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The Wine People

The Wine People
Since 2009, LaRue Wines has focused on making high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, exclusively from vineyards on the Sonoma Coast. The wines are elegant, restrained, and forever inspired by the resilience and strength of one Veona LaRue
Irvine & Roberts Vineyards is a family-owned estate vineyard and winery in Ashland, Oregon at the southern extent of the Rogue Valley, AVA. Positioned at the confluence of two distinct mountain ranges, our high-elevation vineyards are layered with complex sedimentary soils and influenced by winds from the Cascade mountains. Intent on the sincere articulation of our vineyard sites, we practice fastidious farming and production methods while maintaining our commitment to ecological sustainabil...
The “KR” on our barn is a well-known landmark of old time Paso Robles. The Kentucky Ranch- our home, winery, vineyard and gardens was part of a 4,000 acre Spanish Land Grant until 1869 after which it became a thriving horse breeding operation. Our ranch includes the 1920’s KR barn, outbuildings, our home, barley fields and riparian habitat for deer, coyotes, bobcats, turkeys and the occasional mountain lion. The vineyard was planted in Spring of 2007, it consists of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. S...
Over 20 years ago two young aspiring winemakers met, each bringing a vision and a drive to produce world-class wine. Focusing on the Burgundian roots of pinot noir and chardonnay, they paid homage to France. They were keen on making their own footprint and forging a style that was uniquely Californian. The wines embrace the power, pedigree and richness of the Sta. Rita Hills, that has become the trademark of Brewer–Clifton. At Brewer – Clifton, there is an utmost respect for nature. We believe t...
Ramey Wine Cellars was founded in 1996 by David Ramey and his wife Carla. After sixteen years making wine in Sonoma County, and firmly establishing Matanzas Creek and Chalk Hill wineries in the marketplace, David crossed the Mayacamas to spend six years in the Napa Valley--first as VP-Winemaker for Dominus Estate and project manager for the construction of their new winery; then helping Leslie Rudd reshape the Girard Winery into Rudd Oakville. In 2014, David & Carla founded Sidebar Cellars, ...
Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles sits a 102-year-old gem belonging to the Riboli family: San Antonio Winery. Inspired by four generations of family and patrons, the winery has become the foundation of Riboli Family Wine Estates, a global industry leader with wine production facilities across California and Italy. Creating award-winning wines for centuries takes passion, perseverance, patience, and character – everything you find in the people and history of the Riboli family. In November, Win...
Nicolas-Jay is the story of a three-decade friendship between famed Burgundian winemaker Jean-Nicolas Méo and visionary music entrepreneur Jay Boberg, and their shared love of Oregon Pinot Noir. It is also the story of their desire to build something lasting together, while creating a distinctive expression of great Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This is achieved by applying viticultural and winemaking experience gained from working with the Grands Crus of Burgundy to the finest fruit in Oregon....
Ramey Wine Cellars was founded in 1996 by David Ramey and his wife Carla. After sixteen years making wine in Sonoma County, and firmly establishing Matanzas Creek and Chalk Hill wineries in the marketplace, David crossed the Mayacamas to spend six years in the Napa Valley--first as VP-Winemaker for Dominus Estate and project manager for the construction of their new winery; then helping Leslie Rudd reshape the Girard Winery into Rudd Oakville. In 2014, David & Carla founded Sidebar Cellars, ...
Kathy Joseph actively wears the hats of proprietor, winemaker, grape herder, number cruncher and marketing maestro. She started Fiddlehead Cellars 30 years ago when there were very few women who owned wineries, very few women winemakers, very few people making high-end, quality Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc and very few people interested in the viticultural frontiers of Santa Barbara County and the north Willamette Valley. Mentored by five exceptional winemakers on the North Coast and armed with...
Once known as The Boreen, an old Irish word meaning a small, unpaved country road, Limerick Lane has been home to small farms and vineyards for more than a century. The Del Fava family planted our oldest currently producing vineyard in 1910. Without the benefit of modern scientific methods now used to determine the best soils and sites, the Del Favas were the first to recognize the rare potential of this small, enclosed microclimate just south of Healdsburg. In the mid-1970’s, the Del Fava famil...
