5 Tastes From 5 Wineries

These wineries offer amazing tasting experiences with wines you don't want to miss.
BY TOURING & TASTING

Nottingham Cellars

What to Buy:
'12 Supremacy - $80
Dark fruit, choco- late, red cherry, herbaceous earthy tones

'12 Smith Ranch Vineyard Designate Cabernet - $60
Dark cherry, chocolate, floral tones

'13 Vasco Urbano GSM The Sheriff - $36
Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, earthy tones

Tasting Room Hours: Open Thur–Sun 12–4:30 or by appointment

In the five short years that Diane and Jeff Cranor’s Nottingham Cellars has been crafting wine, its name has become synonymous with premier quality Livermore Valley wine. Jeff first founded Nottingham Cellars because he saw tremendous untapped potential in Livermore Valley fruit. He also saw potential in his son, Collin, who naturally gravitated toward the cellar as a gifted winemaker. Vintage after vintage, Collin’s wines receive top awards, high acclaim, and many 90-plus scores from the world’s top critics. Once recognized as a rising star by this publication, Collin continues to receive high praise and, according to Wine Enthusiast, "remains one of Livermore’s most promising young winemakers." The Livermore Valley possesses many distinct microclimates, which support an impressive array of winegrapes. To adequately explore this diversity, the Cranors now produce their wine under three distinct brand names. Each brand is designed to honor the potential and history of the Livermore Valley. Under the NC Collection, Nottingham Cellars is the flagship brand of fine Bordeaux varietals. Vasco Urbano Wine Company, named for caricature artist Vasco Urbano Loureiro, who sketched portraits of several prominent Livermore Valley residents in the early 1900s, showcases exceptional Rhône varietals. And, 1846 by Nottingham Cellars Wines are premium Livermore Valley wines available on tap at high-end restaurants and wine bars.
www.nottinghamcellars.com

Harney Lane Winery

What to Buy:
'14 Albariño - $19
Citrus, pineapple, fragrant jasmine, touch of honey

'13 Tempranillo - $26
Plum, dried currant, leather

'13 Old Vine Zinfandel, Lizzy James - $36
Black cherry, vanilla, spice

Tasting Room: Open Thu-Mon 11-5

For more than one hundred years, the George Mettler family has farmed Harney Lane, a 100-acre parcel of land just east of Lodi. But it wasn’t until 2006 that they decided to venture into winemaking. Everyone rolled up their sleeves. Jorja Lerner, a member of the family’s fifth generation, left her career as a physical therapist. Her husband Kyle—who jokes that farming is legalized gambling with more variables—took on added responsibilities to manage the winery, while Jorja’s mother, Kathleen, applied her strong hospitality skills to organizing the tasting room. Even Jorja and Kyle’s two children, who represent Harney Lane’s sixth generation, played a part. The family now has complete control of their wines from the vineyard, to the bottle, to the consumer. All the grapes are hand picked, hand sorted, then fermented in small lots and barrel aged. In six short years, Harney Lane Winery has developed a portfolio of unique, memorable estate varietals including Old Vine Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Primitivo, Petite Sirah, and Albariño, along with classic Chardonnay. Judging from the rapid growth of its wine club, Wine:30, and the fact that nearly all (95 percent or more) of its inventory is sold in the tasting room, Harney Lane has quickly developed an enthusiastic and loyal following.
www.harneylane.com

Beringer Vineyards

What to Buy:
'13 Private Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley - $46
Bright citrus, rich, sweet oak

'12 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - $165
Ripe blackberries, espresso, unsweetened cocoa

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily May–Oct 10–6; Nov–Apr 10–5

