I had a lot of choices for this months favorite wineries. But ultimately these two topped my list because not only were their wines amazing, but our time at the wineries were some of the best I’ve had in California and I’ve lived here for 4 years.
Domaine Chandon– I had been to this winery before this month, but I was pregnant at the time so I didn’t get to enjoy any of the wine. The views were still just as gorgeous as I remember, and when we went this time around, it was first thing on a Monday morning so it was not nearly as crowded so we had no issues finding seats anytime we wanted to sit down. I also enjoyed how you didn’t have to stand at the tasting bar the entire time, they encourage you to walk around the grounds. They have both still and sparkling tasting flights, and in our group one girl got the still tasting and she said it was amazing. This girl here loves her some sparkling wine so that’s what I got and I wasn’t disappointed. Their tastings run from $20-$35 dollars, or hosted tastings that cost $40. If you have a group, I would suggest doing a variety of tastings and sharing sips so you can try more. Check out their website here Domaine Chandon.
Del Dotto- This has become by far one of my favorite winery experiences in California and I’m so mad it took me this long to do it. Del Dotto in St. Helena (there are 3 properties all owned by the same people and I’m sure all equally amazing) is a wine cave tour and tasting experience. I do believe they do just tastings but I HIGHLY recommend doing the cave tour and tasting. Now it’s a little pricy at $60 dollars but to me it’s worth every penny. Not only do you get a tour of a WINE CAVE, yes I said wine cave, you get to try so many wines right from the barrel, most if not all have not been released yet. You learn so much about the process, and what goes into it all, and at the end you get snacks. Any place that provides food is high on my list. If you go, try and request Todd as your guide. He was amazing and made the experience that much better. You do need reservations, but if you plan things out far enough, we had no issues getting one for 6 people. Check out their site here Del Dotto.
I cant wait to see what June wineries have to offer!
