2027 Wineries

Absolution Cellars

845 Embarcadero, Suite H, Morro Bay, CA 93442
absolutioncellars.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owner/ Winemaker: Dirk Neumann

About: We specialize in limited-production, handcrafted, single-vineyard wines from select vineyards all throughout the beautiful Central Coast. With over 20 different varieties and wines made each year, you’ll find something to please every palate. Each wine that we make is the best version of itself – a unique portrait of place and time, an honest expression of where and when the grapes were grown.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cabernet Franc – it’s the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenere, yet it is often used almost exclusively as a blending component. I believe it deserves a starring role, which is why I make 100% Cabernet Franc, and a Cab Franc-dominant blend!!

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Trebbiano – like sunshine in a bottle, it’s the perfect wine for all the fresh seafood we have access to right off our docks. While it is virtually unheard of as a domestic grape here in the US, it is the most widely planted white grape in Italy, where it is also used to make balsamic vinegar, and France, where it is known as Ugni Blanc and also used in Cognac and Armagnac production – talk about a versatile grape that makes some of the best things in the world, including of course an amazing white wine!

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? I love introducing undiscovered grapes to a new audience that would otherwise have never had the opportunity to try them. There is something so awesome and rewarding when you see someone’s eyes light up at a whole new variety!

Acquiesce Winery

22353 N Tretheway Rd, Acampo, CA 95220 whitewinewinery.com Region: Mokelumne River AVA, Lodi Owner: Susan Tipton Winemaker: Christina Lopez About: Acquiesce Winery offers estate-grown, award-winning premium white and rosé wines lovingly created in small batches. Try our unique wines: Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette Blanche, Bourboulenc, and white blends Belle Blanc and Ingénue plus a Grenache Rosé. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Picpoul Blanc is probably our favorite grape to work with; always brings a great acidity, green apple character and perfect for California’s climate. What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Bourboulenc! We were the first to plant Bourboulenc in the U.S. and knew it was a blending grape, but was surprised at it’s great acidity, salinity, notes of cantaloupe and kumquat. This grape loves to be paired with fresh sweet corn and is a staff favorite! What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Love the uniqueness of these grapes that you can’t find in the store!

Andis Wines & Painted Fields

11000 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth, CA 95669
andiswines.com

Region: Sierra Foothills

Owner: Janis Akuna, Andy Friedlander, Lorenzo Muslia & Jenae Plasse

Winemaker: Mark Fowler, Lorenzo Muslia + Philippe Melka (as a consultant)

About: Andy and Janis, their two names, combine to create ANDIS. As husband and wife and avid wine enthusiasts, they founded Andis in 2009 to produce world-class wines that express the pure uniqueness of the Sierra Foothills’ soils while maintaining sustainability and environmental commitments. The solar-powered winery includes a spacious tasting room and an outdoor patio area with panoramic views. The Estate Vineyard, a testament to their commitment to quality, was planted in the 1970s at an elevation of 1560 ft. It spans over 20 acres and is home to a variety of grapes; Sauvignon Blanc, Barbera, Cabernet, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and old vine Zinfandel. They also source additional fruit from some of the most esteemed vineyards in the region, ensuring the exceptional quality of our wines.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Semillon, because we rescued this vineyard from re-planting.

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? When I moved to California from Italy, I discovered so many of them planted by mistake, or by passion.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? They embody the exploration and dynamism of the wine world!

Cairjn Wine Cellars

2323 Tuley Road, Unit 120 Paso Robles, CA 93446
cairjnwinecellars.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owner: Andy & Michele Neja

Winemaker: Andy Neja

About: Derived from the word, “cairn” which means “a heap of stones piled up as a memorial or as a landmark.” Our founder, Andy Neja, chose this name as a tribute to his family’s farming legacy and as a nod to the limestone-rich terrain of West Paso, where our vineyards are located.

It requires hard work and dedication to make wine, and at Cairjn, we have a deep respect for the men and women who work tirelessly to bring each vintage to fruition. That’s why we honor their efforts by staying true to our commitment to quality and sustainability.

Now producing 800 cases annually, our portfolio of wines reflects our commitment to quality and sustainability. Our dream is to provide our customers with a truly unique wine experience. Join us on this journey as we build a landmark wine for Paso Robles.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Albariño

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? I tasted Albariño early on in my wine journey and I fell in love with its freshness and wonderful floral and citrus characters.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? Their uniqueness and pouring them for people that have never heard of them and watching their enjoyment of this new variety.

Camins 2 Dreams

1520 E Chestnut Ct, Lompoc, CA. 93436
camins2dreams.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners/Winemakers: Mireia Taribo & Tara Gomez

About: Camins 2 Dreams was founded in 2017. Our grapes are sourced from vineyards in Santa Barbara County with a focus in Sta. Rita Hills and San Benito County. Our philosophy is to make hand-crafted, terroir-driven wines that are fermented with natural yeast and use minimal intervention in the winery, with only minimum amounts of SO2 at bottling. Our wines are also all unfined and unfiltered. We believe wine is made in the vineyard and we want to showcase the typicity of each site where the grapes come from. We source fruit from vineyards that share in the same values of respect for the land and their workers and works e with organic, biodynamic and regenerative farming vineyards.

