2026 Wineries

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Hitching Post Wines [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/hitchingpost2" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/hitchingpost2" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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 -...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Idlewild [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/IdlewildWines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/idlewildWines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Ironstone Vineyards and Flora Abielle [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/IronstoneVineyards" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/ironstonevineyards" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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,...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] INTERCOASTAL Wine Company [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/intercoastalvineyards" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/intercoastalvineyards" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/jlohrwines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/jlohrwines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] JMC Cellars [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/jmccellars" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/jmccellars" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Kinetic Cellars [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Langhart-Hill Wines [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/dioncollio88" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Lava Cap Winery [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/lavacapwinery" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/lavacapwinery" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...

[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index="" side_padding="0"][vc_column width="2/3" css=".vc_custom_1711320642741{padding-right: 10px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text css=""] Luna Hart Wines [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/lunahartwines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/luna.hart.wines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]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...