasure Island, Building 201,in San Francisco, CA. For more information give them a call at (415) FYI-WINE (394-9463) or visit their website at http://www.tiwines.com.

Treasure Island Wines

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Ventura County’s Wine Trail Adventure

By Linda Kissam

You have to love a wine tastingadventure that is nestled betweena national forest and the sparkly

Pacific Ocean. A destination that doesn’tget the proper respect it deserves yet con-tinues to strive to showcase its fine winer-ies, classic beach culture, and amazingculinary scene. When you can just hop inthe car for a short drive from the LA,Inland Empire or San Diego area, experi-ence year round temps in the 70s, and takean easy, breezy two-day break… whatcould possibly be keeping you back? Mystay was an eye-opener to say the least, andyou’ll see why when you read on aboutwine trippin’in Ventura County, California.

A traveler friend of mine actuallyencouraged me to check out the wine scenein Ventura County. I, being the openedminded individual I think of myself as,thought, “Are you kidding me – whatcould that area possibly offer that I could-n’t find to the south in Temecula, or to thenorth in Santa Barbara.” I take it all back;Ventura County is a great place to visit forsome unique wine tasting opportunities, aromantic or energetic walk on the beach,and noshing on some great food. I startedmy research on the Ventura VisitorsConvention & Bureau Web site which leadme to the perfect wine adventure – theWine Trail Tour. Offered Saturday andSundays, this six-hour tour is an inexpen-sive way ($85 per person) to get to knowfour wineries and have a gourmet lunch.Transportation is included which makes iteasy to sit back and enjoy the scenery andwines.

My husband and I arrived at theVentura Visitors Center on CaliforniaStreet at 10:45 a.m. We were welcomedwith a big smile by greeter Donna Francesand introduced to José our limo driver. We

were immediately whisked off to our firstdestination, the Rancho Ventavo Cellarstasting room located in Oxnard’s HistoricHeritage Square. This is a small-lot, fami-ly-owned winery featuring high qualityartesian red and white wines producedfrom exceptional vineyards throughoutCalifornia. The wines are divided into theCream and Black Label Series. The CreamLabel Series wines bear the characteristicsof the terroir from hand selected vineyards.Wines include Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel.The Black Label Series is inspired by theunique opportunities that come from anarray of small-lot, unusual-varietal wines.Each wine reveals layers of flavors andsubtleties that come from skilled winemak-ing and attention to detail. The varietals inthis series include Petite Sirah, CabernetFranc, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir and our spe-cial Majecc.

Our visit included a knowledgeableand delicious guided six-taste wine tastingwith owner Faye Gilpatrick. I loved thatFaye accompanied the tasting with a smallplate of complementary cheeses, crackersand chocolate. Every taste was a winner,but I especially enjoyed the 2008 SierraFoothills Late Harvest Zin. Done in a lightport style, it’s an elegant $29 treat on itsown or will pair well with dark chocolate,sharp cheeses and believe it or not... pop-corn or caramel corn. Barrel aged 11months, 16.2 percent alcohol. Definitely agreat place to start my exploration ofVentura County wines.

Back in the limo we listened toSmooth Jazz as José took us to the nextstop about 10 minutes away, Herzog WineCellars. This winery, tasting room, andrestaurant is located in an industrial park,which in no way diminishes the trendylook and feel of the Herzog experience.Herzog may best be known for its stylish

four-levels of Kosher wines (every day tolibrary selections) and the yummy TierraSur restaurant. It’s a spacious welcomingplace that could easily take up a couple ofhours of your time. Ask for a tour to learnabout the fascinating history of the familyand its winemaking efforts. We enjoyed alight pre-fixed lunch of melon gazpachosoup and lima bean pasta with venisonpancetta at the restaurant. The restaurantwas busy, and for good reason. Chef ToddAron’s fare is smartly served and tasteddelicious. My wine pick for this property isthe totally affordable 2007 Baron HerzogCentral Coast Merlot. This $13 beauty issoft and approachable, fruit-forward andnicely showcases strawberry jam and berryaromas. It has a rich mouth feel and finish.

About 30 minutes away, our third stopwas the Casa Barranca tasting room inOjai’s downtown area. Casa Barranca spe-cializes in boutique wines handcraftedfrom organic grapes. They believe in,“...organic, natural, and sustainable prac-tices” as they continue to strive for optimalbalance in their approach to wine making.Their organic tasting menu includes PinotNoir, Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and redblends, including a no sulfites added Arts& Crafts Red. I enjoyed the feel of the tast-ing room with its plein-air paintings byOjai artist Jennifer Moses, tables, murals,mosaic planters and decorative tiles fromRTK Tiles, and inspired murals by artistMichael Brown. Retail offerings includeLaguiole corkscrews, Eisch breathableglass stemware, wine accessories, andunique, environmentally friendly gifts. Thebest time to visit this tasting room is onSaturdays when most of their offerings areavailable to taste.

Our last winery stop was the fabulousOld Creek Ranch Winery. Another familyowned, small lot winery, it overlooks theentrance to an old cattle ranch at the end of

Old Creek Road at the bottom of the OjaiValley. This was probably our favorite stopof the day. These guys are making seriouswine, sourcing grapes by leasing portionsof premier vineyards such as BranhamObsidian Vineyard (Napa), and from SantaBarbara County, Stolpman Vineyards,Sanford Benedict Vineyard, White HawkVineyard, Vogelzang Vineyard, McGinleyVineyard (formally Westerly), and EstelleVineyard. Owner John Whitman spentover an hour with us explaining his winephilosophy and letting us taste numerousbarrel samples. This is wow city folks.Their beautiful, well-structured wines sellout for a reason. I generally know I’ve meta master, when the owners and winemak-ers express a definite interest in letting thegrapes tell the story of the wine, just help-ing it along a bit to let, “The attributes ofthe wine be all it can be. “My favorite ofthe tasting was the 2007, $24 SantaBarbara County Syrah showcasing aromas


Clockwise from Top: Walk, run or bike this ocean view path in front of the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. (Allan Kissam), Limo DriverJose takes Linda and Allan on a six-hour wine tour. (Allan Kissam), Exceptional wines and great shopping at the Rancho Ventavo Cellarstasting room. (Allan Kissam), Old Creek Ranch Winery owner John Whitman explains his wine philosophy while serving up numerous bar-rel samples. (Allan Kissam)

of berries and spices and flavors of plumand blueberry. The OMG wine – the ‘08Petite Sirah – is not yet released, but whenit is sometime next year you must get it toexperience the big gorgeous aromas ofberry fruits, earthy smoke and coffee.Expect big blackberry and blueberry noteswith firm but supple tannins. All in in all,make sure you visit this winery to see arock-star in the making.

Returning from the six-hour winetasting tour, we pulled into our nearbyaccommodations for the evening, theCrowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. This isa classy beach front property that typifiesthe best a beach community hotel has tooffer: excellent service, direct beachaccess, gorgeous views, a trendy lobby bar,glass windows everywhere, and spaciousrooms. What a treat to be within walkingdistance of the downtown area,AMTRAK, and have bike rentals outsidethe front door. Adjacent to Ventura’sHistoric Pier, there is something very veryspecial about gazing out of your view win-dow, or throwing open the balcony doorsto hear the soothing sounds of wavescrashing against the white sand beach.This is stunning property from the moment

you wake up to the time your head touch-es the pillow for the night. And hey, be sureto at least visit their website, so you canhear the beautiful sounds of the ocean!Book on their website and you’re guaran-teed the lowest price available anywhere.

After a short rest and change ofclothes, on a recommendation from theVentura Visitors & Convention Bureau,we were off to The Sidecar Restaurant onE. Main Street near downtown Ventura.The Sidecar Restaurant is located in a his-toric 1910 Pullman Car. The setting cer-tainly makes for a fun, interesting settingand sets the mood for great things to come.Award-winning chef/owner Tim Kilcoyneproduces a farm-driven menu that shoutselegant comfort food. He has won praisefor his environmental efforts and amazingcuisine. His agricultural roots play a bigpart in his fresh, simple local menu offer-ings. This is a restaurant where you cancome as you are and expect a first classdining experience featuring white tablecloths, professional attentive servers, and aserene upscale atmosphere. It’s hard tobelieve that most if not all items are under$30 making this an affordable night out.My husband ordered the braised short ribsand I ordered the Sidecar Burger. Both

were cooked and served to perfection. Thisis farm fresh, comfort food at its best.Expect an extensive wine list featuringlocal wines and a fresh dessert menu basedon seasonal ingredients. If you are luckyenough to be in town on a Tuesday night,for sure, check out their Grilled Cheese andJazz Night.

