One of the things we like to do as a hobby is visit wineries. We’ve visited in three states, but mostly it has been here at home, in Ventura County, California. Taste wise, our favorite is the Malibu Winery. It was also the first winery we ever visited.
The drive to the winery is nice; lots of ranches and not a lot of traffic. There are also a lot of vineyards for several wineries throughout the state. When you get to the entrance, it’s easy to miss…even if you’ve been there before.
The tasting room is in a pavilion set back from an expanse of lawn with tables and chairs. Many people like to enjoy the wine they purchased and there are often picnickers enjoying their lunch and the sunshine. The best wine comes from the Semlar flight. The cabernet sauvignon was especially good.
The Herzog Winery is the most impressive one we’ve visited. Besides having a tasting room, they have a glassed in, self guided tour of the winery. On the walls are explanations about the wine making process and the family that started the winery. The day we visited, wine was being bottled and labeled. It was interesting to see how it was done. The wines served at the Herzog winery are all a bit sweet, but again the cabernet was the best.
The hardest winery to get to is the Old Creek Winery. The signs that announce the approach are hard to see, and it’s very easy to pass it. Once you turn down the driveway, there is a horse ranch to the right. The winery is to the left and a long way down the road.
When we visited, there was a creek that literally crossed the road. A bridge was under construction, which has now been completed, to go over the creek rather than through it. This makes visiting the winery during the rainy season much safer. It is definitely worth the visit. All the wines we tasted were excellent.
The wines at all three wineries were very good, but that is dependent on each person’s taste. The wonderful thing about visiting wineries and tasting rooms is that you know whether or not you’re going to like a particular bottle before you purchase it. It can be very disappointing to bring home a bottle of wine and find that it doesn’t taste good to those drinking it.