Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Kunde Estate Winery

Leave a reply
Kunde Estate Winery

Kunde Estate Winery

9825 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood, CA 95452

Website: http://www.kunde.com/

The pond and seating area out front of Kunde Estate

The pond and seating area out front of Kunde Estate

Kunde is a fifth generation family run winery in the heart of Sonoma Valley. Louis Kunde was the first generation who founded Kunde in 1904. However, the first vines were planted on the property in 1879 by two men named James Shaw and Captain John Drummond. They were pioneers who imported cuttings from the famed Chateaux Margaux and Lafites Rothschild in France. Today the property consists of 1,850 acres that stretch for 2 ½ miles along Sonoma Highway. The winery was able to survive the years of Prohibition by producing sacramental wines. Kunde was one of the first wineries to be bonded by the state of California in the early 1900s and they proudly boast being Bonded Winery Number 202. Today there are tens of thousands of bonded wineries in California. Another interesting fact about this winery is that it was one of the sites where the movie Bottle Shock was filmed, a story about Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley and the 1972 Judgment of Paris.

The winery focuses on producing ultra-premium, estate-grown, and sustainably farmed wines. The expansive property allows the Kunde family to produce 100% of their wine on the estate. They produce a variety of white and red wines. For white wines, their focus is on Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. For red wines, they focus on Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine cave built into the hills at Kunde Estate Winery

The wine cave built into the hills at Kunde Estate Winery

When I visited, this winery did not seem to be as populated as some of the other wineries along Sonoma Highway, but it has a lot to offer. A stone wall built into the rolling hills of vineyards beckons visitors to the winery. On one side of the parking area are hills lined with vines and large wooden doors to the wine cave that is built within the hills. On the opposite side is a walkway with a pond, fountains, and small patio seating area in front of the winery.

Kunde Estate Winery's tasting room

Kunde Estate Winery’s tasting room

The main tasting room is a very large space with a tasting bar that spans almost the entire length of the room. My husband and I were greeted promptly and the staff was friendly. Our server took the time to explain the different wines to us. I tried eight different wines from the Estate Tasting menu and truly enjoyed all of them. Besides the Estate Tasting in the main tasting room, the winery offers a couple of private seated wine tastings. The Kinneybrook Room focuses on Reserve wines and has comfy leather couches and windows from ceiling to floor looking out on the estate. The 202 Lounge, named after bonded winery #202, offers outdoor tastings with a view of the gardens. In addition, there is a mountain top wooden deck where guests can sample wine and take in fabulous views from an elevation of 1,400 feet above the valley floor. If that isn’t enough, the winery also offers a sustainable hike and tour through the vineyards. For visitors with dogs, there is even a dog hike with fourth-generation winegrower Jeff Kunde and his dog Riley through the estate followed by a wine tasting. With so much to do and some great wines, this winery is definitely worth a visit.

William Hill Estate Winery

Leave a reply
William Hill Estate Winery

William Hill Estate Winery

1761 Atlas Peak Rd, Napa, CA 94558

Website: http://www.williamhillestate.com/

Visiting new wineries has become an infatuation for me. I find it thrilling to walk into a place I have never been before, learn about the winery’s history, and try wines right from the source. My challenge is that I live on the east coast and generally can only make it out to wine country once a year, sometimes twice if I’m lucky. When I am planning a trip to Napa Valley I am like a kid preparing to go to Disney World. I try to cram as much as I can into every trip, visiting new places and making repeat visits to the ones I really liked. Usually there is one place on each trip that stands out. William Hill was not a place that I knew much about before visiting but I fell in love with it almost immediately. It has become one of my favorite places in Napa. The ironic part about it is that the only reason I stopped in was because it is affiliated with Louis M. Martini and I was able to get a free tasting as a wine club member. Both wineries are now owned by E & J Gallo.

