At Gnarly Head it all starts in the vineyard. Our quest for outstanding Zinfandel led us down a country road into the heart of Lodi, California revealing a sea of gnarled, 35-80 year-old vines pruned in a special, mop-topped way called “head trained.” True gnarly heads, these old vines yield fewer grape clusters with smaller berries than trellised vines. These mighty little berries produce intense, bold wines that are deep in color with concentrated dark fruit flavors.

The Ehlers family history, within the wine business, began during the early days of prohibition. Some of the first, family ancestors arrived in California in 1835 where they settled in the town of Lockeford and in the town of Courtland, along the Sacramento river. The more recent family migrated to California after a brief stay in Minnesota after arriving from Germany.

Image - swirling glass of wine - Saman Teher - Pixabay

Established in 2000, Housleys Century Oak Winery has quickly made a name for itself with our family approach to award-winning wines at affordable prices. We have been fortunate enough to garner scores as high as 96, 95 & 94 points from respected competitions and many Gold Medals from judges and tastings across the country. Open the first Saturday of every month from 12-4 and by special appointment.