The beauty of Beringer Vineyards is evident in the wines and fully realized when one visits its historic grounds in the Napa Valley. Beringer is the region’s oldest continuously operating winery, with a winemaking tradition dating back more than 130 years. It was the first to offer public tours and remains at the top of the savvy Napa Valley visitor’s list of places to tour and taste. Beringer is the only winery to win Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year for both a red and a white wine. Beringer wines are consistently highly scored, with the 2012 Private St. Helena, California Beringer Vineyards Reserve recently garnering 96 points from Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate, who in praising it noted, “The sensational 2012 boasts an opaque purple color along with abundant aromas of charcoal, burning embers, crème de cassis, chocolate, blackberries, and licorice...long, complex, compelling, full-bodied texture along with terrific purity and a savory, rich mouthfeel result in a classic, quintessential Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.” Winemaker Mark Beringer, great-great-grandson of the founder, upholds his family’s singular heritage and continues the exemplary Beringer winemaking legacy of crafting wines that highlight the best of the Napa Valley terroir. Beringer hosts several tasting experiences including the Cave Legacy tour; a food and wine pairing tour; a special, private tasting of the Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from different vintages; and tastings in many unique spots like the Old Winery, the mansion’s ornate reserve tasting bar, and the wraparound porch of the Rhine House.
www.beringer.com

Etude Wines

What to Buy:
'13 Heirloom Pinot Noir - $95
Plush blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, nutmeg

'10 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - $85
Warm blackberries, dark blueberries, plum, cassis, toasted barrel spices

Tasting Room Hours: Open Daily 10-4:30

Aptly named “Etude” after the classical music term for a focused study or technical exercise to perfect technique, Etude Wines is dedicated to mastering the craft of winegrowing. The winery was founded more than 30 years ago on the belief that great wines are grown and not made. This philosophy continues today with Winemaker Jon Priest and Associate Winemaker Rob Fischer. “Etude was founded on the philosophy that winemaking begins in the vineyard long before the harvest, and that superior grape growing diminishes the need for intervention by the winemaker, resulting in wine that is grown, not made,” Jon says. “This remains our approach today as we continue to build the Etude legacy.” The Etude team is dedicated to sustainable farming practices and maintaining perfect harmony with their surrounding environment. In fact, Etude’s environmentally friendly land practices have earned the winery certification in California’s Fish Friendly Farming program. The winery is also a Napa Green Certified Winery, affirming its commitment to conserving water and energy, reducing waste, and preventing pollution. Visitors to the tasting room are delighted with samples of the winery’s renowned Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with other varietals. Appointments are required for the newest tasting experience, The Study of Pinot Noir, which introduces guests to five wines from distinct growing regions crafted by the same winemaker, to demonstrate the influence of terroir on this popular varietal.
www.etudewines.com

Stags' Leap Winery

What to Buy:
'12 The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon - $90
Rich black fruit, focused red fruit core of cranberry, red cherry, pomegranate

'12 Ne Cede Malis Petite Sirah - $100
Abundant black cherry, blackberries, mulberries, vanilla bean

Tasting Room Hours: By Appointment Only

The majesty of Stags’ Leap Winery astonishes many first-time visitors. Located on the east side of the Napa Valley, the 240-acre estate rests in its own intimate valley, graced with natural beauty, historical buildings, gardens, and a legendary reputation for elegant wines that express their unique terroir. The terroir is so singular, in fact, that it inspired the formation of the Stags Leap viticultural district in 1989, nearly 100 years after the winery was founded. History buffs and romantics alike relish the tales about its storied grounds. The old stone Manor House was built in 1892 by the Chase Family, who named the estate Stags’ Leap. Stories of a speakeasy, bootleggers, gangsters, movie stars, ghosts, and gypsies follow, including a colorful chapter in the 1920s, when the Manor House served as one of the Napa Valley’s most prominent country retreats. Winemaker and General Manager Christophe Paubert applies the winemaking philosophy he learned in his native France—to showcase the fruit and not the winemaker’s hand— but he applies a technical understanding of the process. “I believe that wine should express the uniqueness of the land,” Christophe says, “and Stags’ Leap wines have always showcased one of the most distinctive regions in the Napa Valley.”
www.stagsleap.com