Only when u step off the main road in wine country can u find the perfect – well usually – one stop shop for a local wine maker and his/her armada of wines that they are dying to have u try.

If u go to one winery in one stop u might as well go for eight.

Family Wines, www.familywines.com, is almost overwhelming with what is offered. U get Dashe, which in my circle has always been a zin fest, strutting its Cab’s and single vineyard Merlot. Lago Di Merlo makes some serious red wine. If u like old world wine, they will not disappoint. Mietz made the crowd pleasing wine of the day with their Syrah - think Raspberry and Chocolate. The other wineries offer some seriously extracted Zin’s, Cab’s and Petite Syrah’s.

After stepping away from Family Wines u can walk through the Parking Lot, or excuse me: the railyard, and hit up Kokomo wines, Peterson and Amphora. Papapietro did not really do it for me so I left it off my ABC list.

Kokomo:

A: has the best name

B: has already sold out of its 30 buck Zin

C: the tasting guy used to be the head sound guy for Tribe Sector Nine, Leftover Salmon and used to be on tour with Widespread Panic.

Peterson:

A: Free Stickers

B: U can see the mountain where the grapes are sourced from the Tasting Room

C: The Tasting Lady was pouring literally full glasses with each wine. We are talking ten full glasses of wine.

Amphora:

A: Rick Hutchinson is the main man

B: “Only woman touch the grapes”

C: Barrel Tasting for all and an unbelievable Cab Franc. Not to mention a killer Syrah as well as a Petite Syrah.