2026 Wineries Los Angeles

Adelaida Cellars

5805 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Adelaida.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owners: The Van Steenwyk Family

Winemaker: Jeremy Weintraub

About: Located in the mountainous terrain of Paso Robles, Adelaida Vineyards & Winery is built on a vision of excellence: for wine, for community, and for the environment. Sustainable agriculture and a winemaking team guided by nature come together to create classic California wines that convey a sense of this unique place. Our vineyards offer a wide range of mesoclimates, aspects and soil types. We farm them organically, with an eye toward the long-term benefit of our customers, our team, and our land. We invite you to our Ranch to experience first-hand the vibrant, peaceful charm of Adelaida Vineyards, the heart of Adelaida district in Paso Robles.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Picpoul Blanc. Great acidity, food friendly, and a favorite of the family matriarch

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Tasting CA versions of Rhone varietals such as Picpoul and Mourvedre’. Learning there was so much more out there than the classics

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Introducing consumers to new varietals and showing people there are so many great wines out there that are not Cabernet or chardonnay

Alamati Wine

90 Easy Street, Buellton CA, 93427
alamatiwine.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners: Cooper Allebrand and Niko Comati

Winemakers: Cooper Allebrand and Niko Comati

About: Alamati is a shared project by two best friends and local Santa Barbara winemakers. Cooper Allebrand and Niko Comati both work as assistant winemakers for prominent wineries in Santa Barbara. We both grew up together in Santa Barbara and started Alamati out of a shared passion for wine, food, and our local community. Santa Barbara County’s uniquely diverse growing regions allow us to work with the grape varieties we love without compromising quality. Lesser-known grapes that began as an experiment for us have become a crucial aspect of our project’s identity. Our goal is to make delicious wines while also working to support and build relationships with local artists, chefs, and musicians. The name Alamati is a blend of our two last names and is a representation of our friendship and 50/50 share of both business and winemaking.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? We started our project out of love for Nebbiolo. While Nebbiolo is not “undiscovered” by any means worldwide, it is not an easy variety to find in Santa Barbara. Our experience with it has shown that it grows beautifully here. Niko was fortunate to be able to work a harvest in Piemonte and brought back a firsthand knowledge of how classic producers make it. Working with Nebbiolo also led us to add Dolcetto to our collection, which has become one of our favorites as a perfect complement to go along with our Nebbiolo. Dolcetto also probably fits the “undiscovered” label better.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Dolcetto was the grape we discovered at the start of our project. The grower we work with recommended adding it to our program due to the fact that Nebbiolo needs much more time in barrel for aging. Dolcetto has become our everyday drinker. It needs very little aging time and jumps out of the glass in terms of fruit and energy. It is a fan favorite and something that is very versatile in terms of food pairing as well.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? 

Beckmen Vineyards

2670 Ontiveros Road, Los Olivos, CA 93441
beckmenvineyards.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners: Tom and Judy Beckmen

Winemaker: Steve Beckmen

About: As the first biodynamically farmed vineyard in Santa Barbara County, we focus on what counts: growing great grapes. We go beyond organ­ic farm­ing by treat­ing the farm as a liv­ing organ­ism, avoid­ing the use of her­bi­cides, insec­ti­cides, pes­ti­cides, or nitro­gen based fer­til­iz­er in our vineyards. Our priority is to produce a broad yet deep portfolio of wines to consistently provide a wine experience you can trust, including lesser-known varietals of Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Viognier.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Grenache Blanc. Beckmen Vineyards was the first winery to bottle a 100% Grenache Blanc wine in Santa Barbara County, before it was recognized by our government as a varietal. Since the varietal was not recognized by the government, we had to label our first vintage in 2001 “Grenache White”. We’ve made this wine from a tiny 0.6-acre block every year since.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Grenache Blanc, discovered it at a Hospice du Rhone tasting, and was struck by the diversity of style in the variety.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Teaching customers about the history, styles, and our interpretation, and turning them on to something new and different!

Benessere Vineyards

1010 Big Tree Road, St. Helena, CA 94574
benesserevineyards.com

Region: Napa Valley

Owners: Benish Family

Winemaker: Matt Reid

About: Benessere Vineyards is a family-owned, estate winery in the heart of St. Helena, dedicated to showcasing the depth, elegance, and age-worthiness of Italian varietals in Napa Valley. Rooted in our estate vineyards and guided by a hands-on, small-lot approach, we focus on wines that balance purity of fruit with structure, texture, and a true sense of place. We’re passionate about championing “undiscovered” grapes—varieties that don’t always get the spotlight, but absolutely deserve it. That’s what makes Benessere a natural fit for the Festival of Undiscovered Grapes: we’ve built our reputation on bringing Italian varietals to the forefront, crafting wines that feel both distinctive and unmistakably Napa. Whether you’re new to these grapes or already a fan, we love sharing the story behind each bottling and why these varieties belong at the table—and in your cellar.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? My favorite undiscovered grape to work with is Falanghina. I always find it delicious, but I have a hard time describing its wonderful flavors, aromas, and texture. Its evolution through fermentation and maturation is beguiling.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? In 2013 I was thrilled to take on my first harvest at Benessere, and with that the opportunity to take a crack at making my first ever Sagrantino and Aglianico. Although I had enjoyed both varieties many times prior, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to work with these grapes in Napa Valley. I had them in side-by-side open-top fermenters so I could take in as much sensory information about the fermentations as possible. I was surprised that these two tannic, late-ripening varieties seemed to want very different winemaking treatment, with the Sagrantino thriving with as many punchdowns a day as I could give it, while the Aglianico seemed to want much gentler treatment, with just a single punchdown each day.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? All of the many undiscovered grapes we work with revitalize the joy of winemaking. It feels like an adventure discovering new flavors. It’s so much fun to try to capture the spirit of a new-to-me grape variety.