Lava Cap Winery

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.