Wineries and their tasting rooms vary widely. That is part of the joy of wine tasting; experiencing the range and diversity of styles and approaches. The picturesque town of Murphys is a microcosm of this diversity. The new Vina Moda tasting room aims at the high end, and delivers a rich and refined sensory experience.
Are you twisted? That is the challenge question at a popular winery in Murphys. If you are adequately twisted, a visit to Twisted Oak Winery is definitely the thing to do!
Main Street in Murphys is a celebration of wine tasting! It seems that every doorway leads to either a restaurant or a tasting room. Add in the stagecoach-era Murphys Hotel, and you have pretty much everything you need for a great outing. One “can’t miss” stop along the wine stroll is the Hatcher Winery.
A new winery from a winemaker with an extensive reputations earned at previous wineries. Cozy tasting room right in the middle of Murphys. A penchant for wines made from lesser-known varietals. Sometimes, it all seems too good to be true! Without question, it was time to visit Gossamer Cellars and find out for ourselves.
Mineral Wines built a reputation for fine wines and fun tasting experiences, with a lovely outdoor tasting area beside a lake, with views and wild animals to spare. This worked well for years, but recently Mineral Wines made a dramatic transition. Their new tasting room is in the middle of Main Street in Murphys. We were very excited to have our first tasting experience in the new venue.
Quick, name the winery that aspires to be the “California’s Sangiovese Specialist.” Hint: this winery is in the Shenandoah Valley and features an enormous dog’s head in the lawn. Did you guess Vino Nocento?
Pluck a classic winery from a Napa picturebook and place it in the Shenandoah Valley and you would end up with something that looks a lot like Turley Wine Cellars. It is not a coincidence in this case. Turley Wine Cellars has its roots deep in Napa.
Not every winery name rolls off the tongue as easily as its wine. Case in point: the Dobra Zemlja Winery. Full bodied wines made in a bucolic setting. If only I could pronounce their name!
Not all wineries in the Shenandoah Valley of Amador County are actually in the valley. Perched atop a ridge with a commanding view of said valley, plus some amazing car-casses (you’ll understand in a bit) to inspect, Driven Cellars excites on many levels.
It is well known that growing grapes is a dangerous business. At first, everything seems fine, with happy winemakers buying your grapes and leaving you in peace. Slowly, though, the urge creeps up, “maybe I can make wine, too!” That’s the moment when peaceful agriculture transforms into the often crazy world of wine making. Case in point: Bray Vineyards. Luckily for all of us wine drinkers, they are thriving in the winemaking world, so we can all enjoy the delicious fruits of their labors!
Hello? Hello? Can you hear me now? Or, in this case, can you taste me now? In a triumph of transition, success in the highly technical communications field was transformed into success in the highly creative winemaking field. Our visit to Amador County kicked off with a visit to the success story that is Wilderotter Vineyard.