Premier Winery Experience participant and Passport to Zinfandel participant
The Old Sugar Mill, which was built in 1934 to process sugar beets, has been repurposed into a center for artisanal wineries, events, food trucks, picnicking, and a live entertainment and concert venue. The historic and defunct sugar facility is now a popular historic landmark aside the Sacramento River not far from California’s state Capitol building.
Inside, you will encounter an enormous grand hall lined with tasting rooms and wine lounges featuring regional wineries. Way down the hall on the left you’ll find the star of the show – the actual functioning boutique winery, cellars and tasting room of Three Wine Company. Mom and Pop all the way, Three is owned and operated personally by Matt and Erin Cline: Matt, the veteran pro sourcing prime vineyards, running the cellar and blending the wines – and hospitality pro Erin running the business side of things. Matt is a winemaker’s winemaker from dirt, to vines, to barrel to bottle to glass. Three produces an impressive repertoire of wines but Zinfandel is a specialty comprising nearly half of the winery’s production. It’s likely you will get to be hosted by Erin at the tasting room where Cline offers tastings either seated at the bar or even at tables in the cellar. A Matt Cline classic is a Zinfandel crafted from the ancient vines at Live Oak Vineyard in Contra Costa County originally planted in 1885 – a Zin which is always in the discussion of California’s great Zinfandels. Also be sure to ask Erin as to the availability of Three’s Evangelho Vineyard Zinfandel, a true old vines field blend also from Contra Costa.
