Tagged: San Joaquin County

Barterra Winery: A Hidden Gem in Half Moon Bay!

Chris Minoletti Opened Just for Us!

THE STORY

Our friends invited us to visit them in Half Moon Bay during their family vacation. We said yes – and their immediate next question was what wineries to visit.  Wineries?  Are there wineries in Half Moon Bay?  The answer is yes! My quick research discovered several – who knew? I wrote to Barterra and they were able to open on very short notice just for our group.

We were hosted by Chris Minoletti who drove over from San Mateo just for our group.  As the great grandson of Angelo Minoletti, he proudly described each wine to us.  No, the grapes are not grown in Half Moon Bay – most of the grapes come from Lodi, with a few wines made from grapes in other regions of Northern California. We are grateful to his hosting us mid-week and we all tried to show our gratitude by buying his wine to share with others.

THE WINERY

From the Barterra website:

About Us: “My Grandfather, Angelo Minoletti, like thousands of immigrants, came to America to make a better life for his family. He settled in San Francisco’s North Beach and made wine for the family with my father, Attilio Minoletti. The making of wine was their simple pleasure, to enjoy with family.  We continue this tradition as a family-owned and operated business.” Paul Minoletti

Tools of the Trade Collected Over the Years by the Minoletti’s

Our Philosophy: “We have a hands-on approach, visiting the vineyards who prioritize growing quality grapes and only harvest by hand.  Our winemakers focus on crafting European-style wines that can be enjoyed now and have the potential for aging.  We meet with our winemakers on a regular basis to stay up-to-date with harvest trends and ensure the quality of our wines.”

THE WINES:

Today I’m bringing you the 9 Barterra wines we tasted. The notes are amplified by the “Decanting Monterey Wine Pod North” – our friends and their family, one of whom is studying to be a sommelier! Winery notes come from the tasting sheet, the bottle or their website. Any errors are mine and mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from the wineries’ websites.

2024 Barterra Gewurztraminer, Clarksburg AVA, Yolo County, 13.1% ABV, $29 (#1576)

Winery Notes: “This dry version of Gewürztraminer is full of spice and fruit, with notes of lychee, lime and green apple that all together is bright, savory. fresh, and floral. A medium body carries concentration through to a flinty, spicy lasting finish. Try this pleasantly refreshing wine with soft and fragrant cheeses. such as Munster or gorgonzola, or with an aromatic Asian dish that features ginger and exotic spices.” 

My Review: Pale in the glass. Lychee on the nose. Dry, lean and light palate with a faint ginger finish. Such an interesting little wine – and not something you see around here very often! July 2025

2024 Barterra Vermentino, Lodi AVA, Central Valley, 12.5% ABV, $29 (#1577)

Winery Notes: “Influenced by a delta breeze, the vineyard where these Vermentino grapes grow remains cool even during the warm summer. Enjoy this pleasantly tart wine with notes of lemon and tropical fruit while sitting in the sun. Pairs well with seafood, like oysters on the half shell, and with pasta dishes that feature fresh vegetables or pesto sauce.” 

My Review: Sweet honeysuckle, orange blossom on the nose with a touch of citrus. Light flavors on the crisp palate with some green apple, minerality. July 2025

2023 Barterra Chardonnay, Lodi AVA, Central Valley, 13.3% ABV, $29 (#1578)

Winery Notes: “This golden beauty has a silky smooth mouth feel enveloping golden apples and yellow peaches, along with hints of pineapple. A touch of vanilla bean emerges on the finish. Enjoy this Chardonnay with a wide variety of food, including seafood, chicken and tomato sauce dishes..”

My Review: Pale gold in color. Caramel with a hint of lime on the nose. Skipped malolactic fermentation and was aged in 20 % new American oak. Buttery mouthfeel without the buttery taste. Crisp and tasty. July 2025

2023 Barterra French Colombard, Mendocino County, 9.5% ABV, $26 (#1579)

Winery Notes: “Natural residual sugar, light and semi-sweet, and balanced with good acidity. Nice vivid aromas of white pears, golden apple, floral honeysuckle and fruit cocktail. Pairs wonderfully with spicy dishes, particularly Thai cuisine.”

My Review: One shade tan in the glass. Faint sweet plum on the nose. Faints sweet cherry, plum and cherry on the palate. Hey, for a semi-sweet wine, it is fine. July 2025

2021 Barterra Carignan, Lodi AVA, Central Valley, 12.5% ABV, $42 (#1580)

Winery Notes: “This 100% Carignan expresses itself as eminently elegant. The natural acidity balances mouthwatering, refreshingly tart blackberries, and savory notes of classic mirepoix infused with coffee that builds on the lasting finish. Think Pinot Noir when deciding what to pair with Carignan. Try seared duck breast or any cinnamon-spiced dishes, berry-based sauces, and smoky meats.” 

