Susan and I have had the opportunity to visit a wide range of wineries over the past several years. For quite some time I have wanted to log those visits on a single web page so that we could track those visits and share our opinions of the individual wineries. In addition, it would also help us remember which wineries we might want to visit a second time with friends and relatives! The list has grown considerably (along with our tastes), so some of our original ratings may be out of date with our personal preferences – oh well, that just gives us an excuse to try them again!  In addition, please note a 4-grape rating in Texas is equivalent to about a 3-grape rating in California (I originally started rating Texas wines on the 5-grape scale with 5 being the “best” Texas winery.  We later traveled to California and I didn’t want to revise the scale).

My ratings are a combination of (and in this order) the quality of the wine, value, friendliness of the staff, and the estate presentation (visual appeal).  I also offer the following "Rick" scale of ratings.

= I could drink a glass of their wine

= I could drink several glasses of their wine

= I could put away a bottle of their wine

= Lets buy a case of this stuff

  = Do they sell by the barrel?

Unrelated to the below listings - here is a link to my wine century club form.

Dry Creek/Russian River Valleys - California Wineries

Truett-Hurst Winery  - Healdsburg, California – There were several excellent reds here – most were juicy and jammy.  There were also a couple of good Petite Sirahs.  In addition to the splendid wine you could also enjoy a short walk to some chairs sitting beside the Dry Creek River – it is certainly a pleasant place to relax after a full day of tasting.

Passalacqua Winery  - Healdsburg, California – The name means “Pass the Water”, but really it should be “Pass up the Water because the Wine is what you really want to drink”.  Everything we sampled here was good.  The whites were crisp and the reds where smooth and rich.  The Zins were once again our favorite.  As for the estate it really doesn’t get much better than this – the view was incredible and a perfect spot for a picnic.

Mazzocco Vineyards  - Healdsburg, California – Beautiful estate with lots of places to sit outside and enjoy the vineyard.  The tasting room is also open to the elements so you can enjoy a nice breeze while tasting.  Lots of great reds here, but they were out of stock on quite a bit.

Seghesio Winery  - Healdsburg, California – Great experience here - lots of good/bold reds and zins.   Our Italian hostess was a blast!  The whites were light and floral and the reds ranged from earthy to fruity – a style for all palates.

Kokomo Winery  - Healdsburg, California – The wine here wasn’t spectacular; however, the hostesses were an absolute delight (including the dog that would play fetch while you taste wine).  This is a good place to stop since there are several wineries nearby (referred to as “top of the hill” several times below).  This is a great place for fun and I won’t soon forget this visit.

Wilson Winery  - Healdsburg, California – This is an excellent spot for some outstanding red wines!  It doesn’t look like much on the outside, but there is a nice view of a neighboring vineyard.  We sampled some great Zins and a spectacular ’96 Cab.  Like many of the Sonoma area wineries, this place prides itself on small quantities with high quality.

Dutcher Crossing Winery  - Healdsburg, California – We all had a splendid time at this small winery.  It was another great spot emphasizing fun and wine.  The host’s main goal was to ensure a great time while explaining the details of each wine.

Ferrari Carano Vineyards  - Healdsburg, California – A simply marvelous and elegant estate with beautiful gardens.  The aesthetic appeal of the winery itself made up for where the wine was lacking and this is definitely a recommended stop.  The Syrah was the best wine we sampled.

Topel Winery  - Healdsburg, California – Topel was a nice place to stop on the square in Healdsburg.  They provided heavy samples and the reds were nice, jammy, and thick.  I’d rate this stop as a 3; however, Susan was more of a 2.  Thus, this is probably about a 2.5ish.

Dry Creek Vineyard  - Healdsburg, California – Most of what we sampled here was quite good – especially the Zins and Chenin Blanc.  There is a nice picnic area outside the bottles were very reasonable (less than $20).  On our second visit two years later we stopped again and sampled the superb Chenin Blanc – the reds were not as great as I remembered.

Bella Vineyards  - Healdsburg, California – The wine wasn’t worth writing home about; however, the tastings in the caves made this stop worthwhile.  Just about all the reds tasted like smoky dirt with a splash of mineral water.

Sbragia Vineyards  - Geyserville, California – This is another good stop simply for the view from the tasting room (up high with a great view of Dry Creek Valley).  Most everything here was done in the Italian style – which isn’t our cup of tea.

Souverain Winery  - Healdsburg, California – This is a wonderful stop if you want to participate in a wine and cheese pairing; however, the wine is fairly mediocre.  We didn’t buy anything, but the Syrah was probably the best.

Simi Winery  - Healdsburg, California – Everything here was decent and there was definitely a wide variety.  We enjoyed the Cabs and the Zin was especially smooth.  The courtyard and fountain overlooking the winery were very picturesque.

Mauritson Winery  - Healdsburg, California – This was another winery that seemed more like a simple “bar”.  The wine was decent but the selection was quite tiny.  We did sample a very crisp Sauvignon Blanc.  We revisited this winery two years later and our opinion didn’t change; however, they still had good whites – the reds are a big pass.

Peterson Winery  - Healdsburg, California – This tasting room is located at the top of a “hill” among several other wineries.  None in the area were especially good, but it is a good spot where you can sample a large variety by just walking from one door to the next.  There was an ample selection here.

Amphora Winery  - Healdsburg, California – This was another winery at the top of the “hill” and was worthwhile simply for the grouping effect.

