Great new find - red wines

On Sunday my parents, Joe and I did a little Yorkville Highlands tasting and discovered what we believe to be one of the best-kept secrets of our area: Pendleton Estate. They are on Highway 128, not too far from the Cloverdale side, and produce some fantastic Cabs, Zinfandels and red blends from grapes like Grenache and Mourvedre. Yum! And the pricepoints are more than fair ($17-35 for most of the wines). My parents even signed up to the wine club during our visit, which says a lot.

The reason why we went is actually a bit funny. When they were building their French chateau on the hill, I bet everyone that it would be a winery. No one believed me - not a single person. Well, I won, and I'm very glad I did. Check them out at www.pendletonwines.com.