History
In the eighties, after consuming a fair amount of White Zinfandel (Twin Hills, Mastantuano, etc), Angela and Darren Mitchell were converted by a bottle of 1987 Eberle Cabernet Sauvignon and their passionate quest for fine red wine began. In 1993, Darren frustrated by the high cost of their new hobby, decided to take a winemaking class taught by local Zinfandel legend, Charles Poalillo, at Cuesta Community College. What began as an attempt to save money, developed into a quest for more knowledge of wine and production, more classes (at UC Davis, Allan Hancock, Aspen School of Wine, Copia, and Cal Poly), investments in equipment and supplies, and finally, the shift back to Darren’s farming roots, a vineyard of their own.
Four years later, in 1997, wanting more control over the quality of grapes, the couple planted the first grapes: 10 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 acres of Syrah on the hilltop overlooking the old adobe farmhouse where Darren grew up. They also decided, if they were going to give the grapes the attention they deserved, they would have to move onto the property. What was supposed to be a temporary two year stint, turned into a nearly nine year adventure that finally came to fruition with the building of the home and tasting room which you see today. Since then, their passionate endeavor has consisted of updating, cultivating, and nurturing the vineyard, producing small lots of fine truly-handcrafted wines and enjoying the fruits of their labor with friends, family, and customers.
