2026 Wineries

07 Feb Hitching Post Wines

Posted at 19:09h in 2025 Wineries, 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, Wineries

Hitching Post Wines

420 E HWY 246 Lompoc CA 93427
hpwines.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners: Frank Ostini & Gray Hartley

Winemakers: Frank Ostini and Weston Hartley

About: Led by Frank Ostini (owner of the Hitching Post 2 Restaurant) and Gray Hartley, Hitching Post Wines has passed its 40th vintage in its ongoing quest to create the finest wines possible of Santa Barbara County. The emphasis is to make intriguing, age-worthy Pinot Noirs featuring Santa Barbara County’s two iconic appellations, the Santa Maria Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills. However, other lesser-known varieties such as Chenin Blanc and Valdeguie have also caught their attention. With Frank Ostini as Chef Winemaker since its inception, these are food-friendly, handcrafted wines of balance and finesse that express the essence of the great vineyards of the Santa Barbara region. Moving forward, the next generation of Hartleys – Emily (DTC Manager) and Weston (Winemaker) – have joined the team and are doing much of the heavy lifting at Hitching Post Wines.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Valdiguie – It’s Racy. Defined as: (of a wine, flavor, etc.) having a characteristic quality to a high degree.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Valdiguie – It was so fresh and lively, and once in the barrel changed every month, from tart and tangy, then softening as the months passed to being this fresh, racy fruit that continues to get better and better and better.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Great heritage varietals that are lesser known have so much potential when taken seriously and given respect. There is greater freedom to explore old and new techniques and styles.

24 Sep Idlewild

Posted at 20:35h in 2026 Wineries, San Jose 2026

Idlewild

132 Plaza Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448
idlewildwines.com

Region: Sonoma County

Owners: Sam Bilbro and David Drummon

Winemaker: Sam Bilbro

About: Idlewild has a relatively concise aim within a broad context: to produce wines of exceptional balance and beauty. It is a journey to pursue Italy’s Piedmont in the elevated hills of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties. We aspire to find the intriguing, delicious, and haunting side of these Old World varieties that have found a new home in Northern California.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Timorasso is a new favorite variety of mine, not only because ours is the first to be grown outside of Piedmont. It feels like a perfect intro to Italian white varieties for those who drink mostly from California. It is almost totally unknown even in the wine world, but it falls in a familiar weight class and has an incredibly fresh frame that has broad appeal.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? When working in restaurants in college, I had a sales rep walk me through a lineup of Italian varieties that were, at the time, less common. The first sip of Nebbiolo was like a whole new lens to see wine through. It was delicate but powerful, floral yet with tar and earth, and just haunting in the best way. It all started from that moment.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Undiscovered grapes are an inroad to viewing a familiar place through a new point of view. Regardless of the appellation, a new variety grown there gives opportunity for a fresh expression of place.

01 Mar Ironstone Vineyards and Flora Abielle

Posted at 23:12h in 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, Wineries

Ironstone Vineyards and Flora Abielle

1894 Six Mile Rd., Murphys, CA
ironstonevineyards.com

Region: Lodi

Owners: Kautz Family

Winemaker: Steve Miller

About: At Ironstone Vineyards, our family’s roots in California agriculture span three generations, beginning with the planting of our first Chardonnay vines in 1968 and culminating in the founding of our estate winery in 1988 in Calaveras County near Murphys. Over the years, we have proudly championed distinctive varietals such as Cabernet Franc and Symphony, earning national recognition and numerous awards as leaders in producing wines that express the character and quality of our vineyards.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? My first choice is the uniqueness of the Symphony grape varietal. The intensely aromatic character of the rare Symphony grape, which is a crossing of Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris, delivers an explosive floral, peach, apricot, and tropical fruit aromas.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Your first time drinking Obsession Symphony blows you away because the aromatics leap out of the glass with intense orange blossom, ripe peach, apricot, honey, and tropical fruit before you even take a sip.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? The natural aromatics and slight touch of sweetness of the Symphony grape make it exceptional with spicy and savory dishes. The hint of sweetness helps cool the heat from foods like Thai curry, Mexican cuisine, or spicy barbecue, while its bright acidity keeps it fresh alongside savory flavors such as roasted chicken, pork, charcuterie, or rich cheeses.

