Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Envolve Winery

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Sonoma Court Shops, Vine Alley, 27 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476

Website: http://www.envolvewinery.com/

Envolve Winery’s tasting room is located right off of Sonoma Square. Downtown Sonoma is a great area to walk around in during the day or evening. It is filled with several restaurants, shops, and tasting rooms. There are currently over 20 tasting rooms around the plaza alone. You may be able to pick up a pamphlet of the wine tasting rooms in downtown Sonoma at a hotel or visitors center, or you can do a search online for tasting rooms in downtown Sonoma. Many of the tasting rooms are open later than other wineries outside of the square. The biggest bonus is that you can easily find a place to eat after you are done tasting for the day.

Envolve Winery was created by three childhood friends –Mike Benziger, a member of the family who founded Benziger Family Winery, Ben Flajnik (former star of the TV show The Bachelor season 16), and Danny Fay. I visited this tasting room on a recommendation from one of the tour guides at Benziger Family Winery. Since I am such a big fan of Benziger wines, I was interested in learning more about Envolve when I heard that it was owned by a family member. Since I visited, ownership has shifted to Mike Benziger and his sister Kate. This winery focuses on organic and biodynamic winemaking, which is another draw for me. In addition, the winery has created a mission called #GetEnvolved to support local and national charities. Chris Benziger, brother of Mike and Kate, is the inspiration behind the mission. He is an active member of the community based service organization called Becoming Independent that focuses on helping people with disabilities lead meaningful productive lives. Check out the winery’s website to learn more about their philanthropic activities.

Envolve’s tasting room is like a cozy lounge. The room was split into two sections. The first section we walked into had a tasting bar on the right and some small tables lined up on the wall to the left. There is an outdoor patio area and a back room with a couch and TV. The place is very low key. We opted to do our tasting in the back room where we lounged on a couch while the server came in to refill our glasses every few minutes. One of the owners can often be seen walking around the place.   Envolve Winery produces a variety of wines, including sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. Most of the wines are reasonably priced in the $20 range and a few of the Envolve label wines were priced in the $40-$50 range. The Envolve Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite of the several I tried.

This winery is still growing and I expect their wines to evolve over the next few years.  The tasting room is a nice spot to relax with friends at the end of a day.

Acacia Vineyard

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Acacia Winery

Acacia Winery

2750 Las Amigas Rd, Napa, CA 94559

Website: http://www.acaciavineyard.com/

When I think back to my visit to Acacia, the first thing that comes to mind is their lovely Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The second thing is the very pretty views from right outside the tasting room. Acacia is located in Carneros surrounded by rolling acres of vineyards. The gorgeous views alone on the drive there make it worth the trip.

Acacia Winery was started in 1979 and had a “cult” status for its Pinot Noir. Today the winery still specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It is now owned by the beverage giant Diageo who also owns Beaulieu, Sterling Vineyards, and a few other wineries. One of the perks of becoming a club member at one of the Diageo’s properties is that it includes benefits and free tastings to the other wineries in their portfolio.

A view of Carneros from Acacia

A view of Carneros from Acacia

If you ignore the surrounding views and focus on the winery itself, it looks mostly like a big warehouse. There is a little green awning and some glass doors that mark the entrance to the tasting room.

Acacia's outdoor seating area

Acacia’s outdoor seating area

Across the parking lot from the tasting room is a small area that looks like an outdoor covered deck with some seats. There was also a big green canopy with some long picnic tables underneath. Although there wasn’t anything fancy about either area, they provide great views of vineyards as far as the eye can see. Inside the tasting room was also pretty modest. The walls were painted white and gray and the tasting bar looked like it was made from weathered staves of wine barrels. There were some bottles of wine lined up along the wall behind the bar. There wasn’t a whole lot of space to move around. Off to the right of the tasting bar was a glass door that leads to the fermentation room.

Acacia's tasting room

Acacia’s tasting room

I appreciated the quiet, unassuming atmosphere because it put more focus on the wines.    I really loved the Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay. It was fruity and had a nice creaminess that I didn’t find overpowering for an oaked Chardonnay. They have some great quality Pinot Noirs as well. After all, that is what they have been known for from the beginning.

If you are traveling through the Napa side of Carneros, I think this winery is worth the stop to snap some nice pictures and sample the type of wine this area is known for.

Korbel Champagne Cellars

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Korbel Winery

13250 River Rd, Guerneville, CA 95446

Website: http://www.korbel.com/

Anyone who has been paying attention to TV or magazine ads for sparkling wine has most likely heard of Korbel. The advertisements portray Korbel as an easy drinking, fun, party wine.  Their motto is “Toast Life”.  There are toasting ideas, toasting tips, and ideas for champagne cocktails on their website.  That easy-going atmosphere was apparent when I visited the winery.

Korbel is located in Guerneville a short distance from the many wineries in the Russian River Valley.   Before I visited I didn’t realize how much history is in this winery.  Learning about the more than 130 years of history gave me a bigger appreciation for their wines.  The three Korbel brothers who were the original founders of the winery came over to the U.S. from Bohemia (currently the Czech Republic) in mid-1800s.  After running a manufacturing business in San Francisco and then a lumber operation near Guerneville, they turned to farming on their ranch in the Russian River Valley.   That’s when they planted their first vineyards and began experimenting with different grape varieties.  In 1882, the brothers officially began their small winemaking operation on their ranch.  In just a couple of years the Korbel wines received so many accolades that they decided to dedicate their attention to winemaking.  The Korbel’s brought in a winemaker from Prague to produce champagnes using the French méthode champenoise. Through the Prohibition years the winery survived due to the resources acquired by some of the family’s other ventures. Unfortunately all three brothers passed away before Repeal in 1933, but the second generation carried on the winery into the 1950s.  They then decided to sell the winery to a gentleman named Adolph Heck with a promise that Heck would continue to make French style champagnes.  Adolph and his son Gary Heck who succeeded him have been carrying on the Korbel tradition ever since.

Korbel's tasting room

Korbel’s tasting room

When visiting this winery, one of the first sites to see is the historic brick winery with ivy growing on it. The building that houses the tasting room to the left is also made of brick and there are brick archways along the paths between the different buildings.  There are several seating areas and fountains throughout the property.  This winery attracts lots of visitors.   Be prepared for crowds if you are planning a visit.  It’s the type of winery you might want to bring your family or a small group of friends to hang out and have a picnic.  There is a lot to see and do here.  Korbel offers complimentary public tours of the historic champagne caves and museum at various times daily.  They also have a garden tour.  Check their website for specific times.  Their tasting room is very spacious with two tasting bars and some gifts. Korbel classifies its wines as California champagnes and they have a wide selection ranging from Naturel or Brut which are very dry to a Sweet Cuvée and a Sweet Rosé. They also have some still Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  These truly are every day drinking wines.  The staff in the tasting room was generous with letting us sample the various wines and they are very reasonably priced.

My favorite part of this winery is the deli and picnic area. Just like the rest of the winery, the deli gets very busy.  The deli has a great selection of sandwiches, salads, and other snacks.  They also sell wine by the class or espresso beverages to go with the food.  There are a few tables inside, but I would totally recommend going outdoors if it’s a nice day and sitting beneath the tall Redwood trees.

Korbel's picnic area

Korbel’s picnic area