David Coffaro Vineyard  - Geyserville, California – This was just a small winery operated out of a large garage.  The wine was mediocre but I did like the ’05 Fresco (made from trio of grapes; two relatively uncommon – Alvarelhao and Peloursin – the third being Cabernet).  The Petite Syrah and Zin were also decent.

Teldeschi Winery  - Healdsburg, California – Another “hill” winery with average wine.  The Petite Syrah and ’97 Terranova were quite good, but the winemaster looked as if we just woke him up from his nap (and was dressed accordingly ;).

Family Wineries  - Healdsburg, California – Everything here was simply okay – kind of a grouping of about 4 or 5 different wineries.  In fact, I would probably rate everything here one grape except the host was fun.  One of the wines even smelled like mashed potatoes – weird.

Armida Winery  - Healdsburg, California – The winery has a great view – be sure to drive through and enjoy it but I wouldn’t bother stopping to taste the wine.  There is one zin there called Poizin.  It is aptly named.

Downtown Wine Cellars  - Healdsburg, California – I have decided that any winery that is a “family” of wineries is a sign of bad wine.  It appears to mean a group of small wineries who cannot individually make anything worth consuming; therefore, they join forces in hope that they are better as a whole than they were individually.  Unfortunately, lots of crap is still crap.

Sonoma Valley - California Wineries

Enkidu Wines  - Kenwood, California – Crisp Sauv Blancs, silky Chards, and a plethora of thick elegant reds.  The hostess was lots of fun and the wine was splendid.  It is a little difficult to find the tasting room but it is well worth the hunt.

VJB Cellars  - Kenwood, California – Outstanding wine!  This is a very small tasting room located just off the main highway; however, it is absolutely worth tracking down.  Susan and I loved everything here and they had a wonderful variety ranging from crisp whites, fruity reds, and finally to sweet ports.

Sebastiani Winery  - Sonoma, California – Our first winery in California and one of the best we visited.  The hostess was a treat and she ensured we had a great time.  The Zin and Cab were wonderful here and the tasting room had a nice courtyard out front.  On our second visit two years later the wine didn’t seem as good; however, I didn’t downgrade their standing since our tasting was at the very end of a long day.

Ledson Winery  - Santa Rosa, California – This winery consists of an enormous mansion/castle located on top of a charming vineyard.  The winery only ships direct to consumer and their wines are all fantastic.  The Trois Amours and ’04 Cab were the best, but we also enjoyed the Legend (Zin/Merlot combo) and the rest of the Zins offered.  The estate surrounding the winery also offers a great spot to enjoy a picnic and bottle of Ledson’s finest.  Our second visit here, two years later, still consisted of outstanding wine; however, the overall experience was extremely poor.  If there was ever a winery that needs to be evicted from Sonoma and transferred to Napa it would be this one – you’re just a number here, plain and simple.

Valley Of The Moon  - Glen Ellen, California – A lovely tasting room and estate with a nice selection of wines.  We found several here we enjoyed and had a great time at this stop. 

Kunde Estate Winery  - Kenwood, California – The Primativo was best and the rest of the wines were mediocre; however, the tour of the underground cellars makes this a definite stop.

Loxton Wines  - Glen Ellen, California – A winery specializing in Australian Shiraz/Syrah; we almost gave it a great rating just for style alone.  We’re probably biased, but we enjoyed the wine here – even the port was kind of tasty (and we usually despise port).

Wellington Vineyards  - Glen Ellen, California – I give this winery three grapes just for the wine, but the winery itself wasn’t anything special and the estate is virtually nonexistent.  The Zins were bold and strong while the Merlots were smooth and tasty.  We also sampled a very dark “Noir de Noir” which was nice.  The well rounded selection also included a fine Syrah.

Arrowood Vineyards  - Glen Ellen, California – Another good stop for crisp and fruity whites.  The chardonnay and gewertz were the top on my list; however, all of the reds were way overoaked.

Chateau St. Jean  - Kenwood, California – This is a great place to visit if you want to view a beautiful garden and a fancy estate; however, the wine here is truly overrated.  Most of their stuff is readily available in local stores – and I still won’t bother buying it.

Ravenswood Winery  - Sonoma, California – Another fun stop in Sonoma with several rich Zins that can be tasted “side-by-side”.  After our second visit two years later I had to downgrade this winery from a 3 to a 2.  Everything seemed really thin and watery on the second visit.  Truth be told I like the cheap Ravenswood wine at the supermarket better than the “high-end” stuff they had in their tasting room.

Buena Vista Carneros  - Sonoma, California – One of the oldest wineries in Sonoma and they have a nice estate with a lovely walk toward the tasting room.  The Pinot Gris was smooth and fruity and the Zin was a little tangy.  There was also a nice Merlot here, but the prices were quite steep for the quality. 

Kenwood Vineyards  - Kenwood, California – This is a fairly famous brand with a nice little tasting room.  The samples are free (there weren’t very many like that in California) and the wine was nothing spectacular.  I’d stop if you’re passing by, but don’t make a special trip.  The Lodi Zin was our favorite here (actually Lodi was pretty good everywhere).

Landmark Vineyards  - Kenwood, California – The ’04 Steel Plow Syrah was very good, but otherwise, the selection offered wasn’t very versatile.  The estate was appealing and cozy.

St. Francis Winery  - Santa Rosa, California – The Cab, Merlot, and Zin were all good and the estate was average in visual appearance.  It is a nice stop, but nothing stunning.

