Why you should visit the wineries Brentwood offers
This blog post covers the best wineries in Brentwood, California.
The wineries Brentwood offers are a short drive from two major cities: Sacramento and San Francisco. Brentwood is a roughly ninety minute drive from either city, so it’s the perfect easy day trip.
Brentwood is located in Contra Costa County, which has a rich history of agriculture. Wine grapes have been growing in Contra Costa County for over 150 years. This windy area has warm days, cool nights, and clay loam soil, which makes for elegant local wines.
Our list of the best vineyards and wineries Brentwood, California has to offer covers four wineries.
The first winery is a beautiful estate focused on sustainability. The second winery has a gorgeous wedding venue that adds a tropical touch to California wine country charm.
The third winery is owned by a fourth-generation farmer with deep family roots in Contra Costa County. The fourth winery is an up-and-coming family owned winery with big plans for the future.
How to access wineries in Brentwood, California
Brentwood, California is a short distance from San Francisco and Sacramento.
The drive from Sacramento to Brentwood is under 90 minutes. Which makes the wineries Brentwood offers a perfect day trip from Sacramento.
On a day with light traffic it’s possible to drive from San Francisco to Brentwood in under ninety minutes. But if there’s heavy traffic the trip could take longer.
Both San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Sacramento International Airport (SMF) have dozens of incoming flights every day. You could easily fly into either airport, rent a car, and drive to Brentwood.
The best wineries Brentwood offers for a wine tasting
Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery
Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery is nestled in the heart of Brentwood, California. This 80 acre estate specializes in Bordeaux and Rhône varietals.
Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery makes wines such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Reserve Cabernet, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Rosé. They also have red, white, and rosé blends named after nearby Mount Diablo.
Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery also follows organic and sustainable practices only. Their sustainable farming practices include natural compost, cover crops, and pest control to reduce the use of chemicals. Natural wine enthusiasts can appreciate how this minimal intervention approach results in excellent quality wines.
The winery is open for wine tastings from 12 PM to 5 PM. Guests can enjoy an Estate Wine Flight, a Premier Wine Flight, or a Vintner’s Tasting. Groups of five people or fewer don’t need a reservation but larger groups are encouraged to make a reservation here. Link
And, although Hannah Nicole Vineyards & Winery is primarily a winery, they also host weddings!
McCauley Estate Vineyards
McCauley Estate is a gorgeous wedding venue and a winery.
They make sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, and Mourvèdre. Their Mourvèdre combines aromas of Italian plum and allspice with flavors of red fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc has hints of green apple and gooseberry. And their sparkling wine is crisp, refreshing, and perfect for a wedding toast.
McCauley Estate Vineyards sells their own wines by the bottle, glass, and flight at their events. Their May “Wine & Dine” event combines cherry picking, a food truck, a vineyard tour, an olive mill tour, and an olive oil and wine tasting. Oh and there was live music too. Sounds like they know how to throw a party!
Speaking of parties, McCauley Estate specializes in special events like weddings, corporate events, and private events. Their large estate includes an event center, a pond, a barrel room, and romantic winding footpaths.
They even have a tropical beach-like ceremony site. McCauley Estate looks like a tropical destination wedding site set within California wine country. So it serves both themes!
Bloomfield Vineyards
Bloomfield Vineyards is a boutique winery located in the heart of Brentwood, California. Winemaker Becky Bloomfield is a fourth-generation farmer with family roots in Contra Costa County since the 1940’s.
Becky’s winery Bloomfield Vineyards began producing award-winning wines in 2004 and they’ve been going strong since. They currently make Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay as well as “Devil’s Daughter,” a wine named for neighboring Mount Diablo.
Bloomfield Vineyards does not host wine tastings on their property. Instead, you can taste Bloomfield family wines at Brentwood’s Contra Costa County Wine Company (also known as CoCo’s). CoCo’s has live music every Friday and Saturday night.
You can check out Bloomfield wines at restaurants including Attraversiamo (Brentwood), Smith’s Landing (Antioch), and Zephyr Grill and Bar (Livermore).
Orchard & Vine Vineyard
Orchard & Vine Vineyard is a small winery with big plans.
The Nunn family (who owns Orchard & Vine) envisions a winery and tasting room alongside a market stocked with local delicacies, a picnic area (to enjoy said delicacies), and an event space to host weddings, reunions, and dinners. Although it does not appear to be in operation yet, this sounds like quite the place!
They do, however, have the winery part covered. Nunn Family Vineyards on the southern edge of Brentwood in east Contra Costa County sells many types of wine including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Grenache Gris, Verdejo, Chenin Blanc, Godello, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Nunn family is also busy running Three Nunns Farms, a U-pick farm with a beautiful orchard full of apricots, peaches, and nectarines. You can also pick strawberries, cherries, and blackberries when in season.
All that quality fruit sounds like a great start to a wonderful estate.
Similar wine regions to explore
Looking for another low-key California wine country town?
Somerset, California is only an hour from Sacramento but the area feels like a hidden gem. The best Somerset wineries have mountain views, picturesque hilltop vineyards, and lots and lots of wine.
Placerville, California is a former Gold Rush town. Today Placerville deals in a different currency: “liquid gold” (aka wine!). These 16 wonderful Placerville wineries are an easy drive from Sacramento.
Los Olivos, California is a quaint town nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley. We’ve made a list of the best Los Olivos, California wineries that make organic wines. These wines are often handcrafted, single varietal, and single vineyard. And they’re absolutely delicious.
If you’re looking for someplace larger, Healdsburg is a famous California wine country town that’s full of wonderful restaurants, bars, and wineries. Healdsburg wineries match the world-class wine of their more glamorous counterparts in Yountville and St. Helena. But the town hasn’t forgotten its roots as a small agricultural community.
