There is something so pure about winemaking, the magic of native yeast spontaneously converting mundane grapes into heavenly wine. Ingredients: grapes. For us, winemaking isn’t just a recipe or a process, it’s a willingness to take a ride on the wild side, a treat, a celebration, a thrill. But it is also a very dedicated vocation, a state of mindfulness that lives among and listens to the growing vines, and to the wine fermenting in barrel. We love our vines and making wine, and it shows. 

Our very first wine (Ancient Oak Cellars) was Siebert Ranch Pinot Noir, made from grapes on Ken & Melissa's family vineyard in the Russian River Valley. We have since read in press how finicky Pinot Noir is, it being lamented as the heartbreak grape,  for how difficult it is to grown and make into good wine. Well, we never knew any anything else. 

As it happens, it is not so hard to grow Pinot Noir, if you are in the right place.  We started with just a couple hundred cases, then the next year we made a thousand, adding some Zinfandel from Pagnano Vineyard, and some Russian River Pinot Noir from other growers, and Russian River Chardonnay. In 2012, we added the Cabernet, Cab Franc and Merlot on Sonoma Mountain.  In 2014 Greg La Follette joined the team, and the rest is history! 

We strive to create extraordinary handmade wines that have individuality and verve that cannot be accomplished in large-scale winemaking. We are set up to ferment quite small lots separately, to do all our punch downs manually, and then get to know each barrel as we taste through the barrel room on a regular basis. We assemble our final wines by individually selecting each barrel and evaluating its unique contribution.