Draconis Vineyards tasting room is located inside the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg. One visit and you'll be hooked. Enjoy their eclectic "Middle Earth meets Art Nuveau" style, with a Dragon motif featuring STUNNING Tiffany Lamps, while their knowledgeable staff pour you some of the best wines I've ever tasted out of the Lodi region.
If you're lucky enough to get owner Matt Powell to pour for you, you'll also get a bit of a wine lesson.
(You also may slip into an unprovoked conversation about Star Wars at no extra charge so...BONUS!)

The 2017 Zinfandel, Dark Style SCREAMS "Put a fire on and braise some lamb shanks, would ya?" This is Fall's answer to... everything.

What We Love To Pair With This Wine:
Lamb, Sausage, Barbeque, Manchego Cheese

Element 79's GORGEOUS tasting room in Fair Play is located on 70+ acres of vineyards and breathtaking views. Right in the heart of California's "Gold Country", Element 79 is not just a clever name which gave way to an exquisitely beautiful logo/label, it is also a reference to the Periodic Table: The 79th element is Gold (and now I never miss this question at Trivia night).

THE OWNERS KNOW THEIR WINES SO WELL! 
I once ran into Les Heinsen at a local restaurant where I was sipping on his 2015 Element 79 Estate Syrah, and my friends were each drinking different wines (FOR SHAME!) We decided to blindfold Les (it was clearly not our first glass) and have him do an impromptu tasting, to see if he could pick out his own wine. Not only did he pass the test with only one sip of each, he also flawlessly named the varietal of each of my friends' wines, as well as several of their years and AVA's. Les and his wife, Sharon love to pair their wines with food. ME TOO! For the last 2 years, we have paired up to provide a 4-course limited-seating wine pairing dinner called "Dine in the Vines", once a month from May-October. 

A big family dinner with rich foods like Homemade Mac N Cheese or Slow Cooker Spare Ribs would not be complete without a couple of bottles of this extremely special Syrah.

What We Love To Pair With This Wine:
Braised Beef, Pork Belly,
Bacon Mac, Spicy Peppers, Roasted Eggplant

A trip to Due Vigne's tasting room in the Old Sugar Mill will make you smile. Their staff is so warm and greet us by name when we come in. They have a charming members lounge VIP area where I love to bring out-of-town guests, family, and friends to celebrate special occasions or just for a great day of wine tasting. One of our favorite things about visiting Due Vigne, is that they feature a fudge sampling from The Chocolate Architect to go with the wine tasting.
Chocolate + Wine = Yasssss. #amiright

Their 2018 Rosato is Thanksgiving Dinner's perfect pair. Sipping on this while I get as much turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and cranberry sauce into my body as possible, is my new favorite anticipation. Come on, November - get here already! In the meantime, it is an amazing accompaniment to the cooler afternoons and waning sunshine that October is offering in the Sacramento Valley.

What We Love To Pair With This Wine:
Turkey (and all the fixins), Chicken, Pasta Dishes with Butter Sauces or Tomato Sacuces, Seafood