Kaz Winery  - Kenwood, California – This is a fun place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there (ie, taste wine there frequently).  Honestly, much of what I tasted here was extremely similar to most Texas wineries – it was very “cheap” tasting.

Bartholomew Park Winery  - Sonoma, California – Nasty almost doesn’t do this wine justice.  I really try to avoid bad reviews, so I simply won’t talk about the wine.  There is a nice self-guided tour here and the hosts were very pleasant. 

Mayo Family Winery  - Glen Ellen, California – Lots of choices here, but none of them were remarkable.  The tasting room was more of a “bar” and the prices for bottles were steep (approaching $40).  The only saving grace of this winery was the fact they offered a minimum of 10 different wines with each tasting which was certainly an adventure.  

B.R. Cohn Winery  - Glen Ellen, California – There wasn’t anything worthwhile about this winery except for the tasting room dog – he was sweet.  The nearby olive shop was overpriced, but at least they also had some samples.

Napa Valley - California Wineries

V. Sattui Winery  - St. Helena, California – This is by far the best winery we have ever visited.  The quality of the wine is above and beyond much of what we sampled in California (and we sampled some excellent wine) and the estate was a very pleasant place to enjoy a picnic.  Part of our wonderful experience is definitely due to the special access pass we had to the private tasting in the cellar – most guests must wait in a long line to sample the wine here (which could be a downside we didn’t have to endure).  Their wine is only shipped directly to the consumer and the winery prides itself on this fact.  I sampled the first Pinot Noir I’ve actually enjoyed, several good Zins, and a great Syrah.  Susan and I visited this winery again two years later – it is still awesome.  We had an entire case shipped back to Texas.

Hagafen Cellars  - Napa, California – A small winery located just inside of Napa.  They had some very earthy reds and their prices were a bit steep for the quality.  We did snag a bottle of Don Ernesto Clarinet which was very smooth.

Robert Mondavi Winery  - Oakville, California – A gorgeous estate, but the tasting room left a lot to be desired.  This was one of the places that I wanted to visit just for the name, but I certainly felt like a tourist here instead of an oenophile.  That being said, I did sample an excellent Syrah and a 95 Cab.

Sutter Home Vineyards  - St. Helena, California – This was just a small tasting room for one of the United States' largest producers of blush wines.  There were actually several items to try (some you cannot find in stores) and it was a worthwhile stop; however, it wasn’t as impressive as the productively smaller wineries.

Sterling Vineyards  - Calistoga, California – Everyone should stop at this winery just for the air tram/gondola to the top of the mountain (which is where the winery is found).  There is a nice self-guided tour and the architecture is very “Greek”.  We sampled Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Syrah here, but none were as spectacular as the voyage to get here.

Graeser Winery  - Calistoga, California – This is about as close to hillbilly wine as we found during our entire trip to California.  The winery is operated by an older man, his two dogs, and a bird.  The building itself is just a small extension on the backside of the house.  The wine was very mediocre, but there was a Semillon offered (which is fairly uncommon).

Paso Robles - California Wineries

Four Vines Winery  - Templeton, California - Four Vines is a top notch winery, and even better, a lot of their wine is available around the US.  Their Chardonnay is clean and crisp (stainless steel - just the way I prefer my Chard) and their Zinfandels (I'm talking red Zin here and not the Blush/White Zin) are to-die-for.  We sampled 5 Zins here and they were all outstanding.  Be sure to make this one of your primary stops on any Paso wine tour!

Clavo Cellars  - Paso Robles, California - We happened to stumble across this winery on the first day it was open for tasting (they even stayed open late for us - very nice hosts here).  The owner manages several vineyards and prides himself on selecting only the best grapes from those vineyards for his personal wine production.  The reds and whites here were simply exquisite - this is a definitely stop on any wine tour through the area.

Meridian Vineyards  - Paso Robles, California - This was spectacular stop and we all had tons of fun here.  The hosts here were very friendly, and once they found out we were more knowledgeable than the average consumer, they wanted us to taste everything in their stash.  By the time we were done here (and we were there for quite a while), we had tasted twelve wines and five cheeses (be sure to go for the wine and cheese pairing).  The Syrah here was awesome and they even had a late harvest Riesling that was sweet, but nice.

Vina Robles  - Paso Robles, California - The Sauv Blanc was clean and crisp with a pear finish.  The Chards were buttery with a light oak and very smooth.  The Viognier was actually drinkable (I traditionally dislike Viognier).  and the Rosé easy easy and fruity.  The Cab and Zin were also quite nice.  Be sure to stop here if you enjoy whites!

Tobin James Cellars  - Paso Robles, California - Okay, the wine here is spectacular if you can find a host who will serve the good stuff.  This place is known as party central, and as such, I feel they serve party wine to most of the guests; however, our host figured out we liked the good stuff and he served accordingly.  We tasted twelve wines here and most of them were good (the James Gang Cab was superb).  Be sure to stop on your way through - it is lots of fun!

Eberle Winery  - Paso Robles, California - All the fun is free here - including a very nice tour of their underground cellar.  Susan and I have been on lots of tours so we don't frequently take them; however, this is one you cannot miss.  The Cabs here are very nice and fruit forward.

Opolo Vineyards  - Paso Robles, California - This is a fun winery to visit!  They have a very large variety of whites and reds - we tasted over 10 different wines.  The wine itself is nothing special; however, the tastings are free which is always nice.  For that reason they get 3 grapes.