My Review: Ruby in color. Smoke and brown sugar (like a toasted marshmallow) with cranberry undertones on the nose. Plum, dark cherry and berry on the palate. Toasted marshmallow and pepper on the finish. Some tannin on the finish. Good mouthfeel. July 2025

2021 Barterra Wanderlust Red Blend, Lodi AVA, Central Valley, 15.3% ABV, $42 (#1581)

Winery Notes: “Enjoy an immense abundance of richness and get lost in the pure darkness of black fruits. This blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Petit Verdot will dazzle your taste buds with gripping tannins on the finish that inspire a sense of adventure. Try pairing this with something from the grill.”

My Review: Dark in the glass. Deep garnet, brown sugar, rib barbecue on the nose. Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, lavender (herby soap), plum blackberry, mocha, and dark berry on the palate, with a slightly stemmy finish. Petite Syrah dominates the palate, while the Petit Verdot comes out on the finish. July 2025

2021 Barterra Sojourn Red Blend, Lodi AVA, Central Valley, 15.2% ABV, $42 (#1582)

Winery Notes: “Concentrated savory rich ripe strawberry and cherry are supported by smooth rounded tannins and a bit of oak, finishing with hints of cinnamon and melted milk chocolate. The nice balance of tannin, fruit and acid pairs well with a very wide range of foods, from red sauce pastas to steaks.”

My Review: Increasingly garnet in color. Golden brown sugar melded with dark fruit, like a cherry cordial, on the nose – almost vanilla. The palate displays smoked meats and leather from the Syrah, along with some jammy fruit, with a peppery finish from the Zin. July 2025

2021 Barterra Odyssey  Red Blend, Lodi AVA, Central Valley, 15.2% ABV, $42 (#1583)

Winery Notes: “Abundant fruits of strawberry, black currant, blackberry, and black cherry are balanced with supporting tannins framed with balanced acidity. Potpourri and savory cinnamon rolls lead to red rose petals and black coffee on the finish. This wine will hold up to just about any big flavorful food, so a classic pairing would be a grilled ribeye or lamb roasted with sea salt, rosemary and olive oil.”

My Review: Newest release from mid-May. 1/3 each Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah. Dark garnet in the glass. Dark, jammy fruit with a hint of smoke. Big palate of dark fruit and BBQ, with tannins throughout. Cellar this baby. July 2025

2021 Barterra Exploration Red Blend, Lodi AVA, San Joaquin County, 14.2% ABV, $42 (#1584) 60% Petit Verdot, 20% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan

Winery Notes: “Take your tastebuds on a delicious journey beginning with notes of raspberry sorbet followed by rose petals, tart red plum and sour cherry.  Continue to enjoy the supporting tannins, balanced and medium-bodied, with a lasting finish that pleases the palate.” 

My Review: Dark berry, brown sugar and smoke on the nose. Really big delicious palate. Could be my favorite. July 2025

THE TASTING ROOM

“Barterra Winery is an urban winery with a tasting room in Princeton Harbor in Half Moon Bay. We believe that wine tasting should be approachable and educational. We offer guided tastings in a relaxed atmosphere where you can experience and learn about unique varietals and blends from the finest wine regions in Northern California.”

Location: 151 Harvard Ave, Half Moon Bay, CA

Hours: Saturday & Sunday: 12pm to 6pm, Monday – Friday: By appointment only

Check them out on Instagram here: @barterrawinery.

© Decanting Monterey 2025

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Another Flavorful Valentine’s Celebration at Twisted Roots!

THE STORY

The Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society #aws #americanwinesociety once again had the chance to celebrate an early Valentines Day at the Twisted Roots Tasting Room in Carmel Valley!  They allowed us to use their beautiful club space for our members to bring appetizers to share. The wines were delicious. The surprise wine education component was comparing and contrasting a filtered and unfiltered wine – the same wine, the same vintage. Eye opening, to say the least! Many thanks to Josh, Julie, Jon and the rest of the staff who helped us that evening!

I’ve written about Twisted Roots Winery and their wines several times, with our previous AWS visit presented here: Valentine’s Celebration at Twisted Roots! You can read about their history in that post.

You can join the Monterey Chapter of the American Wine Society by becoming a member of the National American Wine Society and choosing Monterey as your local chapter.

