Saturday May 31st - Grape Growers & Vintners

From Vines to Wines:   
Meet our Carneros Growers! CLICK HERE!
Sample our Wines!

This year the annual Carneros Heritage Fest features special pavilions pairing the grape growers of the Carneros Wine Alliance with the wineries that make wines from these stellar grapes   For the first time, visitors will have an opportunity to meet our growers and sample the wines made into Carneros Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and increasingly, a variety of other varietals that have been shown to grow well in “warm spots” studded throughout our cool climate environment.

The site of the 3rd Annual Carneros Heritage Fest -- The Donum Estate  -- lies directly across from one of the largest marshlands of the San Pablo Bay.  Ramal Road is one of the most beautiful and productive wine growing areas of the Carneros region, “off the beaten track” of the more traditional wine trails, with distinct geography, environment, habitats, wildlife and culture providing a combination of remarkably distinct elements.

Many of the Carneros Wine Alliance grape growers are among the industry’s leaders, notable for their leadership in sustainable agricultural practices, organic vineyards and concern for the environment, and will be on site to showcase how  winegrowing in Carneros -- a unique, “cool climate” region noted for its combination of fog, warm days, long growing season and wind – translates into the stellar wines poured by our wineries. 

The CA Department of Fish & Game will join us in showing how the natural environment of the San Pablo Bay, its wetlands, marshes and wildlife habitats form the ecological footprint that influences our vines and wines. 

The Olive Press will lead a group of olive oil producers showing how these trees, their fruit and the oils made from them flourish here.  Other environmental exhibitors – from worms, owls, beneficial insects and compost -- will join us again this year to show the impact of the natural world intersects with our grapes and our wines.

For the first time, fest-goers will have the opportunity to have a “Behind the Scenes” look at the people who grow the grapes that become Carneros wines.

Here are some the growers and vineyard managers that will be on site in the Growers-Vinter’s Pavilion.

Randy Heinzen, Saintsbury	Marcus Seiden, Diageo (Acacia & Beaulieu Vineyards)
Mark & Madelyn DeSoto, DeSoto Vineyards
Ned Hill, Schug Carneros Estate Wines	Edwin Richards, Adastra
George & Vivien Fotinos, Fotinos
Armando Ceja, Ceja Vineyards	Dave Wilson, Merryvale
Left to right: Dave Steiner (Napa Resource Conservation District); Anne Moller-Racke (The Donum Estate); Brian Shepard (Walsh Vineyard Management)
Tom Moretti (Moretti Vineyards)	Scott Bauer ( Raevine Vineyards)
Steve & Debra Beresini (Beresini Vineyard)
Kari Flores (Kari Flores Vineyard)	Maureen Paladini (Contessa de Carneros Vineyard)
Paul & Sonia Gee (Gee Vineyard)
Nancy & Tony Lilly (Wildcat Mountain Vineyards)	Al Wagner (Clos Du Val)
Lisa & Brian Allen (Allen Vineyard)