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    Testa Vineyards

    4.8 (49 reviews)
    ModerateWineries

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    Camelia N.

    Testa makes a wonderful stop for an impromptu weekday wine tasting for travelers on the 101 to parts North or South. It is an easy 3 minute drive from the highway, or a 10 minute drive in from downtown Ukiah on North State Street. The tasting room is quaint and cozy with a small counter next to stacked wine barrels containing aging wines that will be released later. For a $5 tasting fee, you can sample 5 or 6 wines, from delicious red and white blends (Testa White and Black) to higher end single varietal red wines like Zinfandel, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Barbera, and Charbono, a rarely cultivated Old World wine from Italy that is lighter bodied than Zin or Sangiovese. There is a beautiful outdoor covered seating area with wooden tables, benches, and chairs surrounded by old vines, antiques, flowers, and the occasional waterfowl swimming on the pond below. The vineyards surround the property on all sides on gently sloping hills covered with head trained vines that in some cases are 50 years or more old. While the Testa family had been growing wine grapes for generations since 1912, it is only more recently that they began making their own bottled wines under the direction of Maria M. with help from her sons, daughters, and other family members and friends. These are excellent, soulful wines made in limited production runs of 100 cases or less for the varietal wines like the old vine Zin and Carignane. The Black and White blends are real crowd pleasers and are perfect sipping wines with or without meals, while rarer wines like the Charbono make great gifts for wine lovers in your circle of friends who are looking to try a new type of red wine. As a parting gift on our visit, we received a big bag of walnuts collected from trees on the property and got to spend an enjoyable hour or so trying Testa wines, including a lovely Muscatel sweet wine that was delicate and refreshing without being too heavy or syrup like in taste. We highly recommend that you include a visit to Testa's family run winery and vineyards on your next visit to Mendocino wine country!

    Priti K.

    Beautiful, beautiful grounds with a lake in the front. Great wine. $5 tastings. What else should I say? See photo.

    the entrance gate to the winery
    Marcia B.

    If you are looking for a wonderful wine experience, check this winery out..... the owners, Maria and Rusty Martinson were very hospitable. We are Harvest Hosts members we are traveling down Hwy 101; we happen to stop by Testa Vineyards in Ukiah, CA. The owners were absolutely wonderful they opened up shop when they were completely closed. They came down to meet us and to let us in their premises. They made us feel right at home! They were very informative about the area and the history of their vineyard. We love their wine and returned to their vineyard on our way home for a quick visit and to buy more wine! We definitely will be back!

    Front entrance to tasting room.
    Bradley N.

