Golden Vineyards
“Our vines, their (Mendocino) wines” is how Julie and Joe Golden approach their biodynamic, organic and fish friendly vineyard venture. Located at the top of the keyhole of Yokayo Valley, the Golden’s Heart Arrow Ranch more than complies with the requirements for each of its certifications. But that’s not all.
Meeting Julie at the refurbished barn just off Highway 101… Read the rest
Giuseppe Wines
An Italian-American Story.
The first time I saw the label on Nonno Giuseppe Zinfandel at the Bottle Shop in Ukiah I bought a bottle. Straightforward die-cut with a simple gold border, it features the photograph of an appealing Italian gentleman with a distinctive white mustache. It’s old world appeal and the local connection was so compelling that I wanted to… Read the rest
Frey Vineyards
A Family in Harmony with Their Land.
The Frey family in Redwood Valley lives by and enriches the tenets of organic and biodynamic at their winery and ranch on Tomki Road. Four generations of the family live on the ranch and work in the family business. This includes most of the twelve children of Marguerite and her late husband Paul… Read the rest
Foursight Wines
Four Generations of Foresight.
Past and present mix with timeless ease at Foursight Vineyards where four generations of the Charles family have lived and made their living in the middle of Boonville. From logging to grapegrowing each has built upon the love and the possibilities of their land.
Chickens, a vegetable garden and an organic hay field have been part… Read the rest
Fetzer Vineyards
Champion of Sustainability.
Fetzer Vineyards’ contributions to making Mendocino County “America’s Greenest Wine Region” are innumerable and impressive. Let’s start with their latest accolade. Just last week Fetzer was recognized for the second time in five years with the Governor’s Award for Environmental and Economic Leadership for the many ways the winery is reducing its carbon footprint and continually developing… Read the rest
Ferrington Vineyard
Commitment to Quality.
A long eared jack rabbit merrily munches on the cover crop in the vineyard and hops ahead of my car along the graveled road at Ferrington Vineyards. The pruned vines stand dormant between a profusion of brilliant golden mustard and bright greens planted annually to feed the soil and attract beneficial insects. A herd of sheep currently… Read the rest
Esterlina Vineyards
Dreams of a Sterling Father.
With vineyards in Anderson Valley, on the Boonville Road and in Sonoma County, and a relatively short tenure in the wine industry, a family of four talented sons, father and mother, are producing highly acclaimed award winning wines.
The story of Esterlina Vineyards and Winery begins with Murio Sterling, who at 72 isn‘t slowing down.… Read the rest
Elke Vineyards
A Place for Pinot Noir.
Mary Elke is one of those people who immediately makes you feel comfortable. Tan from working outdoors, her graying hair pulled back, dressed in casual shirt and pants, she’s sitting at a picnic table outside her small winery building at one of her vineyards in Anderson Valley.
“Growing grapes and making wine are a tangible… Read the rest
Eaglepoint Ranch
A Sense of Place.
One of the most beautiful ranches and vineyards in Mendocino County straddles 1255 acres 1800 feet above Ukiah Valley. Casey Hartlip has been the caretaker of Eaglepoint Ranch up Mill Creek Road since the 1970s. He is one of the most respected grapegrowers in the business.
Hartlip, tall and lanky, affably manages the ranch with its… Read the rest
Drew Family Vineyards
A Lifestyle.
Walking through the apple orchard with Molly Drew on a balmy coastal day to see where the new vineyard will be planted, I was reminded of my own family’s arrival on the Mendocino coast in 1975. It felt reassuring (and a little nostalgic) to see the next generation of enterprising young people moving here to raise their families.… Read the rest
DnA Vineyards
When Dennis met Andrea.
He was a back-to-the-land hippie. She was destined for a life in medicine like her father, siblings, and relatives. He has a passion for growing things and a talented sense of taste. She has curiosity and an aptitude for business. He developed over the last forty years to become one of Mendocino County’s most renowned and… Read the rest
DeMuth Winery
High on a Mountaintop.
One of the best little wineries you probably never heard of sits 1600 feet on a south facing ridge above Anderson Valley. Part of the old Rickert sheep ranch belongs to Lyn and Chris Demuth (pronounced dee-mooth). The Demuths purchased 185 acres of the ranch in 1972. In 1985 they planted four acres in chardonnay grapes… Read the rest
Coro Mendocino
One Of A Kind Collaboration.
Eight years ago a group of Mendocino winemakers challenged themselves to create for the world a wine derived from Mendocino’s wine heritage, individual diversity and best grape varieties. These veteran winemakers with decades of experience created Coro Mendocino.
“Coro means chorus in Italian,” says third generation winemaker Greg Graziano of Graziano Family of Wines in… Read the rest
Cole Bailey Vineyards
A Class Act in Redwood Valley.
It might seem that a winery which uses a name spoofing the use of long pompous words isn’t serious. When you learn that one of the winery’s owners was the prototype for the character Otter in the movie classic Animal House you might think the winery is quirky.
While both the wine name and… Read the rest
Claudia Springs Winery
From Home Winemaker to Award Winning Pro.
A turkey ran beside the fence as I made my way up the gravel road to Claudia Springs Winery in Anderson Valley. It was trying to get over to its flock which was milling among the vines.
Claudia Klindt is not a turkey lover. And at the moment, Bob Klindt, whose lip was… Read the rest
Chase Vineyards
Enjoying the Fruit of their Labor.
Leroy and Mary Louise Chase represent many long time farmers, not only in Mendocino County but throughout California’s wine country. Grape growers who do it all themselves while working other jobs and raising kids, the Chases also give back regularly to the community. As we sit at the table in their comfortable home on… Read the rest
Cesar Toxqui
Multi-heritage Heirlooms.
Four years ago Cesar Toxqui, who was born in Mexico, and Ruth Andres Toxqui, from the Philippines, set in motion their dream to make small quantities of food friendly “Heirloom” wines and ultimately a destination in which to enjoy it all. They bottled their first wine, Cesar Toxqui Cellars Zinfandel in 2004.
Although he didn’t grow up with… Read the rest
Butow Vineyards
Passing it on.
Don and Judye Butow are in the twilight years of managing the vineyard which has been in the Butow family since 1946. Located on East Road in Redwood Valley, the vineyard is in the process of changing hands from one family’s legacy of hard work, community involvement and farming to another’s. Jose Castanon, who lives with his… Read the rest
Brutocao Cellars
Italian Style in Hopland.
The Brutocao family brings a sampling of the Italian lifestyle to Mendocino County. From the St. Mark’s Square (in Venice) lion on their wine label to their tasting room, restaurant and bocce courts, la dolce vita is what I found at Brutocao Cellars in Hopland.
Playing on a bocce team for the last few years at… Read the rest
Breggo Cellars
Tradition and Innovation.
“An advantage of being new,” says Douglas Stewart, winemaking proprietor of Breggo Cellars, “is you get to look at thirty years of winemaking history in Anderson Valley.”
Slim and energetic with reddish hair and a light sprinkling of freckles, Stewart, 40, is realizing a dream to be a farmer since his childhood in Sonoma. He and his… Read the rest
