Author: Allison Levine

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.

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Billy D Wines

PO Box 846 St. Helena, CA 94574
www.billydwines.com

Region: Northern California

Owner/Winemaker: Billy Davies

About: Bucking the norm with delicious, down-to-earth natural wines you can really drink. Rooted in the adventure days of 60s and 70s Napa Valley, Billy D remembers the best of times and looks to the future. Old school new. Returning to grapes like Chenin Blanc, Carignan, Napa Gamay (Valdiguie), French Colombard, and Barbera for the pure enjoyment of it. Vibrant wines we just want to drink ourselves!

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Napa Gamay (aka Valdiguie)

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Drinking an Inglenook Charbono from the 1970s at Bern’s Steak House. (And drinking Petite Sirah from the 1960s before then!)

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Personality, intrigue, and well matched to the original sites!

Bolt To Wines

1330 Flynn Rd Unit E, Camarillo Ca 93012
www.boltto.com

Region: Santa Barbara

Owner: Karin Langer

Winemaker: Karin Langer

About: We work alongside the best winemakers and vineyards on the Central Coast to express the best they have to offer, without the pretense or price of a famous name. We seek to collect the expertise and experience of Central Coast wines under one beautiful label.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Grenache

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? My first real encounter with Grenache was visiting Chateau St Nabor in the Rhone Valley. Seeing 50-60-year-old Grenache vines and trying those wines was transformative.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? They are unique.

Bolt To Winery
Bolt To Winery
Bolt To Winery
Bolt To Winery

Boutz Cellars

7055 Adelaida Road, Paso Robles
Boutzcellars.com

Region: Adelaida District, Paso Robles

Owner: James & Manoli Boutzoukas

Winemaker: James Boutzoukas

About: Our story is about father and son embarking on a journey to build a legacy, both of whom have a passion for the outdoors, farming and of course – fine wine!

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Vidiano

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Visiting wineries in Crete that focused on forgotten indigenous grape cultivars of Crete.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Unique and unlike any other white grape produces wines that are rich in texture with aromatics of stone fruits and floral aromas.

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boutz
boutz
boutz
boutz
boutz

Boucher Wines & Worth-Boucher

6485 Calle Real Ste E, Goleta, CA
worthboucherwines.com
www.boucherwines.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owner: Mindy Worth & Ray Boucher

Winemaker: Ray Boucher

About: Mindy and Ray produce two brands. Boucher Wines are label-driven, approachable, and easy-going. Worth-Boucher Wines are site-specific, more classic, age-worthy, collectible wines focusing on unique varieties.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Clairette

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? A Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, a Clairette-dominant blend, was a game- changer. We were so excited to locate some when we relocated our winery from Napa Valley.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? Nothing against the noble varietals, however, the wine world has so much more to offer.

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Brecon Estate

7450 Vineyard Dr, Paso Robles, CA 93446
www.breconestate.com

Region: Paso Robles

Owner: Damian and Amanda Grindley

Winemaker: Damian Grindley (founding winemaker) and Alex Kemp

About: Brecon Estate is a Boutique Estate winery nestled in the rolling westside hills outside of Paso Robles, California. With an international award-winning winemaker, we strive to produce exquisite and inviting wines for you and us to enjoy. Our wines are small batch ferments. Each has an individual story to tell and is sold exclusively through our tasting room. Such limited batches tend to sell out rapidly.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Depends on the time of day -Albarino or Tannat

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? It was a weird Green variety tasted in the United Kingdom in the mid-80s.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? These grapes haven’t been widely planted or ventured far from their native regions, so if you introduce a forgotten variety to a new location, you’ll uncover a whole world of untapped flavors and nuances!

Brecon Estate
Brecon Estate
Brecon Estate
Brecon Estate
Brecon Estate
Brecon Estate
Brecon Estate

Byron Blatty Wines

5122 York. Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90042
byronblatty.com

Region: Los Angeles

Owner: Mark & Jenny Blatty

Winemaker: Mark Blatty & Joey Perry

About: Byron Blatty handcrafts limited-edition wines of exceptional quality, featuring vineyards in Los Angeles County.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Tannat

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? We produced Tannat in 2015 for a blend and it opened our eyes.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? The great thing about forgotten grapes is you never know what to expect, and it’s like being new to wine again.