Based in the town of Sonoma, Sojourn Cellars is a highly acclaimed winery specializing in the production of artisan Pinot noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. We source fruit from celebrated vineyards in both Sonoma and Napa Counties, and we help direct farming operations to assure that our grapes are produced using world-class growing techniques. We consistently produce remarkable wines with a hands-off natural winemaking style that showcases the character and personality of the indiv...
Trombetta Family Wines handcrafts beautifully balanced small lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from vineyards that exemplify the area in which they are planted. Erica Stancliff, daughter and winemaker, takes great pride in producing wines with purity of flavor and balance. Rickey Trombetta, mother and owner, works closely with Erica and our growers to identify only the best fruit for our wines. Trombetta Family Wines story began around the family table with food harvested from our garden paired with...
Our story begins over 55 years ago, when a celebrated American dancer named Rod Strong settled in Sonoma County to pursue a second lifelong creative passion: winemaking. Rodney Strong Vineyards was the 13th winery bonded in the newly discovered Sonoma County wine industry. A trio of winemaking paths crossed when Rick Sayre joined the team as Winemaker in 1979, and again when the Klein Family, 4th generation California farmers, purchased the winery in 1989 and initiated a renewed commitment of mo...
The winery and vineyards are located in Dry Creek Valley, an American Viticultural Area we helped form. Renowned as prime land for grape growing, high quality wines are the result. The climate, where the development in ripening grapes is protected from the heat by the marine fog intrusion in the evenings, is singular and unparalleled. Pedroncelli wines are regionally focused and site specific and we’ve learned to pair the right varietal with the best place creating great character. Dry Creek Val...
Peay Vineyards is a family-run estate winery started in 1996 by Andy and Nick Peay. We were the first to grow grapes in the northwestern corner of the West Sonoma Coast. The 50 acre vineyard lies at 600 feet elevation, 3 miles from the chilly Pacific Ocean. A cool afternoon ocean wind, our placement in the cold coastal inversion layer produced by the Pacific Ocean, and our ancient marine soils allow us to produce wines of elegance, intensity and focus. Our winemaker is Vanessa Wong, formerly win...
Physicist, farmer and winemaker, Don Hagge produces VIDON wines from his Chehalem Mountains Estate Vineyard that he built with his wife Vicki (Vi-Don, get it?). Don brings science and engineering to the Willamette Valley wine industry, where he is intentionally unconventional – from the vines planted in the vineyard to the self-engineered wine equipment to the non-cork closures. VIDON produces between 1,500 and 2,000 cases each vintage of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah and Tempranillo, ...
On one of California’s earliest wine estates, a unique terroir and ideal microclimate support a classical standard of viticulture, land use, and winemaking that is as relevant today as it was over a century ago. An intimate valley within the greater Napa Valley, Stags’ Leap is a place of natural beauty, storied buildings and gardens, a lively history, and a reputation for elegant wines showing finesse and intensity. Estate Founder Horace Chase partnered with his uncle, W. W. Thompson, on land wh...
First and foremost, James MacPhail is a winemaker. For over 18 years he has handcrafted high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - in small quantity. His AVAs have ranged from Santa Barbara to Eola-Amity Hills in Oregon - with Anderson Valley, Russian River Valley, and the cooler regions of Sonoma Coast peppered in between. With an industry flooded with novices, James is a reputable veteran. His long history of success making premium wines for his own label (and others) has primed James MacPhail t...
Flying Goat Cellars, an urban winery located in Lompoc, will celebrate it’s 20th harvest this year. Winemaker Norm Yost has almost 40 years in the industry, working as winemaker in Napa, Sonoma, Oregon and Australia before arriving in Santa Barbara County in 1998. Yost launched the first sparkling wine program in the SB county in 2005. He now offers five expressions of méthode champenoise handcrafted sparkling wine produced in-house. He’s also recognized for his elegant vineyard designated Pinot...
FEL Wines produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris from the Anderson Valley and the Sonoma Coast. Meticulously crafted by Winemaker Ryan Hodgins, FEL also features a unique portfolio of vineyard designate wines, including both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from our estate Savoy Vineyard. The letters in FEL represent Florence Elsie Lede, founder Cliff Lede’s mother, a home winemaker who provided the early inspiration for Cliff’s love of wine. Growing up in Alberta, Canada, Cliff remembers the t...
