Crystal Basin, Author at Crystal Basin Cellars

Sangiovese October Wine of the Month

by Crystal Basin | Oct 9, 2022 | Wine of the Month

Crystal Basin Cellars is highlighting our double gold medal award winning Sangiovese as our October Wine of the Month.

Sangiovese is Mother Nature’s statement about the flavor exchange that happens during the transition from Summer to Fall.

Just like the ripening cycles in October’s gardens, vineyards and pumpkin patches, Sangio somehow combines the acidity of the summer heat and transitions it to the mellowness of shorter days and narrower temperature swings of fall evenings.

Sangiovese speaks to the fall ripeness of your garden’s bounty and can create some of those memorable and sublime Indian Summer experiences that mark the change of seasons.

That’s why we are featuring it as our October Wine of the Month.

Watch Mike Owen & Rex and the Road discuss the the Crystal Basin Cellars Sangiovese below to learn more about our award winning wine!

This wine pairs well with roasted pork, gnocchi with sage butter, or even a spaghetti and meatballs meal. In other words, the perfect addition to your fall dinner table!

Enjoy a bottle of the Crystal Basin Cellars October Wine of the Month, Sangiovese, in your home by ordering a bottle to be delivered to your home or you can pick it up at one of our locations!

Order Sangiovese Here

Visit Us

Want to try it before you buy it? Visit of our locations for a wine flight tasting that includes our Double Gold award winning Crystal Basin Cellars Sangiovese wine!

Crystal Basin Cellars

Located at: 3550 Carson Rd, Camino, CA 95709

Open 7 Days a week: 11am – 5pm

Phone: (530) 647-1767

Visit Us In Camino

Crystal Basin Station

Located at: 813-G Sutter St, Folsom, CA 95630

Open Thursday – Monday: Varying hours. Click the button below to see our current schedule.

Phone: (916) 673-9440

Visit Us In Folsom

Malbec Wine of the Month

by Crystal Basin | Sep 5, 2022 | Cellar Events, Station Events, Wine of the Month

Malbec is our September wine of the month at Crystal Basin Cellars. A repeat award winner (latest is the 2022 Gold Medal from Foothill Wine Festival) and fan favorite, our Malbec is perfect for enjoying with a nice steak. Plum favors and spice dominate a finish featuring a long and mysterious spiciness. Learn more from our fearless leader, Mike Owen, as he talks with Rex on the Road about this delicious varietal.

Come in during September and enjoy a tasting with this delicious wine.

Visit Us In Camino

Order some of our delicious Malbec to be delivered straight to you.

Order Malbec

George Orwell

by Crystal Basin | Jun 10, 2022 | Cellar Events, Station Events

Look, nobody is happy about it, but George Orwell got it right way back in the 1940’s when he tried to warn us. Those of us of a certain age read it in school and we subsequently noted the passage of the actual year 1984 with more than a bit of smugness that this sickly-looking alarmist had it all wrong.

All we can say is Oops.

Maybe time to get the Audible book fired up and revisit the messages from this visionary. Because of Orwell’s June 25th birthday – we declare that he is the Prophetic Meau-Faux for June.

Our Bagnum wines can be purchased at this special price at our Camino or Folsom location ONLY. (Sorry, no online orders.)

Schedule a tasting, and grab a bagnum (or two), as we celebrate this prophetic Meau-Faux.

Tastings in Camino can be scheduled by clicking HERE.

Tastings in Folsom can be scheduled by clicking HERE.

See you soon!
-The CBC Team

Wine of the Month Mourvèdre

by Crystal Basin | Jun 7, 2022 | Wine of the Month

We’ve always viewed Mourvedre as our “teaching wine”. Quite a few of our customers encounter Mourvedre for the first time while tasting our tasty versions. We want people’s first encounter to be “Do I like it?” versus “Is it like another wine I’m familiar with?” It’s freeing to taste something for the first time and let your own experiences drive your reaction. We think that the velvet smoothness, dark berry element and the hint of white pepper combine to create a great wine experience for anyone who tries it.

Wine of the Month Mourvèdre Tastings

Join us at one of our locations through the links below to join in our Wine of the Month Mourvèdre tastings.

Visit Us In Camino

Visit Us In Folsom

Order Mourvèdre

This winery favorite is a medium-weight wine with a bright mid-pallet and a long finish. Enjoy with a garlicky dish!

Order Mourvèdre Here

Reflections of a Stolen Year

by Crystal Basin | May 26, 2022 | Cellar Events, Station Events

It’s been 365 mornings since my quadruple bypass surgery.

The surgery itself wasn’t a surprise – that train had been coming down the tracks for almost 20 years. But, never knowing exactly when that train will arrive at the station – there is always the raw shock and realization of the event itself. I was fortunate in any number of ways. The confidence of my doctor and the medical team at Mercy was both astounding and infectious. If a good part of healing is mental, these folks set me on the best path even as the procedure was merely being discussed. I was fortunate to have my quas as a ‘young’ man and that seemed to allow my body to draw on the reserves it needed to heal. I was fortunate to have the unyielding support of my wife, family, friends, and the CBC team and customers. I was fortunate that our society’s medical technology has progressed to a point where the wildly invasive surgery I experienced is relatively commonplace. I’m fortunate that the surgery also apparently allows for (hopefully) numerous additional productive years in one’s life in a way that was not possible 30 years ago.

Effects? I have come to realize that doctors are not miracle workers – notwithstanding their great results in my case. I can’t quite determine if my apparently lesser energy level is due to the surgery or to the encroachment of middle age. Likewise, my periodic and infamous crankiness was NOT fixed by this particular surgery. There are some lasting impacts of the surgery – evidently having been officially dead has some longer-term effects. One is Pumphead (look it up), which is an odd and fuzzy-headed spaciness that appears from time to time. Not a good drug to be on. Drugs? I take a pile of pills and supplements daily that looks like a little kid’s Halloween candy bag. Not sure about each of these items, but for the moment, I need to trust the doctors who got me here. There are also some psychological impacts of the surgery where you slide up and down what I’ll call a manic/depressive scale. For more info, check with my wife and winery staff. Be prepared for a rant… 😉 As you probably know, I self-treat a lot with liberal doses of sarcasm.

In the 365 days since my surgery, lots of life has happened. All of the familiar and human emotions from celebration to mourning to exhaustion to disgust to love and appreciation to frustration are all badges that I continue to wear.

I hope to continue to wear and experience all the badges that modern humanity allows for as long as my body and the Good Lord will allow.

Stay tuned for another update! I’ll check in after I have a chance to enjoy the next 365 days.

Thanks for reading!

– Mike Owen