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Appellation:
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Calaveras County
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Location:
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3675 Six Mile Road
Murphys, California 95251
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Phone:
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(209)736-4766
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Winemaker:
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John Gibson
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Tasting Room:
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Medium
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Days/Hours:
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Fri thru Sun, 11:00 to 5:00
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Parking:
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Medium
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Picnic Facilities:
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Picnic Table Available
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Red Wines:
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Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese
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White Wines:
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Chardonnay
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Production:
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N/A
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Map
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The Winery
The estate started as an escape for David and Laraine Gerber from the hustle of the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. The couple restored the original 1880s farmhouse, and then planted vineyards. The farmhouse is now the tasting room of the winery they opened in 1993. Surrounding the tasting room is a large oak shaded lawn area which features several picnic tables.
The Vineyards
Planted at the 1800-foot elevation, the 100-acre vineyard site offers rocky slopes, warm days, and cool evening breezes. Although starting with 30 acres of Chardonnay, the varietal list has grown to include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, Malbec and Petite Sirah.
The Wines
Laraine Wines specializes in producing a few handcrafted, small batch wines particularly suited to the terroir of the Vallecito area. Their full-bodied, chardonnay goes through an extended aging on the lees, which creates a wine with a great buttery mouthfeel, but one that still exhibits a good balance of tropical fruits, golden delicious apples and ripe pears. The winery’s Syrah goes through a full berry fermentation and cold soak, allowing the wine to maintain its wild berry characteristics.
The Winemaker
John Gibson has been the winemaker at Laraine Wines since 1993. Having worked previously for Stag’s Leap Cellars and Vine Cliff Winery, he now specializing in assisting small, family owned wineries, and produces his own wines under the Salexis label.