My recommendation is to explore thissun-splashed artsy, organic and eclecticbeach community ASAP; not just for itsemerging wine region, but for adventuroushiking on the Channel Islands, shoppingtreasures, art galleries, magnificent gar-dens, ghost hunting, harbor exploration,and the historic Ventura Theatre. And ifthat’s not enough, there’s Saturday nightdining and dancing July throughSeptember at the historic Olivia Adobe

where you can enjoy top recording artistsperforming an array of live music fromzydeco to swing, and everything inbetween. Fall, winter, spring, or summerthis is a special place. I’ll be back.

Arroyo Grande,805-544-8461,kynsi.com,Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5LAETITIA VINEYARD &WINERY 18453 Laetitia Vineyard Dr,Arroyo Grande,805-481-1772laetitiawine.com,Tasting Daily 11-5PERBACCO CELLARS 231850 Calle Joaquin, SLO805-787-0485,perbaccocellars.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5PIEDRA CREEK WINERY 246425 Mira Cielo Drive, SLO805-541-1281,Tasting byAppt.REFUGIO VINEYARD 26COMPANY1691 See Canyon Rd, SLO805-801-1919,Tasting byAppt.SALISBURY VINEYARDS 286985 Ontario Rd.,SLO 805-595-9463,salisburyvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-6SAUCELITO CANYONVINEYARD 293080 Biddle Ranch Rd, SLO805-543-2111,saucelitocanyon.comTasting Daily 10-5SEXTANT WINES 303536 S.Higuera,Ste 250, SLO805-542-0133,sextantwines.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5 or byAppt.

ALAPAY CELLARS 1415 First St., Avila Beach805-595-2632,alapaycellars.comTasting Sat-Thu10:30-6, Fri 10:30-8BAILEYANA 35828 Orcutt Rd,SLO805-269-8200,baileyana.comTasting Daily10-5 CERRO CALIENTE CELLARS 5831-A Via Esteban, SLO805-544-2842,cerrocalientecellars.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 CHAMISAL WINERY 87525 Orcutt Rd, SLO805-541-9463,domainealfred.comTasting Daily 10-5 CLAIBORNE & CHURCHILL 62649 Carpenter Canyon,SLO805-544-4066,claibornechurchill.comTasting Daily11-5EDNAVALLEYVINEYARDS 102585 Biddle Ranch Rd, SLO 805-544-5855,ednavalley.comTasting 10-5/ToursKELSEY SEE CANYON 15VINEYARDS1947 See Canyon Rd, SLO805-595-9700,kelseywine.comTasting Daily11-5:30KYNSI WINERY 162212 Corbett Canyon Rd,

STEVEN ROSS WINE CELLARS 323031 Lopez Dr.,Arroyo Grande805-489-0446, talleyvineyards.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30TALLEY VINEYARDS 333031 Lopez Dr.,Arroyo Grande805-489-0446, talleyvineyards.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30TANGENT 315828 Orcutt Rd,SLO805-597-8250, tangentwines.comTasting Daily 10-5TOLOSA WINERY 354910 Edna Rd., SLO805-782-0500, tolosawinery.comTasting Daily 11-5WINDEMERE/CATHYMACGREGOR WINES 393536 S.Higuera,Ste.240B,SLO805-542-0133Tasting Daily 11:30-4WOLFF VINEYARDS 406238 Orcott Rd, SLO805-781-0448,wolffvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5WOOD WINERY 41136 Bridge St., Arroyo Grande805-489-9663,wildwoodwine.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5

Winery Guide

Soothing sounds of waves crashing againstthe white sand beach from my view roombalcony. (Allan Kissam)

Discover:Ventura County’s Wine Trail AdventureContinued from Page 31


WineMatch.com has created a systemthat truly levels the playing field so thatsmall- and medium-sized wineries get thesame outfacing digital marketing exposure astheir larger corporate-based counterparts.Winery to Consumer Sell-Through (W2C), isa database-driven engine that connects winer-ies directly with consumers and vice-versa.

Utilizing “push” technology, winematches, winery events and winery dealsare automatically pushed to the consumer.All a consumer needs to do is sign up for afree user account, browse wines and addfavorites. The rest is automatic. Consumerfeedback and consumer requests to havewines profiled are also available to winer-ies. WineMatch.com is free of charge to theconsumer, unlike many other wine sites.Their search abilities have doubled sincethe August launch and will likely doubleagain in the next year.

WineMatch.com also offers a no-costprogram for a winery to begin participatingby allowing them to add a wine, and asmany deals and events as they wish.

Traffic has increased 100 percent overthe past two months as wineries have begunto “push” deals directly to consumers onWineMatch.com. Wineries work withWineMatch.com to offer specials on wine

not found anywhere else. This has turnedinto a great opportunity for consumers tofind deals on the wines they have in their“favorites” as WineMatch.com offers thosedeals only relevant to what they already like.

The WineMatch Profile Wheel dis-plays major wine characteristics and isboth easy to interpret and represents thewine as being a multi-faceted product. Thiswheel replaces the older 100-point system.

WineMatch.com uses multiple tasters,a state-of-the-art wine chemistry lab, cali-brated and verified by standards and out-side labs, and data provided by the winer-ies. WineMatch.com combines all thisinformation and creates a “unique finger-print” of the wine, which then becomes thebasis for matching similar wines. Thesesimilar wines are matched on twelve totwenty characteristics today, and thosecharacteristics will nearly double in 2011.As more data is gathered, the proprietaryalgorithms are further enhanced to providethe most advanced wine matching system.

WineMatch.com is wholly owned byRoundbrix Corporation, a technology infra-structure company. Roundbrix is a CaliforniaCorporation based in Lake Forest, California.

For more information visitwww.winematch.com.

WineMatch.com ConnectsConsumers Directly to

Wineries and Wine Deals

By Kimberly Horg-Webb

Heritage Oak Winery opened in2007 but was built on land thathas been owned and operated by

the owner Tom Hoffman’s family for near-ly 150 years. In the 1860s, his great-great-grandfather had a 400 acre farm along theMokelumne River. Their home over-looked the river and was about a half mileeast of where the winery is now located.

Tom was teaching at a school inSouth America where he met and marriedCarmela. A couple years later the couplereturned to California. Although Hoffmanreturned to the “Golden State” with plansto teach, his father had another idea.Within a year Hoffman was convinced that

he should work in the family business. Hoffman’s grandfather grew Emerald

Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Burger, RubyCabernet, and Zinfandel. He also hadabout 50 percent of their acreage planted toTokays, peaches, walnuts, and cherries.Hoffman’s father planted numerousSauvignon Blanc fields for Mondavi, andGallo took the Tokays of their hands.

During the past couple decadesHoffman has developed his own passionfor wine making. And as the local industry

shifted from farming Tokay grapes to winevarietals; he followed the trend and nowgrows Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon,Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.

In 2005 he started seriously thinkingabout developing a winery. He thinks itseemed to be an obvious direction for him.

“I understood basic wine making, wehad grapes and we had a beautiful piece ofproperty,” Hoffman said. “What I havetried to do is basically produce wines that Ilike to drink, in an atmosphere that isfriendly and natural.”

He says he relies on his own instincts,his family, the land he lives on and the crit-ters that live there with him. He has tried totake advantage of the fact that this proper-ty is by the Mokelumne River. Because ofits location and his love of nature, he wantsthe winery to have an emphasis on nature.

Visitors can take a walk on a trail thatstarts out at the huge oak tree next to thewinery. It is a 3/4 mile walk one way thatgoes through the vineyards, skirts the bluffoverlooking the flood plain, crosses thebottom land and ends at the beach, wherethere are several picnic tables and a ropeswing.

“The trail is interesting because itcrosses many habitats and all around arecountless species of birds and otherwildlife forms,” Hoffman said.

Apart from being open to picnickerswho come out for a walk, Hoffman alsohas a biologist that comes out once amonth to lead birding groups (on Saturdaymornings). The winery is also listed on theSandhill Crane Festival tour list which isheld in November.

Hoffman also encourages kayakingand will open the beach up to customer’svehicles so people can have access to thearea.

“We made the decision to make thetrail available because it gives peopleanother reason to come here,” he said.

According to Hoffman, people comeprimarily in quest of a wine tasting “expe-rience” which includes one-on-one timewith the wine maker and possibly a barreltasting or unscheduled tour. And maybesomeone may have heard a rumor that thewine maker will play Scarlatti on the pianowith just a little prodding.

