El Dorado County Passport Weekend

El Dorado County Passport Weekend

by | Apr 1, 2022 | Cellar Events

Visit Crystal Basin Cellars for a special tasting with your ticket to the El Dorado County Passport Weekend.

April 22 – 24 is the time to experience the beauty of El Dorado County one sip at a time! During this fun Passport Weekend, each winery you visit will bring you into an experience that captures the very essence of their unique story and bring your tastebuds into a euphoric estate with their absolutely incredible wine and food pairings. This is the perfect time to discover hidden gems, backroads that could lead you anywhere, and secrets and surprises that can make this event in this unexplored wine region an adventure you will never forget.

After all, the El Dorado wineries are surrounded by inspiring and breathtaking views, are home to dynamic agriculture and winemaking skills, and radiate with daring and inspiring spirit. Explorers that partake in this adventure can choose from 1-, 2-, and 3-day options, and with the ability to choose General Admission or VIP, you’ll be treated to the most spectacular journey no matter what!

Use the link below purchase your El Dorado County Passport Weekend tickets today!

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Taste of Bordeaux River Wine Cruise

Taste of Bordeaux River Wine Cruise

by | Mar 25, 2022 | The Road Show, Wine Cruise

We’ll be hosting our Cruise Partner – AMA Waterways – as we kick off the promotion for our Taste of Bordeaux River Wine Cruise slated for March 23rd – 30th 2023.

Taste of Bordeaux River Wine Cruise Information Meeting April 9, 2022

Meet with your hosts, Mike and Melissa Owen from Crystal Basin Cellars, Dawn Johnson from Coastline Travel Advisors, and a representative from AMAWaterways.

1:30pm to 3:30pm at Crystal Basin Cellars in Camino

6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Crystal Basin Station in Folsom

Our Rhone trip in 2020 got “Covidized” but we’re Not Giving Up our French River Cruise goal of getting our Club Members and friends out on the water with some tasty juice!

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Wine of the Month – Cabernet Franc

Wine of the Month – Cabernet Franc

by | Mar 25, 2022 | Cellar Events, Station Events, Wine of the Month

Cabernet Franc is an ancient grape that can be traced back to the 1100s when the Breton monks planted that grape variety in the Loire Valley of France. As vineyards were planted to the west along the Loire River towards Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc cross-bred with Sauvignon Blanc, another native Loire grape to create Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc has long been the shadow of its more popular and more tannic offspring – often relegated to the status of a ‘blending wine’. Cabernet Franc is a lighter and more fruit-driven varietal, often expressing some ‘green’ elements of olives and green pepper. Thankfully, the El Dorado grapes that Crystal Basin uses are grown on decomposed granite soil, which drains well to the delight of the vines. The results is a silky fruit-forward expression of a rich wine with black cherry and violet notes.

Ask Mike if you want to hear another 15 to 20 minutes of wine-geekiness on Cabernet Franc.

 

 

Visit our locations in April to enjoy a special Wine of the Month tasting of our Cabernet Franc.

Learn more about Crystal Basin Cellars in Camino, CA
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Learn more about Crystal Basin Station in Folsom, CA
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Order Crystal Basin Cellars Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc
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Foothill Wine Fest Awards

Foothill Wine Fest Awards

by | Mar 13, 2022 | Awards

Crystal Basin Cellars is pleased to announce that we have been recognized by the Foothill Wine Competition with 1 Double Gold and 6 Gold medals for the 2022 competition on the 2018 vintages of the following wines.

 

Double Gold Medal Winner

VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

VICTORIE

This mélange features the classic 3 Rhone varietals:

Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah– all from El Dorado County vineyards.

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Gold Medal Winners

VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

TEMPRANILLO

Award winning Tempranillo wine from Crystal Basin Cellars is a plummy wine has depth, but is not over-extracted, making it great for dinners.

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VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

ZINFANDEL

Classic, bright Zinfandel with layers of berry and tobacco. Full Bodied with nice, long tannins and a lingering blackberry finish. Multiple Award Winner.

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VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

The tasty result is a wine more in a classic finished Napa style with oak elements that we typically don’t seek to accentuate in our Foothill Wine offerings.

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VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

SANGIOVESE

El Dorado ‘Reserve’ Sauber Vineyard presented Sangiovese. An Italian, Foothill favorite, featuring a spicy, round mouthfeel and soft tannins.

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VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

CAMPIONE

Campione is a Tuscan-style blend, with 80% Sangiovese, and 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Fruity, smooth, and velvety.

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VICTORIE, “GRAND RESERVE”

MALBEC

A brooding earthiness with soft tannins. Plum flavors and spice dominate a finish featuring a long and a mysterious spiciness. Perfect for steak dinner pairing.

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Foothill Wine Fest

Foothill Wine Fest

by | Mar 13, 2022 | The Road Show

The annual Foothill Wine Fest is returning on April 2, 2022. Join us at the Palladio in Folsom, CA from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for an evening of wine tasting and small bites. This large-scale tasting party features wines from over 50 wineries from the California foothills region. General admission ticket holders will receive a commemorative tasting glass, small bites, and free parking. Pricing for general admission is $65 per person or $110 for a couple.
Purchase Tickets Here

New in 2022 – VIP Experience

This year you can purchase a VIP experience for the Foothill Wine Fest. This includes a ticket to the festival, dinner at the Best of Show Winemakers Dinner on March 28th at Back Bistro, as well as early entrance to the festival to allow for ample time to converse directly with the winemakers.
Purchase Tickets Here
Foothill Wine Fest

Crystal Basin Cellars Awards from Foothill Wine Competition

The Foothill Wine Fest is just the afterparty. The main event took place in March 2022 at the Foothill Wine Competition where each of the wines were sampled, judged, and awards were given for the best wines. And guess what?? We won 6 Golds and 1 Double Gold, which will all be featured at the Foothill Wine Fest.
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