    Looking for a feel good story to start off 2018 right? Are you perhaps a little jaded with the unavoidable pretentiousness of wine tasting in Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara? Got $5 in your pocket? Well, then you need to make a visit to the small town of Calpella and to the Testa family ranch, where Italian varietal wines rule the roost, with a great deal of charm and grape growing craftsmanship to go around. The Testas have been tending to vineyards in Mendocino County for over a century, and they still sell about 90% of their crop to other wineries, but now they also make their own wines, which range in style from $15 summertime whites, pinks, and sweet wines (made from Muscat grapes) to $30-40 barrel aged red wines like old vine Zinfandel (an estate speciality), Carignane, Grenache, Cabernet, Barbera, Charbono, and Petite Sirah. The output is fairly small, so it tends to be enjoyed by locals in and around Ukiah, but because the vineyards are within sight of the busy Highway 101 corridor, travelers looking to rest their weary bodies for an hour or so easily can exit the freeway and within minutes can be sipping wine samples from the quaint tasting room or outside on the covered deck, where snacks and unshelled walnuts wait to be cracked. The white blend here, an nonvintage bottling, is composed of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with some Viognier, Muscat, and Pinot Gris added as well. It is done in a light, easy drinking style with lower alcohol (12.5%) and alluring aromatics, akin to my nose to a Malvasia Bianca or a Gewürztraminer from Anderson Valley. Testa Black is an appealing blend composed of the red grape varietals grown on the property, including Zinfandel, Cariginane, Petite Sirah, Charbono, Barbera, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend is based on input from wine club members at a special "blending party" each September, so it's a collective effort that engages the locals in the process. The old vine Zinfandel is 100% estate grown fruit from low yielding vines many decades old. It's brimming with red cherry fruit, floral and spice notes, and jammy, heartwarming undertones with a long, dark, and lingering finish. If you pair this wine with a rustic but well made meal, you will be surprised how quickly you will reach the bottom of the bottle. We decanted a 2013 vintage and served it with a Sunday dinner of grilled jumbo artichokes (that had been "frost-kissed" so tasted sweeter than usual), cast-iron cooked red flint polenta cakes, and small bowls of naked organic mesclun (no dressing. Just the rinsed greens). It was a vegan meal. Vegan! And the wine was a stunningly good food match. With grilled artichokes, no less. That ain't so easy to do. Who knew? To do the decanting, uncork and pour the wine into a glass pitcher or carafe, then pour it gently back into the bottle with the aid of a metal nonreactive funnel. This aerates the wine and allows it to open up faster. And the wine was served at 63F, so the higher alcohol level (slightly above 15%) didn't detract from the meal by feeling too "hot." The Charbono is very intriguing and more like a Pinot Noir in texture than a classical Italian red, while the Carignane is earthy, brambly, and dark berry with a hint of plums and violet. Each wine is made well with great attention to detail, but they also are meant for sharing around the dinner table with friends and family, not showcased at a status-seeking event or cellared for years before being drinkable. Prices are around $15-40 per bottle, with discounts for club members and case buys. Calpella itself is not classical wine country, more of a working class, rural outpost a short drive from Ukiah, and this makes a stop here quite different than tasting in a place like Healdsburg or Saint Helena. The Testa estate, however, is pure wine country pretty with an attractive irrigation pond, soaring redwood trees, vine-covered hills, and lots of heritage items scattered about like something out a Sundance catalogue photo shoot, part museum, part family compound, part wine tasting and wedding event venue. I've driven past Testa too many times to recall on the 101 bound for better known wine destinations in Sonoma County, Anderson Valley, Napa, or Oregon, but it's nice now to have a reason to slow down, exit the freeway, and enjoy the fruits of the vine in a casual, laid back setting where I'm sure to taste something to my liking. Check it out for yourselves and see if you don't agree. At $5 for 5-7 generous pours of well made wines, it's most definitely a risk worth taking!

    Bunko at Testa
    Jessie R.

    I have known Maria for nearly 20 years, I'm so thrilled she is jumping into Testa with both feet and providing not just a family winery experience but sharing her special venue with Mendocino County. What a treasure.. Easily accessible, reasonably priced, breath taking views and all, next door. Last week, I decided last minute about hosting BUNKO at Testa right on the pond. An easy solution to accommodate my 11 girlfriends, no driving through Brooktrails, (aka-getting lost). In Addition, I didn't even have to clean my house. (Extra bonus). I sent Maria a FB message (the era of technology), she gave me both prices for wine club members (weekdays) and non-club members. The date was free and I began plotting bunko. I showed up a few minutes early to (become a wine member, purchase a few bottles of wine and set up my bunko evening). I wasn't disappointed, the weather was perfect, the sun was setting, the tables were ready, the food was displayed and my girlfriends loved every minute of it. Now I'm trying to figure out what can I host next? Bunko was great evening with friends and a pre-birthday treat to myself. The whole evening only set me back, $150.00 wine/venue, $100.00 food/non wine beverages, $100.00 prizes and $50.00 decorations... =$400.00 - $120.00 players fee = $280.00 (that breaks down to $23.33 per person), where can you go out for $24 for a whole evening of fun??? Thanks Maria for having us.

    So peaceful, so beautiful... view from patio

    This is a beautiful peaceful setting for socially distant wine tasting. Tables are 6 feet apart and employees are masked. We opted for the $15 per person family style wine tasting. We started with "the white" and finished with "the black", a mix of reds. We selected 3 other wines from their award winning selection. "The hire" paired perfectly with the crab cakes, hummus and vegetables we brought with us. We bought "the black" to go with dinner. We stayed on site in our camper van as part of the "harvest home " program.

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    8 years ago

    Beautiful rustic winery with unique wines. Peaceful and serene with a pond and indoor and outdoor tasting areas. Highly recommend!