Wine lovers come looking forZinfandels, Cabernet, Tempranillo orHoffman’s white wines. The two mostpopular wines are Zinfadelity andSauvignon Blanc but Hoffman says hisfavorite wine is Heritage Oak Zinfandel.

“I emphasize the fruitiness of thegrape,” he said. “None of this would be


GLENN COUNTYLAWLEY VINEYARD &WINERY7503 Cutting Ave., Orland530-865-2388Tasting by Appt.

YOLO COUNTYBOGLE VINEYARD WINERY37675 County Road 144,Clarksburg, 916-744-1139boglewinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat-Sun11-5

CARVALHO FAMILY WINESOld Sugar Mill35265 Willow Ave.,Clarksburg, 916-744-1625carvalhowines.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5

FRENCH HILL WINERYOld Sugar Mill35265 Willow Ave.,Clarksburg, 916-744-1710frenchhill.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

HERINGER ESTATESOld Sugar Mill35265 Willow Ave., Ste.203,Clarksburg916-744-1094heringerestates.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5

R.H.PHILLIPS VINEYARDS26836 County Rd., 12A,Esparto, 530-662-3215nightharvest.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5

RIVER GROVE WINERY52183 Clarksburg Road,Clarksburg916-744-9000rivergrovewinery.comTasting by Appt.

ROMINGER WEST WINERY4602 2nd Street, Ste. 4,Davis, 530-747-2044romingerwest.comTasting Mon-Sat 12-5 or byAppt./Tours

SOLOMON WINE CO.Old Sugar Mill35265 Willow Ave.,Clarksburg, 800-861-4185solomonwines.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

CARVALHO FAMILY WINESOld Sugar Mill35265 Willow Ave.,Clarksburg, 916-744-1625carvalhowines.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5

THREE WINE COMPANYOld Sugar Mill,35265 Willow Avenue, #204,Clarksburg

916-744-1300threewinecompany.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5

SACRAMENTOCOUNTY

BLUE GUM WINERY13637 Borden Rd., Herald209-748-5669Tasting Daily 11-5

FRASINETTI'S WINERY7395 Frasinetti Road,Sacramento, 916-383-2444frasinetti.comTasting Tue-Sat 11-8

SCRIBNER BEND VINEYARDS9051 River Road,Sacramento. 916-744-1803scribnerbend.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-4:30

SIX HANDS WINERY13783 Isleton Rd.,WalnutGrove, 916-776-2053sixhandswinery.comTasting by Appt.

MADERA COUNTYBIRDSTONE WINERY9400 Road 36, Madera559-970-2060Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5

CHATEAU LASGOITY11219 Road 26, Madera559-674-8291Tasting Sat-Sun 1-5 or by Appt.

FICKLIN VINEYARDS30246 Ave. 7 1/2, Madera559-674-4598, ficklin.comTasting Daily 12-5/Tours by Appt.

IDLE HOUR WINERY41139 Hwy 41, Oakhurst559-760-9090idlehourwinery.comTasting Wed-Sat 4-10 or by Appt.

MARIPOSA WINE COMPANY20146 Rd. 21, Madera559-673-6372mariposawine.comTasting Daily 11-4

OAK HOLLOW WINERY9805 Road 30, Madera559-675-8826Tasting by Appt.

PACIFIC CREST WINERY33137 Avenue 9, Madera559-674-4996, pcvino.comTasting Daily by Appt.

QUADY WINERY13181 Road 24, Madera800-733-8068quadywinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 9-4:30,Sat-Sun 12-4:30

WESTBROOK WINE FARM49610 House Ranch Road,O’Neals, 559-868-3499westbrookwinefarm.comTasting by Appt.

MERCED COUNTYRED ROCK WINERY7326 E. Hwy. 140, Merced209-722-7625redrockwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5

Winery Guide

Lodi’s Heritage Oak Winery,Five Generations in the Making

Where a day of wine tasting may include hiking, kayaking, birdwatching and a picnic by the river.

The huge oak tree that is not only the start of the trail but also helped give the winery itsname. (Kimberly Horg-Webb)

Tom Hoffman and his mother JoanneHoffman showcase Heritage Oak’s winesin the tasting room. (Kimberly Horg-Webb)

Owner Tom Hoffman proudly stands by hisbarrels of wine. (Kimberly Horg-Webb)


ANNAPOLISANNAPOLIS WINERY 126055 Soda Springs Rd., 707-886-5460, annapoliswinery.comTasting Daily 12-5

CLOVERDALECELLAR NO. 8 226150 Asti Rd., 866-557-4970 cellarno8.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 10-5FRITZ WINERY 324691 Dutcher Creek Rd.707-894-3389/ 800-418-9463fritzwinery.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30, TICARIA CREEK WINERY 427750 Asti Rd., 707-486-9623 icariawinery.com, APASTORI WINERY 523189 Geyserville Ave.707-857-3418, AWATTLE CREEK WINERY 625510 River Rd., 707-894-5166,wattlecreek.com, A

GEYSERVILLECLOS DU BOIS WINES 1119410 Geyserville Ave.,707-857-3100/ 800-222-3189closdubois.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30, TDAVID COFFARO VINEYARD &WINERY 127485 Dry Creek Rd.707-433-9715, coffaro.com Tasting Daily 11-4, TDE LORIMIER WINERY 132001 Hwy. 128, 707-857-2000delorimierwinery.com, AFRANCIS FORD COPPOLA300 Via Archimedes, 707-857-1980franciscoppolawinery.comTasting Daily 11-5FRICK WINERY 1523072 Walling Rd.,707-857-1980, frickwinery.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30GEYSER PEAK WINERY 1622281 Chianti Rd. 707-857-2500/800-255-9463, geyserpeakwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5LOCALS TASTING ROOM 17Geyserville Ave. @ Hwy. 128,707-857-4900, tastelocal-wines.com, Tasting Daily 11-6PEDRONCELLI WINERY 201220 Canyon Rd., 707-857-3531,pedroncelli.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30ROBERT YOUNG VINEYARDS 214950 Red Winery Rd., 707-431-4811, ryew.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30SILVER OAK CELLARS 2224625 Chianti Rd., 707-857-3562,silveroak.com Tasting Mon-Sat 9-4

STRYKER SONOMA 245110 Hwy. 128, 707-433-1944strykersonoma.com, Tasting Daily10:30-5THE MEEKER VINEYARD 2521035 Geyserville Ave.707-431-2148, meekerwine.comTasting Mon-Sat 10:30-6, Sun 12-5TRENTADUE WINERY 2619170 Geyserville Ave.707-433-3104trentadue.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T

HEALDSBURGALEXANDERVALLEYVINEYARDS 285110 Hwy. 128, 707-433-7209avvwine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5A. RAFANELLI WINERY 294685 West Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-1385 arafanelliwinery.com, AAMISTA VINEYARDS 303320 Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-9200 amistavineyards.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4:30AMPHORA WINES 314791 W. Dry Creek Rd., Bldg. 6,707-431-7767, amphorawines.com,Tasting Daily 11-4:30ARMIDA WINERY 322201 Westside Rd., 707-433-2222armida.com, Tasting Daily 11-5CAMELLIA CELLARS 3557 Front St., 707-433-1290cameliacellars. com, Tasting Daily 11-6CHATEAU SOUVERAIN 36308B Center St., 707-433-2822chateausouverain.comTasting Daily 11-6DAVIS FAMILY VINEYARDS 3852 Front St.,707-433-3858, daviswines.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-4:30DE LA MONTANYA 39999 Foreman Ln., 707-433-3711dlmwine.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 DEUX AMIS WINES 401960 Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-7945, deuxamiswines.com, ADOMAINE DANICA 421960 Dry Creek Rd.707-431-1902, ADRY CREEK VINEYARD 433770 Lambert Bridge Rd., 707-433-1000, drycreekvineyard.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30DUTCHER CROSSING WINERY448533 Dry Creek Rd., 866-431-2711, dutchercrossingwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5, TEVERETT RIDGE VINEYARDS &WINERY 46435 W. Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-1637, everettridge.comTasting Daily 10-5FERRARI-CARANO WINERY 478761 Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-6700, ferrari-carano.comTasting Daily 10-5, T

FORCHINI VINEYARDS & WINERY 495141 Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-8886, forchini.com, ATGALLO OF SONOMA 50320 Center St., 707-433-2458 gallo-ofsonoma.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, TGROVE STREET WINERY 521451 Grove St., 707-836-5615,grovestreetwinery.comTasting Daily 11-4:30, THOLDREDGE WINERY 5351 Front St., 707-431-1424 Tasting Sat-Sun 11-4:30 HUNTINGTON WINE CELLARS5453 Front St., 707-433-5215 hunt-ingtonwine.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5JORDAN VINEYARD & WINERY 571474 Alexander Valley Rd., 800-654-1213, jordanwinery.com, ATKENDALL-JACKSON WINEESTATES 58337 Healdsburg Ave., 707-433-7102 kj.com, Tasting Daily 10-5

