Bill Frick and Judith Gannon started this winery in 1976 with the proceeds from the sale of their 1957 Chevrolet. In the small, cool winery, hidden away on a back road, Bill Frick hand crafts complex, rare wines that reflect the true character of the grape.
We stumbled in here after hitting up a winery or five, and I'm so glad we did. While we waited for our table, we went next door to the tasting room where the staff was casual and personable. Fun fact - if you are dining at Farmstead, they give you discounted wine tastings!
Inside the restaurant, it has a classic yet modern farmhouse feel, decorated with aged wood planks on the walls and mason jars filled with fresh flowers. Our waiter was helpful and knowledgeable
Cesare and Rosa Mondavi moved to the Napa Valley and purchased the Charles Krug Winery in 1943. Winemaking was an important part of their Italian heritage and together with their sons Robert and Peter, they created CK Mondavi – a line of wines offering both tremendous quality and value. CK Mondavi began with a vision and commitment to produce high quality wines worthy of gracing the tables of families across America. Seventy years later, this vision continues.
Winemaking traditions often begin around the table. Brutocao Cellars’ roots go back four generations to a Venice, Italy dinner table. When the Brutocao family came to the New World and married into the Bliss family of farmers, it was only natural that they would combine their passions and become grape growers and winemakers.
Today, the family still blends their Italian heritage with their rural agricultural lifestyle to make some of California's finest wines. Brutocao Cellars has tasting rooms in Sonoma and Hopland as well.
Nothing was extremely stand out here, and the room is very small. However, I was intrigued by the Howlin' Good Red and the donation they give to Monterrey County SPCA, so we stopped by and gave it a whirl. Caught them right before closing and had a nice tasting session. It is a pick and choose list if I remember correctly, and the ones I picked were very good but maybe priced a little too high. The Howlin' Good Red was a very good, upper middle of the road red blend, that I enjoyed enough to get a bottle.
Miro Tcholakov was born and raised in Northern Bulgaria, a region with many millennia of winemaking history. He was exposed to wine and wine making at a very early age from his grandfather who taught him how to make wine in the old tradition that had been tested through generations.
Their grounds and their horses are beautiful. They have a lovely outdoor area with a couple of picnic tables that you can sit out under the big shade trees and enjoy a glass of wine. They have 3 places to taste Complete with a TV behind the bar. -a small tasting room adjacent to their lawn area -outdoor bar in the lawn area But once you've tasted a few times, you'll do what we do... Just buy a bottle or two or three, take it out to one of their many picnic tables on the lawn and enjoy. Unless they are having a special event, they're usually fine guests bringing a picnic basket of food. In the summers, they usually have live bands on Friday and Saturday nights, which provides hours of entertainment. This place is great if you're looking for a casual, relaxing place to enjoy some great wine. I highly recommend their white merlot, muscat and tempranillo! Another great choice for Temecula Wine Country wine tasting - hoe to see you at Longshadow Ranch Winery one day soon!
Normal Operating Hours
Mon ~ Fri 11am – 5pm
Sat 10am – 5pm
Sun 10am - 5pm
Wine Tastings - $18 each
Includes six premium wines. Prices subject to change.
One of the best cult wineries in Napa, and by far from a price to quality ratio, no one compares. Only a three person operation making some of the best wine in Napa. Liparita was one of Napa Valley’s most decorated of the ghost wineries, with a rich heritage dating back over a century. These infamous wineries of the bygone era were the pioneers of the great Napa wines of today.
Had a great time! Russel was a lot of fun and gave us some great info and was really accommodating. Really enjoyed our time. The wine itself was great as well, for $5 (which can go toward purchasing wine if you choose) there were about 6-7 wines. A good variety as well. We even stayed after the tasting to enjoy a bottle of wine from Arroyo Robles right away. They are also open later than some of the other tasting rooms, which is a plus! Russell also gave us some great advice on where to go next.
Michael Pozzan Winery is owned and operated by Michael and Mary Ann Pozzan, both natives of California. Michael was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but spent his summer months with his grandparents on their 35 acre vineyard estate in Sonoma County. Michael's grandfather purchased the land after WWII and planted Zinfandel grapes, which he sold to local wineries. He always made sure that he retained a portion of the grapes to make his own wine. With roots extending to Piedmont, Italy, Michael's family has been in the wine business since the mid 1800s, and still owns the original property that Michael's great grandfather planted over100 years ago.
