Vendome Wine and Spirits is a cornucopia of the finest wines, beer, liquors and cigars available. The rows of shelves are stacked with both familiar and rare beverages from all over the world, at very reasonable prices.
Familiarize yourself with various wines at the regular tastings held every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 5pm - 8pm, and Saturdays, 6pm - 9pm. The atmosphere is friendly and comfortable, and you'll get to try something new every time.
The staff here is always friendly and willing to help you find what you're looking for or give recommendations on something you've yet to try.
The Robledo Family Winery is located in Sonoma and offers a wide range of red and white wine choices, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot. The winery is family owned and operated and offers a wide range of events, as well as membership opportunities and wine pairing events. The winery has a tasting room, which is always open to the public by appointment to visit, enjoy or purchase the wines. The tasting room houses many of the oak barrels the winery uses for the aging process. Check the main website for details on the history of the winery or to join the wine club.
Tin Barn Vineyards produces single vineyard wines. The "tin barn" name originally derives from Tin Barn Road, which winds along the remote Sonoma Coast to the source of their debut wine. Today, the "tin barn" houses the company's cellar and tasting room. Features wines include: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel Russian, Merlot and more.
This local Connecticut winery was first established over 30 years ago. Its wine manufacturing facility has developed over 15 wines, both sweet and dry, from nine varieties of its homegrown grapes. DiGrazia wine is often described as crisp and clean and has been developed to contain high quantities of antioxidants. Customers may also find and purchase a variety of wines such as blushes, reds, nouveau, spiced pumpkin and port. The vineyard also has a large and appealing gift shop as well as a picnic area for its patrons.
Located on the west side of Dry Creek Valley, Arista Winery is a pleasure to visit and a great place to hang out and enjoy! Founded by the McWilliams family, Arista's wines alone make the visit worthwhile, but the winery itself is beautiful—the grounds contain sculptures, a Japanese garden and a picnic area. The winery also sports a full-size outdoor bar used for weekend and special events.
Pride Mountain Vineyards is a 235-acre estate. Originally known as Summit Ranch, the winery and vineyards sit at the crest of the Mayacama Mountains, 2,000 feet above the floor of Napa Valley. Pride Mountain Vineyards releases many different wines each year, specializing in red wines. It offers several options for tours and tastings, which must be booked in advance. Special arrangements can be made to accommodate large groups.
Wilson Winery, family owned and operated, is one part of a group of local wineries in the local area. Ken and Dianne Wilson opened it in 1994 and have been making estate wines in the Dry Creek Valley ever since. Tastings are available every day. Membership to the wine club carries no fee; members have access to discounts of annual shipments, luxurious vineyard lodging and fun events.
A relatively new winery in the Healdsburg area, Merriam Vineyards nonetheless has "roots." Co-owner Peter Merriam is a lifelong friend of local radio personality Tom Simoneau, "The Wine Guy," who urged Peter and his wife to start making wine in Sonoma, even though they lived in Maine. The imposing tasting room and production facility sits atop a hillside vineyard south of town on Highway 101, on Los Amigos Road. There is plenty of room for picnicing on the grounds, and the wine store will soon be serving cheese, salami and other foods. Bordeaux varietals are the speciality, grown on the 11-acre property.
Cane Vandehoof is the owner of Miramonte, a vineyard and winery established in 2000. Every Friday and Saturday night Miramonte hosts live entertainment; every third Thursday is for artists. It is currently expanding its 44 acres.
Vynecrest Winery on Arrowhead Lane is only seven miles from Allentown, but once you arrive, the sprawling vineyard looks like a scene from Napa Valley. Their nearly 100-acre picturesque vineyard grows enough grapes to produce 20,000 gallons of wine in the next year.
Vynecrest offers daily sampling open to close, monthly specials, seasonals, online orders, and even has live entertainment in the Vyneskellar tasting and entertainment area. Whether you're a first time taster or a discerning critic, their warm atmosphere is inviting to all. They boast 17 awards for 17 entries in state and national wine contests this year. Check their website often for updates on specials, seasonals, live entertainment and special events.
Winemaker and owner Scott Lindstrom-Dake and wife Erica have created an award-winning style of varietals and blends that focus on "making great wine, but not buying into pretention." Their wines feature fun and playful names such as "Arousal" and "Fourplay." They do wine and food pairings at their elegant tasting room on the Plaza in downtown Healdsburg, using a commercial food preparation kitchen on site. Although the wines easily pair with most types of cuisine, the couple, both vegetarians, offer special vegetarian menu pairings.