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    Business owner information

    Photo of Maria M.

    Maria M.

    So glad you enjoyed your visit! Hope to see you again soon!

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Beautiful property and wonderful people! Really interesting blends. The Coro is a must try for the area!

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    9 years ago

    This place is really neat with an amazing family history. A hidden gem. The service was super friendly and the wines are delicious!

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    8 years ago

    Testa's wines are excellent. The reds really shine thru. But i have never been a freind of whites

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    I went to Testa Vineyards for a friends Birthday. The setting is beautiful. A great time was had by all.

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    This is the best winery in the Redwood Valley/Calpella area. All local fruit, very friendly wine maker, and I had to join the wine club.

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    9 years ago

    If you want a taste of local wines and real a Mendo experience go try a glass of Testa wine. Maria and Co. won't dissapoint

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Testa Vineyards

    Review Highlights - Testa Vineyards

    New to their tasting menu is a fantastic blend of Old Vine Zinfandel, Carignane, Charbono and Petite Sirah.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Barra of Mendocino - Girasole Rose in the Garden

    Barra of Mendocino

    4.7(65 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    September 13, 2025 - Redwood Valley, CA…read more We stopped by on a Saturday and were surprised at how quiet it was. A big plus: they're dog-friendly. The tasting room itself is stunning, with soaring 40-foot ceilings arching over a central fountain--worth a visit just for the architecture. Flights are $10, and our host was especially generous, letting us try a few wines not listed on the menu. The wines were enjoyable, and the prices refreshingly reasonable compared to many other wineries these days.

    While we've visited this tasting room before and were excited to visited again as we were passing…read morethrough, it was a bust. When we arrived the lone worker was obviously busy and we were disturbing her. When I said I wanted to do a wine tasting she quickly set up the glasses, quickly put the small amounts of wine in each glass, handed me a list of the wines and walked away. No information, no history of the company, no tales of the land (and isn't that why we visit these places?). About 3 tastes in she asked "how is that?" That was it. I told my husband, even before I'd tasted them all, that there was no way I'd buy any of this wine, no matter how good it was, because the service was dismal. Though the grounds and building are beautiful I was so disappointed. I do not think we will stop here again. We love to go to tasting rooms and get educated and always come away having learned something as well as having a lovely time. Not so at Barra. The service certainly needs work.

    Photos
    Barra of Mendocino - Unique looking Barra winery

    Unique looking Barra winery

    Barra of Mendocino - Enjoy a glass our of 2021 Barra Pinot Noir

    Enjoy a glass our of 2021 Barra Pinot Noir

    Barra of Mendocino

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    Rivino Winery - Rivino is a lovely place to unwind.  I enjoyed a delightful glass of Amber last Friday evening!

    Rivino Winery

    4.5(84 reviews)
    9.8 mi
    $$

    Those wines!!!! Daaaaayum!!! I mean... I can't even decide on a favorite at this point. Every wine…read morethat I tried just kept getting better and better and I soon realized that they were all just delicious. Came here during a wine tasting event and left with 3 bottles of wine. And this was only the second winery that I had been to during the event. I usually try not to purchase too heavily at the beginning of a wine event because I tend to find great wines at the last wineries that I visit. But woo wee, I struck gold here and couldn't leave without some wine. Rivino is a family owned boutique winery that's nestled in the hillside of Ukiah. This is not typically where I go wine tasting, but this wonderful wine tasting event exposed me to what I've been missing on this side of town. Their grounds are extremely charming! Their estate overlooks their beautiful ranch and vineyards and also features an entertainment space where they throw events and have live music from time to time. Winemaker Jason McConnell was there at the event pouring wines and mingling with guests and staff. He is definitely a character and has so many entertaining stories. You can tell that he really enjoys producing his wine and he is super confident about it too. But he has a right to be because wow is that wine delicious! Not only did he pour us their special event wines, but he also hooked us up with tastes of several of his personal faves. He even asked me what my favorite wines were and had me taste a few wines that he knew would satisfy my palate. What's amazing is that they have great whites AND reds. Usually I've found that one is better than the other, but they are both superb here. Oh yeah, and they're Blanc de Blanc Sparkling is also delicious! Their white wines are top notch. I was extremely impressed with their Pinot Blanc, Estate Chardonnay, and Viognier. Pinot Blanc is usually hard for me to find unless i'm in or near this area (Mendocino/Anderson Valley), so I knew I was going home with a bottle of it right after the first sip. Their estate Chardonnay is so crisp, citrusy, and tropical. I had to have it. So amazing. And their reds! To die for. Loved their estate Sedulous Red Blend and their yummy Cab Franc, but ultimately fell in love with their bright and fruity Tiger Juice red blend. So joyfully fruity and jammy. It also came home with me. Yeah, their wines are definitely fine with me. The only reason why I'm rating 4 stars instead of 5 is because a few of the staff members had attitudes and some of the exchanges between these ladies and the winemaker were kind of weird and at times... uncomfortable. Not really sure what's going on there but take what you want from that information. But even with that, it didn't ruin the fun time that I had here. The wine is superb and I can see why they have so many great accolades in the area.

