Wineries for Cabernet Franc lovers (or for Cab Sauv lovers looking for something different)

Cabernet Franc tends to get less attention while its child grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, is a crowd favorite for big bold red wine drinkers. It’s one of my favorite varietals for that exact reason. I started buying more Cab Francs because you usually get more bang for the buck compared to Cab Sauv. However, I’ve actually come to like Cab Francs more than Cab Sauv on most occasions. It is still bold but isn’t as heavy as Cab Sauvs and usually so drinkable without food. I still love a good Cab Sauvignon but can’t grill ribeyes everyday!

Cab Francs are harder to come by at wine shops and retail stores and same when it comes to wineries. Although it is becoming more popular these days, you don’t typically expect to find a bottle of Cab Franc at any winery. Here’s the list of wineries that make Cab Francs I like!

1. Titus: One of my favorites, love all their reds. Cab Franc is $58/bottle but personally think it drinks like a much more expensive wine

2. Amizetta: New found favorite! $80/bottle

3. Black Cat Vineyards: Wine maker describes her Cab Franc as cooking wine, it’s that smooth and I totally agree. Wines tastings are mostly only reserved for members, contact me if you want to visit!

4. Gibbs: Gibbs’ Cab Franc has to be my favorite considering their price point. I can’t believe it’s only $32/bottle. No official tasting program but take referrals, contact me if you are interested!

5. Terraces: This one is a recent find, overall tour/tasting experience is fun and all their wines are great! Cab Franc is one of their premium offerings at $85/bottle

6. Ballentine: Another great value in St Helena near Titus. $55/bottle

7. Ehlers: Their profits go to cardiovascular research foundation and wines are amazing. $65/bottle

8. Kenzo: More $$$ compared to others but can’t go wrong with any of their wines. Believe it was close to $300 but they do sell half bottles for exactly half the price

9. Paradigm: Same wine maker as Kenzo, Heidi Barrett. Sold out online but believe it was around $60/bottle

10. Delectus: They are known for their Cab “French Wedding” but Cab Franc is also excellent (and less expensive) $78

11. Chappellet: Chappellet is known for their Pritchard Hill Cab Franc, $85/bottle

Wineries to visit in Southern Oregon

My husband and I typically fly out of town for most long weekends but with Covid, ended up doing more distanced road trips in 2020. One of our favorite finds was Medford and Ashland in Southern Oregon. It is about ~6hr drive from SF but we broke it up by staying in Shasta and we LOVED it. Of course the wineries in the area motivated us to drive further north and we ended up visiting 6 wineries and 1 tasting room in 24 hours 😂. We’ve always loved Willamette Valley wines but was surprised to find interesting varietals other than Pinot in Southern Oregon. Tasting fees and bottles were all so affordable compared to Napa so we kept making stops during our drive.

Here’s the list of places we visited, tasting fees were around $10-15 for all of these wineries and waived with a bottle purchase.

1. Dancin Vineyard: Great stop for lunch! and also the only winery that was focused on Pinot during our trip. Tasted 3-4 different Pinots and left with a few bottles

2. Quady North: Cute tasting rooms in downtown Jacksonville. Variety of whites and reds but have 3 different Cab Francs + a sparkling Cab Franc. We ended up joining their club!

3. EdenVale: Super cute ground and great view of the vineyard. They have a long list of white and red wines for you to choose from

4. LongSword Vineyard: Good whites, had an interesting Chardonnay with a slight fizz/sparkle

5. Red Lily Vineyards: Great Spanish style red wines. You can also choose to taste/drink wine with the view of Applegate River

6. Devitt Winery: This was more like a house with a vineyard! We love small wineries but I would say this one was a micro. Owner/winemaker poured us wines that you probably won’t get to taste anywhere else

7. Wine Garden Tasting Room: Super cute tasting room where you can taste wines from 3-5 different wineries. Selections vary and we enjoyed the variety!

Best wineries for cute photos in Napa and Sonoma

I don’t think I’ve met a winery that does not look great on photos. But out of 100+ wineries in Napa & Sonoma, these are the ones I like especially because the grounds, views, and etc. I tried to include a variety of backdrops so you can take your pick 

Views

1. Chappellet: Located on the Pritchard Hill, the view from the back of the winery consists of endless vineyards, the lake, and the mountains. $75 tasting fee

2. Hamel: Tasting room is located on top of a hill of their vineyards, offering a great view of the vineyard from the tasting/picnic area.  $75 tasting fee

3. Amizetta: Located up in the mountains so it’s a bit more of a drive to get there but for a good reason. The view is to die for as much as their wines. $75 tasting fee waived upon purchasing 3 bottles.

I’ve also gotten recommendations for Kuleto, Signorello, and Cade for their views but have not been yet.

