Castillo's Hillside Shire Winery

For atmosphere and entertainment, this place gets 5 stars, but for actual wine, I have to give it a 3. I don't consider myself a complete wine snob, but so much of my tasting experience depends on the stemware used and unfortunately, Castillo's stemware was similar to the glasses at Buca di Beppo. Their wine was definitely not bad, but it wasn't my favorite. The flavors were not very multi-dimensional or complex but would be good table wine. Luckily, their prices are very reasonable, so I would definitely pick up a bottle or two for a pasta or pizza kind of night.

When we went, you could feel the love. The daughter was singing and playing guitar, the son was greeting guests, sharing his love for the wine he makes, the mom was singing with her daughter and labeling the wines, and the father was walking around chatting with the guests. This winery truly is a family affair. Not only does the daughter entertain, but she also creates the wine labels that go on each bottle of wine made by the son.

Castillo's Hillside Shire Winery is charming. Hospitality seems to be their game, which is something I noticed the minute we walked in. The whole family seemed to be there having a good time, welcoming guests, and discussing their story. Each family member plays a different role in the winery, and they each seem to have a particular attachment to their responsibility. It is this family run passion that can really make a winery shine.

As a winery, they're still young, having only operated for a few years now. I expect that they will only continue to grow as the harvests approach and the years go by. As it stands, they've already collected a number of gold and silver metal winners and the wine is available in a number of local San Francisco Bay Area restaurants.

If you're looking for their wine in your favorite retail shop, you won't find it, as they do not distribute. It appears to only be available for purchase in restaurants, at the tasting room, and in their wine club. It's worth a trip into the winery's tasting room to get a sampling of what they offer.

I particularly enjoyed the zinfandel because it is incredibly light and goes against the bold California zinfandels that most people seem to still enjoy. I grew tired of the incredible intensities that many zin producers have put out, and this mellow zin certainly caught my attention. Another interesting find is their port. It isn't fortified with any liquor as many traditional ports are, but it is made with a blend of late harvest zinfandel and petite sirah.

In my opinion, even though small family-style wineries can not afford the luxuries of creating well known bottles available at your local wine store, they are the most deserving of patronage due to their passion to the craft and their commitment to customer hospitality.