The Teldeschi family started growing grapes in the region after World War II. During the 1940s and '50s, Frank Teldeschi provided home winemakers with grape juice, a practice continued until the 1980s. Since then, the Teldeschi family has been growing grapes and making wine in the Dry Creek Valley region, specializing in Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The Teldeschi estate wines can be enjoyed in the tasting room, where visitors can interact with the winemakers.
Situated among corn fields and tomato patches this charming, family-owned winery operates along Highway 113, not far from downtown Dixon, and offers a wide variety of fine wines that are made by vintner Jess Jones.
Jones and his wife, Mel, began growing grapes in 1997 and primarily sold them to winemakers. In 2000, Jess Jones, who studied winemaking at U.C. Davis, made his first wines from grapes he grows on three acres of his land.
Jones' first wines were Merlot and Cabernet. In 2004, Jones began producing his wines and today offers Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon along with two dessert wines and two ports.
Anyone traveling along Highway 113 can easily find the winery because of the many signs along the highway that lead wine lovers to it.
The tasting room is not pretentious although decorated with many news articles and accolades garnered by the winery. A large stuffed moose head and other critters overlook the tasting room and bar area.
Owners Jess and Mel Jones host many gatherings at the winery, including hosting the Dixon Chamber of Commerce, and hold several weddings, class reunions and functions. The winery welcomes any group who wishes to rent it out for the day and those who wish to bottle their own wines!
The winery also offers a wine club that's free to join.
Kelham Vineyards and Winery is a family owned winery. It produces a range of varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, "Sons" Proprietary Red, Sauvignon Blanc and more. The estate rests on 60 acres of land. The company has been producing wine for over 35 years. It offers private tastings hosted by the owners of the winery. Customers can enjoy seven or eight different wines with fresh fruit, meat and cheeses.
Markham Vineyards rest on over 350 acres of land. The winery produces over 20,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a blended red. The vineyard hosts private parties and events.
Acorn Winery, in the Russian River Valley region just south of Healdsburg, is run by winemaker Bill Nachbaur and his wife, Betsy. They launched production at the 32-acre vineyard, originally planted in 1890 with Zinfandel grapes, in 1994.
They use what is called "field-blending" of intermixed and co-fermented grape varieties, instead of separate processing of single varietals. This produces a unique type of wine that is served in many Sonoma County restaurants.
Open by appointment only, Acorn Winery produces about 3,000 cases of wine annually, and the Nachbaurs describe their operation as "hands-on, small-scale and sustainable."
Dry Creek Vineyard has been producing wines for both the local and global communities at large since 1972. Originally founded by David Stare in 1972, this winery remains a family owned operation under the eye of his daughter, Kim Stare Wallace, and her husband, Don Wallace. (Kim also keeps up a wine blog at http://www.wilmaswineworld.com/.
To this day, Dry Creek Vineyards remains a landmark winery in the Valley and is a great destination when touring Healdsburg. Make sure to check out the website for more information and special events.
Signorello Estate is a Napa based winery featuring over 50 acres of land growing a variety of grapes and producing fine wines for over 25 years. The wines produced at Signorello Estate include chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah, cabernet franc and the Estate's speciality, cabernet savignon. Signorello Estate is family owned and operated and offers online ordering for non-local customers.
The Paradise Springs Winery is located on 36 acres in Clifton, bordering Hemlock Regional Park and the Bull Run River. The location offers a wide range of wine choices, including varietals such as Petit Manseng, Sommet Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and more. The winery is family owned and operated and also hosts tastings, tours, wine dinners, group events and more. Visit the website for a list of available bottles, event information, or to shop online.
