Since 2018, the Durham Wine District has been delighting wine enthusiasts in Butte County. With four wineries within six miles of each other, the Durham Wine District is a great destination for a day trip. The soil and climate of Durham and Butte County is great for growing a variety of crops, and grapes thrive in the environment. The vintners and winemakers at each location are not only proud of their own wines but also of the level of craftsmanship of their fellow producers, which they’ll tell you as they happily promote each other’s tasting rooms
Within the Durham Wine District, the tasting rooms and wines are distinctly different, so visitors can engage in a wide variety of wines and experiences, all within 10 minutes of each other and just 15 minutes from Downtown Chico.
Almendra Winery & Distillery
Almendra Winery & Distillery features 18 different locally grown wines from the Bertagna Son Kissed Vineyards and Almendra Winery brands. Step into the beautiful tasting room and sample a wine or spirit flight. The full-service family friendly restaurant serves small plates, salads, gourmet pizzas and seasonal specials featuring locally grown products. The full bar specializes in Almendra’s Monkey Face Spirits, which are distilled on-site in the beautiful copper still.
Dog Creek Cellars
Owned and operated by Neal and Judy Cline, Dog Creek Cellars is a boutique winery that opened its doors in 2011, though Cline Organics has been dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming practices since 1990, when it was growing almonds and Asian pears. Dog Creek Cellars produces all-organic Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese and Zinfandel that is grown on the Durham property. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, then crushed, fermented and watched diligently by the family (and the vineyard dogs).
Gale Vineyards
Inspired by winemaking techniques perfected over centuries in places like France, Italy, and Spain, Gale Vineyards makes award-winning, handcrafted wines that are made in small batches from only the finest, carefully selected grapes at their Durham winery. First planted in the spring of 2001, their vines have been a labor of love from the very beginning. Gale Vineyards is known for crafting wines that are deliciously rich and fruity, with soft tannins and a supple finish. Their offering boasts a number of unique, and artfully aged wines — from their light and refreshing Rose di Primitivo (perfect for warm summer days) to the rich, earthy, Tempranillo, you’ll undoubtedly find a flavor to fit.
Nascere Vineyards
Nascere Vineyards farms 3.5 acres of organic Italian varietals of Barbera, Sangiovese, and Pinot Grigio grapes. The fertile soils of the Northern Sacramento Valley terrain is well suited for these varietals because of the hot summer days and cool nights that come from being nestled between the vast walnut orchards that provide great temperature swings at night during the growing seasons. Nascere Vineyards takes pride in practicing sustainable farming with its grapes to ensure quality in every cluster.