We had the pleasure to taste through some award winning wines with Dennis McCarter of McCarter…read moreCellars on Monday morning. It's rare that you get hosted by the winemaker, so we we so excited. This tasting lounge is hidden in an industrial park, shared among other vintners. We were greeted with a great big smile and warm hug from Dennis. We mistakenly were waiting in the wrong place, so he guided us to the tasting lounge just on the other side of production. Cozy and quaint, with a comfy waiting area, short bar and long dining style table made up the tasting lounge with glass windows and doors that looked out into the production facility. We tasted Gerwürztraminer, Rosé and Pinot Noirs. All delicate and luxurious in their own way. I'm typically not a fan of Gerwürztraminer because they tend to lean on the sweet side. This was crisp, vibrant and delightful. All wines were lovely but the fav was the Forcini Vineyard Pinot Noir. It was showcased a smooth, silky and velvety mouthfeel that lingered after swallowing. Dennis gave us a tour of the barrel room and answered all our burning questions about aging, blending and cooperage. He even gave us some barrel samples, so cool! Don't sleep on McCarter Cellar Wines. Book your appointment today!

I wanted to give my tasting notes on the wines of Dennis McCarter Cellars because they were that…read moregood and delicious so here they are: Here I have a very delicious Gewurztraminer from Dennis McCarter it's a dry style but thinking about it it's possibly done in an Alsatian style where it's dry but juicy and so good it is delicious and I've gotta nose of flowers baby's breath, some juicy grapes and spice. and tasting the fresh pineapple and grilled pineapple, some white peach, and candied ginger and it's great! Enough acidity to keep it bright and juicy at the same time!! I rated this a 4.2 which is excellent! McCarter Cellars Rose of Pinot NoiIt's made using the saignée method, which involves collecting juice from pinot noir grapes and its great and has texture in the mouthfeel and I tasted wild strawberry and raspberry and some minerality, and its great! I rated it a 4.1 Then I tasted one of his Pinot Noirs which I think was the Forchini vineyard Excellent Pinot from Dennis McCarter of McCarter Cellars and its unique in Pinot flavors because I tasted some peach in this some forest floor, and cherry cola, and toast from the 50% new oak in it! And I smelled the rhubarb pie filling and reminded me of the spice in Mincemeat pie that my grandma used to make! And it's juicy but sophisticated was my first comment on it. That and it's floral! He's using both American Oak and Central European Oak to craft his wines! I rated it a 4.4 Then we went into the cellar where his barrels are and he got up into the barrels Wow this McCarter Cellars Pinot Noir 2023 is great! I'm tasting the classic flavors of cherry cola, wild strawberry and raspberry plus some Forest floor and rhubarb pie filling with spice and a nice toast on it.! This is great wine! And not quite as sophisticated as the one before this but still has that sophistication while still being juicy goodness! And spice box. I rated this one a 4.5! And then he went around to different barrels and drew some wine from different barrels to create the perfect Zinfandel and it was delicious and smooth and elegant and I am remiss about the flavors it revealed but I remember that I gave it a 4.5 also which is superb or exceptional!

I've tried their wines at a Sonoma tasting at Bin 36 in Chicago…read more The wine maker, Justin, is a great guy to talk to. He is very passionate about his craft. I really liked his Chardonnay and Grenache rosé.

Dry Rose is my THING. It's a wonderful adventure to try them when out and about, as they are…read morecurrently little known, and waaaay under celebrated. ARGOT DRY ROSE is a GEM. It has lovely everything, blush color, enticing boquet, and a perfect balance of full flavor and delicacy. Often described as "white wine for red wine drinkers" this is a wine I will order whenever it is available, and encourage you all to do the same.

Krutz has a charming tasting room shared with a couple other micro wineries. There is comfortable…read moreseating inside and out. The owner and operator Patrick Krutz is a true gentleman who has brought southern hospitality from his native Mississippi to wine lovers in Northen California. I really enjoyed the Pinot Noir and the Stagecoach Cabernet. My girlfriend and I decided to join the wine club almost immediately because we felt like we were part of the family. Patrick and his staff cooked up some really delicious pulled pork with a ginger-lime slaw that paired perfectly with the Pinot. I definitely recommend this spot for adventurous wine lovers.

Our first taste of Krutz wines was at a restaurant on 30A near Rosemary Beach, Florida. The…read moreStagecoach Cabernet was so good and so memorable that we immediately contacted Patrick Krutz, the founder, and joined their wine club. Over the years we have enjoyed everything from their Chardonnay to their Tempranillo to their Petite Verdot to their Pinot Noir to their Malbec and of course, their Cabernet. The beauty of Krutz is while they don't own their own vineyards, they are able to source the best grapes from all over the area and really create great wines. A recent visit to Sonoma allowed us to finally visit their facility. Located in a small strip shopping center, the place is surprisingly unassuming. Cole Krutz, Patrick's younger brother and winemaking partner, greeted us and proceeded to pour probably 10 different wines. He was very laid back and happy to share about his wines and his family. The Krutz family is from Mississippi but has been making wines in Sonoma for over 10 years. This visit we loved the 2013 Ceja Vineyard Chardonnay and the 2010 Magnolia Series Cabernet, both were incredible. This is a small winery that should be getting star quality billing. A must visit if you're in the Sonoma area.

If you're looking for a wonderful wine tasting experience look no further than…read more Bruliam Wines! Kerith, the winemaker and owner, is extremely knowledgeable regarding chemistry, grape growing, and wine making. It was a lot of fun speaking with and learning from her while tasting some delightful wines (we left there with a mixed case - something we rarely do). No question that we will be returning in the near future. Highly recommended!

