Clos Du Lac Cellars-Greenstone Winery

This is a beautiful winery in Ione and we were very pleasantly surprised at the high quality of the wine being made there. The staff there were very nice, including the wine makers. Amazing young men, full of information and personality! I purchased two cases, and soon realized I should have gotten more. Can’t wait to go back!

Beautiful grounds, beautiful tasting room, great staff, OK wine. Not really a fan, but I know a lot of others are.

Update: We drove out to Clos Du Lac recently and the zins being offered for tasting were way more run-​of-​the-​mill than the one I rave about below. But they had a big, jammy port that was kicking so I bought two bottles. Great with Stilton cheese.
About ten years ago I bought one of the best zins I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking from this label. It had a big jammy boysenberry-​forward taste, light tanins, an intriguing complexity (as do most of the Amador County zins – that barnyard humusy body provided by the soils there), and a long satisfying finish. It was about $ 20 and I haven’t had its equal since. I recommend you stop by when you’re in their neighborhood.

Another place I’ve been driving past for years, but never stopped in. However, the tasting room hours now extend to 5pm in the spring and summer. A bad ski day ended early, and I found myself cruising by at 4. Note: you enter through the gate, which is hard to figure out if you don’t naturally think in «yards» when reading roadside signs.
The Greenstone wines are made from a mix of grapes grown on-​site and those from other Amador regions. An excellent Petite Syrah (2001), loaded with flavor, texture, and finish, was memorable and as good as some of the Livermore Valley offerings, and surprisingly inexpensive. The Sangiovese, only brought out because a club member requested it, had the right flavor profile and a taste that should really develop well with a little aging, or maybe some decanting and aeration. They also sold a sweet Zinfandel port, which went well with the free chocolate. Like many foothills wines, the smells were unique, sometimes odd, often aggressive, but always interesting. Napa, Sonoma, and Livermore all have uniform regional smells, while up here you’ll discover new sensory experiences.
Prices ranged in the $ 10s and $ 20s, with several bottles on sale. I bought the Sangiovese and the Petite Syrah. I’m going to grab more of the latter on my next trip to the mountains.
UPDATED: you know, this place is growing on me now that I’ve cracked the bottles I brought home. The Sangiovese, with food, was a great dry Chianti-​style wine, and the Petite Syrah, at the existing price point, is quite caseworthy. They are currently (⁴⁄₂₇) doing a closeout sale on the 2001’s and I stocked up for pennies on the dollar. Buy a case.
REUPDATED: Check out the Chalaye and «R» blends. A little mixing of the sometimes rowdy Foothills varietals makes for a smoother, richer red.