LA CREMA WINERY 59235 Healdsburg Ave.707-431-9400, lacrema.comTasting Daily 10:30-5:30LAKE SONOMA WINERY 60340 Healdsburg Ave., 800-750-9463, lakesonomawinery.netTasting Daily 10-5LAMBERT BRIDGE WINERY 614085 W. Dry Creek Rd.800-975-0555, lambertbridge.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30LONGBOARD VINEYARDS 635 Fitch St., 707-433-3473longboardvine-yards.com, TastingThu-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5 or by Appt.MAURITSON FAMILY WINERY642859 Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-0804mauritsonwines.com Tasting Daily 10-5MAZZOCCO VINEYARDS 651400 Lytton Springs Rd., 707-431-8159, mazzocco.com, Tasting Daily 11-5

MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER FINEWINE ESTATE 664155 Wine Creek Rd., 707-433-7427 michelschlumberger.com, ATMILL CREEK VINEYARDS &WINERY 681401 Westside Rd., 707-433-5098millcreekwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5MURPHY-GOODE WINERY 6920 Matheson St., 707-431-7644murphygoodewinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30NALLE WINERY 702383 Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-1040nallewinery.com, Tasting 12-5 Sat or AOPTIMA WINE CELLARS 73498 Moore Ln., 707-431-8222 optimawinery.com, APASSALACQUA WINERY 743805 Lambert Bridge Rd.707-433-5550, passalacquawinery.com, Tasting Daily 11-5PETERSON WINERY 754791 Dry Creek Rd., Bldg. 7707-431-7568, petersonwinery.comTasting Daily 11-4:30PRESTON VINEYARDS & WINERY779282 W. Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-3372, prestonofdrycreek.comTasting Daily 11-4:30QUIVIRA VINEYARDS 784900 W. Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-8333quivirawine.com, Tasting Daily 11-5, TRAYMOND BURR VINEYARDS 798339 W. Dry Creek Rd., 888-900-0024, raymondburrvineyards.com, ARIDGE VINEYARDS 82650 Lytton Springs Rd., 707-433-7721ridgewine.com, Tasting Daily 11-4ROSENBLUM WINE CELLARS83250 Center St., 707-431-1169rosenblumcellars.comTasting Daily 10-6SAPPHIRE HILL WINERY 85Front St., 707-431-1888 sapphirehill.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-4:30 SAUSAL WINERY 867370 Hwy. 128, 800-500-2285sausalwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4SBRAGIA FAMILY VINEYARDS 879990 Dry Creek Rd., 707-473-2992,sbragia.com, Tasting Daily 11-5, TSEGHESIO WINERY 8814730 Grove, 707-433-3579seghesio.com, Tasting Daily 10-5

SELBY WINERY 89215 Center St., 707-431-1288 selbywinery.com, Tasting Daily 11-5:30SIMI WINERY 9216275 Healdsburg Ave., 707-433-6981/ 800-746-4880, simiwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5, TSTONESTREET VINEYARDS 937111 Hwy. 128, 800-355-8008stonestreewines.com, ASTUHLMULLER VINEYARDS 944951 W. Soda Rock Ln., 707-431-7745, stuhlmullervineyards.com, ATALTY WINERY 967127 Dry Creek Rd.,707-433-8438, taltyvineyards.com, ATELDESCHI WINERY 973555 Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-6626, teldeschi.com, Tasting Daily 12-5 TOAD HOLLOW VINEYARDS100409A Healdsburg Ave.707-431-8667, toadhollow.com,Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30UNTI VINEYARDS 1014202 Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-5590, untivineyards.com, AWILSON WINERY 1031960 Dry Creek Rd.707-433-4355, wilsonwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5YOAKIM BRIDGE WINERY 104

7209 Dry Creek Rd.707-433-8511, yoakimbridge.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4:30, A

CAZADEROFLOWERS VINEYARD & WINERY 128500 Seaview Rd., 707-847-3661flowerswinery.com, A

FORESTVILLEHARTFORD FAMILY WINERY 28075 Martinelli Rd., 707-887-8010hartfordwines.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30JOSEPH SWAN VINEYARDS 32916 Laguna Rd., 707-573-3747,swanwinery.com, Tasting Sat-Sun11-4:30TOPOLOS AT RUSSIAN RIVERVINEYARDS 45700 Gravenstein Hwy. N.707-887-3344, russianrivervine-yards.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 11:30-4:30WOODENHEAD 55700 River Rd., 707-887-2703woodenheadwine.comTasting Thu-Sun 10:30-4:30

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GUERNEVILLEKORBEL CHAMPAGNE CELLARS 713250 River Rd.707-824-7000, korbel.comTasting Daily 9-4:30, T

HEALDSBURGACORN WINERY 812040 Old Redwood Highway707-433-6440, acornwinery.com, AALDERBROOK WINERY 92306 Magnolia Dr., 707-433-9154alderbrook.com, Tasting Daily 10-5ARISTA WINERY 107015 Westside Rd., 707-473-0606,aristawinery.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5C. DONATIELLO WINERY 134035 Westside Rd. 707-431-4409,cdonatiello.com, Tasting Daily 11-5CHALK HILL WINERY 1410300 Chalk Hill Rd., 707-657-4837, chalkhill.com, ATCHATEAU FELICE 15223 Center St., 707-836-9010chateaufelice.com, Tasting Fri-Sat11-6, Sun-Thu 11-5CHRISTOPHER CREEK WINERY16641 Limerick Ln., 707-431-8243,christophercreek.com, Tasting Daily 11-5DAVIS BYNUM WINERY 198075 Westside Rd., 707-433-2611,davisbynum.com, Tasting Daily 10-5DENATALE VINEYARDS 2011020 Eastside Rd.,707-431-8460, ADOMAINE ST. GEORGE WINERY& VINEYARD 211141 Grant Ave., 707-433-5508domainesaintgeorge.com, ATFIELD STONE WINERY &VINEYARD 2310075 Hwy. 128, 707-433-7266,fieldstonewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5FOPPIANO VINEYARDS 2412707 Old Redwood Hwy.707-433-7272, foppiano.comTasting Daily 10-4:30GARY FARRELL VINEYARDS &WINERY 2510701 Westside Rd., 707-473-2900 garyfarrellwines.com Tasting Daily 11-4, THANNA WINERY ALEXANDERVALLEY 279280 Hwy. 128, 707-431-4310hannawinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4HOP KILN WINERY 286050 Westside Rd., 707-433-6491hopkilnwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5J. ROCHIOLI VINEYARD &WINERY 306192 Westside Rd., 707-433-2305,rochioliwinery.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4J VINEYARDS & WINERY 3111447 Old Redwood Hwy.707-431-3646, jwine.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-4, TJOHNSON’S ALEXANDER VALLEYWINES 328333 S. Hwy. 128, 707-433-2319johnsonavwines.com, Tasting Daily 11-4KENDALL-JACKSON WINECENTER 33337 Healdsburg Ave., 707-433-7102, kj.com, Tasting Daily 11-5LANCASTER ESTATE 3415001 Chalk Hill Rd., 707-433-8178, lancaster-estate.com, ATLIMERICK LANE VINEYARDS 361023 Limerick Ln., 707-433-9211limericklanewines.comTasting Daily 10-5MIETZ CELLARS 38602 Limerick Ln., 707-431-7103,mietzcellars.com, APORTER CREEK VINEYARDS 398735 Westside Rd., 707-433-6321portercreekvineyards.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30ROCHIOLI VINEYARDS & WINERY 406192 Westside Rd., 707-433-2305rochioliwinery.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-4RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS 4111455 Old Redwood Hwy.707-431-1533, rodneystrong.comTasting Daily 10-5, TVERITE WINERY 444611 Thomas Rd., 707-433-9000,veritewines.com, A

WHITE OAK VINEYARDS &WINERY 457505 Hwy. 128, 707-433-8429whiteoakwinery.comTasting Daily 10-5