We are a team of two winemakers, Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez, wife and wife, whose paths first crossed in 2006 through our work in the wine industry. Our friendship grew through wine and travels, which also sparked our love. Our journey of friendship, love, and wine now continues as together we found our dream winery, Camins 2 Dreams.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Grüner Veltliner

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape?

Mireia: I have been lucky to enjoy forgotten grapes since an early age, being from Spain, most of our local grapes would be considered “forgotten”, even though they are popular in Spain. Ex: Tempranillo, Xarello , Mencia or Graciano to name a few.

Tara: Through my travels through Europe, I felt lucky to expand my palate to many forgotten grapes. One experience in particular was in Languedoc when I tasted Carignan for the first time many years ago. I remember seeing those vines planted along the Mediterranean Sea and was so amazed by that, and the salinity that came from that was truly remarkable, not to mention the dark fruit flavors, vibrant acidity, and moderate tannins. Through that experience, Carignan is definitely one of my favorites.

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? We love making and teaching consumers about the underrepresented varieties that are not mainstream. There are so many forgotten grapes that deserve the same recognition as the mainstream varieties, and we love preaching about those varieties. We like to research them, learn about them, experiment as we make the wine, and then introduce them to the consumers.

Cary Q Wines

1160 Hopper Ave, Santa Rosa, CA
www.caryqwines.com

Region: Santa Rosa

Owner/Winemaker: Cary Quintana

About: Cary Q Wines was founded in 2014 and stands as a proud, woman-owned and operated winery dedicated to the art of minimal intervention winemaking. With a passion for single vineyard varietals, I partner with organic and sustainably farmed vineyards to create wines that are environmentally clean and express the essence of their origins. My philosophy focuses on showcasing unique microclimates and site-specific grape varietals that often play supporting roles in traditional blends but deserve their moment to shine. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, with Cuban heritage, I pursued my passion for winemaking by moving to Northern California in 2013. As a self-taught winemaker and alumna of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Winemaking certification program, I released my first vintage in 2014—a co-fermented Grenache/Mourvedre crafted from organically farmed Sonoma Coast fruit. In the cellar, my low-intervention approach embraces natural acidity, wild fermentation, non-interventionist aging, limited manipulation, and being sensorily vigilant ensuring that each vintage captures pure, vibrant varietal expressions. Inspired by each vintage and varietal, my aging vessels include concrete, stainless steel, and at times neutral French oak puncheons.

What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cinsault

What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Mourvedre

What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? How versatile they can be.

Crocker & Starr Winery

700 Dowdell Lane, Saint Helena, CA 94574
crockerstarr.com

Region: Napa Valley

Owner: Pam Starr

Winemaker: Julie Robertson

About: Founded in 1997, Crocker & Starr Winery has grown from a visionary partnership into a thriving, values-driven team with more than 30 years of history in crafting exceptional wines and memorable experiences. What began with founders Pam Starr and Charlie Crocker evolved into a modern estate rooted in authenticity, sustainability, innovation, and genuine connection.

In our first decade, Pam and Charlie established the foundation for our legacy—creating world-class wines that earned the respect of top sommeliers and passionate wine lovers. The second decade expanded that vision: our team deepened our commitment to organic farming, elevated our hospitality experience, and broadened our estate wine portfolio. We closed this era with a major milestone: moving into our Napa Green–certified winery on the estate, further aligning our practices with our environmental values.

Now at the end of our third decade, we continue to raise the bar. With the arrival of winemaker Julie Robertson and the leadership of President and now Partner Cyrus Hazzard, we are embracing new ideas, deepening our craft, and shaping the next era of our winery.

Across the estate, our commitment remains unwavering: exceptional quality, from soil to glass. Every member of the Crocker & Starr team shares a unified vision and a collaborative drive to innovate, inspire, and deliver extraordinary experiences. Our past shapes us, our present motivates us, and our future is brighter than ever.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Cab Franc for its fabulous non-fruited-ness.

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? My first undiscovered grape was in the 1980s, and it was Colombard as a wine, not for a distillate. I was working full-time for Carmenet Winery (winery partner of Chalone Wine group), and during harvest, a delivery of Colombard grapes from Calistoga arrived for us to whole cluster press and barrel ferment. Typically, Chalone Winery would produce this wine, but our location in Sonoma proved to be more sensible. From a distillation class, I learned that Colombard was used to make brandy. And I learned by barrel fermenting Colombard sur lies aging that the resulting wine had aromas of flowers, apples, and nuts with texture.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? They offer flavors for tasting outside the ‘box’.