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When you think of Mariposa County, what comes to your mind? ... Yosemite National Park? Of course... But there is an amazing other, relatively unknown side to Mariposa County: Wine. One of our favorite wineries, Butterfly Creek Winery, is located in Mariposa County, and it's run by the friendliest winemaster you'll ever meet, Robert "Bob" Gerken.
Photo: Butterfly Creek Winery is located about fifteen minutes outside the small Central-Sierra community of Mariposa, in the beautiful foothills. All of the wine grapes that make the fantastic wine produced by Butterfly Creek are grown on the property, which is situated at around 3000 feet, in Mariposa County. The spacious grounds includes a shady park, located next to Butterfly Creek, a picnic area, and a lot more. Besides producing wine, the winery offers catering, and special events, including weddings. If you care to be married at Butterfly Creek Winery, there is a small chapel located above the winery/tasting room, shown in the right of the photo, and the friendly winemaster is an ordained minister.
Photo: Meet Mr. Robert "Bob" Gerken, winemaster, and great guy, who's also the "chief cook and bottlewasher" at Butterfly Creek Winery. Bob will greet you with a friendly smile, and offer you lots of information about the area, including everything you ever wanted to know about Yosemite National Park. The winery is located near the park, and Bob is a great enthusiast of Yosemite, and an accomplished outdoorsman, so if there is anything you care to ask about Yosemite, especially when it comes to hiking or camping, just ask Bob when you visit the winery. If you want to know everything about Mariposa County wine, you can ask Bob, or better, just sample his fine wine. Butterfly Creek Winery offers several delicious varieties of wine, and they're all grown, produced, barreled and bottled in-house, at this fine winery. Unlike the wineries located to the far west, in Napa Valley, Butterfly Creek Winery does not charge a tasting fee, the atmosphere is not rushed, nor is it "commercial," and you won't have to deal with bus loads of tourists. Naturally, as you sample the wine, good etiquette advises that you purchase a bottle, or two of wine, but in my experience, you'll want to purchase a case or two, as the wine is delicious, the prices are very "friendly," and the tasting experience is unmatched.
Photo: A small gift shop is co-located in the same building as the tasting room, and it offers a variety of wares made by local artisans in Mariposa County. Offerings include olives, salsa, olive oil vinegar, paintings, among other items. I "homed in" on seasoned sea salt, offered by Yosemite Sierra, a local company, as I've enjoyed their fine products for many years, and, in addition to a few bottles of wine, I purchased a couple of jars of the best sea salt offered in the Sierras.
Photo: After asking Bob's permission, I walked into the winery, to photo a few barrels of wine, that Bob plans to bottle the following weekend.
Photo: Butterfly Creek Winery offers a relaxed, fun, tasting room. Mr. Bob Gerken opens another bottle of his fine wine, as my brother, Michael, and my lovely wife, Sharlene, discuss wine with Bob. Today, Tuesday, April 19, 2016, we sampled six varities of his great wine. In addition to purchasing the two bottles of sea salt, Sharlene and took home a bottle of the following wine: * 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon We usually take home a case, but today were a tad "wined out," so we only took home three bottles. No worries, as we'll be back next month to bring home a case or two of the wonderful wine produced by Butterfly Creek Winery. Unlike the many, more famous wineries located to the west in Napa Valley, Butterfly Creek Winery does not have a tasting charge, and offers friendly wine tasting, in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere, hosted by the friendliest winemaster you'll ever meet. You're not rushed by bus loads of tourists, and you're encouraged to enjoy the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain scenery the winery has to offer, and sample some of the best wine that I've ever tasted. Enjoy the wine, the beautiful mountain scenery, the fine company, and be sure to bring a bottle, or a case, of some of the finest wine available in Mariposa County home with you. Butterfly Creek Winery Copyright(c) 2016 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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