SANTA ROSAFISHER VINEYARDS 476200 St. Helena Rd.,707-539-7511, fishervineyards.com, AHANNA WINERY RUSSIAN RIVERVALLEY 485353 Occidental Rd.,707-575-3371, hannawinery.comTasting Daily 10-4HARVEST MOON ESTATE 492192 Olivet Rd., 707-573-8711harvestmoonwinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5BALLETTO VINEYARDS & DUTTON-GOLDENFIELD TASTING ROOM 5057 Occidental Rd., 707-568-2455,ballettovineyards.com, duttongold-field.com, Tasting Daily 10-4BATTAGLINI ESTATE WINERY 512948 Piner Rd., 707-578-4091, AMARTIN RAY WINERY 542191 Laguna Road, 707-823-2404,martinray-winery.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-4MATANZAS CREEK WINERY 556097 Bennett Valley Rd.707-528-6464/ 800-590-6464matanzascreek.comTasting Daily 10-4:30PARADISE RIDGE WINERY 564545 Thomas Lake Harris Dr.707-528-9463, paradiseridgewin-ery.com, Tasting Mon-Fri 11-5PELLEGRINI FAMILY VINEYARDS 574055 West Olivet Rd. 800-891-0244, pellegrinisonoma.com, ATSABLE RIDGE VINEYARDS 606320 Jamison Rd., 707-542-3138,sableridge.com, ATSIDURI 61980 Airway Court, Ste. C,707-578-3882, siduri.com, AST. FRANCIS 62100 Pythian Rd., 888-675-9463stfranciswine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TSUNCE WINERY & VINEYARD 631839 Olivet Rd.,707-526-9463suncewinery.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5

SEBASTOPOLIRON HORSE VINEYARDS 669786 Ross Station Rd.707-887-1507, ironhorsevine-yards.com, Tasting Daily 10-3:30, TLYNMAR WINERY TASTING ROOM673909 Frei Rd., 707-829-3374lynmarwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5MARIMAR TORRES ESTATE 6811400 Graton Rd.,707-823-4365,marimarestate.com, Tasting Daily11-4,TPETERS FAMILY WINERY 692064 N. Gravenstein Hwy., Ste.102, 707-829-3111peteresfamilywinery.com, ASEBASTOPOL VINEYARDS 718757 Green Valley Rd.,, 707-829-9463, sebastopolvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5TAFT STREET WINERY 722030 Barlow Ln., 707-823-2049,taftstreetwinery.com, Tasting Mon-Fri 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-4:30

WINDSORINMAN FAMILY WINES 745793 Skylane Blvd., Ste. C707-395-0689 inmanfamilywines.com,AMARTINELLI VINEYARDS & WINE TASTING 753360 River Rd.,707-525-0570martinelliwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5RUSSIAN HILL ESTATE 764525 Slusser Rd., 707-575-9428russianhillestate.comTasting Thu-Mon 10-4

KENWOODBLACKSTONE WINERY 18450 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-1999blackstonewinery.comTasting Daily 10-4:30CHATEAU ST. JEAN WINERY 28555 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-4134,chateaustjean.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TFAMILY WINERIES OF SONOMAVALLEY 59200 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-5504familywineries.com, Tasting Daily 11-6KAZ VINEYARD & WINERY 6233 Adobe Canyon Rd.707-833-2536,kazwinery.comTasting Fri-Mon 11-5KENWOOD VINEYARDS 79592 Sonoma Hwy.,707-833-5891kenwoodvineyards.comTasting Daily 10-4:30KUNDE ESTATE WINERY 89825 Sonoma Hwy.707-833-5501, kunde.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30LANDMARK VINEYARDS 11101 Adobe Canyon Rd.,707-833-0218, landmarkwine.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30LEDSON WINERY & VINEYARDS 127335 Sonoma Hwy.,707-537-3810/ 800-539-2331ledson.com,Tasting Daily 10-5SL CELLARS 139380 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-5070slcellars.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5THE WINE ROOM 159575 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-6131the-wine-room.comTasting Mon-Thu 11-4, Fri-Sun 11-5VJB VINEYARDS & CELLARS 169077 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-2300,vjbcellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-5

GLEN ELLENARROWOOD VINEYARDS& WINERY 1814347 Sonoma Hwy., 707-935-2600, arrowoodvineyards.comTasting Daily 10-4:30, TAUDELSSA ESTATE WINERY 1913647 Arnold Dr.707-933-8514, audelssa.comTasting Fri-Mon11-5, TB. R. COHN WINERY 2015000 Sonoma Hwy.,707-931-7924, brcohn.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, TBENZIGER FAMILY WINERY 211883 London Ranch Rd.707-935-3000, benziger.comTasting Daily 10-5, TDEERFIELD RANCH WINERY 241310 Warm Springs Rd., 707-833-5215, deerfieldranch.com, AERIC ROSS WINERY 2514300 Arnold Dr., 707-939-8525,ericross.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5IMAGERY ESTATE WINERY 2814335 Hwy. 12, 707-935-4515imagerywinery.comTasting Sun-Thu 10-4:30, Fri-Sat 10-5LOXTON CELLARS 2911466 Dunbar Rd., 707-935-7221,loxtonwines.com, AVALLEY OF THE MOON WINERY30777 Madrone Rd., 707-939-4510,valleyofthemoonwinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-4:30WELLINGTON VINEYARDS 3111600 Dunbar Rd., 707-939-0708800-816-9463, wellingtonvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-4, T

SONOMABARTHOLOMEW PARK WINERY 341000 Vineyard Ln., 707-935-9511,store.bartpark.com, Tasting Daily 11-4:30BUENA VISTA WINERY 3518000 Old Winery Rd.707-938-1266/ 800-926-1266buenavistawinery.comTasting Daily 10-5, TCASTLE VINEYARDS & WINERY 36122 West Spain St., 707-996-1966,castlevineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5

NOT ON MAPS

MARIN COUNTYPACHECO RANCH WINERY235 Alameda del Prado, Novato,415-883-5583pachecoranchwinery.com, APOINT REYES VINEYARD INN12700 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station415-663-1011,ptreyesvineyardinn.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-5STEPHEN ZELLERBACHVINEYARD159 Glen Park Ave., San Rafael707-527-0172, AWINDSOR VINEYARDS72 Main St.,Tiburon800-214-9463,windsorvineyards.com, TastingSun, Mon-Thu 10-6, Fri-Sat 10-7

A = Tasting by AppointmentT = Tours

For ease of use, note thatthe color of the numbernext to each winery listingcorresponds to the mapwith a border of the samecolor.

Annapolis, Cloverdale,Geyserville, Healdsburg

Cazadero, Forestville,Guernville, Healdsburg,Santa Rosa, Sebastopol,Windsor

Kenwood, Glen Ellen,Sonoma, Petaluma

NORTH

CENTRAL

SOUTH

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uideSONOMA COUNTY

SOUTHCHARLES CREEK VINEYARD 37483 W. First St., 707-935-3848charlescreek.com, Tasting Daily 11-6CLINE CELLARS 3824737 Arnold Dr., 707-940-4000clinecellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, TCORNERSTONE PLACE 39(multiple winery tasting room)23570 Hwy. 121, 707-933-3010 cornerstoneplace.com, Tasting Daily 10-5FAVERO VINEYARDS 423939 Lovall Valley Rd., 707-935-3939. faverovineyards.com, ATGLORIA FERRER CHAMPAGNECAVES 4323555 Hwy. 121,707-996-7256gloriaferrer.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, TGUNDLACH-BUNDSCHUWINERY 442000 Denmark St., 707-938-5277gunbun.com, Tasting Daily 11-4:30HANZELL VINEYARDS 4518596 Lomita Ave., 707-996-3860800-393-4999, hanzell.com, AHOMEWOOD WINERY 4623120 Burndale Rd., 707-996-6353homewoodwinery.comTasting Daily 10-4LARSON FAMILY WINERY 4923355 Millerick Rd., 707-938-3031larsonfamilywinery.comTasting Daily 10-5MACROSTIE WINERY 5021481 E. 8th St., #25, 707-996-4480macrostiewinery.com, ATMOON MOUNTAIN VINEYARD511700 Moon Mountain Dr.707-996-5870, moonmountainvine-yard.com, ATMUSCARDINI CELLARS 52440A Fifth St.West, 707-833-0526muscardinicellars.comTasting Daily 11-6NICHOLSON RANCH WINERY534200 Napa Rd., 707-938-8822nicholsonranch.comTasting Daily 10-6PETRONI VINEYARDS 54990 Cavedale Rd., 707-935-8311,petronivineyards.com,ARAVENSWOOD WINERY 5518701 Gehricke Rd., 707-933-2332ravenswood-wine.com, Tasting Daily10-4:30ROBERT HUNTER WINERY 5615655 Arnold Dr., 707-996-3056roberthunterwinery.com,ATROBLEDO FAMILY WINERY 5721901 Bonness Rd., 707-939-6903robledofamilywinery.com, AROCHE WINERY 5828700 Arnold Dr., 707-935-7115800-825-9475, rochewinery.comTasting Daily 10-5SCHUG CARNEROS ESTATEWINERY 60602 Bonneau Rd.707-939-9363/ 800-966-9365schugwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5SEBASTIANI VINEYARDS &WINERY 61389 E. 4th St., 707-933-3230sebastiani.com, Tasting Daily 10-5SONOMA ENOTECA 62(multiple winery tasting room)35 E. Napa St.,707-935-1200sonoma-enoteca.comTasting Wed-Mon 11-6,Tue 3-6THE CELLAR DOOR 65(multiple winery tasting room)1395 Broadway, 707-938-4466sonomacellardoor.com, TastingMon,Thu-Sun 11-6,Tue-Wed 4-6VIANSA WINERY 6625200 Arnold Dr., 707-935-4700800-995-4740, viansa.com,Tasting Daily10-5, T

