“Where Eight Grapes Tell One Story” Westbrook Wine Farm | Sierra Nevada Foothills, California - Episode 3

There’s a certain kind of quiet you notice as you wind your way through the Sierra Nevada foothills—just outside of Madera, California.

Not silence exactly… More like anticipation. The kind that tells you something meaningful is waiting just ahead.

And at 1,441 feet above sea level, tucked among wooded hillsides and filtered golden light… You’ll find it. Westbrook Wine Farm.

At first glance, it doesn’t try to impress you. No grand entrance.
No crowds gathering at the gates.

Just a rustic, foothill barn-style winery—grounded, intentional, quietly confident.

Corksworth (softly): “Ah… a place that knows exactly what it is. I like that.”

 

But what lies behind that simplicity… is something rare.

Westbrook isn’t just a vineyard. It’s an experiment—decades in the making.

Here, they grow all eight of the original red grape varieties approved in Bordeaux in 1855:

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
Petit Verdot
Carménère
Saint Macaire
Gros Verdot

A lineup so complete… it’s almost unheard of.

Corksworth (brightening): “Eight grapes? That’s not a blend—that’s a full symphony!”

And at the center of it all… is a man who has spent a lifetime listening to that symphony.

Meet Ray Krause

His journey began in 1964 at Roma Winery in Fresno.
It carried through military service, time at Mirassou, and decades of refining his craft.

More than 60 years later, he’s still here—still pouring, still experimenting, still smiling.

At Westbrook, you don’t just taste the wine. You meet the person who made it.

Ray and his wife Tammy welcome guests personally, guiding each tasting with insight, warmth, and just enough storytelling to make every sip feel connected to something larger.

Corksworth (leaning in):
“Now this… this is how wine is meant to be shared.”

There are no buses here.
No crowds.

No distractions.

Just conversation.

Strangers become acquaintances… Acquaintances become friends… And somewhere between the first pour and the last… something shifts.

People slow down.

They listen.
They laugh.
They connect.

The wines themselves reflect that same philosophy.

Minimal intervention.
Sustainable farming.
And a commitment to letting the grapes speak for themselves.

Even the process is intentional.

At Westbrook, grapes are often co-fermented—blended before fermentation begins—creating a depth and harmony that’s difficult to replicate any other way.

Corksworth (thoughtful): “Not just blending wine… blending intention.”

And then… there’s the setting.

The elevation.
The trees.
The way the light drifts across the hills in the late afternoon.

It all works together—quietly shaping the experience, just as much as the wine itself.

What you remember most, though, may not be the vineyard… It’s the people beside you.

Sharing stories.
Sharing opinions.
Sharing a moment that feels—if only briefly—timeless.

At Westbrook Wine Farm…There’s a simple rule: No frowning.

And honestly, after spending time here…
You’ll understand why.

Corksworth: “Eight grapes, one table… and not a single reason to rush.”

Hope to see you again with Episode 4

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