Architecture, buildings, and grounds

1. V Sattui or Castello di Amorosa: Both owned by the same owner, V Sattui is a Tuscan style while Castillo de Amorosa is a medieval castle. $45 tasting fee for V Sattui, $55 for Castello di Amorosa

2. Chateau St Jean or Ledson: Another set of wineries with a castle-like ground near each other. Ledson castle is a French Normandy structure and Chateau st Jean feels like rustic gardens of country villas in Italy and the south of France. $45 tasting fee for Chateau St Jean, $30 for Ledson

3. Caymus or Peju: Lots of green backdrops and walkways filled with greenery. $50 tasting fee for Caymus, $40 for Peju

4. Domaine Carneros: This one is a popular one so you’ve probably seen/heard of it. Known for sparkling wines and the Chateau. $40 tasting fee

Small Boutique Wineries in Napa

Larger wineries in Napa have well structured programs for tasting and winery experience but sometimes it’s super fun to visit smaller boutique wineries where you get to meet people who are part of the wine making process and get a more intimate experience. And you get to support small family owned businesses! If you are looking for a more unique personal experience, these are some of my favorite small boutique wineries to visit in Napa

1. Elyse: Tasting is held at a charming house with a friendly winery dog. Really good red wines, $40 tasting fee is waived with 3 bottle purchase.

2. Matthiasson: I visited before they built a formal tasting room and offered appointment only complimentary tasting on their vineyard patio. Can’t speak for the current experience but enjoyed the wines! (looks like current tasting fee is $50 but paused due to COVID)

3. AXR: Small production winery but you can sometimes find their wines online. Really enjoyed their Chardonnay and Bordeaux varietal reds. $75 tasting fee is waived upon bottle purchase

4. McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery: Located in the Southern part of Napa, tasting experience is like visiting a farm house. You taste where wine barrels are stored and can hang out in the cute garden. $30 tasting fee, waived with purchase

5. Gibbs Vineyards: Family owned and operated winery that usually takes tasting appointment through referrals. Quality to price ratio is amazing with most bottles at $20-35. No formal tasting program but tasting fee is waived with purchase

6. Black Cat Vineyard: One of my favorite hidden gems where owner/wine maker hosts tastings herself. Ended up joining the club after getting a chance to visit. Really good red wines from Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon, Red Blends, and Syrah. Typically only take members and referrals for tastings.

I’m always looking to add more to this list so please send me recommendations if you know of any!

Napa and Sonoma wineries with affordable tasting fees

Let’s face it, wine tastings in Napa and Sonoma are not cheap. Believe there used to be a list of wineries with free tasting but most are outdated by now. Typical Napa tastings are now around $45-$80 making a trip almost a splurge (especially if you are visiting multiple wineries) vs. a fun casual trip. If you are looking to taste some wine and have fun while not spending a lot, here’s my list 

I’m going to keep updating list with more wineries so make sure to follow me on Instagram for updates and other recommendations! Keep in mind that wineries do change their menu and fees so use this list as a reference but always check with the winery or their website for the latest policy.

Napa

1. Rombauer: You might have seen their bottles at different retail stores. They are known for Chardonnays and Zinfandels and their tasting is super affordable at $20 (which is a price of 1.5 or 1 glass at a restaurant) and the ground with a picnic area is super cute. Seems like they now also offer wines by the glass instead of the tasting experience 

2. Paloma Vineyard: They offer free vertical tasting of their Merlot (as of Feb 2021). Small family owned winery so it’s a private and intimate experience. Please do leave with a bottle if you like them!

3. Vincent Aroyo: Located a bit further north in Calistoga, you can taste variety of whites and reds and $20, waived with a 3 bottle purchase. Casual and super friendly hosts!

4. Lola Wines: Another charming tasting house in downtown Calistoga where you can taste for $30, waived with a 3 bottle purchase. Have a variety of whites, Pinot, and Cab.

5. Domaine Chandon: Mostly known for sparkling, their flights range from $20-35. Expansive ground with picnic chairs and indoor tasting bar

6. Mckenzie Mueller: $30 waived with a bottle purchase. Small family owned winery. They have a charming barn with a grass area and view of the vineyard

7. Cosentino: $30, waived with a bottle purchase. They have a variety of bottles between $16-40 for you to choose from.

8. V Sattui: Their tasting flight isn’t technically under $30 but you can purchase a bottle fo Rosé or sparkling for ($30-40) to enjoy in their picnic area

Sonoma

1. BR Cohn: Their most recent experience options include $35 for tasting and also offer $10/glass options. View is pretty great as well so it will be a fun experience as a couple or small group

2. Cline Cellars: Have various options starting at $15, waived with purchase 

3. Ledson: They have multiple tasting options and the cheapest option is $30. They also used to have a casual $5 tasting inside their wine shop

4. Jacuzzi Family Vineyards: I have not visited yet but their tasting fee is $20/person

*List is based on the information from early 2022 and would recommend double checking directly with the winery to confirm 

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Willamette Valley wineries to visit in a day

Pinot wasn’t always my drink of choice but my husband is a fan so I would have a glass when he wants to open a bottle. When I tried Pinot Noirs from Willamette Valley region though, I was sold. We took a trip to Oregon in 2019 and made sure to dedicate a day for wine tasting.

