It’s a three day weekend. What are you going to do? The weather is supposed to be beautiful, so I’m going to head up to El Dorado County to visit the Charles B. Mitchell winery. But, it’s not just the weather that’s luring me up into the foothills of the Sierras. It’s a Bottle Your Own Wine weekend!
What’s that you say? The winery selects three wines that are offered at a discounted rate. The catch is that you have to bottle your own wine.
It’s not really that difficult. I mean you are getting a $17 bottle of wine for $6.99 each if you buy a whole case. That’s a pretty good deal. Plus you can usually mix and match between the three types available (sauvignon blanc, merlot and syrah this go round).
You do the whole thing, from putting the wine in the bottle, to corking it and labeling it. Of course, you get to taste some while you are there. The nice thing about the winery is that they have lovely picnic tables, so we always bring a lunch to have after we’ve bottled and boxed up our wine.
The nice thing about El Dorado County wineries? It’s closer and more casual than Napa. Plus, the people are usually very easy going and friendly, so if you are a wine novice, don’t be nervous. The people behind the counter are happy to answer your questions and share their knowledge of the grape.
Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards is located at 8221 Stoney Creek Rd., Fair Play, CA. You can visit them on the web at www.charlesbmitchell.com
can we use our own labels? that would totally make me want to join you! and how many bottles in a case?
No, they give you the labels, but I’ve asked to use my own. You never know. There are 12 bottles in a case.