THE EVENT

At this month’s tasting, we started with a new California bubbly, segued to a Lodi Albariño from one of the oldest vineyards in California.  Before moving into the Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, which they are mostly known for, Josh took us on a wine education journey.  In detail, he explained that he was presenting us with two versions of his 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon.  He tends to make his Cabernet Sauvignon in a lighter style.  For this vintage, he held back some of the juice (wine) from the filtering process and bottle it separately.  We got to taste the difference from the bigger, fruitier unfiltered wine and the lighter, more sophisticated style of the filtered wine.  I’m sure we put a dent in his last case of the unfiltered wine, so make a beeline there if you still want to grab a bottle!

THE WINES

Today I am presenting 6 wines, including the unfiltered version of the Cabernet Sauvignon.  As usual, winery notes come from the tasting sheet, the winery website, or tasting room staff. Any errors are mine or mine alone. As a rule, I do not correct typos from winery websites.

NV Twisted Roots California Brut, Monterey County, 12.5% ABV, $55 (#1516)

Winery Notes: “Our NEW California Brut Sparkling wine has notes of ripe green apple on the nose, followed by bright notes of lemon and citrus on the palate. We produced our new Monterey County, Sparkling Brut using the traditional of methode champenoise, which creates soft and round little bubbles that round the finish off perfectly! While completely dry, our California Brut also has nice hints of almond and brioche which pairs nicely with your favorite cheese platter. Cheers!”

My Review: A very faint nose with scents of apple. Light flavors on the palate beginning with brioche and finishing crisp. Tiny bubbles throughout. This was a favorite wine of the tasting. February 2025

2022 Twisted Roots Albariño, Bokish Vineyards – Terra Alta, Lodi AVA, $50  (#1517)

Winery Notes: “Our Albarino is a light, crisp, and fruity white wine. Perfect for a hot summer day by the pool, the BBQ, or just hanging out in the shade. This wine brings lots of tropical type fruit like mangos and pineapples, and lots of citrus type acid on the finish. Ice cold out of the cold box, its really refreshing!”

My Review: This Albariño begins with scents of wet hay, like after a spring rain, and ends with grilled pineapple.  Lots of minerality mid palate with a pronounced acidic, grapefruit finish. February 2025

2018 Twisted Roots (Filtered) Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi AVA, 14% ABV, $60 (#1518)

Winery Notes: “Unlike those Napa Valley style Cabernet Sauvignon, with a ton of tannins, our Cabernet drinks more like a Pinot Noir, in terms of body and tannins, with all the fruit of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Our 2018 vintage present a soft sublte body, with dry cherry, and coco flavors on the palate. Great with a meal, or on its own!”

My Review: Light bodied with more tannin and cassis on the finish. The filtered version is lighter, yet still quite flavorful – a more sophisticated presentation than its unfiltered brother. February 2025

2018 Twisted Roots Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi AVA, 14% ABV, $60 (#1519)

Winery Notes: Josh described how this wine was made – by reserving some of the wine before filtering.  It is the exact same wine and juice as the regular 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, but without the filtering.  This leaves you with a more robust, juicy, tasty wine. There is less than a case left – so stop on over soon if you want one!

My Review: Distinctive yummy cherry and plum on the nose.  Delicious, with sweet cherry on the rich palate, finishing with raisiny notes. A delicious fruit bomb, in a good way.  This was the second favorite wine of the night for our group. February 2025

2018 Twisted Roots Petite Sirah, Lodi AVA, 15.5% ABV, $60 (#1520)

Winery Notes: “Our winemakers passion, the first wine he ever made, the one that he drinks the most. Our Petite Sirah is big, and bold, but not harsh, which makes it enjoyable. It presents lots of dark fruit, blackberry, and raspberry, both on the nose and on the finish, followed by a little black pepper as well.”

My Review: Purple in the glass. A subtle nose of grape sweet tart, oregano and raisins. The fruitiness in the rich palate is offset by a little tobacco on the finish. I liked this wine. February 2025

2018 Twisted Roots “1918” Old Vine Zinfandel, Dairy Vineyard, Lodi AVA, 14% ABV, $60 (#1521)

Winery Notes: “make sure right vintage These are the grapes that started it all for Twisted Roots… Originally planted on the “Dairy” Vineyard in 1918! Three generations of our family have cared for these vines, and they are still producing to this day. This wine presents itself as big and fruity on the nose, but on the pallet it has gentle fruit and smooth tannins. We aged this wine in 100% neutral French oak barrels to showcase the depth of flavor these old vines produce.”

My Review: Ripe plum on the nose. Prune and bitter tannins with a white pepper finish. The terroir of the old vines shines through. February 2025

THE TASTING ROOM

Visit The Twisted Roots Tasting Room: “Wine is an experience meant to be shared with others. Stop by our beautiful tasting room and let’s share it together.” Located at 12 Del Fino Pl, Carmel Valley, CA 93924. Open 12-5pm, Thursday-Sunday. Reserve online or at 831- 594-8282. You can also buy their wines on their website!

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