J. Lohr Vineyards  - Paso Robles, California - Free tastings here - which always bumps up the rating a smidgen.  There are excellent reds here...I almost gave the winery a 4-grape rating; however, Susan wasn't as fond of the wine as I was.  I suppose this one could be a 3.5 grape rating.

Robert Hall Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Another good spot for reds - Susan and I started noticing a trend at this point - East side Paso reds are generally better than West side.  My favorite was the Zin - it was nice and fruity.  The rest of the wines here had a slighty earthy flavor, but nothing overpowering.

Peachy Canyon Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Another spot with an inexpensive tasting with really nice hosts.  The wine is good here and all factors lead to a pleasant tasting experience.  Susan and I enjoyed the Mustang Springs Zin - it was spicy and bold with lots of body.

FS Cellars  - Paso Robles, California - A very new winery in Paso that happened to be owned by the hosts of our B&B.  The Chardonnay was crisp.  The Zin and Cab were both fruity, smooth, and a good for drinking. 

Zenaida Cellars  - Paso Robles, California - Lots of wonderful reds here (don't bother visiting if you are a white lover - they didn't have a single sample).  Be sure to check out their Fire Wine while visiting!

Summerwood Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Very nice tasting room - they have vines on the outside of the building that are available for eating grapes straight from the vine.  The Cabs here are splendid - both Susan and I gave them high marks. 

Vihuela Winery  - Paso Robles, California - This downtown boutique winery his hard to find, but worth the search.  You either have to enter through the olive shop or enter from a bar on an alley.  It is the best of the downtown wineries we visited and they had some great reds; mostly Cab and Syrah.  They also had a nice Pinot Noir/Syrah blend (which was very unusual).

Justin Vineyards  - Paso Robles, California - Justin is a very popular winery.  Everything here was good; however, they tend to be quite fond of their wine and price accordingly.  As such, we suggest visiting here, but although they have good wine, it is only an average vineyard experience. 

Cass Winery  - Paso Robles, California - The wine here is average, but the setting is really nice.  They have a wonderful patio where you can relax while the hosts bring the tastings directly to you.

Arroyo Robles Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Some decent reds here at this downtown boutique winery.  They have a tasty Tempranillo and the Little Star (Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, and Merlot blend) was their best presentation.  They also had a very refreshing Grand Cuveé.

Edward Sellers Vineyards  - Paso Robles, California - One of several downtown boutique wineries.  Everything was fairly earthy here - even metallic.  The Syrah was the only one I particularly enjoyed.

Tablas Creek Vineyard  - Paso Robles, California - Tablas specializes in French style winemaking.  This makes it a very interesting stop on any wine tour.  They specialize in rich, earthy, full bodied whites - Mourvèdre, Roussanne, and Viognier. 

Zin Alley Vineyard  - Templeton, California - Zin Alley had some good zins, but not for the price of a bottle (most everything was >$40 a bottle).  I did have my first opportunity to taste a wine cultivated from grapes with "noble rot" - it was interesting and super sweet.

JanKris Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Lots of smoky and peppery wines here.  They also offered some interesting sparking wines; a sparking almond and a sparking raspberry.

Lone Madrone Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Some interesting grapes here that I don't normally see - Picpoul, Albarinio, and Nebbiolo.  It is a good place to stop if you want interesting flavors; otherwise, it isn't anything special.

Castoro Cellars  - Templeton, California - This is the home of "Dam Fine Wine".  It is a fun place to stop and I actually liked the wine here; however, Susan wasn't hip on it - it appears the wine was all smoky to her (they were grilling outdoors which would have had a much bigger effect on her than me since her sense of smell is stronger).  Lots of Zins here and the tastings are inexpensive....maybe a 2.5 grape rating?

Victor Hugo Winery  - Templeton, California - I rarely give out the dreaded 1-grape.  This winery didn't really have a nice tasting room (the back corner of a shed), the tasting wasn't free, and the wine was heavy on a nasty mineral taste - all of them.  The only wine I even remotely liked here was the Syrah Rosé. 

Pianetta Winery  - Paso Robles, California - Don't waste your time at this downtown boutique winery.  Everything was simply awful here and the tasting room was full of drunk college students (including the host).

Rocky Creek Cellars  - Templeton, California - All the wines here are aged.  Now, normally aged is a good thing, but I believe these wines are aged only because the owner hasn't been able to sell out of the wines from all the previous years.  We tried vintages from 2000 up to 2003 of Cab, Syrah, Merlot, and Zin.  Nearly all of the reds had residual sugar in them making them slightly sweet - bleck - Susan and I prefer sweet only in white, bubbly, and blush.

Santa Ynez Valley - California Wineries

Brander Vineyard  - Santa Ynez, California - We had tons of fun at this winery - mostly because we had an "in" to special tastings with our new friends Art and Cindy.  This winery is the king of Sauvignon Blanc.  They were clean, fruity, and easy to drink. 

Roblar Winery  - Santa Ynez, California - A really nice tasting room with lots of variety.  We tasted several whites and reds; however, the Syrah was the best - it was quite smooth.

Fess Parker Winery  - Los Olivos, California - A good stop if you are a fan of coonskin hats.  It is a beautiful estate; however, the wine is only average.  They did have an inexpensive Frontier Red wine that both Susan and I enjoyed.

Koehler Winery  - Los Olivos, California - There was a lovely kitty here and simply some good wine - nothing out of the ordinary for California.  There was a smooth Cab and Syrah here and a nice Riesling with an apple finish.