View of the valley from William Hill Estate Winery

View of the valley from William Hill Estate Winery

William Hill is located at the southern end of Napa along the Silverado Trail in the Oak Knoll appellation. It is a gem hidden off the beaten path. The winery is open to visitors by reservation only. However, they are accommodating of same day reservations if they are not too busy. The best time to visit is when the vines are in full bloom because the view is absolutely stunning. Looking out from the front of the winery are rolling fields of vineyards that seem to stretch on as far as the eye can see to the mountains away in the distance.   When my husband and I drove up to the winery and stepped out of our car, a group of very large jack rabbits went hopping by us. The staff informed us that the rabbits are often roaming around the property. The exterior of the winery is a large white triangular building partially hidden behind some trees. At first glance it doesn’t look like anything glamorous, but the surrounding landscape is the best part. There is a small courtyard in front of the winery and a vine covered trellis that leads to an expansive picnic area. There are chairs all around the property where visitors can relax while looking out on the gorgeous view of the neighboring mountains. It’s a great place to sit with a glass of wine.

William Hill Tasting Room

William Hill Tasting Room

William Hill’s tasting room is contemporary with a white and slate gray color scheme. The tasting room is located right inside the front doors to the winery. It isn’t a very large space. The sleek white tasting bar can accommodate 6-8 visitors comfortably. Additionally, there are a couple of seats off to the left of the tasting bar where visitors could sit down for a tasting.   Behind the tasting bar is a large gray wine bottle display that can hold hundreds of bottles. On each side of the display are windows that look into a wine barrel room. There is track lighting up above and natural lighting from the windows from the entryway that brighten up the room. The staff was very friendly and we received personalized attention.

I greatly enjoyed all of the wines that I tried and took advantage of my wine club discount to bring several bottles home with me. My personal favorites are the Napa Valley Chardonnay, Bench Blend Unfiltered Chardonnay, Bench Blend Cabernet Franc, and Bench Blend Meritage. Each of these wines are very well balanced and I didn’t want to stop drinking them. This is definitely a winery that is worth fitting into any itinerary for both the views and the wine.  I’ve now been to the winery several times and on my last visit I sat outside at one of their high top tables for a tasting with my husband, sister, and a friend.  One of the servers would come out to us periodically and pour us another wine.  The weather was great, the view was spectacular, and there is nothing more relaxing and enjoyable in my opinion than drinking great wine with people I love.  Cheers!

View from William Hill's tasting bar looking into the wine cellar

View from William Hill’s tasting bar looking into the wine cellar

Ledson Winery & Vineyards

Leave a reply
Ledson Winery and Vineyards

Ledson Winery and Vineyards

7335 Hwy 12, Kenwood, CA 95409

Website: http://www.ledson.com/

Ledson is located just up the road from Kenwood, Chateau St. Jean, and St. Francis. I was drawn in by the castle that stands out from the surrounding wineries. A castle like Ledson is an anomaly in Sonoma Valley. Owner Steve Ledson started building the castle in 1989 with the fortune he had accumulated from his own Ledson Construction business. The castle was meant to be a family residence. However, the 16,000 square foot Gothic, French Normandy style structure with turrets, balconies, and fountains drew in so much attention from people passing by that Steve decided to transform the house into a winery and tasting room.

The property is certainly beautiful and it is obvious that no expense was spared on the fine details. The winery hosts weddings on the property which I’m certain would be an extraordinary event. I almost felt out of place walking inside to the tasting room in my casual clothes. Yet, the staff was welcoming when we first arrived. Our tasting experience started out well. We had a younger guy serving us who was probably in his late 20s or early 30s (not that I think his age matters). My husband and I were the first guests of the day and our server was more than happy to give us a detailed explanation of each of the wines and make small talk while we sampled them. All of the wines are sold exclusively through the winery. I found the wines to be good, but I wasn’t blown away by them. Most of the white wines ranged from $25 – $40 in price, while the reds were a bit more expensive. Toward the end of our tasting, our server started trying to sell us on the wine club. I wasn’t taken aback by this at first because almost all wineries will offer their wine club. However, after my husband said we weren’t interested our server continued to push the wine club and tried to convince us to purchase some wine to the point that he made us feel uncomfortable. We paid our tasting fee and left feeling awkward.

Unfortunately the showy castle turned out to be the best part of our tasting experience and we left with a negative impression. Hopefully other people who visit this place will have a less pushy server. Still I think this winery is just too prestigious for my taste.