19 Wines to Try from 6 Wineries

The terroir, the people, the awards and more make these wines worth your taste.
BY TOURING & TASTING

Seghesio Family Vineyards

What to Buy:
'13 Sonoma Zinfandel, Sonoma County - $24
Spicy, briar fruit, raspberries

'12 Chianti Station, Alexander Valley - $100
Spiced red fruit, currant, tones of dusty earth, licorice, cloves, orange zest

'12 Home Ranch, Alexander Valley - $58
Blackberries, raspberries, bramble fruit, graham crust

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10-5

When Prohibition dealt its heavy blow, Edoardo Seghesio and his wife Angela managed to keep their business afloat. In 1933, when Prohibition was repealed, Seghesio was one of approximately 100 wineries in the United States to have survived. Between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, under the direction of the family winery’s second and third generations, Seghesio became a key supplier of grapes and bulk wine from Sonoma County. At one point, Seghesio was responsible for crushing half of the county’s red winegrapes. Over the past 120 years, the Seghesio family has acquired, planted, and farmed 300 acres of prime vineyards in Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley. Although each vineyard is exceptional in its own way, the sentimental favorite remains Home Ranch Vineyard, where the story of Seghesio Family Vineyards began. Each vintage of Seghesio Home Ranch Zinfandel is made with a core of Edoardo’s original planting, so the wine is literally 120 years in the making. It is a true expression of Alexander Valley’s warm climate, with dense flavors of dark berries, earth, and spice.
www.seghesio.com

Cache Creek Vineyards

What to Buy:
'13 Chardonnay - $30
Golden Delicious apple, sweet honeysuckle, nectarine

'10 Cabernet Sauvignon - $30
Leather, tobacco, caramel

'07 Petite Sirah - $30
Rich berries, vanilla

'14 Rosé of Cabernet - $18
Watermelon, bright strawberries

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10:30-5:30

The vineyard was planted in 1999 by Bill “Poppo” Van Pelt, who was greeted by a herd of tule elk when he first set foot on the land. He fell in love with the majestic creatures and made it his mission to preserve the land, by planting various grasses for them to feed on and creating several ponds for them to drink from. Cache Creek hired veteran Lake County Winemaker Derek Holstein in 2005. Since then, annual production has grown to about 4,000 cases of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah. In 2014 alone, several of the wines won Gold medals at the American Fine Wine, San Francisco Chronicle, Orange County Fair, and the Riverside International Wine Competitions.
www.cachecreekvineyards.com

Klinker Brick Winery

What to Buy:
'12 Farrah Syrah - $20
Dark fruit, pepper, plum, chocolate, tobacco, exotic spices

'12 Old Vine Zinfandel - $19
Wild strawberry, Satsuma plum, cedar, black cherry, vanilla

'12 Old Ghost Old Vine Zinfandel - $37
Mocha, brambleberry, exotic spice, dark fruit

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 11-5

Fifth generation grape growers Steve and Lori Felten are often asked why they gave their winery the unusual name of Klinker Brick. They are denser and heavier in weight than regular bricks. A rich, deep color, enormous density, and other unique characteristics also help describe the winery’s exceptional lineup of red wines like the Old Vine Zinfandel and Farrah Syrah. The Feltens’ vineyards are primarily Old Vine Zinfandel, managed in 17 individual vineyard blocks of vines ranging from 40 to 120 years old. The vines are mostly head trained and some dry farmed, yielding an average of 2.0 to 3.5 tons per acre. Some of the oldest vineyards have yields as small as one quarter ton per acre. While there are significant limitations in the quantity of grapes produced, the quality of fruit is exceptional.
www.klinkerbrick.com

Calcareous Vineyard

What to Buy:
'14 Lily Blanc - $32
Melon, spring flowers, mild French oak

'12 Très Violet - $48
Blackberries, mocha, leather, graphite, tobacco

'12 Lloyd of Calcareous - $50
Earthy spice, currant, blackberries, dark red fruit

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 11-5

The vines, planted on a steep hilltop at an elevation of 2,000 feet, are exposed to long, hot days and cool, brisk nights—creating optimal growing conditions for a range of wine grapes. The winery was founded in 2000 by Lloyd Messer and his daughter, Dana Brown, with the vision of growing Rhône, Bordeaux, and Burgundian winegrapes side-by-side in their singular vineyard site. Since Lloyd’s passing in 2006, Dana and the team at Calcareous have continued this quest—and, from the scores and accolades they consistently receive, they have certainly succeeded. In fact, five current releases have been given scoresof 90 or more by Wine Spectator: 92 points for the Très Violet; 91 points for the 2012 vintages of Grenache, Moose, and Syrah; and 90 points for the 2011 Lloyd of Calcareous. Calcareous now has two additional vineyards: Carver Vineyard, in the far west York Mountain AVA, and Kate’s Vineyard, located not far from the Calcareous tasting room.
www.calcareous.com

Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery

What to Buy:
'14 WHITE4 - $16
Guava, green apple, citrus

'12 Petite Sirah - $29
Black cherry, vanilla, mocha, meaty tannins

'11 Suendero - $54
Boysenberries, licorice, mocha spice, structured tannins

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10–5, 10–6 in summer

From the first harvest in 2000, Vina Robles has created ultra-premium wines from its estate vineyards to distribute worldwide. To this day, the winery remains family-owned and -operated and strongly dedicated to its European heritage. The grapes are grown and harvested from five estate vineyards. The wines exhibit the bold, natural flavors the world has come to expect from Paso Robles along with the finesse associated with wines made in Europe. Vina Robles wines are crafted in a food-friendly, balanced, and elegant style. Visitors are also encouraged to experience how well Vina Robles wines pair with food firsthand in a privately hosted seated tasting. There are several food pairing adventures to choose from, including a flight of six special release wines paired with artisan cheeses, a selection of Estate and special release red wines paired with locally made artisan Mama Ganache chocolates, and an enlightening pairing of special selection white wines with Mama Ganache chocolates. For the more adventurous, there’s also a pairing with a charcuterie plate, offering a tempting array of cheeses, cured meats, almonds, olives, and bread with olive oil for dipping.
www.vinarobles.com

Maryhill Winery

What to Buy:
'12 Proprietor's Reserve Grenache - $32
Hints of smoke, black pepper, white pepper, black cherry

'11 Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel - $36
Notes of dried plum, ripe berry

'14 Viognier - $18
Honeydew, macadamia nut, grilled pear

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10–6

Since its founding in 2001, family-owned Maryhill Winery has won more than 2,500 awards including the San Francisco International Wine Competition’s 2014 Winery of the Year, the Indy International Wine Competition’s 2013 Winemaker of the Year, Wine Press Northwest’s 2009 Washington Winery of the Year, and Seattle Magazine’s Best Destination Winery. Through the years, Maryhill has built a stunning portfolio of more than 50 wines of exceptional quality and surprisingly affordable price points. Under the direction of Winemaker Richard Batchelor, who has fostered relationships with some of Washington State’s most highly regarded growers in eight separate AVAs, the portfolio features many rare and unusual varietals, as well as award-winning classics, including a standout Single Vineyard Series collection for wine club members. "The diversity of the unique terroir found in the Columbia Valley is simply amazing and we want to showcase this," says owner Craig Leuthold. "In addition, the introduction of our Vineyard Series wines offers our wine club members access to small lot, vineyard designated wines from most of the major AVAs in the state. This series provides the opportunity to taste wines made from some of the Columbia Valley’s finest vineyards."
www.maryhillwinery.com