Winery offers high style in Sierra foothills

On a gently sloping hillside amid 26 acres of vineyards, stood a stunning building, in sleek steel spanning 17,000 square feet.

A full winery and expansive tasting room await beneath metal canopies and behind a large screen wall fabricated from recycled wine barrel staves, stacked horizontally for a graceful woven effect.

At the east end of the building, the tasting room boasts giant windows on three sides overlooking the surrounding vineyards, for a sensation of floating above the earth.

Guests gather at the 26-foot long bar made from Lyptus hybrid hardwood topped in concrete, or at stand-up, shiny steel bistro tables.

Friedlander previously lived in Hawaii, where he still runs a commercial real estate company; Akuna splits her time between Hawaii and California, and continues to work in investment management.

Visitors can see the grape work in action via the barrel room, crush pad and fermentation room - including an eye-catching 500-gallon concrete fermentation egg - next to the tasting area.

For sampling, six wines are offered for $5 (credited toward purchase) and on my visit included a 2012 Semillon ($19), 2011 Amador Zinfandel ($22), 2010 Painted Fields blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petite Sirah ($28), 2010 Cooper Barbera ($28), 2010 Petite Sirah ($32) and sweet 2012 Chenin Blanc ($19).