2025 Wineries

Marbeso

65 Los Padres Way. Buellton, CA
www.marbesowine.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners: Colin & Hannah McNany

Winemaker: Colin McNany

About: Marbeso is a small boutique winery based out of Buellton producing cool-climate wines in close proximity to the ocean. Sourcing organically farmed grapes from Santa Barbara & Santa Cruz Mtns., Marbeso was founded in 2019 by husband & wife duo Colin & Hannah McNany. After 15 years of making wines in Santa Cruz Mtns, they moved down South to launch the business with the intention of making delicious, lower alcohol acid driven wines that they love to drink.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Aligote

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Working with Pedro Ximenez out of the Cuyama Valley.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? They are just as delicious if not more than the standard varietals you commonly see around. When you expose yourself and others to these grape varietals, you are opening the minds of people who least expect it and therefore are changed for the better.

Marchelle Wines

4950 Ross Rd, Sebastopol CA 95472
marchellewines.com

Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County

Owners: Kevin Lee and Greg La Follette

Winemaker: Greg La Follette

About: Marchelle employs traditional winemaking techniques combined with modern innovations to create wines that harmonize balance, finesse, and complexity. The resulting wines display a purity of fruit, precise acidity, and a seamless integration of flavors—a testament to Greg La Follette’s artistry and the exceptional vineyards from which the grapes are sourced.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Colombard

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Going to the 122 year old Betty Ann Vineyard in Russian River Valley where we source our Colombard to pick during harvest with Greg La Follette.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? It’s unique and interesting and something most people have not tried. Discovering something special and creating an exceptional wine from it.

Nunno House Winery

3502 Dry Creek Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93060
www.nunnohousewinery.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owner: James Nunno

Winemaker: James Nunno

About: Nunno House Winery draws its name and inspiration from James’ father’s cattle brand, reflecting the deep connection between family, tradition, and craftsmanship. The brand serves as a symbol of family heritage, honoring the past while creating wines meant to be enjoyed in the present—whether around a campfire, at family gatherings, or while creating new traditions.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Tannat

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? While wine tasting with my father who had always been a Zin guy, but when we tried a new varietal it completely surprised us. Flavors were bold and smooth and we both instantly agreed it was our new favorite. It wasn’t just about the wine but also the moment and creating a lasting memory.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Being able to showcase unknown grapes.

Pali Wine Co.

1036 W. Aviation Drive. Lompoc, CA, 93436
https://paliwineco.com/

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owner: Tim Perr

Winemaker: Aaron Walker

About: Bringing the California Central Coast to your neighborhood. Founded in 2005 with the intent to produce Burgundy-inspired wines from California’s Central Coast, Pali Wine Co. now consists of three brands with distinct focuses. The original Pali brand focuses on premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced primarily from Pali’s own Sta. Rita Hills and Sonoma vineyards. Tower 15 Winery produces extremely small bottlings of opportunistic, single varietal wines with grapes purchased from small, family-owned vineyards in California’s Central Coast. And Neighborhood Winery specializes in interesting blends – both daring and traditional – that often push the boundaries of conventional wine flavor profiles. All wines are meticulously crafted at Pali’s Lompoc-based winery under the direction of its long-time winemaker, Aaron Walker.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? A few favorites: Cabernet Pfeffer, Dornfelder, and Orange Muscat.

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? We first experimented with Dornfelder when sourcing from our neighbors, Huber Vineyard. Our 2015 vintage was extremely dark in color with a surprisingly light, acid-driven frame. Nearly 10 years later, we planted Dornfelder on our estate property and are producing varietals under Pali Wine Co. and Neighborhood Winery, experimenting with our winemaking for this stunning grape!

On another note, we were privileged to begin sourcing from Enz Vineyard in 2022. We now source Cabernet Pfeffer, Zinfandel, Orange Muscat, and ancient-vine Mourvèdre from their property. We love the opportunity to highlight terroir in each of our wines, whether it’s skin-contact Orange Muscat or carbonic macerated Cab Pfeffer!

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Sharing with our guests and wine club members across our tasting rooms!

Parr Collective (Phelan Farm, Brij Wines, & Scythian Wine Co.)

3776 Santa Rosa Creek Road, Cambria, CA 93428
parrcollective.com

Region: SLO Coast AVA

Owner: Rajat Parr

Winemaker: Rajat Parr

About: We farm and make wines from Phelan Farm, Stolo Vineyards in Cambria CA. We also enjoy a project in the Cucamonga Valley and Temecula (Scythian Wine Co.) where we rehabilitate long forgotten vineyards of Mission/Pais grapes.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Gringet

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? A difficult question to answer, by nature I’m drawn to the road less traveled, or in this case wine grapes obscured from popular enjoyment over time. In my earliest days exploring wine grapes I had a keen interest in lesser-known varieties. Gringet really piqued my interest then, and I’m still fascinated by it today. So much so that I’ve planted it in my vineyards along the California Central Coast in Cambria and San Simeon. When I taste Gringet it takes me back to my visits to the Savoie, where for literally centuries Gringet was misunderstood to be a Traminer variant. It wasn’t until the advent of DNA testing that we were able to confirm our suspicions that Gringet is a distinct variety, with very unique properties.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? In North America, maybe not my first experience, but definitely the most interesting. Forgotten grapes aren’t one single variety, it’s really more about a region and the varieties grown there. Specifically, the historic vineyards of Los Angeles, the Cucamonga Valley, and the Native American lands of the Pachanga. Most of which were largely ignored and abandoned in the late 1800’s and early 20th century. My good friend Abe Schoener and I have slowly discovered small patches of these vineyards still surviving wildly for over a hundred years. We’re on a journey to discover more varieties there including Palomino, Alicante Bouschet, Mission/Pais, and a couple of others still hiding somewhere out there.

PasoSecco

1244 Pine Street, Suite 101B, Paso Robles
www.pasosecco.com

Region: Paso Robles/Central Coast

Owner: Chris Kern

Winemaker: Elizabeth Kuhlemann

About: PasoSecco is the first and only Prosecco-style sparkling wine produced in Paso Robles made exclusively from Paso Robles grapes. Crafted by vintner Chris Kern and winemaker Elizabeth Kuhlemann, PasoSecco is 100% Grenache Blanc harvested in the El Pomar District on Paso Robles’s East Side that undergoes the Charmat, or secondary tank fermentation, method used by the top Prosecco producers in Italy. The Charmat method ensures bright, citrusy aromatics; crisp, refreshing, mouth-watering flavors; and a cavalcade of rich, elegant bubbles that dance across your tongue and leave you wanting more.

With our signature Mediterranean blue label and double ribbon design, PasoSecco combines Portofino chic with Palm Springs cool, while always being exclusively Paso Robles. Savor PasoSecco ice-cold with friends, loved ones, or on any regular weeknight when you need a little sparkle. Pair PasoSecco with hand-cut potato chips, oysters on the half-shell, or even fried chicken. And enjoy PasoSecco in a spritz, Kir Royale, French 75, or your favorite sparkling wine cocktail; it was built to be mixed into libations! PasoSecco is not just your

Everyday Bubbles, PasoSecco is the Best Bubbles in Paso!

What is your favorite forgotten grape?  Cinsault

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? My second favorite wine ever when I started drinking wine was a Grenache and Mourvedre heavy E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? I love how passionate those who produce them are about seeing them survive, and showcasing them to wine drinkers who are not familiar with them and watching their eyes light up and dispositions change.