Firestone Vineyard  - Los Olivos, California - This was another average winery from the Santa Ynez Valley.  This area is definitely an up-and-coming region; however, it doesn't quite hold a candle yet to the bigger areas such as Napa, Sonoma, and Paso.

Texas Hill Country Wineries

Messina Hof Winery  - Bryan, Texas - One of our favorite Texas wineries thus far.  They offered a huge selection of wines to taste, and the really neat thing was that you could taste several varietals side-by-side (for example, two different styles of Cab).  The estate was very nice and the staff was ultra pleasant (very willing to offer extra tastes of stuff they thought we might enjoy).  The only downside was that the pricing at the winery itself was much higher than what we really prefer to spend on a bottle.

Stone House Vineyard  - Spicewood, Texas - Most of the grapes are imported from Australia which resulted in some tasty juice.  Their whites were crisp and clean and the reds were fruity with a nice long finish.  Stone House had a wide variety of wines for just about any palate and I would highly recommend the trip out here if you are staying in FB.  Sue Ann, a licensed sommelier, was very nice and she enjoyed taking the time to discuss each wine.  The pricing here is a bit higher than most South Texas wineries.

Flat Creek Estate  - Marble Falls, Texas - This is another of my favorite wineries.  I don't think there is a single wine I didn't like here...even the dry reds were yummy. The only downside is that it is a little difficult to get to (about 20 miles East of Marble Falls; however, the drive is nice and curvy/pretty), but this one is worth the trip!  The trip to this winery is still nice; however, I had to drop the rating a bit after a visit four years later.

Rancho Ponte  - Fredericksburg, Texas - A fairly new winery located just outside of FB.  Their Zin port was fantastic (and I'm not a port fan) and many of their other wines were also quite good - specifically,  their big reds and the Riesling.

Sister Creek Vineyards  - Sisterdale, Texas - A picturesque winery located in an old cotton gin.  They had a nice selection here and Susan and I enjoyed several varieties.

Torre di Pietra  - Fredericksburg, Texas - This is one of the newest wineries in the area (Nov 2004) and also tasty.  I think Susan and I walked away with the most bottles of wines from a single winery here (4 total).  It is right off the highway and an easy stop if you are in Fredericksburg.  The atmosphere is also nice here...a real "cottage/farm" look which is nice for a winery.

Pillar Bluff Vineyards  - Lampasas, Texas - Very friendly hosts (they stayed open late for us) and very enjoyable wine.  Susan and I liked most of the wines we sampled here.

Texas Hills Vineyard  - Johnson City, Texas - Another one of the good wineries that I recommend stopping at on the wine trail.  We enjoyed the majority of their selection here and a lot of their wines are award winners.  I made my second trip here about 5 years later - the wine is still excellent for a Texas winery.

Spicewood Vineyards  - Spicewood, Texas - Susan and I enjoyed nearly every wine we tasted here.  In addition, Spicewood offered a very informative and interesting tour of their facilities. During the tasting they let us sample a wine straight from the barrel.  This is a must visit on the wine trail!   Four years later I visited a second time and had to lower my rating of this winery - the tour is kaput and the wine is only average.

Pedernales Cellars  - Stonewall, Texas - This winery has a beautiful tasting room with a wide variety of offerings; however, this winery is quite proud of their wine (based on the price); however, the taste does not match the cost.

Grape Creek Vineyard  - Stonewall, Texas - Quaint little winery with average wine.  Susan and I enjoyed the visit here and it is definitely close to the highway (as such, I would still recommend stopping on the way to Fredericksburg).  Nevertheless, we didn't actually buy any wine here.

Dry Comal Creek  - New Braunfels, Texas - A quick stop outside of San Antonio and a the end of a nice trip through Northeast hill country.  The wine was decent and we did take home one bottle.  On a positive note the winery offered a wide selection of samples (and since we arrived late in the day we even got to sample the reserve wines).

Driftwood Vineyards  - Driftwood, Texas - This winery had a beautiful view at a hilltop overlooking the vineyard.  It is almost worth a trip to the winery just for the view.  The wine itself was fairly good, especially the Syrah and Chardonnay.

Comfort Cellars  - Comfort, Texas - They had a great selection of wines here including a raisin wine.  It was a nice stop on the trail and the staff was friendly and informative.

Singing Water Vineyards  - Comfort, Texas - It was a long drive out to this winery, but the staff was nice and friendly.  This is a good winery to hang out at and chat with the staff about wine and admire the wildlife and flora. 

Woodrose Winery  - Stonewall, Texas - I gave this winery two grapes simply for the presentation.  This is the only winery we have visited where you didn't belly up to a bar.  Instead, you picked a table and the hostess would bring various samples directly to you.  This winery is worth a visit just for the environment, but the wine itself is nothing spectacular (my second trip about 5 years later confirms this opinion).

Becker Vineyards  - Stonewall, Texas - This a popular winery for many tourists and is also one of George W. Bush's favorites.  We also purchased several bottles of wine for our friends in Fort Worth; however, we didn't take any home for ourselves (which doesn't mean we don't recommend a visit...it is also close to the highway on the way to Fredericksburg).

Fall Creek Vineyards  - Tow, Texas - The vineyard itself is beautiful, but it is extremely out of the way from the rest of the wineries in the area.  As for the wine, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular either...not really worth the long trip to get here.  On the plus side, they have a very adorable winery cat that roams the tasting room.

Pleasant Hill Winery  - Brenham, Texas - Technically this one is pushing the limit of "Hill Country" as we were halfway between Austin and Houston for this winery.  Nevertheless, it was a nice stop on the way back from visiting George in Houston.   It was a nice break in the drive, but the wine wasn't remarkable.

