WATERING HOLES AND WINERIES.

Looking for a drink in Shasta? Don’t worry, they’ve got a lot more to offer than the eponymous soft drink. For those with a more sophisticated palate, the wines of the Shasta Cascade region are not to be missed. Redding is a bit off the beaten path compared with better-known wine hubs like Paso Robles and Santa Rosa, but the town and the surrounding area boast vineyards and vistas that make it worth the trip. These wineries are a good place to start next time you’re there.

5 vineyards to visit

MOSELEY FAMILY CELLARS

Moseley Family Cellars operates two separate tasting rooms in Redding — one downtown, and one at its winery at the Mountain Lakes Industrial Park. Moseley’s downtown location just opened last fall, marking a return to the city center three years after shifting production from downtown to its current, larger facility. The cellars belong to Mimi and Marty Moseley; Marty traces his love of wine back to his youth, when his grandfather made barrels’ worth of wine at home. In 2004, he took a stab at winemaking himself. Before long, the Moseleys found themselves running a business. Citing the principle that “great wine comes from great grapes,” Moseley sources its fruit from Napa and elsewhere; every step of making wine besides the growing takes place in Redding. The winery hopes to produce 2,700 cases this year, up from the 750 cases it produced annually at its previous location.

Main winery: 4712 Mountain Lakes Blvd., Suite 300, Redding. Hilltop tasting room: 2158 Hilltop Drive, Redding; 530-229-9463; www.moseleyfamily cellars.com.

MATSON VINEYARDS

Matson first planted its vineyard in 1981, making it the oldest vineyard in Shasta County. Founder and Shasta College teacher Oscar Matson passed away in 2011, but the winery he created lives on. If you can’t make it to the winery, you’ll find Matson wines on menus throughout Redding — try Jack’s Grill, the iconic steak house on California Street.

Tastings by appointment only; 10584 Arapaho Drive, Redding; 530-222-2833; www.matsonvineyards.com.

MAJESTIC OAK FAMILY CELLARS

Longtime vineyard manager Rob Early has been providing grapes to California wineries for years. In 2017, he decided to open a winery of his own. The result is Majestic Oak Family Cellars, easily recognizable by its modern sheetmetal exterior, in east Redding off of Highway 44. Majestic Oak gets its grapes from the local vineyards that Early manages, as well as other sources.

3058 Crossroads Drive, Redding; 530223-9463; www.majesticoakfamily cellars.com.

BURNSINI VINEYARDS

Just shy of its 20th anniversary, Burnsini came under new ownership last year. While the winery originally grew out of co-founder Tom Burnham’s winemaking hobby, the new management includes four partners with impressive resumes: a vineyards manager, an operations specialist, a winemaker, and the owner of a Pacifica wine bar. Together, the new owners hope to expand Burnsini’s reputation in the Bay Area and elsewhere beyond the North State region while still providing a knowledgeable and welcoming atmosphere for those who come in for a tasting.

Tastings by appointment only; 19535 Hammers Lane, Cottonwood; 530-3474765; www.burnsini.com.

ALPEN CELLARS

This winery, so far off the beaten path it’s not even connected to the electrical grid, sits in a valley beneath the

craggy alps of Trinity County. Wildflowers bloom nearby, a creek gurgles within earshot, and Trinity Lake is just a short trip away. Also, the Pinots are a must. The land surrounding Alpen Cellars has less electrical infrastructure today than it did in the early 20th century. Taking a cue from the dams that created Shasta, Oroville and Trinity lakes, co-owner Keith Groves has rigged Alpen to run on hydropower from China Creek, the east fork of the Trinity River. Alpen’s remote location makes for a bona fide adventure, but make your way carefully. Alpen recommends using the directions provided on its website, as Google Maps uses “a very dangerous route through the wilderness.”

2000 E. Fork Road, Trinity Center; 530266-9513; www.alpencellars.com.

Photos by Sarahbeth Maney / Special to The Chronicle Above: Ashley Pierce, chief winemaker and level-two sommelier, stands among the wine barrels at Moseley Family Cellars in Redding. Far left: Wine barrels are displayed at Moseley Family Cellars. Center left: Lori MacFarland (left) and Kassi Batman empty bottles of red wine at the Moseley Family Cellars. Left: Some of Moseley Family Cellars’ wines.