PETALUMAADOBE ROAD WINERY 671995 S. McDowell Blvd., 707-939-7967, adoberoadwines.com, AKELLER ESTATE 695875 Lakeville Hwy., 707-765-2117,kellerestate.com, A

SONOMA COUNTYSOUTH




ENZ WINERY 51781 Limekiln Rd., Hollister831-637-6443Tasting by Appt.

FLINT WINE CELLARS 613160 Cienega Road, Hollister831-636-8986Tasting by Appt.

CALERA WINE COMPANY 111300 Cienega Rd., Hollister831-637-9170calerawine.comTasting Daily 11-4:30

DEROSE VINEYARDS 39970 Cienega Road,Hollister831-636-9143derosewine.comTasting Sat-Sun 11-4

LEAL VINEYARDS 8300 Maranatha Way, Hollister831-636-1023lealvineyards.comTasting Daily 11-5

PESSAGNO WINERY 922704 Picador Dr., Salinas 831-675-9463 or 831.675.1922Tasting Fri-Sun, 11-5

PIETRA SANTA WINERY 1010034 Cienega Road,Hollister, 831-636-1991pietrasantawinery.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-5,Mon-Tue by Appt.

SUMMERAYNE VINEYARD 111781 Limekiln Rd., Hollister831-902-5638Tasting Sat-Sun 1-4

ZANGER VINEYARDS 12of Casa de Fruta10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy.,Hollister, 408-842-7282casadefruta.comTasting Mon-Thu 8-7:30,Fri-Sun 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Winery Guide


possible if it were not for the wonderful cli-mate here in the Lodi region, perfect forgrowing wine grapes,” he said.

Tom and Carmela Hoffman and hismother, Joanne, run the facility. He sayscustomers appreciate a personal connec-tion so he makes a point of providing thatto people.

Joanne Hoffman admits she hadambivalent feelings about the wineryopening because of the economy.

Distribution has been his biggest chal-lenge for this newcomer. Heritage Oaksarrived on the scene at a time when theretail market is flooded with little wineriesand the broader economy is in recession.Distributors have been reluctant to pick uphis products because many are having ahard time pushing the ones they alreadyhave.

“Fortunately, I have distribution local-ly in the Lodi and Stockton area and havea small distributorship working for me inColorado Springs but 92 percent of oursales are at the tasting room” he said.

Many customers including Elk Groveresident Ray Ashby can’t count how manytimes he has been to the winery. He says hewas a customer before Hoffman had winebottled and for sale.

“We first visited looking for the small

independent winemaker doing his ownthing, questioned whether a wine would begood when tasted in the barrel but recog-nized that Tom had ‘the taste’ to knowwhat it would develop into, so better gowith Tom’s palate,” Ashby said. “It justdoesn’t get any better than Heritage Oak.”

He offers a private picnic area by theriver in which visitors can bring their ownfood or buy their picnic lunch for $15which includes cheese and crackers, sala-mi, and an apple. Locals and visitors canenjoy intimate events, concerts, art shows,and exhibitions throughout the year. Hetries to plan an event every month whetherit is showcasing art or having a local liveband. Tamara Little will perform onSaturday, March 19.

In April he holds a “Zin Spin” inwhich local bicycling clubs tour the winer-ies, on Mother’s Day there will be a picnicand concert, Father’s Day the winery willhave an art fair and on July 4, it will holdanother picnic and concert. Starting in Juneand running until August it will also have“Stress Therapy” every other Friday night.Customers can watch the sunset, drink andeat desert while the flocks of humming-birds fly above their heads.

For more information about the win-ery or the events it holds visit heritageoak-winery.com or call (209) 986-2763.

Lodi’s Heritage Oak WineryContinued from Page 33

know as the Ruta del Vino, winds arounduntil you reach the quaint little town of San

Antonio de las Minas. There are a fewrestaurants and a wine bar here. This winecountry is very well marked with signpostsalerting you to wineries, lodging and food.We drove up to Mogor Badan only to findit closed. The grounds were lovely and thevines looked beautiful against a gray sky.They produce approximately 550 cases ofwine a year, offering Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc andChasselas.

We found very few wineries wereopen two days prior to Christmas, but L.A.Cetto was one of them and we headed up adriveway we thought would never end.Under ideal conditions it wouldn’t havebeen a big deal, but keep in mind heavyrains had just subsided a few days earlier.The dirt road had turned into mud and pot-holes. My guess is we only drove about ahalf a mile, but it seemed like 100! Wewere relieved to find the winery indeedopen and quite busy.

L.A. Cetto was established in 1928and is one of the oldest and largest wineriesin the area. Marianna greeted us andoffered us several different wines to taste aswell as some fresh bread with their estate

olive oil. We had a few whites, Chardonnayand Fumé Blanc, their Cabernet SauvignonRosé called Primavera (Spanish for spring)as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon and aZinfandel. Their flagship Petite Sirah wassold out. We enjoyed the wines, theChardonnay in particular as well as ourconversation with Marianna and we wereimpressed by the spacious tasting room.

We were starting to get hungry and Ihad noticed El Meson de Mustafa earlier inthe day. When I lived in Mexico, I ate thereevery chance I had. Owner Mustafa Ali is agracious host and remembered me after notseeing me for eight years. The food wasevery bit as delicious as I remembered it.Laura had their signature chicken dishwhile I enjoyed lamb. When I tell you thisis where you’ll find the worlds best applepie, you may raise an eyebrow as my wifedid. One bite convinced her I was speakingthe truth.

When I visited the valley in the past,one of my favorite people was EduardoLiceaga, founder and owner of Viña deLiceaga. Señor Liceaga passed away aboutthree years ago, but we had a wonderfulvisit with his widow Myrna and their son

Rafael. The tasting room at Liceaga openedshortly after Eduardo’s death. Rafael toldme he would take pictures to the hospital sohis dad could see how the work was pro-gressing. It is an absolutely gorgeous space,tasteful with thoughtful touches every-where. We enjoyed seven of their wines aswell as two Grappas. Their Chenin Blanc,“L” Syrah/Merlot blend and Merlot wereall exceptional.

Even though we were only able tovisit two wineries, we had a great time. Ihighly recommend a visit to this charmingwine region. We’re making plans now toattend the 21st Fiesta de la Vendimia thiscoming August.

Tasting Wine South of the Border


Top: The entrance to L.A. Cetto, one of theoldest and largest wineries in the area.

(Tom Plant)Bottom: L.A. Cetto’s warm and welcomingtasting room. (Tom Plant)

An array of Vina de Liceaga’s offerings.(Tom Plant)

Visit our website for all the latest wine country guides. www.vinetimesonline.com

Vine Times publishes an editorial calendar listing the subject of emphasis for each issueand regional stories planned for each issue.Subject to change.

