Reflecting upon my Valentine n’ Wine experience of 2011, I can strongly suggest this as a romantic escape for folks in Los Angeles to escape to Ventura County. On the website is a handy is downloadable guide for your day. Participating in this kind of activity either means plan a full day or book a hotel to relax and enjoy yourself. From the San Fernando Valley, the trail of vineyards starts at Camarillo, next stop Oxnard then Ojai. It is a great scenic trip down the 101 which can be reached in less than an hour from most points west of Sherman Oaks and Grenada Hills.
My visit included three wineries, Cantara Cellars, Herzog and Magnavino. Each winery reflects its own distinct personality and charm. Looks can be deceiving in regard to location. Many of the wineries are located in an industrial area.
When you visit the the Cantara Wine Cellars located at 126 Wood you are like likely to meet one of the members of the Brown family which own Cantara Cellars. On this special weekend husband and wife team Tom and Chris, Tom’s father and son were working at various posts. We followed the hearts on the ground to our wine tasting destinations. You may even get to sample wine out of the barrel at Cantara. All of the wines tasted such as the Grenache, Syrah 2009, Barbera and the Left Bank Cuvee come across as medium bodied and smooth. All the wines were delightful but the most impressive was the 2008 Old Zinfandel. Many of the grapes were grown in Odai which is the largest wine growing region in the United States.
Among the events you can look forward to through the year include the Friday night Wine Flight events. Grab a friend for your chance for an “I Love Lucy” moment. Become Lucy or Ethel stomping grape activities in September.
One freeway exit down after the Cantara experience, it is time to try what Oxnard has to offer with a stop was Herzog then Magnavino. The Herzog winery name is likely to be a familiar one since they distribute wine throughout the U.S.A. Herzog has a completely different feel. It is a big company and they do things in a big way with a fancy wine bar, plenty of merchandise and a fine dining restaurant.
The Herzog family decided to expand their winemaking operations to California in 1985. They make wine under two separate labels, the Baron Herzog and Herzog Wine Cellars. After twenty years of renting space in various wineries, the family was finally able to build its own state-of-the-art winery just south of Santa Barbara, in the town of Oxnard.
Helping to end the day of wine drinking in a magnificent was the experience at Magnavino Winery located at 961 Rice Avenue, the newest of the wineries in the area only open since late August 2010. These owners came ready to pair wine with food from cheese to meatballs. Upon entering view murals lining the hallway, the sound of piano player welcomes you then you look up enjoy the grandness of the tall ceilings. Elegance not at the expense of a quaint welcoming atmosphere is what you will find at Magnavino. There are four white wines and six red wine offerings. Among the selections of the day available for tasting were the 2009 Pinot Grigio, 2009 Viognier, 2008 Sangiovese, 2008 Barbera, 2008 Syrah and the 2008 Petite Sirah.
Includes one tasting flight (five wines) at each participating winery
Passport-holders receive special one or two-night rates at participating area hotels
Valid Friday, Saturday and Sunday; February 10-12, 2012
Multiple wineries to visit; visit www.vcwines.com for map and winery list
