2027 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] Ra Ra Wine Co. [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/raradrinks" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]PO Box 811, Healdsburg, CA 95448 karamariewines.com Region: Sonoma County & Mendocino County Owner: Kara Groom Winemaker: Kara Groom About: Ra Ra Wine Co. is all about making wines that are as fun and unique as the grapes behind them. Founded by second-generation winemaker Kara Groom, Ra Ra is all about championing lesser-known varieties, celebrating what makes each grape unique, and letting the fruit do the talking. With a love for bright, fruit-forward wines, and a healthy disregard for taking wine too seriously, Kara makes bottles that are meant to spark curiosity, bring people together, and remind us that wine is supposed to be fun. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Melon de Bourgogne! I love its versatility and how it can be bright and citrusy, textural and savory, or something entirely unexpected depending on how you work with it. I’ve had so much fun exploring its potential, from skin-contact wines to co-ferments, and I love showing people a side of this grape they might not have experienced before. What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? Riesling! It wasn’t...

[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_1709930727903{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text] Ricci Vineyards [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="www.facebook.com/riccivineyards" 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/riccivineyards" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]24165 Ramal Rd. Sonoma CA 95476 riccivineyards.com Region: Carneros (Sonoma) Owner/Winemaker: Dale Ricci About: The Ricci family has farming in our blood. For multiple generations, our hands have tilled the soil and cultivated the land that has ultimately become one of the most esteemed wine locales in the world. Since 1982, our vineyards have produced premium wine grapes sought after by renowned winemakers and revered wineries throughout Sonoma and beyond. After forty-plus years of farming, we are also very proud to be producers of small-lot, boutique wines crafted from Carneros. We encourage you to share in our adventures and be a witness to our wine journey. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? St. Laurent — because we are the only ones (that we know of) who grow it! What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? St. Laurent continues to surprise us with how versatile it is. People who make St. Laurent feature it as a blend, or rosé, or sparkling (in addition to a still wine). We love it because it resembles Pinot...

[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_1709930727903{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text] Rosa Fierro Cellars [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/rosafierrocellars" 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/rosa_fierro_cellars" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]2245 S. Vasco Road, Suite A, Livermore, CA 94550 www.rosafierrocellars.com Region: Livermore Valley Owners: Rosa Fierro Winemaker: Rosa Fierro About: Rosa Fierro is the owner and winemaker at Rosa Fierro Cellars. She is the only Hispanic female winemaker in Livermore Valley, specializing in single varietal, single vineyard wines that express the true terroir of Livermore Valley. Her undiscovered grapes are Pinot Blanc, Carmenere, and Cabernet Franc, and is making a Mataro this year. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cabernet Franc is my favorite, and is also our signature varietal in Livermore Valley. I love all the pyrazines! What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? The first time I had Carmenere, it blew my mind. All the green chili in the nose made me believe the wine would be chewy, but the wine was so creamy, silky and full of black berry and plumb. What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? I love watching my tasting room guests try them for the first time![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3" css=".vc_custom_1709930735254{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_single_image image="7683"...

[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_1709930727903{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text] Ruakh [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/ruakhwines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]Paso Robles, CA www.ruakhwines.com Region: Paso Robles Owner: Samantha Mogull Esquivel Winemaker: Samantha Mogull Esquivel About: In 2013, Samantha upturned her life and moved to San Luis Obispo to pursue a degree in enology from Cal Poly SLO. Choosing a life in wine was both uncertain and undeniable, a leap toward something she instinctively knew she was meant to pursue (even as others failed to understand). Since graduating, she has immersed herself into every facet of the industry, gaining hands-on experience under some of the Central Coast’s most acclaimed winemakers. Her winemaking philosophy is rooted equally in science and intuition. Inspired by the rhythms of nature and the individuality of each vintage, she approaches winemaking as an ongoing conversation between craftsmanship and observation. Her wines emphasize texture, aromatic complexity, and balance with a special affinity for Petit Verdot. For her, wine is a living sensory experience, one capable of evoking memory, atmosphere, and human connection. These values continue to shape both her wines and the spaces she creates around them. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Petit Verdot! It's dark, big, surprisingly floral and...

[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_1709930727903{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}"][vc_column_text] Sakura Winery [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/sakurawinery" 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/sakurawinery" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]2111 Research Dr., Livermore, CA 94550 sakurawinery.com Region: Livermore Valley Owners: Jennifer Sahara Winemaker: Jennifer Sahara About: Sakura Winery began somewhat unexpectedly. Owner and winemaker Jennifer Sahara spent her career in aerospace as an orbital mission analyst and had never planned on becoming a winemaker. After moving with her family to a property in Livermore that happened to have a small vineyard, she was drawn to winemaking, and Sakura Winery grew from there. The name “Sakura,” Japanese for cherry blossoms, was inspired by Jennifer’s mom and reflects the idea of slowing down and appreciating the moments we have. Sakura produces small-lot, thoughtfully crafted wines that are fruit-forward, balanced, and expressive of each grape variety. Jennifer especially enjoys taking grapes people may think they know—like Petit Verdot—and showing them in an unexpected way, including Sakura’s Petit Verdot Rosé. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Petit Verdot, for sure. Most people know it as a blending grape, but I love seeing what it can do on its own and then taking that a step further by...