Amador Vintners............................................39

Anderson Valley Alsace Festival................15

B & E Vineyards ..............................................21

Berardo Winery ............................................21

Burrell School..................................................39

Cantara Cellars ..............................................29

Castoro Cellars..............................................21

Chouinard Vineyards ....................................11

Cooper-Garrod..............................................26

Crooked Vine..................................................11

Cuda Ridge ......................................................11

Fenestra Winery ............................................11

Grey Wolf Cellars..........................................21

Guglielmo Winery ........................................13

Hunt Cellars ....................................................21

Hunter Hill ......................................................39

J. Lohr ............................................................2, 19

Livermore Group..........................................11

Les Chenes Estate Vineyards ....................11

Loma Prieta Winery ....................................39

Miraflores..........................................................27

Mitchell Katz....................................................11

Oak Shadow Cottage..................................21

Orfila Vineyards ..............................................13

Paso Robles Group ....................................21

Peachy Canyon Winery........................21, 40

Poetic Cellars ..................................................39

River Road Wine Trail ..................................15

Sandrew Montgomery ................................26

Summit to Sea ................................................39

Thornton Winery..........................................27

Via Vega..............................................................21

Vine Hill ............................................................39

INDEX TOADVERTISERS

April / MayDestination: Mendocino

Discover: Los Gatos

June / JulyDestination: Santa Barbara/Ojai

Discover: San Francisco

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HOUSLEY’S CENTURY 13OAK WINERY22211 N. Lower Sacramento Rd.,Acampo, 209-334-3482centuryoakwinery.comTasting Sat 12-4, or by Appt.JESSIE’S GROVE WINERY1973 W.Turner Rd., Lodi 14209-368-0880, jgwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5LANGETWINS WINERY161525 E. Jahant Rd.,Acampo209-334-9780, langetwins.comTasting by Appt.THE LUCAS WINERY 1718196 N. Davis Road, Lodi209-368-2006, lucaswinery.comTasting Thu-Sun 12-4:30/Tours byAppt.M2 WINES 181376 East Turner Rd,. Ste. D,Lodi, 888-757-9463m2wines.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.MACCHIA 197099 E. Peltier Rd,Acampo209-333-2600macchiawines.comTasting Thu-Mon 11-5MCCONNELL ESTATE 2010686 W. Stockton Blvd,Elk Grove, 916-685-5368mcconnellestates.comTasting Fri-Sun 11-5MICHAEL DAVID WINERY4580 W. Highway 12, Lodi 21209-368-7384lodivineyards.comTasting Daily 10-5OAK RIDGE WINERY 226100 E. Highway 12, Lodi209-369-4758oakridgewinery.comGift Cottage Daily 10-5 or byAppt.OMEGA CELLARS 2313731 N. Highway 88, Lodi209-367-1910omega-cellars.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5PEIRANO ESTATE 24VINEYARDS21831 N. Highway 99,Acampo209-369-9463, peirano.comTasting Wed-Sun 11-4:30RIPKEN VINEYARDS & 25WINERY2472 West Sargent Rd, Lodi209-367-WINE (9463)ripkenwine.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-4/ToursSIQUEIRA WINE COMPANY220 S. Cluff Ave., Lodi 26209-403-9200 or 800-769-8491siqueirawine.comTasting by Appt.SPENKER WINERY 2717303 N. DeVries Rd., Lodi209-367-0467Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4By Appt. January-April

LODI WINE & VISITOR 1CENTER2545 W.Turner Rd., Lodi209-365-0621, lodiwine.comTasting Daily 10-5ABUNDANCE VINEYARDS 221482 N. Ray Rd., Lodi209-334-0274abundancevineyards.comTasting by Appt.BERGHOLD VINEYARDS 317343 N. Cherry Rd., Lodi209-333-929 bergholdvineyards.comTasting Thu-Sun 11-5, & by Appt.BORRA VINEYARDS & 4WINERY1301 E.Armstrong Rd., Lodi209-368-2446, borrawinery.comTasting Daily 12-5CELLAR DOOR 521 N. School St., Lodi209-339-4394 lodicellardoor.comTasting Tue- Wed 12-6,Thu-Sat 12-9, Sun 12-5COSENTINO WINERY3750 East Woodbridge Rd., 6Acampo, 209-333-8014cosentinowinery.com/cvcTasting Daily 10-5:30

d’Art Wines 713299 N. Curry Ave., Lodi209-334-9946, dartwines.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5DELICATO VINEYARDS & CLAY STATION WINES12001 S. Hwy. 99, Manteca209-824-3501,claystationwine.comTasting Daily 9-5:30E2 FAMILY WINERY 99009 W. Highway 12, Lodi209-334-5911, e2familywinery.comTasting by Appt.GNEKOW FAMILYWINERY17347 East Gawne Rd.Collegeville, 209-463-0697,888-446-3569, gnekowwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5GRANDS AMIS WINERY 10115 N. School St., Ste. 5, Lodi209-369-6805, grandsamis.comTasting Fri-Sun 1-5, or by Appt.HARMONY WYNELANDS 119291 E. Harney Ln., Lodi209-369-4184harmonywynelands.comTasting Mon-Sat 11-5:30Sunday/Holidays 12:30-5HERITAGE OAK WINERY10112 E.Woodbridge Rd, 12Acampo, 209-986-2763heritageoakwinery.comTasting Mon-Fri 2-5pm,Sat 12-6, Sun 1-4

ST.AMANT WINERY 281 Winemaster Way, Lodi209-367-0646stamantwine.comTasting by Appt.VAN RUITEN FAMILY 29WINERY340 W. Highway 12, Lodi209-334-5722, vrwinery.comTasting Daily 11-5VINO CON BRIO 30AT AMOROSA VINEYARDS7889 East Harney Ln, Lodi209-369-5392, 888-410-VINOvinoconbrio.comTasting Thu-Mon 12-5 or by Appt.

VINO PIAZZA 32-3812470 Locke Road, Lockeford(Wineries 32-38 are all in Vino Piazza)

BOITANO FAMILY WINES209-727-3270 32boitanofamilywines.comTasting Sat-Sun 12-5LA VIDA DULCE WINERY209-727-3966 33lavidadulce.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5MOKELUMNE OAKVINTNERS209-339-3754 34mokelumneoakvintners.comTasting Fri-Sun 12-5OLDE LOCKEFORD WINERY209-727-9770 35vinopiazza.com/oldelockefordTasting Daily 11-5PASOS VINEYARDS 36559-978-0523 or 209-727-3153pasoswinery.comTasting Fri-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-5STAMA WINERY 37209-727-3314 or 408-464-6923stamawinery.comTasting Mon,Wed,Thu 11-5 Fri-Sun 11-6WATTS WINERY 38209-329-1569, wattswinery.comTasting Fri-Mon 12-5

WOODBRIDGE BY 31ROBERT MONDAVI5950 E.Woodbridge Rd,Acampo, 209-365-8139woodbridgewines.comTasting Daily 10:30-4:30Tours Daily 9:30 & 1:30

Winery Guide

Be the first to know what is happeningon the Summit to Sea Wine Trail and all overthe Santa Cruz Mountains with a brand newiPhone app that guides you around the SantaCruz Mountains wine AVA: it has a specialfocus on the Summit to Sea wine trail and allthe events and special offers participatingwineries will be creating every month.Included in the SC Mountains App are localrestaurants, events, lodging and activities tokeep you busy after a day or two of winetasting. It is called the Santa Cruz WineriesApp for i Phone. It’s free, so go to the iTuneswebsite and download it today!

Connecting to this app will keep you intouch with all the great events the Summit toSea wineries are hosting with local artisanfood products made from locally sourcedingredients that naturally pair well with localwines. Take a taste of local jams and chut-neys by Tabitha at Burrell School and PoeticCellars, along with Dave’s excellent EstateSyrah and Katy’s delicious Mourvedre.Enjoy a taste of Pinotage at Loma Prieta, theonly winery in the mountains to offer thisintriguing off-the-path wine, and taste thenew Pinot-Syrah blend from Vine Hill,which will be excellent with charcuterie.

In February, it’s all about Reds: goodfor your heart, good for sweetheart. Eachwinery in the Summit to Sea Wine Trail willfeature chocolate and amour-friendly redwines, including Burrell School’s cherry-espresso estate Merlot, and Loma Prieta’smocha smooth Cabernet. Hunter Hill’sSyrah rosé is elegant in the glass, and the oldvine Zinfandel will please your mainsqueeze. Poetic Cellars appeals to romanticswith special Valentine labels. WinemakerKaty Lovell’s well-versed “Ballad”Bordeaux blend is the perfect way to say “Ilove you.” Handmade port-infused trufflesprovide the underscore.

March brings Pinot Paradise, the annu-al celebration of all things Santa CruzMountains Pinot. Pinot Pathways, Saturday,March 26, invites you to delve into wine cel-lars for verticals and library treasures. OnSunday, March 27, indulge in pinots from allover the region, paired with gourmet foodfrom the finest local restaurants. Enjoy thevery limited estate Hunter Hill Pinot, side byside with Burrell School’s blockbuster estate“Principal’s Choice,” Poetic’s new Pinotfrom the Best of State award-winning Reganvineyard, and Vine Hill’s pinot-heavy collec-tion from local vineyard gems. This truly isPinot Paradise!