Haak Winery  - Santa Fe, Texas - Pronounced "hack" - much like the sound we made after drinking the wine.  Normally I would probably rank this among the few single grape wineries; however, the estate was beautiful and the staff was very pleasant and informative.

Three Dudes Winery  - San Marcos, Texas - Three Dudes and a Dog operate this winery just a little South of Austin.  The staff was very friendly, and I must admit the whites were decent and I would have given this winery three grapes for them; however, the reds were actually brown and only worth a single grape.

Water 2 Wine Winery  - Fredericksburg, Texas - This is a little boutique winery on the main strip in Fredericksburg.  The store is nice and quaint but the wine is severely lacking - neither Susan nor I liked anything here... at all.

Bell Mountain Winery  - Fredericksburg, Texas - Humorously claimed to be the oldest winery in Texas (established in 1975; however, I know Val Verde is from the 1800s).  Nevertheless, with 35 years of experience you would think they could produce something that didn't resemble swill.

McReynolds Winery  - Cypress Mill, Texas - The "shack in the middle of nowhere" winery.  The wines have a bit of sediment and most were too dry for our tastes.  However, the large samples and unusual, if not "Deliverance" style, atmosphere made this a very entertaining and fun stop on the trail.  On this one, go for the experience....not the wine.  Susan and I revisited in 2010 (about 7 years later) just in case it was our inexperience that caused our bad review.  Unfortunately, it definitely wasn't our lack of wine skills - the wine here is simply and utterly awful.

Fredericksburg Winery  - Fredericksburg, Texas - Nice selection, but the winery itself looked more commercialized than most of the country wineries.  I suppose that has a lot to due with the fact they are in the middle of town and not in the country :).  The winemaster here is extremely knowledgeable and is more than happy to explain the intricacies of making the different bottles of wine.  Our original rating for this winery was much higher; however, after a return visit 7 years later we were forced to downgrade this winery due to lack of selection (they only have sweet wine now - which might be great for some people).

Purple Possum Winery  - Navasota, Texas - Technically a winery, but this stop doesn't actually make grape wine.  Everything offered here is honey mead.  The meadmaster serves up a huge variety including apple, spice, vanilla, cranberry, cinnamon, mint, and jalapeño.  It is an interesting stop, but if you are looking for wine then I wouldn't suggest it.

Lost Creek Vineyard  - Sunrise Beach, Texas - The wine logo is cute, and the black swans were pretty, but there wasn't a single glass of wine Susan or I liked.  This is one of the few wineries where I will ever give a one grape rating.

Chisholm Trail Winery  - Fredericksburg, Texas - Another one of those few wineries in which neither Susan nor I enjoyed any of the samples.  There was a sweet cat roaming the premises, but that was about the only enjoyable aspect of this stop.

North Texas Wineries

Lone Oak Winery  - Burleson, Texas - This was a fine winery! Susan and I enjoyed nearly every wine sampled at this location (even one of the sweet wines).  I personally recommend the Blanc du Bois and Texas Trio.  The winery itself is still developing, but they have big plans for the future.  If their plans are as good as their wine, then this will definitely require a repeat-visit from us.

Times Ten Cellars  - Fort Worth, Texas - Okay, a four grape rating in Texas is definitely not the same as California; however, this is certainly a good winery to visit.  Perhaps I’m overrating a bit because I like the idea of a winery in downtown Fort Worth.  Times Ten imports most of their grapes from California (which helps) and has a large selection of styles with a nice tasting room/dining room.  This would be a good place to hang out on a Saturday night.

Su Vino Winery  - Grapevine, Texas - Our favorite winery in the Grapevine area and located right off the bustling Main Street.  Nearly all of the wineries in Grapevine charged a fee for tastings, but this location gave the most samples for the buck.  In addition, the wine was flavorful and the atmosphere was good.

Lightcatcher Winery  - Fort Worth, Texas - This was our first winery. Most of the wines here were of the red variety, but there were a few sweet ones in the bunch. I don't remember a lot about this one, so I guess that means we need to visit again ;). Update: We made our second visit a few years later and still found a variety of wines we enjoyed at this spot. You can also have a wonderful lunch while you are here which is perfect if you desire to enjoy an entire bottle of wine.

Brennan Vineyards  - Comanche, Texas - I was rather impressed with this "way out winery".  They had some excellent offerings and they were all quite tasty.  We enjoyed just about everything they had to offer including the cabs we love and a pleasantly crisp Viognier.

Brushy Creek Vineyards  - Alvord, Texas - The red wines here were absolutely wonderful; however, the staff didn't act like they were too happy to see us.  Oh well, we still enjoyed the wine and took home a bottle to share later.  On our second visit we felt more welcome - I upped the grapes from 2 to 3.

San Martiño Winery  - Rockwall, Texas - This winery sits atop a nice hill with a wonderful view.  The estate is also quite nice.  The wine...so-so.  I'd definitely stop if I were in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip.

Landon Winery  - McKinney, Texas - Another winery that makes for a nice stop if you are in the area; however, I wouldn't make a special trip to visit.  The wine is mediocre and the atmosphere is more like a wine bar than a winery; however, we still had a good time even if we didn't like anything that we sampled.

