Clavo Cellars
Clavo specializes in hand-grown artisan wines that express the
character and culture of Paso Robles on California's Central Coast.
Under the guidance of veteran winegrower and winemaker, Neil
Roberts, Clavo focuses on varietals that excel amid some of the
region's most notable vineyards, including Margarita Vineyard along
the southernmost rim of the Paso Robles appellation. The name Clavo
means "nail" in Spanish - a play on Neil's name. He acquired this
nickname early in his career as a viticulturist, as given to him by
Mexican-American vineyard workers. It was a form of acceptance, as
well as an invitation into their world. Clavo wines are dedicated
to these people and all who have inspired Neil along the way.
LangeTwins Winery & Vineyards
LangeTwins is a fifth generational family winery that handcrafts
wines from sustainably grown winegrapes in the Lodi and Clarksburg
appellations of California. In 2005 after generations of focusing
on growing quality winegrapes, LangeTwins expanded their farming
operation to include a state of the art winery. In addition
to their own brand available in restaurants and retailers,
LangeTwins makes wines for many well-known wineries throughout Napa
Valley and Sonoma.
Macchia Winery
In Italian, "Macchia" means "the spot". In Lodi, Macchia
Winery has been earning a reputation as a spot where discriminating
wine buffs can find small lots of high-quality vintages -- at some
very reasonable prices. Husband and wife team, Tim and Lani
Holdener, who started the operation in the Lodi Appellation in
2001, have scoured California's premium vineyards to find the best
grapes for over seven Zinfandels bottled and a handful of popular
Italian varietals offered by Macchia.
Artisan Wine Project
In 2010, we launched our Wine Discovery Program to partner with
small artisan winemakers and wineries that have "yet to be
discovered" by the wine world and have limited distribution. Our
goal is to find unique wines that meet our high standards of taste
and value. Most of the artisan wines featured are seasonal
and available for a limited time only. In spring and summer look
for dry Rieslings and crisp Rosés followed by earthy Pinot Noirs
and hearty Zinfandel blends in the fall and winter. We believes
that every artisan wine we serve must first pass the "friends and
family" test before making the list.
Gregory Graham Wines
Nine years ago Greg Graham set out to produce world-class wines
from Lake County. His hands-on approach to winemaking, complemented
by 25 years of experience at Mondavi and Rombauer, has created
fresh, structured, fruit-forward vintages that are reflective of
this high quality winegrape-growing region. The fruit for Greg's
first Riesling comes from the Roumiguiere Family Big Valley
Vineyard. The Roumiguieres have been an established grower family
for decades. The Big Valley Area is a lush area near Clear
Lake, with favorable conditions of abundant sunshine and crisp
mornings that are ideal for Riesling.
Halter Ranch Winery
The fifth installment in our Artisan Wine Project is a wonderful
Rose from Halter Ranch that's perfect for the summer months.
Located on the west side of Paso Robles, in California's Central
Coast, the soil from this historic, 900-acre ranch provides ideal
conditions for cultivating superior wine grapes and making
world-class wines. The property dates to the 1880s, when it
was part of a 3,000-acre ranch owned by Paso Robles pioneer Edwin
Smith. The Halter Ranch vineyards are planted with many
different grape varieties - both Bordeaux and Rhone-style, plus
Zinfandel, Tannat and Tempranillo. The vines are planted on steep,
south-facing slopes reaching 1800 feet in elevation and boasting
soils rich in limestone, a feature of many of the world's finest
vineyards. This dry rose is a blend of classic Southern
Rhône varietals (43% Grenache, 42% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre)
and has flavors and aromas of red cherry and raspberry.