New Tasting Rooms Draw Direct-Trade

Vintners demonstrate their optimism across the continent
 
San Rafael, Calif. -- With vacant retail spaces giving malls and Main Streets the aspect of a first-grader waiting for the Tooth Fairy, American winery owners continue to put their money where their consumers are. As 2008's wine-touring season begins in earnest, new wineries and tasting facilities are opening from California's Central Coast, north to Spokane, Wash., and east to Ohio. Here are some we've heard about recently. If you know of others, please let us know.

Kiamie Wine Cellars, Paso Robles, Calif.

Kiamie, established in 2006, specializes in blends sourced from premium Westside Paso Robles vineyards. Its new tasting room opened April 11 in a historic Granary Building built in 1890 -- 1111 Riverside Ave. in downtown Paso. The grand opening coincided with the release of its 2006 Meritage, 2006 R'Own Style blend and 2007 White Kuvée wines, retailing for  $24 to $44 per bottle. Aram Deirmenjian is proprietor/general manager. His family has grown grapes in California for more than 30 years; proprietor/national sales manager Greg Johnson has a decade of experience with New York wine retailers. Steve Glossner, a Central Coast veteran, is winemaker. For more information, visit kiamiewines.com.

La Honda Winery, Redwood City, Calif.
 
La Honda will host the public grand opening of its new production facility and tasting room on the weekend of June 13-14, as one of the "Eastern Side" destinations of the Santa Cruz Mountains Vintners' Mid-Peninsula Wine Gala. Winemaker Ken Wornick manages more than 30 private estate vineyards in the region; his Santa Cruz Mountains wines include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir wines retailing from $19 to $43.50 per bottle. Winemakers from Kings Mountain Winery and Michael Martella Wines will also be pouring their wares that weekend at La Honda at 2645 Fair Oaks Ave. For details, visit lahondawinery.com.

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Healdsburg, Calif.

Owners Don and Rhonda Carano, who established their Sonoma County winery in 1985, opened Seasons of the Vineyard tasting bar on Healdsburg's central plaza in April. Previously a boutique specializing in décor and accessories for the "wine country" lifestyle, it now offers wine flights and food pairings of Ferrari-Carano, PreVail and Lazy Creek Vineyards wines. Its 20-foot tasting bar has a sustainable countertop crafted from used bottles and old windows. Rhonda Carano called it, "a relaxed atmosphere that visitors can discover, and where friends can meet." It's at 113 Plaza Street. Learn more at seasonsofthevineyard.com.

Barili Cellars, Spokane, Wash.  
 
Barili's Russ & Marlene Feist; Dana & Steve TrabunSourcing grapes from Eastern Washington's Seth Ryan Estate, Red Mountain; Les Collines, Walla Walla Valley; Dineen, Rattlesnake Hills and Burgess, Columbia Valley, Barili is the brainchild of long-time home winemakers Russ Feist and Steve Trabun. Located at 608 W. Second Ave. in downtown Spokane's upscale Davenport district, Barili opened its tasting room and production facility on Mother's Day. Its wines include varietal Chardonnay and Viognier and a red blend, retailing from $15 to $20 per bottle. For details, visit barilicellars.com.

Heritage Vineyard Winery, Warsaw, Ohio

Owners Tina and Randy Endsley have been growing grapes on their property since 2001, selling them to neighboring Ohio wineries. With the participation of their sons and daughters-in-law, they've gone vertical, adding a winery and tasting room, an event space seating up to 60 people and an outdoor gazebo. The Endsleys also operate a bed-and-breakfast on-site. Heritage sells sweet and semi-sweet wines for $8.95, dry wines for $9.95 per bottle. For more information, visit heritagevineyardwinery.com.

Brandeberry Winery, Enon, Ohio
 
Brandeberry will hold its grand opening July 3 and 4 at 5118 W. Jackson Road. Situated on 10 acres of hilly glacial moraine, the vineyard is currently growing Vidal, Cayuga and Seyval grapes. The current wine varieties include Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Vidal, Cayuga, Seyval, Cherry, and Blackberry. Owner/winemaker Jim Brandeberry is a retired dean of engineering at Wright State University. Learn more at brandeberrywinery.com.