2025 Wineries

Post & Vine Wines

PO Box 5142, Napa CA 94581
www.postandvine.com

Region: North Coast

Owner: Rebekah Wineburg

Winemaker: Rebekah Wineburg

About: Post & Vine is a North Coast-based winemaking project focused on sustainably-produced wines from historic vineyard sites. Founded by Rebekah Wineburg in 2012, Post & Vine works exclusively with sustainably-farmed old vines and implements a meticulous, low-intervention mentality in the cellar to produce small amounts of artisanal, site-specific wines that deeply reflect the unique places from which they come. All of our wines are produced from hand-harvested fruit, indigenous yeasts, and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The resulting wines are joyful, honest, and deeply speak to their place of origin.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Carignane

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? I was first introduced to Carignane early in my career while working in the cellar at Rudd Winery in Napa Valley during the 2003 harvest. One day, I noticed a darkly colored variety with large clusters and small berries being brought across the crush pad, destined for a port-style wine for their Edge Hill project. Intrigued by the bright acidity and the unique blend of fruit and spice flavors, I felt compelled to learn more. It turned out that the grapes were from old-vine Carignane grown at the Testa Vineyard in Redwood Valley, Mendocino. I reached out to the Testa (Martinson) family, kept in touch, and when I was ready to start my own brand in 2012, I decided to focus exclusively on old-vine vineyards, producing an Old Vine Field Blend from the Testa Vineyard for Post & Vine Wines.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? I love making wines from these lesser-known varieties. The old vine vineyards that I work with are able to express authentic and honest character and stay true to their origins. The wine represents the past, present, and future all at the same time and I am honored to be a part of their story.

Robert Hall Winery

3443 Mill Road Paso Robles, CA 93446
www.roberthallwinery.com

Region: Paso Robles AVA Geneseo District

Owner: Jeff O’Neill

Winemaker: Don Brady and Amanda Gorter

About: Robert Hall wines are a tribute to hard work and pride in craft. Our award-winning wines represent the pillar of the vibrant and premier Paso Robles winemaking region, and express the spirit of the valley. Our estate-grown varieties have big, bold characteristics and our wines are crafted with rich, complex flavors.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Vermentino

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? I was visiting Italy when I first tasted Vermentino. Really lovely memories with a memorable wine.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? The romance of the past.

San Rucci

6201 Schirra Ct, Suite 7, Bakersfield, CA 93313
www.sanrucci.com

Region: California’s Central Valley

Owner: The Merz Family

Winemaker: Bill and Tony Merz

About: San Rucci is an urban winery based in the California’s Central Valley. The name San Rucci is the combination of our two family names – the San Filippo’s and the Becherucci’s. Because we do not own any vineyards, we are able to work with grape growers throughout the state to craft a variety of wines including some Italian varieties that are not often found throughout the new world. Salute!

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Falanghina

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? While working for a previous employer, I had the opportunity to taste wines made from an “experimental vineyard” planted with various forgotten grapes. It was rather thought provoking to taste these wines.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? I think the thing I like the most about the forgotten grapes is the curiosity of what could be. There are so many forgotten grapes that are unique on their own but then add terroir, it’s fascinating. There will always be a place for grapes like Cabernet, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, but there are so many other varieties that make interesting and delicious wines. It is fun to introduce the forgotten varieties to wine drinkers.

