Berghold Vineyards & Winery

Take a couple of turns off Highway 12 and you will find this grand, newly constructed winery, tasting room and event space. As you drive up you will be impressed by gardens, statuary and lovely grounds. There are olive trees, French lavender and spacious lawns to greet the visitor. Be sure to look up at the ornately carved wooden corbels (they are actually old piano legs) along the edge of the roof.

Enter through a huge wooden door into the exquisite main hall that could easily handle a hundred or more visitors. The main wood-floored tasting room hosts a magnificent collection of art and Victorian antiques, including a enormous hand-carved tasting bar and mirrored back bar. Classical music plays from a programmed concert grand piano, and contributes to the regal ambiance.

The room was designed around the furniture, including the huge German-styled glockenspiel, whose moving figures entertain on the hour. The owners are successful antique dealers, and their unique armoires create a richly decorated space. (They can transform these pieces into high-end humidors or wine coolers – just ask the price first!)

But the focus here is on limited-quantity estate wines made in a European style for enjoying with food. Miles, the son of the owners, has been growing grapes in the area since 1986. His vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Viognier in alluvial, sandy-loam soils. He limits his yields in order to produce flavor-concentrated grapes.

To make their Petite Sirah and their Cabernet Franc, they source their grapes from nearby estates. They also produce a late-harvest Viognier and a traditional Northern-Rhone styled Cotie-Rotie (a blend of Syrah with a bit of Viognier). Look for a recently released Petite Sirah Port. Check out the back covered patio with its comfortable seating and vineyard views.