GRANITE BAY – Are you looking for a great place to relax and sip some award-winning wines? You do not have to look any further than the Mount Saint Joseph Wines tasting room in the heart of Granite Bay. The Mount Saint Joseph Winery prides itself in their motto, “Doing the ordinary in an extraordinary way.” Mount Saint Joseph or MSJ for short has a vineyard in nearby Loomis and also gets its grapes from Napa, Monterey County and the Sierra Foothills.
The staff in the tasting room are warm and welcoming. The wines have won numerous awards at the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition and at the California State Fair. In 2020 the tasting room was voted “the best” by the local Roseville Press Tribune.
The tasting room atmosphere is casual and friendly. It won’t take long before you feel like you belong. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and music by local musicians on the weekends. The tastings and food pairings are fun and informative. Their wines have been described as tasteful and easy drinking.
The MSJ also hosts tours and special events at their vineyard and also hosts private parties and events in the tasting room.
The Mount Saint Joseph Winery has a unique history. The idea of starting a winery was started in 2015 by a few parishioners from the St. Joseph Marello Church in Granite Bay. A nationally recognized winemaker in Napa met with a number of people from Granite Bay and Folsom who attend the St. Joseph Marello Church. They discussed starting a winery with the priests from the Oblates of St. Joseph, a religious order founded in 1878. The Oblates serve the St. Joseph Marello parish and have a seminary and youth center on their property in Loomis. The seminary has been there for over 50 years and sits a top of a hill with a panoramic view of the surrounding area. It was agreed that a vineyard would look beautiful. The rest is history.
So, takes some time out of your busy lives to relax and taste some wonderful wines. Bring some friends, maybe meet some new ones and enjoy the atmosphere of the tasting room.
The tasting room is nestled in the shopping center at 8629 Auburn Folsom Road at the intersection of Douglas Boulevard and can be reached at 916-784-9463. The tasting room hours of operation are Thursdays 4-7, Fridays 4-8, Saturdays 12-8 and Sundays 12-3. To learn more about MSJ wines view their website at info@mountsaintjosephwines.com.
Article and photos Courtesy of Brian Parry
