2027 Wineries San Jose

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.

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.

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. 

Lyons Vineyard

3564 Sagunto St., Suite 302 Santa Ynez CA 93460
www.lyonsvineyard.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners: Skye Lyons & Sarah Lyons

Winemakers: Ryan Carr with Skye & Sarah Lyons

About: Located in the Los Olivos District AVA, in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, Lyons Vineyard is a small family-run vineyard founded in 2017 with a focus on Rhône varietals. After years of growing Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Viognier for some of Santa Barbara’s top winemakers, we launched our own label in 2022. We make limited-production, small-batch wines that let the fruit and the land shine through. Our signature style is balance; wines with depth and interest that still hold their freshness and acidity. We love to showcase our two Grenache clones side by side, showing just how different the same varietal can be. We also bottle 100% Mourvèdre and love comparing vintages to show the influence of Mother Nature from year to year. We love how tasting these comparisons can spark curiosity, open up conversations, and remind us that wine is at its best when it’s bringing people together!

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? We LOVE Grenache! It can be incredibly elegant yet with layers of flavor. We always try to introduce Pinot Noir lovers to lighter-style Grenache because we think it’s a great gateway to new varieties; more people should discover it!

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? We have wonderful memories traveling to Tuscany with Skye’s late father (Stephen Lyons, to whom our vineyard name is a tribute) when we were much younger in our wine journey. We were hopping from one little town to the next to try the local food and wine. One of our favorites was a white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of the Vernaccia grape grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area. The wine was inexpensive yet expressive and full of character!

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? We love to show our friends how wonderful these grapes can be! Providing so many more options for different moods, food pairings, gatherings with friends or just a random Tuesday night. We believe part of the fun of being on a wine journey is learning and tasting! What better homework is there than that?

Marbeso

65 Los Padres Way. Buellton, CA marbesowine.com Region: Santa Barbara County Owners: Colin & Hannah McNany Winemaker: Colin McNany About: Marbeso is a small boutique winery based out of Buellton producing cool-climate wines in close proximity to the ocean. Sourcing organically farmed grapes from Santa Barbara & Santa Cruz Mtns., Marbeso was founded in 2019 by husband & wife duo Colin & Hannah McNany. After 15 years of making wines in Santa Cruz Mtns, they moved down South to launch the business with the intention of making delicious, lower alcohol acid driven wines that they love to drink. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Aligote What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Working with Pedro Ximenez out of the Cuyama Valley. What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? They are just as delicious if not more than the standard varietals you commonly see around. When you expose yourself and others to these grape varietals, you are opening the minds of people who least expect it and therefore are changed for the better.