    Awesome experience. Knowledgeable and well rounded visit. The wine was excellent and we loved the…read morecasual vibes.

    Photos
    Rivino Winery - Sparkling white

    Sparkling white

    Rivino Winery - Outdoor tasting

    Outdoor tasting

    Rivino Winery - Outdoor testing area looking at the vineyards.

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    Outdoor testing area looking at the vineyards.

    Briceland Vineyards - Harvest Host spot

    Briceland Vineyards

    4.9(48 reviews)
    70.8 mi
    $$

    I went here on a road trip to the redwoods and my family and myself enjoyed the time we spent…read moresipping on delicious wines and the cheese boards Andrew's wife put together for us was amazing! Andrew was very knowledgeable of the wines and was a great host! We had an RV so we decided to park right down the hill but the walk up was not bad at all. The outside area for wine tasting was very quiet and relaxing and peaceful. We had one child who was 11 and he found a cat to play with and played with the chalk that was provided for kids. We loved the wine so much we got a box of wines !

    Briceland Winery, Briceland , CA - September 22, 2024…read more We stayed here as part of the Harvest Host program where you can park your RV for the night and enjoy a scheduled wine tasting. We arrived on a Sunday morning at 10:30 am. Winery proprietor Andrew did a terrific job communicating with us before our arrival to make sure we could find the winery which is tucked away a little ways off the main road. We met Andrew and his wife Rosie when we arrived and Andrew showed us where to park under a nice shady oak tree. It helped dissipate the 90 degree heat later in the day. We got set up and then headed out for Shelter Cove - a windy, steep, 10 mile, 35 minute drive down to the ocean. Andrew gave us helpful advice about using our low gears as we drove down the steep road so we wouldn't heat up our brakes. He also gave us advice about places to eat for lunch (we ended up eating at Gyppo Ale Mill - best fried cod I've ever had) and told us about sights we might enjoy seeing, including the black sands beach. We relaxed when we got back to the winery afterwards and then at 4:30 we did a scheduled wine tasting. Rosie was our host. Andrew is normally also there for the wine tasting, but could not join us because he was processing a new batch of grapes. The experience also included a very nice charcuterie board. Rosie did a great job sharing numerous wines with us and telling us a little bit about each of them. They try to stay faithful to only using grapes from the Humboldt area. We also had the very fine pleasure of meeting a couple of fellow Harvest Host guests Jeff and Patti during the wine tasting. After the wine tasting was over, we bought several bottles of wine and a tasty dark chocolate bar that we had tried as part of the charcuterie board. Rosie let us visit with our new friends on their cozy covered patio as we enjoyed a bottle of wine and chocolate that we had just bought. We had a quiet restful night's sleep afterwards under the pitchblack starlit Milky Way sky. Overall great experience. Thank you Andrew and Rosie for sharing your beautiful property and wines with us!

    Photos
    Briceland Vineyards
    Briceland Vineyards - Tasting patio

    Tasting patio

    Briceland Vineyards - Briceland Winery, Briceland , CA - September 22, 2024  - Tasting area

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    Briceland Winery, Briceland , CA - September 22, 2024 - Tasting area

    Testa Vineyards - wineries - Updated May 2026

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