09 Dec INTERCOASTAL Wine Company

Posted at 19:23h in 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, San Jose 2026

INTERCOASTAL Wine Company

13731 N Hwy 88 Lodi, CA 95240
intercoastalwine.com

Region: Lodi

Owners: Mindy Wendell & Mitch Spaletta

Winemaker: Mindy Wendell & Mitch Spaletta

About: As farmers, our passion begins in the field farming the land. We are dedicated to the production of amazing wine produced from the highest quality of hand-picked fruit and sustainably certified through Lodi Rules. Producing premium, award winning wines from Napa Valley, Lodi and Clarksburg, we are Ambassadors of California’s finest. The curves of the waterways along our vineyards inspired the design of our signature “S” logo and artistically represents our family name, Spaletta. Inspired to capture the experience and significance of each moment in time, our trade-marked slogan “Embrace Every Moment” is printed on each bottle and exemplifies our passion for life.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Pinotage – We were inspired to craft both a Rosé of Pinotage and a White Pinotage (Pinotage Bianco), which have quickly become flagship wines at our winery. Since Pinotage is rarely produced as a Rosé or White Wine in the United States, we wanted to create something truly unique—an exciting find for wine enthusiasts looking for something truly special.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Loved our discovery of Pinotage as a rare varietal and expanded our knowledge of unique varietals upon our visits to South Africa.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? As a winery that focuses on single vineyard, single varietal wines it is fun and exciting to discover lessen known varietals and share their unique characteristics with our community.

08 Jan J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

Posted at 07:06h in 2026 Wineries, San Jose 2026, Wineries

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines

1000 Lenzen Ave. San Jose, CA 95126
jlohr.com

Region: Monterey, Paso Robles, and Napa Valley

Owners: Jerry Lohr, Steve Lohr, Cynthia Lohr, Lawrence Lohr

Winemaker: Steve Peck, Kristen Barnhisel, Brenden Wood

About: Founded in 1974, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a family-owned winery rooted in California’s Central Coast. Known for sustainably grown vineyards in Monterey and Paso Robles, we craft expressive wines that showcase place, innovation, and five decades of winemaking passion. We have two tasting rooms in San Jose and Paso Robles.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cabernet is still king—always. But when we want to have a little fun, we love working with Valdiguié. It’s bright, fresh, and wildly versatile, with juicy red fruit and energy that surprises people who’ve never tried it. It’s the kind of grape that turns a “cab drinker” into an explorer after one glass.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? The first time we really fell for a lesser-known grape was Valdiguié. What surprised us most was how instantly lovable it was—bright, juicy, and refreshing, yet still serious enough to hold its own at the table. It challenged the idea that great wine has to be heavy or familiar, and showed us how much joy there is in rediscovering grapes with character and history.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? What we love most about undiscovered grapes is the sense of surprise they bring. They invite curiosity, spark conversation, and remind people that wine doesn’t have to be intimidating to be great. These grapes reward open-minded drinkers with fresh flavors, food-friendly balance, and the fun of finding a new favorite they didn’t even know they were looking for.

13 May JMC Cellars

Posted at 23:03h in 2025 Wineries, 2026 Wineries, San Jose 2026, Wineries

JMC Cellars

6800 Greenville Road, Livermore CA 94550
jmccellars.wine

Region: Livermore Valley

Owner/Winemaker: Jessica Carroll

About: JMC Cellars is a small winery owned and operated by women who are all geeks about wine. This small ragtag group is lead by a retired civil engineer who fell in love with wine and never looked back. The JMC Cellars group is all about the weird and wonderful of wine. We like to try new things and are always open for a challenge, which is how we have things on our menu like Teroldego and Grignolino. We are a place where love of wine, meets love of knowledge, and love of people.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Favorite “undiscovered” grape would have to be Viognier. When Jessica was just starting to make wine when she went on a trip to France and in a tasting discovered that in certain regions in France they co-ferment Syrah (her favorite discovered grape) with Viognier, and it makes a beautiful wine. So she started to make it as a single varietal and loves it.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? One of the first lesser-known grapes that Jessica discovered was Roussanne. It was a grape that one of the first wineries she worked at used for a single varietal and it fueled her interest in grapes from the Rhone region in France, as that is where Syrah comes from as well.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? We love learning about undiscovered grapes, they all have wonderful unique flavors and histories that are so interesting to dive into.

22 Feb Kinetic Cellars

Posted at 01:11h in 2025 Wineries, 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, San Jose 2026, Wineries

Kinetic Cellars

282 W. Portland Ave. Fresno, CA 93711
kineticcellars.com

Region: Lodi

Owner: Cole Dennis

Winemaker: Cole Dennis

About: We specialize in crafting wines from unique varieties that we have come to love from our experiences with European wines. We craft wines with a European or, otherwise, Old-World mentality so that the resultant wines focus on and showcase the grapes from which they are made. We stress all of the important details that go into making a wine so that we can end up with wines of unique character that reflect the many aspects of terrior. We currently have focused on making wines from varieties that originate from Portugal and Spain.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Nebbiolo

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Outside of childhood, my colleagues and I would taste a bunch of esoteric wines from the old world in College during my senior year. That was our goal – to find all of the off-the-wall unique tasting wines that we could find in Fresno. That was a special and impressionable time for me, and I am forever grateful for it.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? What I love about forgotten grapes is that they have some much personality to them. They are just as good if not better than all of the mainstream varieties that are on the market in the big box stores and even the grocery store shelves. You can start to truly taste the passion a winemaker has when you get to try these odd varieties because all of the “toys” that winemakers tend to use get put away and the grapes get a chance to shine in these wines.

