Trail Two · The Quiet Five Miles
Cougar Vineyard & Winery
Estate-grown Italian varieties top to bottom — Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Vermentino — from a husband-and-wife team who planted for it.
The commitment is the unusual part. Most valley houses that flirt with Italian varieties keep a Cabernet on the list to reassure the undecided; this one planted the vineyard for the Italian grapes and then declined to hedge. The local climate suits them rather better than it suits Bordeaux, and the list is a decent argument to that effect.
At a glance
What to expect
| Go for | an all-Italian list, grown on site. |
|---|---|
| Expect | an informal room and owners who are present. |
| Suits | anyone who wants to taste something the road does not repeat. |
Before you drive
This page is an independent guide, not the winery. Hours, tasting fees and
reservation rules change season to season — and several rooms are
reservation-only on weekends. Check Cougar Vineyard & Winery’s own site or call before
building the day around it.
Nearby
More on this trail
The rest of De Portola Trail, in the order the road takes them.