Red Caboose Winery  - Meridian, Texas - The estate was very nice here - from the burgundy colored tasting room to the rolling hills and Texas vineyards.  The owners were extremely friendly and informative and the tour was very nice.  The whites here were good and the the Syrah/Merlot wasn't bad (the Cab wasn't good).  This winery is going to be a great place to visit once the construction is complete - for now it is average, but if I had a 2.5 grape rating I would have given it here.

Mia Vino Winery  - Mansfield, Texas - Lots of variety at this winery.  They don't grow their own grapes, but they do the fermenting onsite at a nice little tasting room.  Susan and I sampled lots of wines, but the only one we really liked was the Cabernet - and only after it had a little time to breathe.  Most of their other reds had a hint of sweetness to them, which I usually reserve for my whites.  I suspect this winery is very popular with those who enjoy the sweeter side of wine.  That being said our hosts were great and eager to please!

Rising Star Vineyards  - Rising Star, Texas - A toss back to McReynold's days, this winery is located on a small farm off an old country road.  The wine was fairly watery and generally unpleasant; however, the owner was very friendly and offered a large variety of free samples.   It was a fun stop even though we didn't like the wine.

Bluff Dale Vineyards  - Bluff Dale, Texas - Nothing special here but it is a nice little tasting room in North Texas.  I'd stop if you were passing by but I wouldn't make a special trip.  This winery specializes in sweet wines so Susan and I didn't really appreciate their offerings.

Tehuacana Creek Vineyards  - Waco, Texas - A nice small winery run out of a mobile home.  Most of their wines are sweet, but fairly decent quality.  The owners are nice and the tastings are free - definitely a good stop while passing through.

Sunset Winery  - Bedford, Texas - This winery was very new when we visited; as such, they only had a few wines to sample and those were average.  One interesting item they had was a dark chocolate covered red wine (the bottle was coated).  They had a nice blush here, but it wasn't bottled yet.

Barking Rocks Winery  - Granbury, Texas - Susan and I stopped at this winery after doing a bit of shopping in lovely downtown Granbury.  It is definitely a pleasant addition to the whole "Granbury Experience".  The winery is a small building outside of town and has some nice red wines available for sampling.  On a side note, the owner is very interesting to chat with.

Wichita Falls Vineyards  - Iowa Park, Texas - This winery is just outside of Wichita Falls and has some really nice folks running the place.  We acquired one bottle and also snagged a great smelling candle!

Cross Timbers Winery  - Grapevine, Texas - An old house located just North of Main Street.  In addition to a variety of wines, this location also offered wine daiquiris that were very refreshing.

Delaney Vineyards  - Grapevine, Texas - Probably the most commercial winery in the area with a huge vineyard and an enormous winery with plenty of room to host events.  The wine itself was good, but the tastings were more expensive here than any other location in Grapevine (or even all of the wineries we've been to).

La Buena Vida Vineyards  - Grapevine, Texas - Another cute location within walking distance of Main Street.  There was a nice little garden in front to rest after sampling the different varieties of wine.

D'Vine Winery  - Grapevine, Texas - Also located right on Main Street in Grapevine and there is a similar tasting room in Fort Worth.  One of the interesting aspects of this winery is that you can order custom labels for any of their wines.  In addition, if you are really into winemaking, this winery can create a barrel of wine to your specifications and add any flavorings you desire.

Guerra Winery & Vineyard  - Pittsburg, Texas - Reminiscent of McReynolds: this winery is a small shack where what they lack in quality, they make up for in quantity.  We sampled at least a dozen wines here, and the hostess seemed to really enjoy pouring.  We noticed a large quantity of Muscadine grapes used in this area, and although we weren't very fond of the "wild grape", it did taste pretty good if it was bottled with another fruit such as peach or strawberry wine.

Lou Viney Cellars & Bistro  - Winnsboro, Texas - This is a combination restaurant and tasting room; however, they provide special attention to anyone there for only the tasting.  The wines were fairly good and there was also a large variety.

Lone Star Wine Cellars  - McKinney, Texas - Lone Star is less of a winery and more of a fronting face for two other local vineyards (Wales Manor & Triple ’R’ Ranch).  All three labels were served at the tasting room in the middle of a cute little downtown square.  The hostess was especially jovial and this was a great place to simply sit back and have a good time.

Weinhof Winery  - Forestburg, Texas - Okay, the owners are very nice here; however, that is the only thing they have going for them.  We didn't like any of their wine, and actually, most of their best sellers are the peach and pear wines (which says something).  Combine that with the out-of-the-way drive to get here and I wouldn't recommend it as a stop on the wine trail.

Wales Manor  - McKinney, Texas - This winery doesn't actually provide tastings on-site, but their selection is available at their affiliate, Lone Star Wine Cellars.  Due to the lack of an actual tasting room and less than spectacular wine, it receives the dubious 1-grape.

Triple 'R' Ranch  - Whitesboro, Texas - The vineyards only does tastings as part of the regular ranch activities (hunting and fishing).  Nevertheless, the wine can be sampled at Lone Star Wine Cellars.  It also receives a 1-grape rating due to a lack of variety, taste, and physical tasting room.

Los Pinos Ranch Vineyards  - Pittsburg, Texas - Out in the middle of nowhere you will find a charming restaurant and winery with an interesting method of performing tastings.  Instead of having someone serve you, and describe, each of the wines they just give you a few test tubes of wine and the tasting is self-serve.  I really didn't care much for the "take a number" approach and the wine itself wasn't that great.