Slamdance Kooperatieve Wines

480 Marquita Ave Suite A, Paso Robles, CA

Region: Paso Robles

Owner: Daniel Callan

Winemaker: Daniel Callan

About: A native of Virginia, Daniel Callan started his winemaking career in the Commonwealth. After working his first harvest under the guidance of Nate Walsh in 2012, Callan began traveling abroad to seek out winemaking apprenticeships around the New World, working in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Paso Robles, and Chile. Working a furious schedule of 2 or 3 harvests a year, he would rack up 20 vintages in half as many years, learning from Chris Alheit, Pedro Parra, and Raj Parr. The Covid years brought his travels to an abrupt end and Callan, settling in Paso Robles, California, would turn his attention to his own project. Inspired by the “California Burgundy” wines of Pre-Prohibition (a tradition continued up through the 1970s by legendary producers like BV), Callan sought to resurrect a forgotten style that hearkens back to California’s earliest winemaking traditions. The wine is built around the old workhorse grapes of premodern California, often misidentified and sometimes now existing only in California: Napa Gamay (aka Valdiguie), Cabernet Pfeffer (Mourtaou), Pinot St George (Negrette), Black Malvoisie (Cinsault), Crabb’s Black Burgundy (Mondeuse Noir), Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and others. All the genetic material has been in California since before Prohibition began, in 1920. The winemaking is similarly old-fashioned: whole bunches are thrown into wooden vats, trodden underfoot to release juice, fermented with wild yeast, and no additions to the must. Punchdowns are done by hand and the only machinery used is a basket press. The wine is racked by gravity and respectfully sulfured before bottling.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? The Mission Vine (aka Listan Prieto)

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? While working harvest in South Africa, where I got to see and work with old bushvine Steen (Chenin Blanc), Groendruif (Semillon), and Hermityk (Cinsault).

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? The historical and cultural baggage that comes with them.

Starfield Vineyards

2750 Jacquier Road, Placerville, CA 95667
www.starfieldvineyards.com

Region: El Dorado

Owner: Tom Sinton & Rob Sinton

Winemaker: Rob Sinton

About: Starfield Vineyards is an estate vineyard and winery in El Dorado, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe — on the Highway 50 corridor near Placerville. We specialize in mountain-grown Rhone and Italian varietals, and strive to produce wines that capture the vibrant aromas and textures of mountain fruit, with it’s bright acidity and Sierra spice. Our high elevation vineyards, steep hillsides and surrounding forest allow these aromatic varieties to develop distinctive and classic wines.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Cinsaut

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Producing our first amazing Cinsaut in 2016

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? We love the challenge of growing grapes that few California viticulturists are familiar with, for which there’s absolutely no playbook, and learning to evolve our winemaking techniques to develop the special character of each variety while expressing the terroir of our mountain vineyards.

Tansy

6450 1st St., Forestville, CA 95436
tansywines.com

Region:  Sonoma

Owner: Kitty Oestlien and Shelley Lindgren

Winemaker: Megan Glaab

About: Kitty Oestlien and Shelley Lindgren founded Tansy Wines in 2020 with friendship and camaraderie at the core, and haven’t looked back. It started with a conversation around a table at Shelley’s A16 restaurant, known for introducing southern Italian wines to diners. They talked about how well these varietals grow in California, and what an incredible adventure it would be to make these wines themselves.

As they started down the path, they also saw an opportunity to create a modern wine brand, one that is owned by women, made by women, and is synonymous with the things they hold near and dear—community, organic, and sustainable farming, and sitting around a table. They’re still building that vision, and thank you for joining them on the journey.

What is your favorite forgotten grape?

Shelley – Ruche is small percentage of what is in our Field Blend but, its lavender and floral aromatics are the first notion that there is something wonderful and magical happening unique to its small production in Italy and even smaller in California.

Kitty – Too hard to choose. We love Fiano.

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape?

Shelley – Being an Italian-focused sommelier, there is a world of forgotten grapes being rediscovered and enjoyed more than ever before. With such a deep history of viticulture and agriculture – including grapes as a big part of economy and culture, wine is preserved as a part of local lifestyle and important to the heritage and history of Italians. Many of the Italian grapes were planted in the late 1800’s in California and currently having a resurgence.

Kitty – Years ago I remember that I was dining at A16 and I felt like a Chablis, so Shelley Lindgren recommended a Sicilian Carricante. Wow, DELICIOUS. This changed my perspective on white grape varietals, for the better.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? 

Shelley – Forgotten grapes tell their story of survival and journey of where they originated and what life was like during its journey mostly through Europe to the New World.

Kitty – I love how well well they pair with the locally farmed fruits, vegetables, and meats that are available in California. Napa and parts of Somona have climates that mimics parts of Italy so the pairings are a perfect! I also love to the history and origins of these grapes. It’s a great way to learn more about the world!