You’d be wise to bring comfortable footwear. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind wine tasting, one that’s extremely scenic (and aromatic, thanks to the lavender when it’s in season).
For art lovers - or those simply seeking a unique experience in Wine Country - the collection helps justify the $95 price tag for the basic experience, which consists of a guided walking tour through the sculpture garden and vines with pours of several wines dispensed as you walk. More than 50 sculptures are scattered throughout the vineyards, with pieces from famous artists like Richard Hudson, Ai Weiwei, Fernando Botero and Louise Bourgeois. Saturday-Sundayĭonum in Carneros has undergone a radical transformation in the last five years, and it now draws visitors as much for its art collection as for its wines. If it’s available, don’t miss the Michael Mara Vineyard Chardonnay, a deeply complex rendition of this often-maligned grape variety. The tasty snacks - creamy dips, olives, tinned fish - come from the excellent Berkeley cafe Standard Fare.
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On Thursdays, your tasting is free if you buy bottles to take home. Come for a glass during happy hour or for a leisurely afternoon wine flight. Although the winery occupies a small, warehouse-like space in industrial West Berkeley, it has carved out a charming tasting room with wooden booths indoors and a botanical-inflected patio outdoors. From neon-pink rosés to translucent, ruby-hued reds, the wines here are unfailingly refreshing. Open on some Saturdays call ahead to confirm.īroc Cellars has long been one of the leading producers of boundary-pushing wine in California - and more than 15 years after launching, winemaker Chris Brockway’s creations remain as intriguing as ever.
Block off some time for this visit so that you can wander around the grounds with a glass of the butterscotchy Chardonnay or the supple Mountain Select Cabernet Sauvignon and take in the breathtaking views. The guided tasting of four wines comes with a hearty spread of cheese, fruit, salami and bread.
For years, the tasting fee was $45, exceedingly generous for Napa it’s now $75, on par with current valley standards. (“Antica” is a portmanteau of “Antinori” and “California.”) Try to make a reservation a few weeks in advance. The large estate is owned by the Antinori family, whose eponymous company is one of the most famous wineries in Italy. That’s why Antica Napa Valley, perched at 1,600 feet elevation on Atlas Peak, is such a gem. But most of the time, hillside wineries have strict limits on their visitor capacities, and they tend to charge more for tastings. Some of Napa Valley’s most rewarding wine tasting experiences are in the hillsides, at wineries high above the hustle and bustle of the valley floor. White wines from the former tend to show more floral characteristics, while the latter are influenced by the volcanic terroir of Mount Etna, and can take on a more beeswax-like note. When you sit down for your tasting flight at the bar or in one of the lounge areas, pay special attention to the differences between Aeris’ wines from its Sonoma County vineyard, on the outskirts of Dry Creek Valley, and the wines it makes in Sicily itself. Aeris is an offshoot of Rhys Vineyards, a Santa Cruz Mountains specialist in Pinot Noir with a fanatical following it seems inevitable that these Italianate counterparts will find a similarly passionate audience. Step into this tasting room for wines like the honeyed, waxy white Carricante and the light, earthy red Nerello Mascalese - grape varieties you won’t find elsewhere in California. One of the newest additions to the downtown Healdsburg square is Aeris, where the North Star is the Italian island of Sicily.
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