Carhartt Family Wines

1541 Rancho Santa Ynez Rd., Santa Ynez, CA
carharttfamilywines.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owner: Mike, Brooke, and Chase Carhartt

Winemaker: Brooke Carhartt and Chase Carhartt

About: In 1996, Mike and Brooke Carhartt planted a vineyard along with a dream on the historic Rancho Santa Ynez™ property. Today, with their son Chase, the Carhartts grow grapes and craft wines on that same patch of ground. We are a ground-to-glass operation as well as direct-to-consumer. The Carhartts take extreme pride in farming their own fruit sustainably, with the utmost care and consideration for the environment.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Mission Grape

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? We made our first vintage of ‘Carhartt Venture Buffalo’ in 2012, with the varietal, Cinsaut.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? What I love most about forgotten grapes is the opportunity to remind consumers that they exist! With over 3000 registered grape varieties in the world, we have limited our taste buds to a few handfuls of “popular” grapes. When I get to grow, produce, taste, and pour these forgotten varietals, it reminds me and our industry that our history is worth exploring in greater detail, and the future of grape growing and winemaking can be even more delicious than we could ever imagine!

Camins 2 Dreams

1520 E Chestnut Ct, Lompoc, CA. 93436
www.camins2dreams.com

Region: Santa Barbara County

Owners/Winemakers: Mireia Taribo & Tara Gomez

About: Camins 2 Dreams was founded in 2017. Our grapes are sourced from vineyards in Santa Barbara County with a focus in Sta. Rita Hills and San Benito County. Our philosophy is to make hand-crafted, terroir-driven wines that are fermented with natural yeast and use minimal intervention in the winery, with only minimum amounts of SO2 at bottling. Our wines are also all unfined and unfiltered. We believe wine is made in the vineyard and we want to showcase the typicity of each site where the grapes come from. We source fruit from vineyards that share in the same values of respect for the land and their workers and works e with organic, biodynamic and regenerative farming vineyards.

We are a team of two winemakers, Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez, wife and wife, whose paths first crossed in 2006 through our work in the wine industry. Our friendship grew through wine and travels, which also sparked our love. Our journey of friendship, love, and wine now continues as together we found our dream winery, Camins 2 Dreams.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Grüner Veltliner

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape?

Mireia: I have been lucky to enjoy forgotten grapes since early age, being from Spain most of our local grapes would be considered “forgotten” , even though they are popular in Spain. Ex: Tempanillo, Xarello , Mencia or Garciano to name a few.

Tara: Through my travels through Europe, I felt lucky to expand my palate to many forgotten grapes. One experience in particular was in Languadoc when I tasted Carignan for the first time many years ago. I remember seeing those vines planted along the Mediterranean Sea and was so amazed by that, and the salinity that came from that was truly remarkable, not to mention the dark fruit flavors, vibrant acidity, and moderate tannins. Through that experience, Carignan is definitely one of my favorites.

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? We love making and teaching the consumer about the under represented varieties that are not mainstream. There are so many forgotten grapes that deserve the same recognition as the mainstream varieties, and we love preaching about those varieties. We like to research them, learn about them, experimenting as we make the wine and then introducing them to the consumers.

Camins 2 Dreams Winemakers
Camins 2 Dreams Harvest
Camins 2 Dreams Winemakers
Camins 2 Dreams Winemakers
Camins 2 Dreams Wines

Cary Q Wines

1160 Hopper Ave, Santa Rosa, CA
www.caryqwines.com

Region: Santa Rosa

Owner/Winemaker: Cary Quintana

About: Cary Q Wines was founded in 2014, and is a woman-owned/operated winery, dedicated to minimal intervention winemaking philosophies. I focus on producing single vineyard varietals, working with organic and/or sustainably farmed vineyards, and leading with philosophies that produce environmentally clean and fresh wines from classic varietals. I aim to highlight the unique microclimates and site-specific grape varietals that are oftentimes underrepresented or overlooked.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, of Cuban heritage, I followed my passion for the fermented grape in 2013 by moving to Northern California. I am self-taught, motivated with intention, and an alumna of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Winemaking certification program.

In the cellar I lead with low-intervention winemaking philosophies, that include being sensorily vigilant, encouraging natural/wild fermentations, all with the intention of highlighting pure and vibrant varietal expressions. My aging vessels vary by vintage and varietal inspiration which include concrete, stainless steel, and neutral French oak puncheons.

What is your favorite forgotten grape? Picpoul

What was your first experience with a forgotten grape? Mourvedre

What do you love most about the forgotten grapes? How versatile they can be.

Cary Q Wines
Cary Q Wines
Cary Q Wines
Cary Q Wines