Love, family, nature, wine, and friends to share it all with. That's the essence of everything for us.
Our vineyard story began in 1998 when Jim took a jackhammer to the ridge to plant grapes on the 30-acre property he and Donna had purchased in 1987. After creating two suitable areas, he planted 1500 vines in a tight-spacing format to take advantage of the cooling afternoon breezes at the 800 feet elevation as well as the distinctive Chalk Hill District terroir.
Cultivating the vineyards over time along with raising children and working in the hospitality and wine industry, has been Jim's passion. He started as the sommelier at the exclusive restaurant, Rose et LeFavour in St. Helena, which had 500 wines in the cellar with multiple vintages of all First Growth Bordeaux, DRC, Grand Cru Burgundies, plus incredible offerings from the Loire, Champagne, Alsace, and the Rhone. After that, he continued to move up, landing as the General Manager of a few small wineries (with a couple of stops along the way running hospitality programs at large wine companies such as Allied Domecq and Beam Wine Estates) has provided Jim experience in every aspect of running a successful venture and strengthened his love affair with viticulture, food, and wine. Not bad for a kid from New Jersey!
Donna and Jim raised their children, Alyssa and Justin, on the ranch and now live there with a menagerie that includes cats, foster critters, and a very tolerant dog.