L.A. Lepiane Wines was established in 2013 with the simple goal of crafting vibrant, exciting, balanced wines made by my own two hands. The name of my project is a nod to my great grandfather, Luigi A. Lepiane, who came from Piane Crati in Calabria, Italy with a dream of making a successful life for his family in the New Country. He settled in Hollister, California, where he established a grocery store and his own winery, L.A. Lepiane. Three generations later, that deep Calabrian love of food an...
It all started when a teenage kid was the designated driver for his family going wine tasting in Napa, CA. It was then, that Jason Goelz, future owner and winemaker, fell in love with the industry. After receiving one of the first minors in Wine and Viticulture at Cal Poly SLO, Jason had a dream of entering the wine industry. After college he worked in the corporate/tech world, but continued building on his dreams by making wine in a friend’s basement. After making a major career change and taki...
Keller Estate started in 1989 when Arturo and Deborah planted the first 13 acres of Chardonnay, soon after 6 acres of Pinot Noir followed and Ana joined the family effort in 1998 with the mindset to start producing wines. Keller Estate Winery began making wine in 2000 and is 100% estate. Our mission is to produce wines that reflect our unique terroir. The uniqueness comes from the windy Petaluma Gap site and from the intense minerality found on the property. Crafting wines that as food friendly ...
The Titus brothers, Phillip and Eric. From a young age, Eric worked in the family vineyard in Napa Valley with his brothers and father and continued the tradition until he left for college to earn his doctorate degree in Biology where he was drawn to the dynamics of marine science and toxicology. Following this path, he worked around the world as a researcher and an envi- ronmental consultant throughout the 1990’s. In 1997 he returned to St. Helena to help with the harvest at Titus Vineyards. Th...
The company is owned and operated by Erica and Kim Crawford, experienced vintners from New Zealand. Loveblock is Estate grown from its 4 different properties in NZ. Loveblock Farm is a certified organic farm with grapes and cattle beef as commercial ventures. The rest ofThe first vineyards were purchased in 2002 and 2004 to supply the Kim Crawford brand (which was sold in 2006) in Marlborough, and 2008 in Central Otago. The Loveblock brand was launched in 2013 and has garnered acclaim in NZ, the...
In a previous life I was immersed in the art and culture of the music industry, writing and producing in Los Angeles when a different muse caught my eye in the form of the seductive Pinot Noir, drawing me into the artistry of winemaking. After several years at various wineries such as Clos du Bois, Assistant Winemaker at Armida and Winemaker at Dutcher Crossing, I decided now to honor my muse with a creation all my own: L’Objet Wines. My philosophy on winemaking is really very simple. I pursue t...
Our estate vineyard is planted on the hilltop mesa overlooking the tasting room, orchard and lower vegetable gardens. The vineyard is a set of rolling and undulating hills, each planted to a grape varietal best suited to that particular location. The vines are all planted on their own roots, set into the classic 8’x10′ spacing. Vineyard Manager Armando Zepeda has been farming the vineyard since it was first planted, and seems to know each vine personally. Armando is joined in the vineyard by soi...
Janu Goelz is a Bay Area Native that grew up in Morgan Hill. She moved to SF for college and stayed there for 13 years. In those 13 years she went to USF, traveled to India to play the leading role in 2 commercial films, worked the corporate world a few years and after all of that started a clothing line. She partnered with a fashion designer friend to create a line that was a vision/fantasy of Janu’s since young. Ri Couture took recycled Indian Saaris and turned them into whimsical colorful coc...
The Martinelli family has been growing grapes in the Russian River Valley since the 1880’s. At the ages of 19 and 16, Giuseppe Martinelli and Luisa Vellutini eloped from their small village in the Tuscany region of Italy, making their way to California looking for land to farm and start a winery. Giuseppe had been a winemaker in Italy and with his viticulture knowledge he was hired to plant a vineyard for a farmer in Forestville. Within two years he earned enough money, and borrowed some from a ...