I arrived to MacRostie early, so I drove down the road a little and discovered a unique, historic building. It was the Hop Kiln tasting room. It was built in 1905 by Italian masons for farmers to bring, dry, and sell their hops. There were three kilns, note the three chimneys on the building to carry the heat out. Luckily, Landmark Vineyards also does some nice Pinot Noirs which are my favorite. The building is constructed with river stone and slate. When I inquired about the building, the hostess took me to the basement to show me the kilns where the hops was dried. All the pieces are still there, the ducts to take out the heat, and a hops press.
The Vineyard is trying to utilize more of the space, and maybe use a kiln room for a pizza oven room and bar. The building is a California State Landmark. Here is a link if you want to learn more about the process of farming and drying hops.