22 Feb Langhart-Hill Wines

Posted at 20:54h in 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, Wineries

Langhart-Hill Wines

480 Foreman Lane, Healdsburg, CA 95448
langharthill.com

Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma

Owner: Dennis Hill

Winemaker: Dennis Hill

About: After decades of successful professional winemaking, our owner-winemaker, Dennis Hill, has shifted his focus to producing a few esoteric wine styles and rare grape varieties. Many grapes are estate-grown in the Russian River Valley near Healdsburg. Dennis is not beholden to one specific wine style but prefers to appreciate the great diversity of all wines. One will find both classic and obscure wines and varieties within the Langhart & Hill and Rumpelstiltskin portfolio.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Dobričić is one of the darkest, most tannic grapes on the planet. My goal is to make a more approachable but complex red wine that shows character. Dobričić is the specialty of Šolta, the Croatian island in the Adriatic, from where my grandfather immigrated 100 years ago.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Malvasia Bianca and its siblings are a large and ancient variety(s) grown in many regions of the world and make a wide range of wines, including the sweet Malmsey and other Madeira wines. It does well in warm regions and makes profoundly aromatic wines. What surprised me was the great complexity and vibrancy it can make in more mild climates, showing citrus, honeysuckle, and minerality.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Undiscovered grapes allow me to make something completely new and discover its qualities and characteristics. When we quit learning, life is no longer fun.

02 Sep Lava Cap Winery

Posted at 23:11h in 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, San Jose 2026, Wineries

Lava Cap Winery

2221 Fruitridge Rd., Placerville, CA 95667
lavacap.com

Region: El Dorado

Owner: Charlie & Noreen Jones

Winemaker: Nolan Jones

About: Lava Cap is a third-generation family farm located in Placerville, high in the Sierra Nevada foothills at an elevation of 2700 feet. Our estate mountain-grown grapes are sourced from some of the highest vineyards in California. Our unique volcanic soils, weathered from ancient ash flows, produce wines that are intensely aromatic and luscious with deep, rich fruit erupting with flavor.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Barbera! Great acid, bright flavors, food friendly.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Planting and working with undiscovered grapes is part of the DNA of El Dorado winegrowers. Rather than being centered on a single “signature” variety, our region is still actively exploring its possibilities. Every time we plant a new grape, we’re asking how it will respond to our volcanic soils, our 3,000-foot elevations, and our steep slopes. It’s an ongoing search for the varieties that not only thrive here but that truly come alive in our mountain terroir.

You can experience that spirit of discovery in Lava Cap’s tasting room, and throughout the region. Instead of focusing on just one grape, guests are invited to explore wines from a wide range of varieties. It makes tasting here an adventure—you’re experiencing a kaleidoscope of expressions, from crisp Grenache Blanc to vibrant Barbera to mountain-grown Viognier. That sense of exploration and diversity is what makes El Dorado so distinctive, and it’s why planting undiscovered grapes has always been central to who we are.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? What I love most is the sense of possibility. With undiscovered or lesser-known grapes, you’re not bound by consumer expectations or rigid tradition—you get to let the vineyard and terroir tell the story. In El Dorado, our volcanic soils and high elevation create natural tension, acidity, and aromatics in wines, which means these “undiscovered” grapes often shine in ways people don’t expect. Sharing them with guests is a chance to taste something authentic, distinctive, and new.

17 Dec Luna Hart Wines

Posted at 20:17h in 2025 Wineries, 2026 Wineries, Los Angeles 2026, Wineries

Luna Hart Wines

2825 Tapadero Road, Solvang CA 93463
lunahartwines.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owner: Gretchen Voelcker

Winemaker: Gretchen Voelcker

About: At the heart of Luna Hart’s philosophy is a commitment to vineyards practicing sustainable, organic, or biodynamic farming throughout the enchanting landscapes of Santa Barbara County. Gretchen’s vision is to create wines that resonate with the very soul of the grapes—their origin, vintage, and variety—a true reflection of the terroir. Immerse yourself in the meticulous process where Gretchen’s careful attention to the fruit in the vineyard and daily tastings during fermentation result in high-quality, fruit-forward wines. Luna Hart’s creations are characterized by bright acidity and a delicate balance, held together by an incredible structure that speaks to the harmony between nature and craftsmanship.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Grüner Veltliner! It’s so versatile and food-friendly. It’s a really fun grape to work with and truly showcases site specificity in a gorgeous way. We craft it in both a still and sparkling style and it’s also really amazing to see it in both styles.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? I fell in love with Grüner in the vineyard. It’s long and gangly, and the flavors in the fruit stunned me. I couldn’t wait to work with it in the winery. When I had an opportunity to work with it for Luna Hart I jumped on it. It’s become a staple for the brand and I’m so thrilled.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? We love educating people about our wines and the grapes we work with. The undiscovered grapes are such a fun way to share something completely new with our guests and we love surprising them.