McKenzie-Mueller Vineyards & Winery

From Ceja we proceeded west on Las Amigas Road to McKenzie-Mueller which can be found in the most romantic Americana setting we can imagine.  This is not a plastic, man-made environment; it is one of views across the rolling hills of vineyards to eucalyptus windbreaks, vintage barns, authentic farmhouses and  harvested fields.  There are windmills and antique farm equipment mixed in with country gardens, all very tranquil and inviting.  Tasting at McKenzie-Mueller is done in a barn styled barrel room whose walls are covered with art created by local and family artists. 

The winery offered a good cross section of their wines for tasting including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.  There were three different tasting stations and owners Bob Mueller and Karen McKenzie were helping pour at two of the stations, eager to share their wines.  We were very impressed with the estate Pinot Noir from their Carneros vineyards and their Cabernet Sauvignon made from their vineyards in the Napa Valley.  These were powerful, well balanced, delightful wines and nicely priced for the quality.  The winery supplied muffins, cakes, breads, and cream cheese topped with gourmet jellies as appetizers to have with the wines.  You could also taste a good selection of their library wines for $5 and all wines were sold at a 10% discount during the event.  The winery is generally only open by appointment, so take the time to call ahead if you will be in the region so don’t miss a chance to try these great wines. 

Adastra

From McKenzie-Mueller we walked across Las Amigas Road and up the tree-lined driveway to Adastra.  This is another of those great Americana style wineries that on the day we were there was surrounded by cornstalks and pumpkins in celebration of the recent harvest.  There are gardens on three sides of the redwood tasting barn and you could take yourself on a self guided tour if you chose to.  They had the croquet court open, but it was a bit cool for most people.  This is a winery that is not generally open to the public; it is only open during the Los Carneros open house events.  You can purchase the wines at the estate other times of the year, but there is no tasting offered, so try to make it to one of these events if you can.

The tasting team at Adastra was obviously enjoying themselves during the event and we had a chance to meet owner/operator Chris Thorpe and discuss his wines and vineyards.  That always makes a tasting seem more complete when the person who makes the wine is there to share their take on what it took to create them.  Adastra specializes in small batch, handcrafted wines, aged in French Oak.  They are primarily known for their Pinot Noir, but produce a very nice Syrah & Merlot with great depth of flavor and soft, dusty tannins. The winery supplied cheeses paired beautifully to the wines we tasted, making the adventure that much more complete. 

MacRostie Winery and Vineyards

We hopped back in the car and headed to the Sonoma side of the AVA and MacRostie Winery and Vineyards.  This tasting experience was very different from the four earlier ones done in the vineyards and farms.  MacRostie winery is located in a industrial building not far from the town of Sonoma in their cellar.  It is very modern, almost cavernous facility with large steel tanks and oak barrels around the outside and tasting in the center. The day of the event there were also crafters selling their hand made wares on hand for those looking to do some early Christmas shopping.  This is another winery that is open by appointment only making this a perfect opportunity to try their wines.
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