"This hillside winery features a gondola that carries guests above vineyards to a tasting room and a patio with broad valley views; it bottles merlot and, even when the author was a child, served as a multigenerational attraction that entertained guests from grandparents to kids. The writer recalls a family visit in a 1970 Datsun, warm sun, goofy photos, and an early sense of the region’s abundance. After wildfire rumors circulated, the property was reported to have survived the latest blaze." - Julia Cosgrove