For tickets to Passport or PinotParadise, go to www.scmwa.com


New iphoneApp for

Santa CruzMountains AVA

With a Special Focus on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail



Chow Bella Compiled By Victoria Buonocore

Eat This With... By Lisa J. Pretty

WINE COUNTRY RECIPIES & PAIRINGS

Eat Garlic Stuffed Pork Roast with SyrahThe Syrah grape originated in the Rhône region of France. In Northern Rhône it is typ-

ically the main grape used in wine production while in Southern Rhône it is often found inblends. Australians produce a very fruit forward wine from the grape and there it is knownas Shiraz. American producers may use either name but it is indeed the same grape. Syrahbecame very popular in the early 2000s when it made its way to be one of the top 10 vari-eties planted worldwide. The dark grape with concentrated flavors and high tannins can bea very good wine for aging, or depending on how it is made can be very fruity and meantto be consumed young. In any case, the one thing you can count on is that the wine will beloaded with flavor.

There are some incredible Syrah producers spread throughout California. The winestend to be dark, have loads of berry flavors, a fleshy fruit on the mid-palate and a little pep-per or tobacco on the finish. I think Karen MacNeil’s description of Syrah in the Wine Bibleis perfect for describing this wonderful wine “Syrah reminds me of the kind of guy whowears cowboy boots with a tuxedo. Rustic, manly, and yet elegant – that’s Syrah.”

I often pair Syrah with spicy food or grilled meats and vegetables. You don’t want tooverpower the food so you need something that will hold up to the bold Syrah flavors. Atthis time of year I am still more into cooking indoors and for the lean protein and price pointyou can’t beat a nice pork roast. One of my favorite ways to serve pork roast is stuffed withgarlic and rubbed with herbs – needless to say that is my recipe choice to go with a nice bot-tle of Syrah. Garlic and Syrah – a flavor combination sure to get the “wow” response.

Garlic StuffedPork Roast Recipe4-5 pound pork loin roast5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced1/2 cup dry white wine1/4 cup olive oil1/2 cup apple juice1 tablespoon dried rosemary1/2 tablespoon dried thymeSalt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.Using a sharp knife make small incisions all around the roast. Insert garlic slices into

incisions and then place pork in roasting pan. Pour wine, apple juice and olive oil over theroast so that the bottom of the pan is covered in liquid (approximately one half to one inchdeep). Rub the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper on the roast and then place pan in pre-heat-ed oven. Baste roast with liquids after one half hour of roasting and again fifteen minuteslater. Remove roast from oven when a meat thermometer indicates an internal temperatureof 155ºF (approximately one to one and one half hours). Let roast rest for 10 minutes beforecarving – roast will increase in temperature to 160ºF while resting.

SyrahLisa’s Favorite: 2006 La Crema Syrah “A Syrah with aromas that are rich in black-

berry, cocoa and pepper. Flavors continue with blueberry, cassis, black licorice and hints ofsmoke leading to a plush middle and broad sturdy finish.” Retail $25, lacrema.com

Paso Pick: 2007 Calcareous Reserve Syrah “Upon opening up, the nose is filled withplum and lavender. The upfront fruit is surprisingly light and fresh, quickly building into aweighty mid-palate of blackberry, then ending with a lengthy soft finish.” Retail $42, cal-careous.com

Value Pick: 2007 Robert Hall Syrah “An inviting, well-balanced wine, the 2007Syrah expresses aromas of blackberry, chocolate and caramel with a touch of smoky, san-dalwood spice.” With 90+ point ratings and a few gold medals, this wine is a bargain offeredat retail for $18, roberthallwinery.com

Wine Country Onion SoupFrolicking Frog, 14490 San Miguel Road, Atascadero, CA 93422, (805) 466-0779,www.frolickingfrogwine.com (Tasting by appointment)Ingredients:

Method: In large sauce pan, on medium/low heat, place oil & butter - stirring consistentlyuntil the butter has melted - do not burn butter. Add onions. Saute’ onions until translucent-about 3 minutes. Add garlic & herb mix. Do not burn garlic! Sauté’ additional minute. Addflour & mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients. Return mixture to a slight boil for aboutone minute. Reduce heat to simmer - About 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.To Serve: Place toasted bread in bottom of individual large, shallow bowls. Add soup andsprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with fresh spinach salad, assorted cheese plat-ter & red wine. Yummy for your tummy!

ZinMan Steak SaladPerry Creek Winery, P.O. Box 350, 7400 Perry Creek Rd. Fair Play, CA 95684, (530)620-5175, www.perrycreek.comIngredients:

Method: Combine wine, garlic, olive oil & salt and pepper. Marinade steak in mixtureovernight. Grill steak along with mushrooms, red onions and peppers. Slice grilled meatand vegetables and serve over salad greens with your favorite dressing.

Grilled Halibut Huber Cellars & Vineyard, 4892 Hapgood Road, LompocCA 93436, (805) 736-3854, www.HuberCellars.com, TastingRoom hours: Fri.-Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m and by appointmentRecipe by Karen Kopczak and Norman and Traudl Huber. Pairswith Huber Estate Chardonnay.

Ingredients:

Method: Whisk together the wine, lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary in a small shallowbaking dish. Add the halibut and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turn-ing once. Preheat grill. Remove fish from marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste.Grill the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness.

Dark Chocolate Orange Bars Fenestra Winery, 83 Vallecitos Road (Formerly CA Hwy 84), Livermore, CA 94550, (925)447-5246, www.fenestrawinery.com, Tasting Room Open Fri., Sat., and Sun. 12-5 p.m.Recipe By Fenestra’s own Marla James & Jan Bachman. Makes 24 squares.Ingredients:

Method: Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave or over hot water. Stir to com-bine and add sugar. Beat eggs slightly with orange juice; add to chocolate. Add vanilla andorange zest. Add flour, mixing well.Pour into greased 7 x 11-inch baking pan and bake in a 350° preheated oven for 30 minutes.Cool. Prepare topping: Melt chocolate and butter together and add orange juice. Spread even-ly over cooked cake. Allow topping to harden before cutting into small squares.Note: When you cut this chocolate confection into 24 squares, individual cubes are verysmall, just large enough to give you a taste of the delicious richness. The chocolate squaresgo well with Fenestra’s Rhone varietals.

1 large sweet onion – diced3 gloves garlic-smashed & finely chopped3 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon butter1 bay leaf1/4 teaspoon non-salt multi-purpose seasoning1 tablespoon flour

Salt & pepper to taste2 tablespoons Herb Mixture32 oz. low sodium/low fat beef broth2 cups red wine (Cabernet or Zinfandel)Sliced and toasted sour dough breadGrated/shredded parmesan cheeseLarge soup/sauce pan

1 pound boneless steak1 cup of ZinMan Zinfandel2 clove garlic minced2 tablespoons olive oilSalt & pepper1/2 pound large mushrooms

1 large red onion thick slices1 bag of salad greensBell peppers-combine red, orange, greenpeppersYour favorite dressing

3 tablespoons dry white wine3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped rosemaryFour halibut steaks, (6 ounces each)Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate1/2 cup butter1-1/2 cups sugar3 large eggs1/4 cup orange juice1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon grated orange zest1 cup flourTopping:3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate2 tablespoons butter1 teaspoon orange juice

THE VINTNERS OF AMADOR COUNTY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND

MARCH

5&62 O11

$5O WEEKEND PASS

$35 SUNDAY ONLY PASS

$15 DESIGNATED DRIVERS

$85 CELLAR FEAST ATANDIS WINERY

$110 ULTIMATEWEEKEND PASS

ZINFANDEL FOCUSED SEMINARS ZIN FRIENDLY FARE

DEMONSTRATIONS AND BARREL SAMPLES

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT AMADOR WINE.COM UNTIL MARCH 1OR DURING THE EVENT AT PARTICIPATING WINERIES FOR $5 ADDITIONAL

34 PARTICIPATING WINERIES 35 MILES EAST OF SACRAMENTO

AMADORWINE.COM (888) 655-8614

Stop by our Tasting Room during the Paso Robles Zin Fest Weekend, March 18-20,

and enjoy over a dozen current and future Zinfandel releases.

If you love zin as much as we love making it you won’t want to miss this opportunity.

Open 7 Days a Week11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major holidays

1480 N. Bethel Road, Templeton, CA 93465Call us to schedule your special event or wedding

on our beautiful grounds.

www.peachycanyon.com805/239.1918 or 866/335.1918

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feb/march vine times

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