Wine Tasting in Murphys

Cat and I have been wine tasting in Murphys twice now and had a great day each time. Some of the wineries are better than others, so I thought I'd make a list of the ones we liked best. I'm not a wine connoisseur by any means, so I won't even bother trying to describe the wines. The wineries I liked are based on the overall service and variety of wines offered.

First Trip:
1. Vina Moda - loved this one. Great variety of wine to taste- a white, and a rose, and a few reds I think. A couple of their wines have won awards. The descriptions of the wines are hilarious!

2. Frog's Tooth - It was okay. All the wines were pretty good, but none stood out as amazing.

3. Villa Vallecito - Didn't care for this one as much. A couple of the wines just weren't very good, and we didn't get great service there.

4. Newsome Harlow - This place was average, but they charge $10 instead of the typical $5, and then the lady ripped us off when we went to pay by double charging us. So I'm not a fan.

Second trip:
1. Milliaire - This is one of my favorites: good wine, good variety, liked them all! I really love the Pinot Grigio, the sparkling white, and the Clockspring Zinfadel. They have a deal where you can get two whites for $24.

2. Lavender Ridge - they charge $7.50, but you get cheese samples with 3 of the wines. I loved the cheese and wine pairings! They also have lavender soaps and candles to buy, as well as cheeses.

3. Hatcher - This winery is in a cool old cellar. It was $8, but they had about 9 different wines on their tasting menu, plus a dessert wine, plus a little bread basket. The wines were good, but the bartender there is really grouchy.

4. Tanner - This winery was open until 5:30 (most close at 5pm). they gave us great service!

5. Bunting - This winery was open until 6pm, but they stayed open later for us. Very friendly people. It's a newer winery apparently, but pretty good.

Subsequent trips:
La Folia - I liked a lot of their wines, but I love their Barbera! I tried it at a restaurant in Sonora, and the next time I went back to Murphys, I had to go to La Folia to buy a bottle. It's a little pricier, but so worth it! They have a lot of wine on their tasting menu, but they're kind of stingy with the pours. They charge $8 a tasting, and they're open till 6pm.

Still want to try:
Zucca
Hovey
Renner

Best Four:
1. Milliaire
2. Lavender Ridge
3. La Folia
4. Vina Moda