Homestead Winery  - Grapevine, Texas and Denison, TX - Another one of the rare one grape ratings.  Susan and I thought the wine here was absolutely awful!  I almost considered dumping out two of my tastings...almost ;).  Susan and I also visited the tasting room in Denison in 2008 - the wines certainly haven't improved - I still almost poured out all of my tastings...almost ;).

Oklahoma Wineries

Sparks Vineyard  - Sparks, Oklahoma - We had to take an old country road to find this winery, but it was a great stop. Most of the wines here were good and the White Zinfandel was especially tasty. Free samples here and they will let you try as many as you desire.

Woodland Park Vineyard  - Stillwater, Oklahoma - Small world?  This winery is run by a former co-worker of my father's.  From what I hear, they got into and out of a lot of trouble together at the Post Office.  With that in mind, this winery featured several unusual and disorderly fruit combinations.  With flavors such as Elderberry, Peaches & Cream, and Pear, we almost began to wonder if experimentation was their favorite pastime :).  These unique varieties weren't the best wine we've ever had, but it was interest sing.  Instead, we most enjoyed the blush and Chardonnay from this vineyard (the Chardonnay will probably win some awards IMHO).  The tour was excellent and we had a good time here.

Winery of the Wichitas  - Medicine Park, Oklahoma - Spotted a newspaper article for this winery while in Lawton over Thanksgiving. As such, we decided it was a "must visit" during our trip. The winery is situated in the beautiful Wichita Mountains and sports a spectacular view from the balcony out back. The wine was good and we all enjoyed the various varieties. Rick and Nina took home several bottles and we shared a few of them over the course of the weekend.   Note - we have made a second trip to this winery and the wine itself is improving (The Syrah/Petite Syrah was very good).  As such I decided to bump this winery up to a three-grape experience.  On our third visit I had to bump them back down to a two - it appears their seasons can be fairly hit or miss.  My fourth visit was also a 2-graper; however, they plan to have Syrah/Petite Syrah in late 2008 - I'm looking forward to those wines!

Woods & Waters Vineyard  - Anadarko, Oklahoma - This winery is more along the lines of a 2.5, but I never got around to drawing a half grape ;).  I enjoyed many of the wines here, especially the stainless steel and oaked Chardonnay; however, Susan couldn't really find a wine she enjoyed.  Nina was particularly fond of the Gewürztraminer.  I'll also point out the owner was very friendly and genuinely interested in wanting everyone to enjoy the tasting experience!

Valley Vineyards & Winery  - Pauls Valley, Oklahoma - We passed by this winery on our way to Christmas in Tulsa.  We sampled about five wines here and thought the Mockingbird Rose and Tanager Red were the best.  We even snagged a bottle of the Red and enjoyed it Christmas eve.

Tidal School Vineyards  - Drumright, Oklahoma - The old school house converted to a winery makes this stop a worthwhile visit. There are several interesting fruit/wine mixes and the Merlot was one of the best I have had in recent memory. There was, however, not many verities available for sampling.

Stable Ridge Vineyards  - Stroud, Oklahoma - Located just a few feet from historic Route 66 in a beautiful little Catholic church (I know, kind of ironic). Many different varieties in which the grape tannins were potent in nearly all of them. We didn’t walk away with a bottle here, but we did enjoy the visit!

Cimarron Cellars  - Caney, Oklahoma - Quaint little winery located just off of Highway 75 in Southeast Oklahoma.  I stopped by this winery while going to Jonathan and Kahle's wedding in Tulsa.  Free samples here and the wine was a little different (lots of fruit flavored wines).  The blush was the best and I snagged a bottle for Susan to try at home.

Moonfeathers Winery  - Guthrie, Oklahoma - Technically we didn't visit this winery.  The winemaster happened to be at a festival in Lawton and had brought a wide selection of his wines for tasting.  He also mentioned the winery would be closing soon, and as such, I thought that would make a good excuse to post a review without visiting the winery itself.  I will say this, it would take a really superb winery experience to overcome the quality of the wine.  I actually recognized a taste in all the wines - I thought they all tasted like Homestead wines from Texas.  The winemaster subsequently revealed all of his grapes come from the homestead vineyards - hmm...must be something nasty in their soil.

Windmill Winery  - Roosevelt, Oklahoma - This is another one of those rare 1-grape wineries.  About the only good thing here were the roaming cats and the the cost of the samples (free is always good); however, these attributes didn't offset the taste of the wine.  In our group of 5, the only wine that anyone really seemed to like was the Riesling.

Other Wineries

Volcano Winery  - Volcano, Hawaii - One of only two wineries in Hawaii and a really fun stop after spending the afternoon at Volcano National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.  We enjoyed a good portion of what we sampled here and they also had some unique blends (such as guava, kiwi, honey, and macadamia nuts).

Bookcliff Vineyards  - Glenwood Springs, Colorado - Although the winery itself is located near Grand Junction, there is a tasting room in Glenwood Springs at the Chocolate Moose Belgian chocolatier.   Right after tasting several good wines we were able to indulge in some of the finest chocolate Colorado has to offer.  The selection was average, but the atmosphere was splendid!

Hot Springs Winery  - Hot Springs, Arkansas - The Hot Springs winery is more of a tourist attraction than a traditional winery.  There is a museum, and lots of different styles to sample, but nearly all of the wine has sugar added to make it more pleasing to the non-wine drinker.  One interesting item to note is the large usage of Cynthiana and Muscadine grapes (local to the area) - The Cynthiana is a nice dry grape (think Merlot), but the Muscadine really didn't make good wine (in our opinions of course).