[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] St. Amant [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/stamantwine" 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/st.amant_wine" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]1 Winemaster Way, Bldg. I, Lodi, CA 95240 www.stamantwine.com Region: Lodi Owner: Barbara Spencer Winemaker: Stuart Spencer About: Tim Spencer was a rebel, a troublemaker, an outside-of-the-box thinker. Tim went left when everyone else went right. In the 1970’s, when California was just falling in love with Chardonnay and Cabernet, he planted Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao, Bastardo, and other Portuguese varieties. His Vision was simple: Grow world-class port-styled wines in his Amador County vineyard. The first harvest was sold to an equally passionate winemaker who failed to pay for the grapes. Tim, undeterred, took matters into his own hands and bootlegged several hundred gallons of freshly fermenting wine. He concluded he was quite capable of going broke himself and didn’t need anyone else’s help. That was 1981, and that wine became his very first vintage port. And St. Amant Winery was born! Over the next two decades, Tim became a leading expert, expanding the St. Amant line up to include dry table wines, white ports, and tawny ports all from traditional Portuguese varieties. When...

[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=""]Starfield Vineyards[/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/StarfieldVineyards" 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/StarfieldVineyards" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]2750 Jacquier Road, Placerville, CA 95667 starfieldvineyards.com Region: El Dorado Owner: Tom Sinton & Rob Sinton Winemaker: Rob Sinton About: Starfield Vineyards is an estate vineyard and winery in El Dorado, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe -- on the Highway 50 corridor near Placerville. Starfield Vineyards is known for its high elevation mountain vineyards in El Dorado and the fresh wines from rare varieties that exhibit the characteristic Sierra Spice from growing grapes in the pine forests of California. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cinsaut is my personal favorite. It was hard to find varietal examples of it before we planted it and it looks almost like a table grape, but it produces a light red wine with vibrant strawberry notes and a hint of leafy-bramble. It’s great straight from the fridge on hot California summer days. What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? I always felt like I gravitated toward lesser known grapes so it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment....

[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=""] The Steven Kent Winery [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/skwinery" 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/skwinery" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]2245 S. Vasco Rd, Ste C, Livermore, CA 94550 stevenkent.com Region: Livermore Valley Owner: Steven and Beth Mirassou Winemaker: Steven, Beth, and Aidan Mirassou About: The Steven Kent Winery in the Livermore Valley is the preeminent producer of Cab Franc in the US. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? Cabernet Franc, because it is the most alluring, beguiling, delicious, sexy, food-friendly grape...

[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=""] Tablas Creek Vineyard [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-facebook" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.facebook.com/TablasCreek" 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/tablascreek" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text css=""]9339 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446 tablascreek.com Region: Paso Robles Owners: The Haas and Perrin families Winemaker: Neil Collins About: Tablas Creek Vineyard, in the Paso Robles Adelaida District, is a pioneer of the American Rhone movement and the first Regenerative Organic Certified™ winery in the world. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? It's unfair to ask us this! So, let's go with the two rarest grapes we grow. On the white side Picardan. When we planted our half-acre it increased the world's footprint by 40%. And on the red side, Vaccarese, where when we bottled it in 2019, we think it was the first 100% Vaccarese from anywhere in the world in 50+ years. What was your first experience with an undiscovered grape? My first wine tasting memory -- the first time I remember tasting a wine and understanding what the adults were talking about -- was Gewürztraminer. It really did taste like rose petals, which I thought was so cool. What do you love most about the undiscovered grapes? They...

[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] Teffy Wines [/vc_column_text][social_icons type="circle_social" icon="fa-instagram" use_custom_size="no" size="fa-lg" link="https://www.instagram.com/teffywines" target="_blank" icon_color="#ffffff" background_color="#8b2b7a"][vc_column_text]406 E Haley St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 www.teffywines.com Region: Santa Barbara County (Santa Ynez Valley and Alisos Canyon) Owners: Lydia Richards and Stephen Searle Winemakers: Lydia Richards and Stephen Searle About: Teffy Wines is a partnership between Lydia Richards and Stephen Searle, two passionate wine professionals from diverse backgrounds and cultures united by a shared love of wine, and food; together, we bring over 20 years of combined experience in the wine industry. Rooted in Santa Barbara, Teffy produces minimal intervention wines that show a pure expression of site, vintage and varietal from distinct vineyards in the region, working closely with growers who share a commitment to exceptional winemaking, environmental impact and sustainability. Focusing on Chenin Blanc, Gamay and Syrah, the wines are made to be fresh, lively and diverse at the table: complex, but approachable. What is your favorite undiscovered grape? We LOVE Chenin Blanc. It's all about the texture. Chenin is chic, bright, aromatic, silky, and just outright delicious! It's also an incredibly versatile grape, it's fabulous in all its forms and styles: oaked or unoaked, sparkling or still,...