New Clairvaux Vineyards is operated by the Cistercian monks who live and work on the property in the New Clairvaux Abbey. They began making wine about 5-7 years ago and some of their wines are award wining. The place itself is a delight to visit and if you can stay there for a short retreat, please do. The monks are friendly, sincere, and kind. The staff at the winery itself a very helpful and engaging. Sometimes the monks help out in the shop and help serve during the wine tasting hours. The Abbey is on the former property of the Leland Stanford estate. Stanford tried his hand at wine and spirits at some point but it didn't take off. Now the place is a wonderful abbey. Located about 19 miles north of Chico, CA.
Let's face it: if you're on TripAdvisor, you probably don't mind working a little for a unique experience. Dive off of I-5 in Corning. CA (don't forget the olive oil tasting there!) and drive east to Hwy 99E (if you are already "in the know", you have probably driven up the valley on spectacular Hwy 99 anyway!). Pull off in Vina, just north of Chico and south of Los Molinos and prepare to be amazed. I quite agree that this is a venue that deserves respect for it's religious origins - as a working Abbey under restoration and development. But it is far more than I knew it as a neighbor some 20 years ago. Then it was known for quiet contemplation, bread-making and pottery. Now they challenge the best vineyards in California with superb wines!!! A little insider tip - ask and they will give you a list of the wines they sell only by mail! GO, GO, GO!!!
If you like wine then you should treat yourself to a visit to the New Clairvaux Vineyard. We were their a few days ago on a visit to Chico and decided to check the Winery out. The Staff are super friendly and the wines in the main is pretty good. The St. James Viognier is delightful, light, crisp with just a hint of sweet. It goes perfectly with a Thai salmon in coconut milk disk that I make that is one of my hubby's favorite dishes. We purchased 1 1/2 mixed cases. Prices are not out of line and they do offer a discount on cases. They have some food items plus other wine related products for sale plus attractive t- long sleeved and sweat shirts. Be sure to ask about the history. Check it out if you are in the area. Plus even if you are not into wine the The Abbey of New Clairvaux and the Chapter House http://www.newclairvaux.org/chapter-house-reconstruction.html are worth a visit.
Or you may miss it. The Cistercian monastery Abbey of New Clairvaux located in the small farming community of Vina, California is well worth a detour for the traveller driving on I 5 or HWY 99.Beer, Wine and other Spirits for spiritual enlightenment have been produced by Monks for many centuries.The Abbey is not like many picturesque european monasteries, nestled in a river valley with grapes growing on the surrounding hills. Remember you are on the northern end of California's Central Valley. Drive through tall hedges of oleander, be shaded by walnut trees and welcome the cool air in the wine tasting room, located in large agricultural warehouse. My suggestion is, get on their e-mail list and go for a visit during a special event. Like the release of a new wine, usually on a Friday night. Monks from the Abbey will welcome you, serve wine samples and tell you about the history of the Abbey. Fifth generation California winemaker Aimee Sunseri does barrel tastings, to give a glimpse of what's to come and loves to talk about her work at the winery.Try the St. James Albariño, a chilled glass of this medium bodied white wine after a hot day is delicious.Also go and visit the Chapter House on the premises, reassembled from stones dating back 800 years, it is still a work in progress, but it is fascinating to learn about it's history.For coastal dwellers it makes a great getaway to escape a gloomy, foggy weekend.Maybe spend a night in Chico and go visit the most excellent Saturday farmers market.
The Abbey church is being rebuilt and refurbished to meet earthquake standards but it's a worth a visit now. There are good visitor facilities including a welcome center, bookstore, and weekend wine tasting. Any visit has a spiritual component so be respectful. This is a religious sanctuary so leave any demonstrative behavior behind and 'do as the Romans do' and you'll have a memorable time. Check out the website for a revealing virtual tour.
This winery is just outside of Corning, CA. It is definitely worth a stop. First there is the winery and vineyard. The grounds are not spectacular, but they do have an amazing history. Have your wine pourer tell you about the history. Wine tasting is $5.00 per person and pours are not particularly generous. We did not care that much for the wines, but bought a couple of bottles since the tasting cost is applied to the purchase. You can also tour the Chapter House for the monks. Well worth a visit.
The wine was very good but we really enjoyed discovering the history of the abbey. The gardens are sweet and it's a nice place to unwind a little. The rebuilding of the abbey is a monumental task but I feel sure they'll accomplish it.
We attended mass at the monastery then walked over to the winery and the tasting room - the cheese was spectacular - the wine was even better. Especially liked the wine made from the Spanish grapes that were brought over to the states. Those grapes like California and produce very good wine.
New Clairvaux is a hidden gem in the North State. Just off of Highway 99 a few minutes is a historic farm and monastery. Great wine and super nice individuals who make this place special. I encourage you to join their wine club. It is really good and you are invited to special events on a regular basis.
She lives in Napa County and is a wine expert on the wines from that county. To her there are none worth knowing outside the county lines. So she was totally upset when I wouldn't stop talking about New Clairvaux Vineyard on our last encounter. I am sure she is planning a secret visit to it just to see why it struck me so. Who would have thought that such a quality vineyard would be located in Chico. But then, who knew that what was once the world's largest vineyard was right here in Chico. We stayed so long that we had to cut short our visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, the original reason for our outing that day. And we didn't mind it one bit. The tasting costs $5.00 and the wines are premium priced but it was all worth several times the cost.