Gold Hill Vineyard was founded in 1980 by Hank Battjes. Hank worked for 27 years as an electrical engineer at GTE. During those years, Hank increased his knowledge of home wine making, applying it to his hobby and passion. Pursuing his dream he searched for suitable land and when a friend, Bruce, suggested 5 acres of vineyard on an 80 acre parcel near Coloma, California, he bought it.
Recently named **Top Urban Winery by San Diego Magazine**, Gianni Buonomo Vintners continues to gain attention by earning gold and double-gold medals in competitions from coast-to-coast.
Located on Point Loma in the coastal community of Ocean Beach, the winery and tasting room is located just two blocks from the beach.It’s an exciting destination for both locals and tourists alike.Grapes are sourced from some of Washington’s top vineyards (Rattlesnake Hills AVA) for the **Gianni Buonomo label**.Grapes for the **Gianni California label** are sourced from California’s Sierra Foothills AVA both from El Dorado and Amador Counties.
Leon and Shirley founded Shenandoah Vineyard in 1977. They were one of the first four wineries in Amador County's now well known Shenandoah Valley appellation. From the first offering of 1,200 cases, the winery has continued to thrive, adjusting the portfolio of wines over the years. It is now producing about 25,000 cases per year. Taste the reserve reds for $5 and get to keep the glass. This Vineyard seems to be the last stop, we watched the sunset come down over the Vineyards as they were closing, simply beautiful. Organic wines and passionate wine makers. sting the portfolio of wines over the years. It is now producing about 25,000 cases per year. Demand continues to grow as a result of skilled winemaking, marketing, and strong family commitments to quality and service. Taste the reserve reds for $5 and get to keep the glass. This Vineyard seems to be the last stop every time were in Amador County. We watched the sunset come down over the Vineyards as they were closing, simply beautiful.
IL CUORE (eel-quarry) means "The Heart" in Italian. The name is a tribute to the Italian immigrants who first planted the North Coast of California to vine in the late nineteenth century.
After nearly 25 years of managing some 2,000 acres of premium grapes, Jonathan and Cathy thought they might try their hand at making a little wine. They enjoyed working together, and knew they had some great fruit coming from these vineyards, so in 2000, they made a small amount of Zinfandel. Still not sure how good they had done, they sampled the wine with winemakers and others in the industry, and received such favorable feedback they decided to move forward. In January 2002 they started their own winery.
Some would say "Bella Luna Winery" started some 38 or so years ago in the hearts and minds of its founders, Kevin Healey and Sherman Smoot. Kevin just returned from honorably serving his country in Viet Nam and Sherm was training as a Navy fighter pilot preparing to go to Viet Nam. Having grown up together as best friends in the Paso Robles AVA, both developed a real passion for wine.
THE GRAZIANO FAMILY OF WINES HOPLAND TASTING ROOM. The tasting room is much smaller and more intimate than most found in the more commercial areas of California’s wine country, but in it are served as many as thirty premium wines under four distinct labels: Saint Gregory for Pinots, Monte Volpe for central and southern Italy and the Friuli region in the northeast, Enotria, specializing in the heritage of the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, and Graziano, which produces the heritage grapes of Mendocino, many of which are from head-pruned, Old Vine vineyards. All wines here are always open for sampling and there is never a tasting fee. In addition to an amazing array of hand-crafted artisan white, rose and red wines
Over the years, Papagni has become a very diversified company bent on producing the finest grapes possible for the winemaker, and the consumer. While they guarantee that excellent wine can be produced from their grapes, and fresh grape juice, because for eighty years, their customers, and our own family have been doing just that: making exceptionally complex, quality wines using our grapes.Some of the oldest continuous wineries in the state of California. The Papagni family tradition of growing grapes for winemaking reaches back to Bari, Italy. Family members have passed down the art of grape growing from generation to generation.
The Papagni family have extended the grape growing traditions that started in Italy, to central California in 1912 and now to Madera, California.
The Papagni family dreamed of fine wines made from the San Joaquin Valley so they planted premium grape varieties, combining carefully monitored vineyards with the most modern technical advances in cultivation and irrigation with the ancient traditions that yield the finest of premium wines. Red, white, port and dessert wines.
These tasty little wines were introduced nationally in 2008 from California’s Central Coast and represented a finely crafted, fruit-forward, indulgent and eminently approachable style of wine. The inaugural release included Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then, Adam has used his experience and relationships around the world to add seven international wines to the lineup. http://underdogwinemerchants.com/
Karmere is a good gateway winery. It has the light, fruity champagnes almond, raspberry and regular. They offer a wide range of Zinfandels and other reds here too. The wines are named after the females members of the family. Could the the place for a wedding or special occasion, beautifully designed for events. Spent quite awhile there, tasting at the counter and barrel-tasting as well.