Tastings at Bruliam Wines are so much fun! I know that most people like to visit the vineyards in…read moreNapa or Sonoma but I prefer to go where the wine is good and the experience is insightful. Kerith makes amazing wines that are balanced and smooth. Every sip is soft and easy to drink. You'll just want to keep on drinking! During our tasting, we had 6 different wines, mostly Pinot Noir since that's what she specializes in. Kerith also leads the tasting herself! Every wine she makes has a story, from the label to the vineyards she sources her grapes from. She pays attention to every little detail and since she used to be a doctor, she happily dives into the chemistry of what makes her wines complete. This is one of those tastings where you'll leave not only "happy" from the wine but also learned something new. To visit Bruliam, you'll need to make a reservation. When we went as a group of 4, our tasting was held in a cute and comfortable room that had a large garage-like door opened to the outside so it felt like an indoor outdoor space. We spent most of our time chatting around the table, discussing the wine, but were also given a short tour of the facility where the wine was made during the tasting, so we could get a real sense of the wine making process. If you're looking for a more intimate and personal wine tasting experience go to Bruliam. This experience is so different and unique, it's incomparable to your average tourist filled, mainstream vineyard tastings. I can't speak highly enough about Bruliam!

This is a true hidden gem. The wine is exceptional. Love all their wine. The Pinot noirs are…read moreelite. Outstanding mouth feel, complexity, and flavors. Every sip of their various Pinot noirs are breath taking. They also make a fabulous Viognier white wine. The Viognier has great weight, complexity and luscious flavors. Also really love their rose of Pinot noir and their Cabernet Sauvignon. Everything Ketcham makes is top notch. The atmosphere and service are magical. Beautiful property and lovely owner. Allie is a truly wonderful person and makes guests feel so welcome. Also of interest their Pinot Noirs age beautifully. Allie opened up a 2010 pinot noir and it was tasting brilliant. Their wines age very well. Everything is so outstanding here we joined the wine club on our first tasting. Highly recommend this outstanding small production winery.

Ketcham Estate Winery is such an incredible, intimate, and personal wine tasting experience! My…read morehusband and I had the pleasure of having a private tasting out on their patio overlooking the vineyards with Mount Saint Helena in the distance and we are so glad that we found this hidden gem in Healdsburg! Ketcham Estate is a woman-owned and operated boutique winery that is known for making exceptional Pinot Noirs in the Russian River Valley. The cooler climate in the Russian River Valley helps to create amazing Pinot Noirs and the ones at this estate are truly exceptional! They also have award-winning Chardonnay, Viognier, and Estate grown Pinot Noir Rose wines. We absolutely loved all the wines that we had the pleasure of tasting! Allie was kind enough to walk us around the property and show us the vineyard. We learned so much about this vineyard while touring the property. We even got to see goats and fresh vegetables growing. They even have a one-bedroom guest house that can accommodate up to 4 people next to the property where you can stay if you would like. They have chairs out front of their guest house with an amazing view overlooking the vineyard. We look forward to coming back and would recommend this to anyone looking for an intimate wine experience with incredible views and exceptional wine!

02.2026 Malm Cellar's 2021 Cross Blend rocks all by itself or with food. Full body, lite tannins,…read morefruit blend forward w legs. A big wine, case worthy...

Oh this winery is so good and so bad all at the same time. Wine is crazy inexpensive for how…read moredelicious it is, the wine club shipments are just barely over $100 for 6 bottles. I found them in 2016 during a wine road event for passport weekend. Fun vibe, good wines, and a price point to match so of course I'm going to join. At the time I signed up I loved the Sauv Blanc, the mix red, and the zin were all highlights for us. Honestly though everything tasted good and even after my first shipments I was still loving it. Zin wasn't too sweet or jammy. They don't ship in the summer and I knew that (it was March when I signed up), but I expected something in winter that year. Fast forward to January of 2017 when I get charged for a shipment to be shipped to my home (I'm local and had selected pick up option), but I'd never received any communication from their office from the passport weekend. I was a little stunned since I thought I had been lost in the hustle of the party that day. I stayed a member that year but felt the shipments and the lack of a manager were difficult to accept. Brendan did comp me a shipment last year because they kept using old information and shipping to the wrong address after I'd notify several times with the correct information. Overall, I think this is a good wine club for folks far away. They don't really have a tasting room, the pickup days are usually in coordination with wine road events, and there is no organization whatsoever. Brendan is nice but he really needs a reliable manager to pull that ship into the harbor better. It's a mess. I finally cancelled and was still charged almost 2 weeks after cancelling because no one pays attention to emails or calls I guess. Worst case scenario I can call my bank to fix if needed. The wine is good but I'm over the headache.

FABULOUS tasting and Steven is the absolute sweetest. He was so knowledgeable and kind to us. He…read morewas just a delight to talk to while we tried their wines. All of the Pinot noirs were fabulous. I'll be back to try their grail tasting.

If you enjoy Rose, Chardonnay and or Pinot Noir, this has to be on your radar. Formally known…read moreunder the Brand of Aldenali; different name, same high quality, small production wine you'd expect from owner Dan Kosta. Each of these wines, is an excellent representation of their varietal. The tasting room has a warm and inviting vibe that is relaxed and unpretentious making it accessible for those learning about wine and the aficionado. I highly recommend visiting Convene at Bacchus.

Boutique wine at its finest! Had the pleasure of being hosted by Robbie for an early morning…read moretasting overlooking the back side of the vineyard. We explored six of their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs varietals. I was blown away by the quality of their wines and hearing about their wine making philosophy. It was a no brainer to purchase a bottle as their wines are only in select restaurants and able to be purchased on site. What Ted Lemon has created is truly something special!

Expensive tasting, wine was meh, kind of pretentious. Walking around their farm was kind of nice…read morethough.