We wanted to mostly visit small/boutique wineries and added in wineries with varietals other than Pinot as well. Here’s my list that I think you can’t go wrong with:

1. Bells up: Casual winery where we got to meet the owner while tasting. Compared to Napa wines, we thought all of their wines had amazing price to quality ratio and bought multiple bottles. Mostly Pinot! $30 tasting fee waived with purchase.

2. Natalie’s Estate: Small family run winery where we got to meet the husband and wife owners of the winery. I added this to the itinerary after seeing they also have Cab Sauvs and Cab Francs and definitely glad I did. $25 tasting fee waived with purchase.

3. Soter: Probably the largest winery we visited during our trip. Tasting experience was a bit more formal compared to others and enjoyable with an amazing view. They do distribute outside Oregon and I actually started noticing their bottles at wine shops after the visit. $30 tasting fee waived with purchase.

4. Beaux Frères: Not a huge commercial winery but well-known for their Pinot. It is on the pricier side compared to others (~$85-100/bottle) but definitely still affordable compared to Napa. We really liked the wines and regretted only buying 1 bottle because it was our first stop. $40 tasting fee waived with purchase

5. Ayoub: This is probably the most intimate/boutique winery. Wine maker hosts tastings himself at his property overlooking his vineyard. Really unique and fun experience + great Pinot. $30 tasting fee waived with purchase.

Paso Robles wineries for red wine lovers

I first learned about Paso Robles in 2013 when I used to work for the company that owns Justin Wine and it’s always been one of my favorite weekend trip destination from LA or SF. Wineries are mostly family owned and tastings tend to be more intimate and casual. Not to mention that tasting fees are usually much lower compared to Napa (usually around $10-30, sometimes over $40 for a more elevated experience). Region produces a lot of Zinfandels but there’s no shortage of other good bold red wines in Paso.

Here’s my list of recommended wineries if you like drinking Cabs and other reds

1. Denner: Located on top of the hill, worth a visit just for the view but their wines are equally good. They have a number of red blends and Cabernet Sauvignon. $20, waived with purchase

2. L’aventure: Primarily focuses on French inspired Rhone style blends, which are fun to try for those who drinks Napa reds or French CDPs. They also have a really good Cab-Syrah blend that will please red drinkers. $40 tasting fee, only waived with membership

3. Parrish Family: Another winery where I found a Cab-Syrah blend and surprisingly loved. It’s named Silken and yes, it is really smooth. $25 tasting fee, waived with purchase

4. Austin Hope: You’ve probably heard about this wine if you like Paso Cabs or Cabs in general. Worth a visit to try a variety of reds and whites. $25 tasting fee

5. LXV: Located in downtown, they have a great lineup of red wines that are all pretty tasty. $15 tasting fee

Fun weekend trip itinerary to Healdsburg wineries

Napa is only about 45min-1.5hr from SF depending on which part of the wine country you are visiting and we usually make it a day trip. However, if you drive a bit further north, you will get to Healdsburg, Sonoma for additional (usually less crowded) group of wineries that are super fun to visit. We like to make it an overnight trip to be able to visit multiple wineries and spend more time in downtown (super cute!). Below are few of wineries to visit in Healdsburg

1. Lambert Bridge: Usually members only (we were referred) so relatively private but they sometimes accommodate you if you call and ask. Really good red wines, loved our host and the tasting room is super cozy. Not sure about the tasting fee but bottles are $80+. If you get a chance to visit, you will have a great time.

2. R.Fanelli: We saw the entrance to the winery while driving by, looked them up online and made a reservation for the next day. Cute little family owned winery focused on Cab and Cab blends. They usually only have 2-3 wines to taste (4 wines in their entire portfolio) but the host was great and will tour you around the cave. Remember tasting fee to be not much, probably around $10, we got it waived with a bottle purchase.

3. Lancaster Estate: Larger winery within the Foley Food and Wine family of wineries. Beautiful grounds and good big bold red wines.

4. Martorana: Casual spot with a picnic area for games and tasting wines. Enjoyed their Merlot!

5. Jordan: We ended up not being able to visit due to timing but have gotten recommendation for their food pairing. From their website the grounds look beautiful and seem to have reds, whites, and sparkling