I recently purchased some wines online and noticed that the appellation of origin was the Suisun Valley here in California. Even though I like to think I know a lot about wine, I had never seen this appellation listed on a bottle of wine before. I'd never heard of the Suisun Valley which, I discovered is about an hour or so (depending on traffic) from the East Bay. So I decided to do a bit of research.
The Suisun Valley appellation was established in 1982, and is nestled between two coastal mountain ranges, southeast of Napa Valley. We offer a very diverse agricultural region. We have approximately 10 wineries, our vineyards grow 23 different wine grape varieties, and we’re best known for our Petite Sirah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We have many farm stands, which sell everything from fruits and vegetables, to dried fruits, nuts and freshly produced olive oils. All of our fruits and vegetables are grown in the excellent soils located between the eastern slope of Mount George Range and Twin Sisters, on family farms. Many of these farms have been handed down for generations. We have regular, seasonal events that are fun and laid-back, while we offer visitors our world-class wines, as well as our farm fresh, diverse fruits and vegetables.
We’re very easy to find, just off the I-80 freeway in Fairfield. Suisun Valley’s wineries are so close together that it’s easy to navigate the Suisun Valley “Loop.” Directional signs make it even easier. Each winery offers a unique tasting experience. With genuine hospitality and quality wines, Suisun Valley is sure to be a favorite destination.
Summary
There are only 10 wineries (as of 2023). It's all still rustic and rural. A transplanted Napa wine maker described the Suisun region as how Napa was the 1970s (pre-"Judgement of Paris" covered in the
2008 film Bottle Shock). Tasting fees are still reasonable and one gets a genuine experience most of the time. You only need to purchase one $20 bottle of wine to waive the modest tasting fee. This will be a fun region to watch grow over the next few decades. Right now, it's a steal and well worth investigating. Our haul:
Suisun City
We spent two nights at a generic but nice waterfront hotel in Suisun City, which is a funky little town that has not changed much in the last 30 years and I'd love to explore more of it.
The city has a little under 30,000 residents but that number will grow due to the new housing developments are being built on the east side of town. I expect the wine region will also grow just as we've seen in the Livermore Valley.
Most of the small number of wineries here are only open on weekends. Here are the wineries we visited during our exploratory visit:
Wooden Valley Winery
Wooden Valley Winery has been in business for over 90 years. It's a generations-old winery that started back in 1933 with Italian immigrants Mario and Lena Lanza who moved from Oakland to the Suisun Valley and began growing grapes after the Prohibition. Some wines are labeled under the Lanza label and the rest are the Wooden Valley label. We had a nice visit in their tasting room, but there are also outside picnic tables that one could take advantage of. There is a nice display on the back wall of the tasting room that describes the local history as it pertains to growing grapes for wine. We took home of their Sauvignon Blanc.
Mangels Vineyards
Mangels was our favorite winery of the visit. The winery itself seems like it used to be a small roadside market made out of cinder blocks and a glass wall looking out onto the parking lot and Suisun Valley Road. It's a relaxing, unpretentious place. You can sit at one of a few casual tables and go at your own pace. Most wines are between $20-$25 a bottle. We brought home the Coara Red Blend and the Tempranillo.
Suisun Creek Winery, up the road from Mangels, is easy to miss. The signage is not the best. You will feel like you're driving into someone's private residence. But go past the houses and you'll find a metal refurbished airplane hanger where they have their tasting room. One side of the hangar is open and you look out of their vineyard. Tasting there is a homegrown experience. We went home with a couple bottles of their Chardonnay.
The
Suisun Valley Coop houses three different wineries under one roof: Sunset Winery, Blacksmith Winery, and King Andrew Winery. It's another cool and quirky place (next to
Pioneer Brew Pub) where you can sit at a table and staff will come around a pour whatever wines they are pouring that day (the line up changes). We brought home some King Andrew Albarino and Petite Sirah.
Bally Keal
I have to admit that I dismissed
Bally Keal during my initial research. They have this Celtic theme coupled with an opulent Tuscan-looking tasting room and event center. It all seemed out of place in rural Suisun Valley and it all just smacked of someone with too much money on their hands. But we went there anyways because it was open earlier than some of the others. I have to say that we were pleasantly surprised and we would return again. Despite the over-the-top buildings, the staff was very down-to-earth and we were told that founder Joe Cassidy might come into the tasting room in jeans with a tool belt around his waist. We never saw him but that description helped dispel my biases. The wines are pricier but we still went home with a couple of bottles of their Rose.
Vezer Family Vineyard
The
Vezer Family Winery is a bit more complicated but the wines are worth the effort. First off, there are two locations. We first visited the Blue Mansion tasting room north of town.
We tasted there and were directed to the other tasting room a bit south, and close to what felt like a small town center. We sat at some couches and tasted some very good wine. We came home with a Verdhelo and a Gary & Jack Red Blend.
Tolenas Vineyards & Winery
Tolenas was a treat. It's in the backyard of a historic house with several large old-growth trees providing shade. The staff was pleasant and low-key. We loved that we could spend more than one hour under the shade trees enjoying the wine at an unhurried pace.
Caymus-Suisun Winery
This was the most unique experience of the Valley.
Caymus-Suisun is an established winery in Napa and also part of the Wagner Family of Wines. They have been expanding into the Suisun Valley. They recently built a state-of-the art building designed by the architect who designed the new Apple stores. But given the over-the-top building and the high tasting fees, we figured out a way taste some $200+ bottles of wine and still waive the tasting fee by purchasing some, yes, expensive wines but I think we still came out ahead. We brought home some Chardonnay and a Merlot.
If you visit Suisun Valley, it's best to avoid the area when there's high heat. Also, don't miss the many fruit and vegetable stands around town selling farm fresh produce from the area.
